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Entries in food (29)

Wednesday
Sep012010

Cooking with The Pioneer Woman

As I mentioned last week, I finally got the Pioneer Woman cookbook.  I've really grown to adore PW (or P-Dub, which is how I think of her in my head when I pretend we're chummy) and everything about her site: the photography, the life stories, the bits of humor, the general happy-yet-realistic approach to life.  After coming a bit late to the PW party, I now very clearly get what the whole big deal was about (so much so that I didn't even bother her when I saw her in the hallway at BlogHer but I squealed and squee'd on the inside).

But back to the cookbook.  I wanted it almost like I'd want a souvenir.  But once I took it home and had a chance to go through it page by page (which took two or three days, thanks to little Nate), I realized something else.

I want to cook every single thing in this book.

No, really.  I thought that off-handedly and then I thought, "Well, why not?"  It's sort of like Julie & Julia, except without the scary French recipes, the somewhat unlikeable author (I hope, eep), and the extra-marital affair (I really hope).  (Side note - did you know that Julie had an affair that was detailed in the book but left out of the film?  And people already thought the "character" of Julie was unlikeable in the film; no wonder they left out the affair.)

But anyway, this is really nothing like that other than this being another woman (me) hoping to go through an entire cookbook.  I'm sure many others have done it since any time there's a good blog idea, a bunch of copycats appear.

So far I've made four of the recipes in the book, so I've got a few posts to catch up on here, now!  The first one up will be PW's Chicken Spaghetti.  Stay tuned!

Monday
Aug022010

I have a tool and am a tool

People who have WLS (weight loss surgery) often refer to it as "a tool" - as in, it's a tool to help you eat better, not a magical solution that works on its own.  And sometimes it's possible to get out of touch with the surgery.  You get so comfortable eating that you forget you have limitations.

source

My surgery was nearly six and a half years ago, so I definitely lose touch with my tool.  I eat chocolates and they have no effect on me.  I eat things that used to bother me that no longer do - often forgetting they ever bothered me.  The restrictions are never far from my mind since unless I'm eating something I eat all the time, I have to think about how it'll sit with me - especially when we eat at/from a restaurant.

This past week, though, my tool made a tool of me.  Twice this week I ate something that made me throw up (known as "dumping syndrome" in the wls world - not because your body tries to dump the contents ASAP, but because the fat "dumps" into your body too fast and you feel sick).  I won't mention the restaurants because it's not their fault, it's mine (although it kind of is their fault for making food that is SO high in fat that it makes me sick when a Snickers bar doesn't - that'll tell you something).

The first time, I really had no idea I was possibly in trouble.  I ate a great chicken wrap... but it had avocado on it.  Too much avocado, I think, and while avocado is healthy, it's high in fat - even if it's good fat - and it did a number on me.  Up it came after first feeling like I swallowed a sparkler.  (That feeling always lets me know it's time to excuse myself for some private washroom time.)

Then tonight I ate fried chicken.  I've been craving it for ages and haven't eaten it in a year... and before that, it was probably four years.  But I ate it, even though looking at it, I knew it looked greasy and dangerous.  And I was right.  Damn sparkler feeling, into the washroom.

Sigh.  Talk about a learning curve.

I wonder sometimes when this will become fully second nature.  And then I realize it just won't for me.  Eating well has to be a conscious thing for me.  It's not second nature.  I fully believe I can get to a point where it is, but it's going to take a long time because I'm surrounded by people and things that tempt me and I'm not good at resisting.  The resisting is going to have to become second nature.  I'm going to have to watch my husband eat fast food and not feel like I'm missing out.  I'm going to have to watch a chocolate commercial and not spend the next few days thinking about that chocolate until I buy it.

I've come far.  I have no doubt I physically and mentally feel better when I eat healthfully.  I love how it feels to be energized after a meal instead of sluggish.  What I have to do is really connect the knowledge and experience of those feelings with the part of me that just wants to give in all the time.  I'm fine with giving in sometimes.  Strict dieting is a sure recipe for binging for me.  I know my food tendencies, weaknesses, and strengths so well.

So why is this all still so hard?

But I have faith it won't be one day.  I know it.  I feel it in my soul.  That person who's happy when healthy is in there.  And she's not unhappy now, but it could be significantly better.  We'll get there.

Somehow I'm now referring to myself as two distinct people.  Um... I should probably go check what was in that decaf tea I just drank.

 

Crossposted to WeAreTheRealDeal

Sunday
Jun272010

Filling in the blanks, two days late

I just started reading this blog, the little things we do, and the blogger does a fun "Fill In The Blank Friday" thing.  I had something else ready to post on Friday, so I'm doing this today instead.

1.  If I could choose my last meal it would be pizza with extra cheese and Coke Zero .  I'm easy like that.

2.  My favorite person to share a meal with is  the hubby    because,  well, we really don't get a chance too often enough since our schedules don't mesh well and we're usually taking turns taking care of the baby during meal times these days.

3.  The best meal I've ever had was I'm sure there have been many, but the first that comes to mind is steak at Peter Luger's in Brooklyn.  It was heavenly.

4.  The one food that makes me feel instantly better when I'm having a bad day is  - well, it depends on the day.  Some days it would be cheese, other days it would be chocolate.

5.  My absolute specialty in the kitchen is  these days, mixing bottles of formula.  But truthfully, really, I have absolutely no kitchen specialty.  I always need a recipe unless it's something simple like eggs or grilled cheese (although I still always have to look up how to make hard boiled eggs - I am that clueless in the kitchen, seriously).  It's amazing I still manage to be overweight, lol

6.  The city that has the best food is  NYC, dur  and my favorite restaurant there is   Republic, a Thai place in Union Square.  If you go, take notice of the art on the walls - they're pictures of people with noodles hanging all over them.  Love it.

7.  My favorite healthy snack is  a nice piece of fruit - like an orange, a Gala apple, a pear, or some grapes.

8.  In my opinion the nationality which has the best food is  Italian - and yet I'm married to the only Italian on the planet who wants nothing to do with Italian food.  I'm sure Dante has a circle in hell reserved for this situation.

9.  If I could learn to cook anything in the world (and be really good at it!) I'd choose  just your general, every day kind of dinner.  I really just want to gain a feeling of comfort with cooking, especially for other people.  I get dreadfully nervous serving anyone something I've made.

10.  The most outrageous dessert I've ever had was  the Creme Brulee that my friend Mike made from scratch, blowtorch and all.  Yum, yum, yum .
Sunday
Jun062010

Oh sweet coffee caffeine

I nearly weaned myself off caffeine during my pregnancy.  If anything, I allowed myself one Coke Zero per day.  I had crazy cravings for cola and needed a little caffeine push during the afternoon (remember, I continued attending grad school and worked up until the Friday before my c-section - I was one tired mama-to-be).

Yet even the tiniest bit of caffeine really got me wired.  One day, I'm pretty sure someone switched the decaf for regular at work and I felt completely out of sorts for a few hours: jittery, angry, on edge.  It was then that I really saw just how much I kicked my caffeine habit.

But I missed coffee.  I adored Starbucks' decaf VIA (instant) coffee but it still wasn't the same.  I couldn't have a Frappuccino or order a cappuccino at a restaurant (in theory I could order the restaurant cappuccino, but I swear they don't taste the same with decaf).

And then there was yesterday.  Yesterday the hubby stayed home on Nate duty and I went out.  OUT!!  By myself!  With the car!!  I got a pedicure, went to Target, ran some errands - it was glorious.  And the glorious afternoon started with... a light caramel Frappuccino.

It might seem silly, but it was amazing to order something at Starbucks and not have to worry that they wouldn't get the decaf right.  It was so easy and felt normal again.  And the Frap tasted magnificent.

Then today, I made coffee at home - something I haven't done in many, many months.  I was making half decaf and eventually full decaf coffee at home for a while - but, frankly, it tasted like crap so I stopped.  But today I have regular coffee and it's so, so very good.  And, being a new mama with a little munchkin who's had his first cold since Tuesday, I am exhausted so the caffeine is doing me a lot of good.  None of us are sleeping enough these days.

Danielle recently got Keurig and I could not be more envious.

The hubby doesn't drink coffee, so the ability to simply make myself one cup at a time would be super convenient and I would love to be able to have different flavor coffees easily and not have to always be measuring out and scooping grounds.  Want want want.

But, really, I'm just enjoying having regular coffee right now.  There'll be time to get fancy later.  My regular ol' cup o' joe will do for now.

Friday
May282010

A Mustang, A Mustang, my kingdom for a Mustang

Yesterday I did something amazing.  I drove our car.  By myself.

(NB: Yes, that is "our car" singular.  My car is dead.  After spending $5k on it a couple of months ago and another $2k on it back in the fall, now the transmission crapped out.  More on that particularly frustrating situation at another time.)

So now our only car is the hubby's Mustang convertible, which we just bought in November because his car needed daily repairs.  It's "our" car, but the hubby drives it primarily.

Except last night.  Last night, I drove a whopping six blocks to the supermarket.  To understand the joy of this excursion, ponder this: it was the fourth time I've been outside - literally outside - in nearly three weeks, and two of those other times were for doctor's appointments (one for Nate, one for me) and the third was a trip to the hospital to see my grandmother.  I suppose there was a fifth outing if you count coming home from the hospital.  But, really, if that's what we're counting, you can imagine the desperation.

I've always loved my independence and, in particular, having my own car and being able to take off at a moment's notice.  But now?  Not only do I not have a car at my disposal, if I did have one, I would have to pack up Nate with me unless the hubby was home to stay with him.  Since I don't have a car right now, I haven't yet experienced the whole "pack up the baby by myself and try to accomplish something at a store" thing.  I'm a bit nervous about it, honestly, but it's not even a question until we solve my car problem.

But last night the hubby was home and I needed groceries - specifically, baking supplies, which the hubby gets nervous buying since he knows they need to be very specific.  So while he stayed with Nate, I got behind the wheel of our car and drove to the supermarket.  I hadn't been behind the wheel in over two weeks (you can't drive for two weeks after a c-section).  Getting in the Mustang and buckling up made me feel like Thelma . . .  or Louise (whoever was driving).  Except instead of driving off a cliff, I was buying produce.

FREEDOM!  Fruit and eggs and sugar, oh my - freedom!

It felt thrilling . . . but weird.  In addition to it being the first solo car excursion in what feels like a lifetime, it was also the first time I wasn't in the same place as Nate . . . EVER.  Since he was born, we've been together.  Even when he was in the nursery at the hospital, it was right across the hall from my hospital room, a mere eight feet away.

In retrospect, I'm glad the supermarket is so close.  I'm not sure I'm ready to go any farther from Nate.

single but not so ready to mingle

actually, not allowed to mingle at all until he's 35, thankyouverymuch

(and, yes, that's glitter on his eye - no idea how it got there)