You see, I will ALWAYS be a food fanatic and addicted to cookbooks and virtually everything else related to food, but I'm taking a break of sorts from going quite so gonzo in the kitchen. All fall and winter, I cooked and baked, baked and cooked and while I loved every minute of it, well, it wasn't super figure friendly. No, I'm not on a diet, so please get that out of your head. I don't believe in them. On the other hand, summer is coming and we have a beach vacation planned. I'll look a little funny laying on my towel with pants and a long t-shirt to cover my pooching belly...not to mention sweating to death.
So, for the time being, I will simply resign to do a little less cooking and baking ( let's be honest, baking). The hard part is that I love the process of it all and being in the kitchen really is home for me, so I will find new ways to achieve this. I'm already on a smoothie kick, for example. I know, smoothies don't have quite the same curb appeal as, say, Nanaimo Bars, but they're an extremely delicious treat if you use the best quality fresh or frozen fruit. What's more, by exercising and eating moderately most days of the week, I'm more than fine with whipping up a lovely dessert once a week. What's on the menu this week? A luscious lemon tart (recipe coming soon).
And I simply can't /won't live without my daily dose of chocolate. No way, no how. But instead of gobbling it down full speed, I'm trying to be mindful of each bite. Also, I find eating a square or two along with sips of milky black tea make it feel like a luxurious dessert.
Finally, over the course of the next several months, you might see more posts about the places I'm visiting and things I'm doing, but I promise to relate as much of it as I can to the best four letter word there is: food. And I can almost guarantee that once the cold weather is back, I will retreat to the kitchen to prepare copious amounts of baked goods. And when I can hide under bulky sweaters again.
I'd like to hear your smoothie combinations. I'm realizing that Owen would probably love making them - and it's something I know he would eat!
ReplyDeleteHey Alissa,
ReplyDeleteWell, it's pretty basic. Right now, the favorite is plain soymilk, a couple squeezes of agave syrup, a banana, and a few handfuls of frozen, mixed fruit. At one of the markets here I get this great mix of frozen strawberries, pineapple chunks, and mango bits. I also think frozen fruit (as opposed to fresh) helps with the tongue appeal...cold and frothy. I imagine Owen would have fun with them and, like you said, enjoy eating them, too.