Fat and Happy

I have a confession.  I am addicted to food.  I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT IT!  I love the smell of it, the visual appeal, and of course, the explosion of flavors that make your taste buds come to life, your eyes involuntarily close, and a mmm escape your lips.  I'm completely hooked and enjoying every new ingredient I find, every new cuisine, and even classes of ingredients.  My most recent discoveries are whole grains and Mediterranean Cuisine, which marry perfectly I might add.  But, this zeal and passion for food wasn't always so.

When Kyle and I met almost 12 years ago, he could not believe I had never eaten Chinese takeout.  Everyone has eaten Chinese...right!?  Not my family; we were the last holdouts.  Setting out to correct that injustice, he was determined to show me all that I had been missing.  I would like to say I jumped at the chance, but to say I was reluctant would be the understatement of the year.  I mean, country cooking (what I grew up on) is a starch, protein and vegetable each with it's own place on the plate.  Chinese is all slopped together.  Determined to keep my separation, I started with sweet and sour chicken and fried rice.  Surprisingly, I liked it; and that's how this love affair started.  What else had I been missing?  What other foods were out there to try?  I was determined to find out. 

Back then, I would not order anything I wasn't sure I would like, so my food adventure began by trying whatever Kyle ordered.  It wasn't long before I was steering him to order to what I wanted to try, but was too chicken to order myself.  Somewhere along that journey, food and flavor so excited me, I wanted to learn to cook.  At first, I learned techniques and ingredients, but while learning those, I was also picking up health tips.  At this point, I love exploring healthier options and all things new!  I love trying new foods, and I am fearless...unless it's bugs or brains or other weird stuff people eat (that's still gross).

My journey towards healthy, started with a desire to provide better for Kylee.  At first, I just learned the basics of healthy eating: healthy fat vs. bad fat, added sugars, avoiding empty calories (foods that have NO nutritional value - think soda).  Eventually I learned, and was ecstatic to find out, healthy can be YUMMY!  That revelation opened up a whole new world of ingredients and methods.  From whole foods, fresh produce (www.localharvest.org), and lean meats, the possibilities abound. 

As a result, we try something completely new at least a few times a month, three already this week (Mama's missed her kitchen).  American inspired tabbouleh was first and fabulous!  Well, Kyle and I enjoyed it, Kylee on the other hand...

She did enjoy the Mediterranean Roast Turkey, but she's unsure about black olives.  After 5 slices, she still couldn't decide.  I love her willingness to try all of my concoctions, even though few pass her litmus test.  One of cooking's greatest rewards is seeing my family try and, hopefully, enjoy what I've prepared.  Even better then Kylee trying my food, is that she loves to help me prep and cook.  There's no greater joy than sharing something you love with someone you love.  So, in the spirit of sharing, this week's hits (not the flop) are under the recipe tab above.  Bon Appetit!