Day 3: Complete success! WOOOO!!!! And I got in a workout.
...that is all...what...were you expecting a soliloquy? Go away. Come back tomorrow.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
7 -- Food Month -- Day 2
The remainder of last night's supper became breakfast. Unseasoned, over grilled, previously frozen burger patty between 2 pieces of toasted wheat bread with steamed spinach to add a little flavor. And don't forget, butter isn't on the list so that toast was DRY! Normally I might have turned my nose to this monstrosity. This morning, something in me found the change of pace refreshing. Another piece of me was thankful to have food to eat. Maybe those 2 separate parts of me fueled each other. Maybe it's the burger briquette. I don't know.
The meal that was supposed to be yesterday's lunch was just as good today. Rather than eating alone in my office as I normally would, a friend and I ate together in the office conference room. I had never really noticed the types of foods I normally eat from this perspective. While my friend ate his prepackaged Zataran's alfredo fettuccine thing, I silently compared my foods of fast to that...that creamy mess. Again, I found myself thankful to have what I had.
3 meals straight. I am a rock star!! After work, Erin drove me to the auto shop to pick up my car. Had to replace the wheel bearings again. On the way, she proclaims "I need a chocolate martini." ...damn. She's got that look in her eye too. No matter what I say, or how sweetly I say it, we're going out for a martini. I'll spare you the details of the discussion. Point is, 30 minutes later, we're sitting at the bar of West End Grill watching the Presidential Election play out. No, I didn't "resist the devil". Don't get me wrong, I tried. It wasn't long after my arrival that I had whiskey in my hand and a bacon cheeseburger on the way. Needless to say, it was shamefully delicious.
Oh, well. Try again tomorrow.
The meal that was supposed to be yesterday's lunch was just as good today. Rather than eating alone in my office as I normally would, a friend and I ate together in the office conference room. I had never really noticed the types of foods I normally eat from this perspective. While my friend ate his prepackaged Zataran's alfredo fettuccine thing, I silently compared my foods of fast to that...that creamy mess. Again, I found myself thankful to have what I had.
3 meals straight. I am a rock star!! After work, Erin drove me to the auto shop to pick up my car. Had to replace the wheel bearings again. On the way, she proclaims "I need a chocolate martini." ...damn. She's got that look in her eye too. No matter what I say, or how sweetly I say it, we're going out for a martini. I'll spare you the details of the discussion. Point is, 30 minutes later, we're sitting at the bar of West End Grill watching the Presidential Election play out. No, I didn't "resist the devil". Don't get me wrong, I tried. It wasn't long after my arrival that I had whiskey in my hand and a bacon cheeseburger on the way. Needless to say, it was shamefully delicious.
Oh, well. Try again tomorrow.
7 -- Food Month -- Day 1:
I have completed Day 1 of my new found culinary imprisonment. I can't completely chalk it up as a success, but at least I finished on a strong note.
For the benefit of any another reader that just doesn't have a damn clue what I'm talking about or my future self. Erin and I have begun the spiritual adventure of 7. 7 is the brainchild of one Jen Hatmaker, a lovely wife and mother in Texas who decided that her life was filled with an excess of excess. The short version is she devised this diabolical scheme to focus on 7 areas of her life over 7 months, each area getting it's own month. In each of those months, she would fast in that area. Month 1 is food. For the next 4 weeks, Erin and I will be living off a diet 7 foods and only 7 foods. Why? Because (as I'm told) in the discomfort of fasting, one finds room for prayer and meditation that would not normally be achieved.
But YB, why would you knowingly and willfully put yourself through this? Truth be told, I fought it like a screaming 5 year old. But, I love my wife. So here I find myself playing the role of supportive husband. Starting is the hardest part...so far. I remember my wife telling me, "It's like a band-aid, you just gotta rip it off." This is gonna 30 long days for 1 band-aid.
What foods will I be eating? We adopted the list originally devised by the Mother of 7. Seeing as she already did the legwork, I see no reason to reinvent the wheel. I did have to expand my list to include a couple more items.
1. Chicken
2. Sweet Potatoes
3. Wheat
4. Eggs
5. Avocados
6. Spinach
7. Oranges
8. Bananas
9. Beef
I'm allowing myself water and 1 cup of black coffee a day.
The day started out happily enough with a breakfast of very lightly seasoned chicken tenders sauteed in olive oil with a fried egg (also olive oil) on a small bed of spinach. Looking back, that was pure genius and will be used again. I've completely stripped myself of all sauces and here I am using the delicious egg yolk as "salad dressing". I could get used to this. While cooking that morning, I began to question the foods we eat for breakfast and why that is the norm. Why are bacon, sausage, eggs, potatoes in various forms, buttered breads, fruits, cereals, juices, and milk the morning staple? Why can't I steak and broccoli? Or how about spaghetti and meatballs? Is it because of what we see on TV and other forms of advertisement? Is it because that's what our mommas always made for us? Is it because the impending world domination by pigs and chickens is only held at bay by our love for bacon? I'll get back to you on that one.
Lunch packed and walking out the door, my phone rings. My boss wants to have a business lunch with another colleague...at a BBQ joint. My mouth says "Sure" while the voice in head my screams "NOOOOOO!!!!!". I haven't had the chance to succeed yet and I feel like I'm already looking at my first failure! God is laughing right now, I know it! Drama aside, I thoroughly enjoyed my beef brisket, baked beans, and buttered texas toast. It didn't exactly fall within the confines of 7, but I tried to get as close as I could. And that counts for something in my book. The meal that I had originally been my lunch (chicken breast tenders, sweet potato, and spinach) would have to wait until tomorrow.
That evening, I found 3 Bubba Burgers in the freezer. There's probably some byproducts that go into their production, but if I don't season them or use Ketchup that counts, right? Note to future self, frozen burger patties do not cook well on a panini press. Bring on the spinach. Bring on the sweet potato. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I wonder how much longer I'll be looking forward to eating these foods.
So, Day 1 wasn't a complete failure or a complete success. Chalk it up to experience and try again tomorrow.
For more information on Jen Hatmaker and 7, visit her website: jenhatmaker.com
For the benefit of any another reader that just doesn't have a damn clue what I'm talking about or my future self. Erin and I have begun the spiritual adventure of 7. 7 is the brainchild of one Jen Hatmaker, a lovely wife and mother in Texas who decided that her life was filled with an excess of excess. The short version is she devised this diabolical scheme to focus on 7 areas of her life over 7 months, each area getting it's own month. In each of those months, she would fast in that area. Month 1 is food. For the next 4 weeks, Erin and I will be living off a diet 7 foods and only 7 foods. Why? Because (as I'm told) in the discomfort of fasting, one finds room for prayer and meditation that would not normally be achieved.
But YB, why would you knowingly and willfully put yourself through this? Truth be told, I fought it like a screaming 5 year old. But, I love my wife. So here I find myself playing the role of supportive husband. Starting is the hardest part...so far. I remember my wife telling me, "It's like a band-aid, you just gotta rip it off." This is gonna 30 long days for 1 band-aid.
What foods will I be eating? We adopted the list originally devised by the Mother of 7. Seeing as she already did the legwork, I see no reason to reinvent the wheel. I did have to expand my list to include a couple more items.
1. Chicken
2. Sweet Potatoes
3. Wheat
4. Eggs
5. Avocados
6. Spinach
7. Oranges
8. Bananas
9. Beef
I'm allowing myself water and 1 cup of black coffee a day.
The day started out happily enough with a breakfast of very lightly seasoned chicken tenders sauteed in olive oil with a fried egg (also olive oil) on a small bed of spinach. Looking back, that was pure genius and will be used again. I've completely stripped myself of all sauces and here I am using the delicious egg yolk as "salad dressing". I could get used to this. While cooking that morning, I began to question the foods we eat for breakfast and why that is the norm. Why are bacon, sausage, eggs, potatoes in various forms, buttered breads, fruits, cereals, juices, and milk the morning staple? Why can't I steak and broccoli? Or how about spaghetti and meatballs? Is it because of what we see on TV and other forms of advertisement? Is it because that's what our mommas always made for us? Is it because the impending world domination by pigs and chickens is only held at bay by our love for bacon? I'll get back to you on that one.
Lunch packed and walking out the door, my phone rings. My boss wants to have a business lunch with another colleague...at a BBQ joint. My mouth says "Sure" while the voice in head my screams "NOOOOOO!!!!!". I haven't had the chance to succeed yet and I feel like I'm already looking at my first failure! God is laughing right now, I know it! Drama aside, I thoroughly enjoyed my beef brisket, baked beans, and buttered texas toast. It didn't exactly fall within the confines of 7, but I tried to get as close as I could. And that counts for something in my book. The meal that I had originally been my lunch (chicken breast tenders, sweet potato, and spinach) would have to wait until tomorrow.
That evening, I found 3 Bubba Burgers in the freezer. There's probably some byproducts that go into their production, but if I don't season them or use Ketchup that counts, right? Note to future self, frozen burger patties do not cook well on a panini press. Bring on the spinach. Bring on the sweet potato. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I wonder how much longer I'll be looking forward to eating these foods.
So, Day 1 wasn't a complete failure or a complete success. Chalk it up to experience and try again tomorrow.
For more information on Jen Hatmaker and 7, visit her website: jenhatmaker.com
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