Food | BulgingButtons

December 19, 2015
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How I’ve Missed You

My poor dear little blog, you’ve been so neglected.

I could tell you that it’s because it’s holiday time, and there are so many other things I feel I have to do, but I don’t think that watching holiday movies is a good excuse.

I could tell you that it’s because it’s the end of the semester at school and I have to wrap up the grading and projects and all the other things that go along with this time of year, but really that’s kind of an excuse too.

I think I may be neglecting you because I’m just tired.

I’m tired from work.

I’m tired from the stress of my kid applying to colleges (but hey, he’s been accepted to TWO universities, so it’s not bad news).

I’m tired from preparing for a trip. Ok, not really. I tend to be a last minute kind of a gal, in case you hadn’t noticed.

I think what I’m really tired from is the diminished level of care I’ve been giving myself. I’ve allowed my old habits to start creeping back in, a bit at a time. Some Christmas cookies here, a glass of spiked eggnog there, a bit of fudge, a glass of wine… it all adds up, and it’s added up. Not to worry, though, because I had an appointment with my nutritionist on the calendar. I knew she would help me get back on track. Except that it didn’t quite work out that way.

You see, this lovely woman who has been so instrumental in helping me lose weight and become healthier has had a surprise thrown her way. She will be leaving the medical group where she’s been working, and she’s not sure of her next move.

I’m sad for her, but she has a wonderful attitude. She’s framing it as an opportunity for growth. I admire that. But it still sucks. It sucks for her to have to look for work, especially at this time of year, and it sucks for me, because frankly I really like working with her. She comes from a place of wisdom and no judgment, and I find that so helpful.

Our paths may cross again. I hope so. In the meantime I wish her well. Now to get off my tush and start taking care of business once again, with or without her help.

November 15, 2015
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The Right Tools for the Job

I just came from a cooking home-party, where several women got together and made a delicious meal with a dessert. The whole point of the event was to sell the various cooking tools and utensils, and for me, at least, it was a success. I know that I can get by without using the exact tool, but in many cases having the right tool for the job makes the process not only smoother, but more successful.

This lesson can be applied across the board, not just in cooking. Of course there are extreme examples, such as the carpenter who tried to hammer nails with his screwdriver, but in real-life the examples are usually more subtle.

I think about my students who often don’t have the right tools to approach a particular problem. It’s my job as their teacher to equip them, but only after their parents have done the lion’s share of the job. They need to have a certain level of curiosity as well as a healthy dose of perseverance in order to be successful. They have to be open to making mistakes and be able to collaborate with others. A dose of self-control and a willingness to listen to others are necessary tools for learning. I can help develop those tools, but some children are clearly better equipped than others.

Then I think about my personal goal of improving my health through better eating and more movement. What tools do I need there? First, I need the knowledge of how to feed myself properly. I have plenty of resources in that department, so I think I’m set there. Then I need support and motivation. I find these waxing and waning, and I need to develop ways to keep them both high. I also need tools to get me moving. Again, motivation is a big one. Maybe a nice new pair of sneakers will help? Perhaps a Fitbit? I’ve been toying with the idea of both, but realistically I know that it has to come from within.

And what about writing? Do I have the tools there? Well, yes and no. I have the tools to be a decent blogger. I have ideas, I have this blog, and I know how to put out posts that people occasionally respond to. I can string words together into sentences, and sentences together into thoughts. I have some knowledge, a few ideas, a laptop, and a platform, so yes, I have the tools.

But what about other writing challenges? Do I have what it takes for those? I’m not sure. Again, I think the biggest obstacle is motivation. I’ve got a fear of failure, or maybe a fear of success, I haven’t decided which yet. I have great support and terrific resources to develop as a writer, now I just need more time and better focus. Wouldn’t it be nice if those were available through a home-party? I’d be the first one to sign up.

November 9, 2015
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Test Kitchen

My sweetheart loves to cook. LOVES it. And he’s very very good at it, too.

The man is a grill guru, a smoker swami, and an oven oracle. Really, he’s good.

He also loves to experiment. He gets ideas in his head for various things he’d like to try out, then he researches his ideas before planning to execute them. This is the man who, before I met him, created his own TurDucKin (turkey, duck, chicken for those of you unfamiliar with this bizarre culinary concept). He tells me it was way more work than it was worth. I could have saved him the time, had I known him.

One of his recent successes was cilantro-lime rice, similar to the rice that’s served at Chipolte. With this recipe, you actually use a lot more water than usual and end up draining the rice at the end. Who knew that would work? It did, though, and it was wonderful.

His new project is cornbread stuffing for Thanksgiving. He’s made this recipe for the past two years, and while the flavor is excellent, the texture is problematic. The first year it was sort of blobby. Delicious, but weird on the tongue. Last year he cooked it in a shallower dish, and it turned out more like a casserole. Again, delicious, but not quite right. He’s still at it, puttering away in the kitchen looking for the solution. He will perfect this recipe, it’s just a matter of time.

I dare not go into the kitchen, it might interrupt his flow. There’s a grocery store roast-chicken waiting in the fridge to join this test stuffing (doing both in one day would require an effort similar to Thanksgiving, and we’re not ready for that quite yet). The house is starting to smell good, and I’m starting to get hungry. Cross your fingers that this experiment works out. It would be great to have the “perfect” stuffing on Thanksgiving.