Changing It Now

Comfort food the healthy way.

Growing up we had pasta every Sunday. Homemade pasta through the winter and and on rainy days, spring, summer and fall when my dad wasn’t on the golf course.  Fresh tomatoes jarred from the garden was the norm. I have really fond memories around the kitchen table and what I learned to love as comfort food. Even today, pasta is one of my favorite foods.

I am not know for my cooking skills. I am known for burning things and boiling things over while multi tasking. Even tonight, while I was carefully preparing shaved zucchini for my wholesome comfort food dish, I started boiling over my daughters pasta water.

I admit it, I’m not as good in the kitchen as I’d like to be. After all, I was married to a professional chef for 15 years and I got really spoiled. As I re-learn to eat the way I want to, I will share with you some of the dishes that I come up with, or venture to try.

Tonight I made my favorite comfort food using zucchini instead of pasta and turkey meatballs with oatmeal instead of breadcrumbs. (The zucchini can be substituted with spaghetti squash or brown rice pasta.)  I find this very satisfying even being the pasta lover that I have always been.

Keep the sauce healthy to get the maximum benefits.  I didn’t use oil, (although I do use oil, my favorite is first cold pressed olive oil) never sugar, just garlic and basil and a trick my Italian/Brazilian sister in law taught me, some carrots. Hot pepper to taste and cheese if you prefer and your good to go. Some people feel that good italian food is really in the sauce and cheese anyway. Comfort food without any guilt.

Vegans: Omit the Turkey Meat Balls for a wonderful Zucchini Mock Pasta.

Zucchini Mock Pasta with Turkey Meat Balls

Once Upon a Time..

If your anything like me and have a few or more pounds to lose, you know that we didn’t get here by doing the right things that our body needs to be healthy, strong and fit.. eating right and exercising. One of the reasons it so important for me to regain my optimum health is because it meant everything to me at one time. I had a passion for being my best and for me, PASSION is life. I have a few images of myself from 1995. I worked out 6 days a week. I watched everything I ate. I remember someone telling me that I was a fanatic about it and the only response I could come up with was ‘if I’m not, I won’t look this way.’ Was I ever right!  Now 16 years later, I can still remember the commitment it took to look and feel great.

Ok, yes… I have every intention to add exercise today… After I finish editing a job I need to get in the mail by noon and before my 2:30 portrait session.. Yes, I have every intention of adding exercise today and I will post it as soon as I do. 🙂

My big success to tell you about right now is that last night my daughter wanted to make brownies. I helped her make them and while my family thought they were helping me by reminding me that I couldn’t have any, I had already eyed and picked out which large juicy orange I was going to have while they indulged in the brownies. I wasn’t tempted in the least. Another sweet successful day.

Day 26 and down another pound, but whose counting.

I was out with my daughter last night and she wanted to stop on our way home for a cheeseburger. I had already eaten my well planned out meal (actually leftovers from the night before’s well planned out meal) but I thought it would be fun to sit with her and catch up on what new and exciting things were happening for her this week. As I looked at the menu, I considered a salad but wasn’t really in the mood for one so a plain baked potato seemed like a smart choice. I ordered one along with a cup of tea while I listened to my very animated daughter tell her tales of 8th grade bliss as she ate her cheeseburger and sweet potato fries.

Ah yes, back to ‘bounty from my back yard”…

One of my dad’s many hobby’s was gardening. We always had an a amazing garden. I seem to have picked up his passion for gardening. Every year, no matter where I’m living, I have a garden. When I was 23, I had a cherry tomato plant growing on my fire escape in the West Village in NYC. When I lived in the Austrian Alps, I grew my garden in pots above ground. It was hardly worth it but I couldn’t help myself.

Here are some images I took of some ‘Bounty from My NJ Back Yard’ in 2011

Colorful Bounty

Cucumber and Peppers from My Garden

Broccoli from My Garden

My 24' Herb Garden

Cute Little Pepper

Cantaloupe Grew by Surprise from a Stray Seed