Eggs,milk,meat,chocolate,coffee,these are all foods that bounce around in nutrition articles going from bad to good. Years ago, I was still a kid really, I decided that I would just eat what I liked, in moderation, and eat foods that hadn't been pulled too far from their natural state. In most cases our bodies tell us what foods aren't good for us anyway. For example, I have been eating too much sugar for the past few months and am feeling more tired and sluggish than usual. This is not to say that I don't read these articles. I'm a sucker for them, and believe that in most cases nutritionist are trying to improve our health. I just try to pick out the logical parts and apply them to my shopping habits. For instance, I have always preferred whole wheat so that is what I buy, but over the years I have started to look for whole grains in my bread, and buying organic, stone ground flour.
Forgive me for slipping sideways in the conversation for a moment, but this reminds me of a thought I had a few months ago. I was reading a book on the history of bread. The author mentioned that a few hundred years ago only nobility ate white bread because the extra processing cost money. Which suggests that diet may have had quite a bit to do with the phrase 'hearty peasant stock'. Presently whole grain bread cost twice what a loaf of white bread costs. Is there a reason for this price difference? Or is this a marketing tool that unintentionally sentences the poor to eating an unhealthy diet?
For several years meat and eggs were out and carbs were in, then for awhile carbs were out and meat and eggs were in. At one point in England during the middle ages fresh vegetables were out. Now most people agree that a balance is best. As I mentioned earlier my diet has not been balanced lately.
On Saturday mornings I have to be to work by seven. Not being a morning person I usually choose to sleep as long as I can and skip breakfast. This last Saturday though I woke up starving, but since I had already slept too long to eat at home I had to find something to take with me. On the counter was a loaf of bread that Anna* had given me the day before. Well, she actually gave me the dough and I had baked it into two loaves the day before. One of them I took to Miss Universe's house to eat with the lasagna she had made. Back to the one sitting on the counter. I sliced off four thin slices to toast and heated up a few spoonfuls of strawberry jam with a dab of butter stirred in. I spread the jam mixture onto the toast, through them in a sandwich bag, grabbed a bottle of water and walked to work. Unlike the Saturday before there was no snow landing on my face. It was cold out, around 15 degrees, but that is to be expected in January. Come to find out I you drove out in any direction for ten to fifteen miles you ran into a light snow, but we didn't get any at all. For that I was grateful. I'm not against snow, even if my official position is 'we need a break' I still get that child like excitement when I look out and see snow. Back on topic, about fifteen minutes before I was ready to come home Lee called me to ask what I was cooking for dinner.
The minute I walked in the door he let me know that since it was just the two of us I could cook something really good without too much trouble. I choked back the remark that he could do the same, and walked into the kitchen. I knew right away what I wanted and it was one of Lee's favorites. I slice four thick slices off of that same loaf of bread. I pulled out the very middle of each slice and place them in a skillet that had been greased with olive oil. I turned down the heat and dropped an egg into each of the holes. Then I sprinkled each egg with salt and pepper. I tore some deli sliced turkey into pieces then laid these pieces over the eggs. Drizzled some olive oil on the bread and flipped the whole concoction. I only let it cook for about a minute on this side and our meal was ready. I just looked up this dish to see what the official name is and it is either egg in a basket, egg in a hole, or Alabama eggs. Of course I don't cook it exactly like any of the recipes I read, but that is because I learned how by watching Moonstruck too many times and a few years of trial and error.
I didn't even cook supper that night. I let dh and the boys eat leftovers or cereal. The girls were spending the weekend with their dad. I made a chocolate cake for them to eat for dessert. Then I made a Gooey pumpkin cake for myself and ate it instead of supper. So let's see carbs, covered in sugar with a touch of fat for breakfast, carbs and protein for dinner, more carbs and sugar for supper. Not much of a balance or moderation going on there.
*I have mentioned Anna several of times just referring to her as a friend and decided I really should name her. She lives down the street from me and has two granddaughters around the same ages as Princess and Curly top who spend a lot of time at her house. We share a love of food and wine which in my opinion is what all of the best relationships should be built on.
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