The Two-Headed Monster

Today I have been thinking of myself and my eating habits as a two-headed monster.  I can be good.  I can be bad.  I often feel happy.  I often feel sad.  It's often a struggle between the two monsters within me to cooperate together so I can function and live a balanced life. 

For example, yesterday I was in a rotten, sad state of mind.  It was my pity party day.  I ate chocolate chip cookies (and yogurt) for breakfast.  I had a huge chocolate brownie for lunch.  I cried a few times.  I ignored phone calls, emails and people so that I could get lost in a book and my John Mayer music CD while I drove around town with no real destination in mind.  I didn't exercise.  I had a huge coffee with steamed milk. I was glad to be alone.  My thoughts felt scattered. 

Today I woke up and decided to do some yoga and a Jillian Michael's workout dvd first thing.  I ate a healthy banana crumble muffin after that.  Mid morning I decided to make some tofu pudding. (It actually turned out pretty great so I'll share that recipe soon!)  The only thing I drank so far is about 60 oz of water and a cup of herbal tea.  It's raining buckets today but I'm more than happy to be at home in my pajamas.  I couldn't wait to call my mom to talk to her.  I'm still lost in the book I picked up yesterday but I'm stopping to take breaks, take a few notes and do a few chores around the house.  I'm much more at peace.

Environmental and external factors often affect our mood and our eating habits.  Fortunately I've never been one to binge eat or starve myself.  I just have my occasional days of overindulgence (like yesterday).  Generally I don't feel guilty over it.  I just make up for it or work it off later. 

Self-discipline can be hard but it can be achieved.  When I find myself struggling I keep a food diary and a personal diary to make me more accountable of my actions and intake.  When I feel more confident and on the right path, I slack off because I know what to do and I don't need to write it down.   Although doing weekly meal planning like I do certainly helps! 

Everyone I know has their little indulgences too.  No one is good all the time.  I often just let my two-headed monster argue it out.  I close my eyes and wait to see if my hand reaches for the chocolate or the broccoli.  The best days are when it grabs both! 

Thank you for reading this random post of mine today.  I had a recipe prepared but then these wild thoughts came to my head instead and sometimes you just have to go with it..... Also, sometimes it's a good learning technique to share where you've been, what you've done and how you've felt so you can move forward - whether it's food related or not!!!  :-)

Do you also have a two-headed monster?  If so, do you try to tame it or let it lead you?  How does it affect your eating habits?

I promise that tomorrow will be a less thought-provoking post.  I will get back to sharing great recipes - Coming up is a wonderful pasta dish along with some make-ahead tips for creating your own "gourmet" sandwiches too! 

Stay tuned to see which head of the two-headed monster will win out for the remainder of this week!  :-)

What Food Best Describes You?

This morning I woke up to a wonderful surprise - an email that a new friend sent to me thanking me for organizing a special event the other night.  I belong to a woman's group/ moms club where I occasionally plan activities for the members.  Tuesday night we had a spa social event where I found volunteer women (including one who is in our club) who gave us great information and luckily a few free samples of skin care products, facial lotions, oils for massages and more.  Everyone seemed to have a great time. 

One of the ladies who attended sent me a very kind email comparing me to food.  It may sound odd but I absolutely loved it.  Her words brought a huge smile to my face and I just HAD to share it here instead of the planned post I was going to upload.  No, I want to remember these words - my first comparison to food~  :)_

Here's what she told me:

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Mandy,

I think if you were a food, a fitting analogy don't you think, you would be a lemon meringue pie!? I know, wait, I'll explain....

Certainly to look at from the outside (you're) an altogether pleasing package with a sweet, simple, feminine, light and easy start.  

But underneath all that meringue one discovers the more complex, unexpected contrast of the tart, intricate, rich flavors that leave one pleasantly surprised and delightfully satisfied by the encounter!

That's you, a Lemon Meringue Pie!

Food Regards,
-A.C.

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Wow, I was practically speechless when I read her sweet words.  When my husband reads these lines later today, he may ask, "Umm, is she was flirting with you?"  No sweetie, that's just how we unique and special women are -- we can talk in a way that's sexy and beautiful and complimentary with no strings attached or no hidden agenda behind it (the way that men do).   Plus, you'd have to know this woman friend....  Every thing she says is interesting and poetic in some manner.  And she speaks in an accent making her even more wonderful to listen to.

So thank you to my friend for those sweet words.  It truly made my day! 

I'm so flattered and honored and RELIEVED that she didn't compare me to a Fruitcake OR a Nutty bar.  LOL!  :-P

Seriously though, I actually LOVE lemon-flavored desserts!  I just made my famous lemon bars last weekend for a barbecue.  I have never, ever made a lemon meringue pie though.  So now I MUST add it to my list of recipes to make this year!  You've inspired me girl, thank you! 

Have any of you ever made a lemon meringue pie?  Do you have a good recipe to share with me? 

If somone were to compare you (your style/personality) to a food item, what do you think it would be?  Or how do you compare yourself?  Come on' folks - don't be shy....  Let's dish about food! 

Here is a quick and fun food quiz I found online that you can take -  It asks you five questions then compares your results to a food item.  Let me know your quiz results in the comments section!  http://www.blogthings.com/whatkindoffoodareyouquiz/

I'm taking tomorrow off to spend time with family so I will be back on Sunday with my meal plan for the week and fun things in store for the coming days.  I hope everyone has a great couple of days until my return!

When In Doubt, Do You Order Out?

Are there some foods that you just prefer to order out instead of make because of the trouble or the cost or some other reason?   As I try to learn and experiment with cooking new foods, I'm sometimes disappointed with the end result. 


Like this week for example, I attemped another chicken tenders recipe.  I found this simple almond chicken strips dish and it sounded very tasty.   I should mention that this is my third time making my own, at-home chicken tenders or nuggets.  And just like the first and second times I made them, these didn't turn out so great.  They weren't awful but they weren't wonderful either.  I would NOT serve them to a crowd of friends or strangers. 


So this got me thinking..... perhaps there are just some foods that most of us average cooks (like me) should just order out instead?  They're just not worth the trouble, especially if they don't turn out as great-tasting!  Chicken tenders is one of them for me.  Sushi is another one.  Although I haven't actually tried to make my own yet, it sure seems like a world of trouble to make the rolls, to form the rice in just the right consistency and to have the freshest, best fish on hand. 


Fancy cakes and desserts are another hangup of mine.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the sweet stuff but you'll notice that many of my posts are for simple desserts, things like bars, brownies, simple cakes and bite size items.  When I read a recipe and it has 50 steps or more than 20 ingredients, I just get overwhelmed.  I don't want to bother with layers and lots of fillings.  Typically, I will only spend an hour or less on prepwork for any food item, no matter what that is. 


Perhaps when my 3-year old daughter is older and can actually help me out in the kitchen, I'll tackle more difficult or time-consuming projects.  Or when she's out of the house and can't distract me for a potty break or snack item, I will venture above and beyond.  But for now, since it's just me, I like to keep things simple and less than an hour.  When I am full of doubt, I throw up my hands and then start dialing for take-out.   What about you?

Are there some foods that you avoid making and prefer to have while at restaurants?  When in doubt, do you order out?


Good luck with your parties and Superbowl events this weekend!  I hope I've given you some new ideas that you may try out for your guests. 


But as this post suggests, sometimes you may want to order out -things like chicken wings or football-shaped cakes- if you don't have the time or want to go through the trouble of doing it yourself.  Make the simple stuff, like my ham and ranch roll-ups and my pretzel party mix!  Then let someone else stress over the rest!  Enjoy, that's what life is about!