On my bio page, I mentioned that I ate good, whole foods in my youth. That was only part of the story. My grandparents provided those foods, the collard greens and the fried green tomatoes and such, but they also allowed me to eat what everyone else was eating. So I indulged in the Oreo cookies, the soda, French fries, and my very favorite, pizza…from Volcano’s Pizza. I loved that pizza. I still remember how Mama (that is what I called my grandmother) and I ate pepperoni and sausage pizza on Saturday evenings, and we would watch the Carol Burnett show—such a great memory. Three of my favorites: Mama, pizza, and laughter.
As I am typing, I had a flash back. I remember when we would pick up the pizza, and if the pizza was not quite ready when we arrived, we could see them making pizza. Tossing the pizza in the air and saucing it up and sliding it into the oven. Their pizza was thin crust and a little greasy, cut into rectangular strips. They used to use scissors to cut the pieces. I have never really been a fan of thick crust pizza, and it may be because of my first experience with Volcano’s delicious thin crust pizza. This early memory of pizza is an example of how memories and food are tied, and can relate to how a person interacts with particular foods. That is the psychology of eating—what we eat is not just related to hunger and taste, but other factors, like prior experiences—good or bad, emotions, etc., that affect how and what we eat.
Becoming aware of that can really help us in our goal to eat and feed our families what is good for the body. Eating what is good for our bodies does not mean that you have to cut out all that you enjoy. I am so over deprivation and restriction. I actually want to help you make some of your favorites a little healthier and still taste delectable. I also want to help you eat some of your favorites as-is and eat without the guilt or negative self taught. Just eat the chocolate and enjoy each morsel. Chocolate is my FAVORITE . Okay I bet you are thinking, “This chick-a-dee likes chocolate and pizza, can she really help me feed myself and my family better?” You bet—no guilt, just adventure on this food journey!!
When I was trying to lose weight a few years back, I went on the Fat Flush diet.
The Fat Flush was good for weight loss and for cleansing my liver, which I really needed to do. During the first phase of the Fat Flush, you could not eat potatoes, so a recipe for mashed cauliflower was given as an alternative. Well, when I went on this food adventure—Fat Flushing that is—I still had a family to feed, and I still had to get some satisfaction out of eating. And just plain mashed cauliflower did not cut it for me and did not cut it for my family. So I came up with the idea to mix the cauliflower and the potatoes so I could have the texture of mash potatoes and not be so overwhelmed by the cauliflower flavor. It worked for me, and, surprisingly, it worked for my husband and the boys. They were eating cauliflower and loving it. Try it and let me know what your family thinks. Here is Fat Flush Diet Recipe Mashed Cauliflower – Potatoes recipe
P.S. When I cook Shepherd’s pie, I use this cauliflower-potato combination, instead of just plain potatoes, and they all eat it up.
