Food | BulgingButtons

November 2, 2013
by BulgingButtons 11 Comments

Fat and the Writing Lifestyle

November has come screaming in with the beginning of NaNoWriMo and the fantastic workshop I attended this morning. It was my first novel writing workshop, and it was so well done. The fact that it was also free and included a catered lunch was even better.

Then, once home, I discovered the NaBloPoMo challenge. I am such a sucker for challenges, especially ones that I think I have a chance at completing. This one, to publish a blog post a day, seemed like a no brainer for me. I post often, sometimes more than once a day. I signed up and grabbed their badge.

That got me thinking about other challenges, notably my 47 for 47 challenge. Uh oh. There are lots of items on that list that are yet to be crossed off. In fact, most of them. Oops.

The thing is, the more I live a “writerly” life, the further I’m getting from my health and fitness goals. Last night, as I produced my 2,300 words I munched on m & m’s. Hmmmm. Writers can eat grapes as they write. They don’t need m & m’s. I can also think about my characters or upcoming chapters as I walk on the treadmill. I need to keep this in mind as I immerse myself in words. I need to remember to take care of the physical, even while I’m focusing my energy on the mental.

October 30, 2013
by BulgingButtons 9 Comments

Where Do I Even Begin?

No doubt many of you have already seen this little gem by now and have formed your own opinions about it. My first reaction? You have got to be kidding me. My next reaction involved some choice words that I prefer to keep out of print for now.

I think the story goes something like this: a woman in the midwest wants to do her civic duty by proclaiming her neighbors’ children obese and giving them notes to that effect instead of candy on Halloween night. The notes not only explain what a wonderful service she is doing them, but go on to suggest that the parents ration the candy the children happen to accumulate from the disappointing neighbors who might stoop to give them any.

Jeez, talk about fat shaming. This is fat shaming and parent shaming and just plain old nastiness all rolled into one self-serving holier-than-thou pile of crap. Let’s face it, this note is just plain mean.

Here’s the deal, I’m usually a pretty open minded individual. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt, and I generally try to convince myself that people have others’ best interests at heart. In this case I just don’t see it.

If you think giving candy to some kids and mean spirited notes to others is somehow going to improve their health, you’re out of your mind. You’re worried about childhood obesity? Don’t give out candy. Better yet, don’t give out anything. Turn off your light and stay away from the windows. Your neighbors will probably thank you. Especially those with the chubby children who you will target with your ill conceived notes.

Notes which, by the way, you apparently spent considerable time on, including a cute graphic. Which makes me wonder if this is even real. Who shared this with the world? Halloween hasn’t happened yet. Is someone pulling the wool over our eyes? Are we being pranked?

I hope so , because you don’t know every child’s story. You don’t know every family’s story. Neither do I. If they’re letting their kids trick-or-treat that’s their business. If you don’t want to participate, don’t. You don’t get to pick and choose which kids get a treat and which kids don’t. If you don’t have something nice to say, say nothing. Sit this one out and admit that maybe you’re not the expert on everything. You want to help kids? Help your community? Fantastic. This is not the way to do it.

October 29, 2013
by BulgingButtons 9 Comments

And So It Begins – Six Months of Temptation

Ah yes, the end of October. It’s the unofficial start to what I like to call the eating season. It’s more than a season, though. It’s actually approximately half the year.

October brings with it Halloween, which used to mean a night of trick-or-treating and the bowl and sack of candy that accompanied it. Not anymore. Now it means specialty cupcakes and impossible to resist orange filled oreos. I know. I’m weak. And I should never grocery shop when I’m hungry.

After the sugar high of Halloween, we get into the comfort food of Thanksgiving. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy. Yum. And if we must throw in a veggie or two why not put them in a casserole with extra calories and deliciousness? Of course we finish the whole thing off with pie. Um, I mean pieS. Who can choose between apple, pumpkin, and pecan? Why choose? Have some of each. And yes, please, I would like some whipped cream on it.

Then, the very next day, we’re into the Christmas season. Hot chocolate and Christmas cookies are in abundance (even if the low temperatures in my area don’t even require mittens). Specialty items are everywhere, including those cursed Trader Joes candy cane chocolate dipped oreo knock-offs. They are insane.

And don’t forget Hanukkah. Whether you celebrate it or not, those hot golden fried potato latkes are a tradition not to be missed. And what’s Hanukkah without a little bit of chocolate gelt?

Before you know it, February shows up on the calendar, with heart shaped boxes declaring your love for your sweetheart. The bigger the box, the more you love them. Or the more of them there there will be to love, anyway.

It seems that the minute those heart shaped boxes hit the clearance aisle they are replaced by Easter candy. It used to be jelly beans and chocolate bunnies, but now it’s so much more. My personal Achille’s heel are the Cadbury mini eggs. These are not the chocolate goo filled eggs (which, not surprisingly, I also enjoy), but the small candy shelled bits of yumminess. They must be milk chocolate, though. The dark chocolate ones just don’t do it for me. And the Christmas version of candy shelled red and green balls isn’t quite the same either. Apparently I’m a Cadbury mini egg snob.

So there you go, a breakdown of the October to April feeding frenzy that I’m hoping to navigate with some type of success. My only saving grace is that I also bought fruit, and I know how to eat it!