Back on Track

OK so I've been off track.  Burgers, ribs, margaritas, nachos, fries and mac-n-cheese have been my staples.  I have been considering the constant hand-to-mouth motion "exercise."  Then we had a very hot weekend.  My kids desperately wanted to go to the beach.  Hmmm, the bikinis won't fit.  What do we do?  We certainly don't get mad and drown the upset in a bag of Cheetos.  No, we get even.   Here's how:  I marched my fat arse to the corner bathing suit store and bought myself a drop-dead gorgeous one-piece.  Ahhh retail therapy!  It was so energizing that I did squats every other block all the way home!  On the beach I held the plank position several times, aiming for two minutes each time.  This all really empowered me to combat the urges for pizza and eat sushi instead.  

Tonight I will make a salad.  I will grill small whole fish (perch). I will steam an artichoke and sprinkle it with lemon juice.   The artichoke will eat like a busy snack instead of kettle corn.  For dessert I will serve fresh strawberries.  I will also put on my pedometer and aim for 10,000 steps a day.  Sometimes a change in lifestyle takes a little while to register in a tangible way. In the meantime, to keep up the enthusiasm, I will infuse little self-improvement steps every few days; a fresh haircut, a pedicure, a new fragrance.  

Now do I regret my recent bender, the steady stream of junkie bar food?  Not at all!  Because in a couple weeks when I slip last year's bikinis on, it will all be OK!!

Are you in?

So here's the healthy and tasty sauce for the fish.  The rhubarbs at the farmers' market looked amazing.

I first peeled them.  You can struggle with a vegetable peeler, or slip the tip of a sharp paring knife under 1/4 inch segments of the very thin skin and slide the knife to the end, removing the

skin in 1/4" strips.

Then I cut them in 2-inch segments and put them in the pot with equal amount of strawberries which I cut in quarters.  I added a splash of cane juice (optional), a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper from the mill, then covered and allowed to simmer for 20 minutes.  The rhubarb and the strawberries disintegrate and release a tremendous amount of delicious tart juice.  All you have to do is stir to get a saucy consistency.