Lifestyle Changes . . . A Little Goes A Long Way

The other night I was watching this program called “Fat & Fatter.” Don’t judge me, all right? LOL. Routinely tuning into shows like that help kill my appetite more effectively than any over or under the counter diet suppressant. Anyway, one of the obese women being profiled had what looked like a serious salt addiction. A CARTON of salt (not a shaker, a whole dang carton) was typically right next to her plate whenever she sat down to eat. While dining at one of those “all you can eat” buffets she picked up a nice, healthy plate of fruit and started showering it with salt. When someone asked her why, especially given her health issues, high blood pressure among them, her response was a simple, “’Cause it tastes good.”

Watching her cover her food with all of that salt, typically without even tasting the food first, truly grossed me out. But the truth is, I was once in the habit of “salting” certain foods without giving it a second thought. As a kid, before eating so much as a forkful of watermelon, I salted that bad boy. After all, that’s what everyone did, right? At the time, that was all I knew. It’s what I’d been taught.

Bad habits are hard to break—especially those we give so little thought to that they almost become second nature, like blinking or breathing I was grown and on my own before I realized that watermelon tastes great (better even) without salt. Once upon a time (not all that long ago), I would have automatically seasoned the omelet I prepared this morning with salt and pepper. But since I’m being more mindful about my health these days, I bypassed the salt altogether and just used a few dashes of pepper. And you know what? The omelet was so good, I didn’t even miss the salt. Now, when it comes to popcorn, I still have a long, long way to go . . . ;-)

Thursday Thirteen #24 . . . 13 Memorable Food Moments . . .

Baby Boy's First Meal Out

from Lori's Picture

Collection

For me, the smell, taste and even the sight of certain foods conjure memories--some good, some bad. The following are some of my most memorable food moments.

1). Hot tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches on a crisp fall or winter day

2) My Dad's stove popped popcorn, which he served to me and my younger brother in those little brown lunch bags

3) My M'Deah's homemade ice-cream on the 4th of July

4) The beautiful cake the hubby surprised me with upon my winning first place in a short story contest

5) My son's first restaurant meal--pancakes at the IHOP (see picture above)

6) The sight of chitlins soaking in the sink and the overpowering stench of them simmering in a huge pot on the stove

7) My grandfather standing out in the cold and barbecuing ribs under his carport in November just so my little brother could get one of his birthday wishes (a dinner of barbecued ribs) fulfilled.

8) Munching on candied apples, corn dogs and cotton candy at the Mid-South Fair

9) Gagging on okra at the dinner table when I was 3 or 4

10) The hamburgers my Aunt Doris would fry for us some Saturday evenings

11) Cooking and serving my grandmother one of her favorite meals--macaroni and cheese and fried chicken

12) My grandmother's sweet potato pie on Thanksgiving Day

13) The first time I ever prepared a meal of salad, baked potato, grilled steak and iced tea for the man I later married

Well, what about you? Do you have one or two memorable food moments you'd like to share?

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THURSDAY THIRTEEN #17 . . . 13 FOODS THAT MAKE ME SAY "YUCK!"

We all have them, right? Come on, you know you do (smile). Okay, I'm talking about those foods that trigger your gag reflex or make you wanna cuss your Mama, or whomever it is who's insisting you eat, taste or try "just a little bit." Bleech! For my Big Guy, it's beets and Brussell sprouts. For my little one, it's creamed spinach. You'd best believe, if something, anything is nasty to this kid, inevitably, he says it tastes like creamed spinach. Personally, I don't have a problem with any of the aforementioned. But just thinking about any of the following, summons a right awful taste in my mouth . . .

1) Fig Newtons (My husband loves these. But really, don't these taste like something that got rolled in kitty litter?)

2) Pottage, Cottage . . . Okay, "Potted" Meat (This is one I've long filed under mystery meat).

3) Spam (What sick and diseased animal does this come from anyway? See above).

4) Okra (This holds the honor of being the very first food that I can ever recall making me gag.)

5) Black-Eyed Peas (Okra and Peas seem to always come together to make one big, nasty-a$$ slime fest, don't they?)

6) Liverwurst (Liver is a bile secreting organ . . . need I say more?)

7) Livercheese (You know, I think I want to hurl.)

8) Liver (Okay, by now I think it's pretty much been established that anything with the word "liver" in it gets a pass from me.)

9) Cottage Cheese (I won't even put this in my lasanga. For me, the only thing more disgusting than eating it--is watching someone else do so. Bleech!

10) Grape Fruit (I say we vote this bitter, sour imposter right out of the fruit family.)

11) Watergate Salad (My mom loves to make this marshmallow, fruit and whipped cream-filled, multi-colored concoction and my hubby is generally the first to fix himself a big bowl. I, on the other hand, consider this little more than sweet and chunky cottage cheese with a bit of food coloring tossed in a sly attempt to fool the eye.)

12) Ground Turkey (I had a bad experience with this once. Rather than share any of the gross details, I'll just say it's not an experience I'd wish on my worse enemy.)

13) Egg Nog (There's not enough liquor in the world to make me want to drink this. Actually, I highly suspect this is cottage cheese that's been pureed with buttermilk, which, for the record, I can't stand either.)

Okay, your turn. Which foods consistently turn your stomach? I'm saying, let's all be grossed out together . . .

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted! View More Thursday Thirteen Participants