Saturday, May 30, 2009

Just when you need a lift


I’ve been suffering with TMJ and that is an awful thing to happen to someone who loves to eat as much as I do. In a nutshell, it hurts to chew. Isn’t that what you do when you eat? Chew? I’ve been feeling pretty down, but when I tuned into my Blogger Dashboard this morning and started to see what some of my foodie friends were up to on a weekend, low and behold I found that I had received an award from one of my favorite chefs, Chef E. Isn’t this the cutest thing you’ve seen? 

Chef E does it all. Currently she teaches culinary classes, runs a catering business and still manages to share her knowledge and love of cooking with us all. Thank you Chef E. These flowers are for you. While you’re visiting her blog, be sure to enjoy the questionnaire that Rico gave her. I just discovered Rico’s blog. He has many fun culinary adventures of his own and I’m sure I’ll be visiting him again soon. The first question is “diamonds or pearls?” I’ll take two of each please. 

I would like to pass this award to Joie de Vivre and Tangled Noodle. Yes, I know Chef E also gave Tangled Noodle the award, but a girl can’t have too many friends or bras can she?

Joie de Vivre and Tangled Noodle collaborated on a healthy and informative series on mindless eating. They shared the secrets of why we eat more than we think based on a life-changing book from Brian Wansink titled Mindless Eating. I enjoyed each bite of their series and thank them for doing a wonderful job.

I have a good appetite and as Anthony Bourdain says, “I’m always hungry for more.” I clipped out a great article on eating that I thought you would enjoy that appeared in the September 2008 issue of Bon Appetit. Food writer and recipe developer Melissa Clark shares her tricks of the trade on how to stay slim and still enjoy every bite in this fabulous article. She’s come up with wonderfully simple plan – Don’t eat what you don’t like – ever. Read more....

Sounds simple but think about it. How often do you eat something just because it’s on your plate? I know I do. I was raised in what I call a “clean plate” household. My mother graduated from college at the height of the Depression and by golly, we were expected to eat everything on our plate. Not bad if you’re a teenager who can pack away a zillion calories and none of it shows. But I’m no longer the ninety five pound girl I was when I married. 

It’s swimsuit season and I’m ready to go to the beach. The one below fits the bill for me. It's in the Abaco Islands in the Bahamas where we once called home. To see more about Abaco, stop by my blog Island Time in Abaco.

I hope you’ll click over to Joie de Vivre, Tangled Noodle and Bon Appetit to read more about eating and staying slim enough to fit into your favorite suit. And don’t forget to check out Chef E and take Rico’s fun questionnaire. 

Enjoy your weekend everybody.
Sam

28 comments:

  1. Sam, I'm sorry to hear that you've been having problems. I hope the TMJ dysfunction clears up soon. If you keep losing weight you'll look better on the beach than I do :-). Hugs...Mary

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  2. get well soon Sam, have some nice fruit smoothies with added protein to nourish you, love Rebecca

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  3. Congrats on this fun award..and yes, feel better soon...that beach shot is enough to start you on your way, I'd guess :)

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  4. Sorry you aren't feeling well. Hope you feel better fast!

    Love the photo of the flowers!

    Congrats on your award! :0)

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  5. Oh I know you shared that with me, and my dentist keeps bugging me about getting a night guard for mine, and this week I actually feel like I have been chewing gum the whole day, and made an appointment finally!

    Thanks for the flowers, I love flowers period! That was the most hysterical award I have ever seen too!

    Feel better soon, I know a friend had jaw surgery for hers...ouch!

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  6. I hope you feel better soon. Sounds like a miserable complaint. I bet the award cheered you up though!
    Blessings, Star

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  7. Hey neighbor, hope you feel better!

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  8. Congrats on your award, Sam!

    Don't feel too down, ok.. Just remember that tomorrow will be better *hugs*

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  9. Oh Sam, I am so sorry to hear you havent been feeling well. I hope you will be on the mend soon!

    Congrats on your award!!

    Hugs to you!

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  10. Get well soon! I enjoyed reading your posts.

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  11. I'm so sorry to hear about your TMJ! Although I did not have an official diagnosis, I believe I may have had something similar (if not a mild form of it). The best thing to happen to me was getting braces - it was mildly embarrassing for an adult woman but the end results (straight teeth and realigned bite) were well worth it. Hmmmm . . . instead of TMJ, I may be suffering from TMI! 8-)

    Thank you so much for sharing this award with me! Friends are like bras but even better - we may lose some elasticity as we get older but we never lose our support! 8-D

    I just finished reading Melissa Clark's article from you link and loved her philosophy. Of course, I wish I had the dilemma of trying to stay slim in the face of gourmet temptation but her strategies still apply to home cooking.

    In these economic times, wasting food has become a dreaded sin and I find myself eating more because I fear that I'll end up throwing away the leftovers. So, I try to adjust recipes to make enough for two; it means cooking more often but it's also an opportunity to try a variety of foods and improve my culinary skills.

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  12. Have some protein shakes and fruit smoothies, and some nice soups. :)

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  13. I hope your awards and friendship in the blogosphere make up for not being able to enjoy your favourite dishes. Well deserved.

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  14. Congrats on the adorable award! I ahve my TMJ woes. Unfortunatey, I continue to eat. Love the photos - when things get tough, the miracle of spring always lifts my spirits.

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  15. Sam, what a misery! I hope this gets better soon. I've had it myself. I was wondering today what was going on with you. My husband is gone for 3 weeks to Peru (the Inca Trail!) so I'm not cooking at all. But---I'm freeing lots of veggies from our garden--spinach, kale, chard. Soon the cabbage will be a-coming in. And so it goes.....Kay

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  16. I'm sorry to hear about your TMJ, I hope you feel better. Congrats on a well-deserved award!

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  17. I trust that when you read this, that you will already be a 100% better!!! Congrats on the award!!!

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  18. Congrats on the award! And that not eating what you don't like sounds like it makes good sense to me. I just read that book, Naturally Thin, and that's essentially what it says as well. It's all just common sense, but it's funny that we so often don't follow it!

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  19. Sam, Hope you feel better soon. It seems like as we age there is always something that is not quite right. It must be a downer when it involves food! Sending good vibes your way.
    Your blogging buddy,
    Penny

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  20. I hope you feel better soon. Congrats on the award!

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  21. TMJ would be the worst for a foodie - I hope you are feeling better soon.

    Congrats on your award!

    I am loving that photo of Abaco - it's beautiful.

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  22. Congrats on your award! I sure hope you are feeling better soon. TMJ sounds so painful.

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  23. Congrats. Chef E has fabulous taste and the ability the read minds from across the country! I does not surprise me she knew just how to cheer you up. Feel better soon. GREG

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  24. TMJ is bad, bad. I have to deal with it sometimes. Hope you feel much better, Sam.

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  25. I hope you feel better ASAP! Until then, think ice cream!

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  26. Love your blog...my dad is from NC and it holds a very special place in my heart. Cant wait to browse your recipes and check out your other blog!

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  27. Thanks each and every one of you for your caring and support. It means a great deal to me.

    Our dentist seems to think it may have to do with the osteoporosis drug I take that builds bones. What a choice - chewing or the security in knowing that if you fall you might not get a broken hip.

    Getting old is not for sissies.
    Hugs to each of you.

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