The "write"way

Oooh...my 500th post on this blog ( toss confetti in the air )

I have been writing in some form or another since I was in the 2nd grade. My teacher introduced the concept of poetry to the class with the basic mechanics and told us to go forth and do likewise. I excitedly put pencil to paper and wrote "Pat sat on a bat and that was that." For some reason she thought this was brilliant and showed it to the other teachers. I still have no idea why. About two years later I became a paid writer. I would write "dirty stories" for my fellow classmates and they paid me in candy . If the story mentioned kissing, the price was a pack of bulls-eyes. If it said the character had a honeymoon night, well then the fee was a Baby Ruth ! At 10 yrs old my mind could fathom no dirtier or more erotic words than honeymoon night , and it seems my classmates shared that view. As is the case with most classical, in demand literature, it inspired the reader to think. Sometime after that I began keeping a diary, then a journal and it became a habit that I have kept up most of my life. One day when I am gone, my descendants will get to know me well and either laugh or cringe .

Yesterday I was looking for a tool that I have used in quilting in the past and stumbled upon a gold mine for me .( my filing system is a bit jumbled, to say the least) It was the journal for the time that I had lost 110 pounds and beat infertility. Each body is slightly different , and what works for one body does not work for every body. Finding what works for you body is more valuable than any trainer, motivation, pill or such. So I dropped everything and sat down to read this key to my past . I kept menus, exercise records, feelings, the notes from the therapy I was doing, and some interesting things came to light.

1.Meat was one thing I did not have to weigh or measure. A serving was considered 8 oz but I often ate up to 10 oz with a meal.
2 I had to get two dairy servings per day or my weight loss stalled
3. When things slowed down I ate higher levels of fiber in the form of a big bowl of hot air popped corn at night , added bran flakes to my oatmeal or ate oatbran instead of oatmeal
4. 3 times a week I would have a serving of TCBY in a cup without any toppings ( dairy factor)
5. I ate fish 4 times a week ( can no longer do that because of an allergy)
6. I walked 45 minutes every day and to bust plateaus I added 3 miles on the stationary bike
7. It seemed that the fiber was a bigger factor than the exercise
8 Fat was another important factor , or I would become very constipated.

Granted, I am 20 years older now and in peri-menopause or actual menopause, but it is still my body. I decided to follow the example that worked at that time. Bring on the fiber ! It also echos something that I have been suspecting - my weight has something to do with the way my digestive tract processes food , and it is connected to the endocrine system functions in my body.

This discovery led to a decision to try something I have not made in a long time for dinner- Bean Gravy. Actually turkey and mushrooms in bean gravy over polenta with roast broccoli on the side. To make Bean gravy you need white bean flour, liquid and seasonings. The ratio is basically 1 cup liquid ( water or stock or drippings) to 1 T bean flour. It makes a creamy, dairy free , gluten free high protein sauce. It would have worked well, except I have my flours stored in glass jars, and often forget to label the jars. I have bean flour, tapiocia flour, almond flour and vital gluten stores, all various shades of white. I mistakenly grabbed vital gluten instead of bean flour and the results were......well after seeing them and serving them, it was unanimously decided it was a great night for Subway.

One form of a writing discipline I must cultivate is WRITING LABELS FOR MY JARS STORED !!!!