Skip the cake

[Marlene Anne Sassaman]

Ay, forget the cake and that dern icing, too. Well, at least the literal kind. After convincing myself to learn to cook, I had two delicious, low calorie, high healthy soups; cabbage soup first, then french onion. The problem with the french onion is I topped it off with fresh french bread, devouring the whole thing in two days. I've learned every meal has to have one leftover. That was o.k. except I followed up these two SPRAY specialties with a new recipe for spaghetti sauce. Hm, yum, not too much garlic. The fresh basil and oregano along with sprinkling some freshly grated parmesan into the sauce, a 1/4 cup of red wine and a boullion cube brought out a nice aroma not just to the taste but too to my whole house as well.

So, what's the problem, the whole wheat pasta is the culprit. Dern, I ate at least 4 big helpings during the past two days. Dern it, for 7 weeks I have lost or maintained my weight at a pleasant, albeit not perfect size. Now, I am up 3. No more pasta. Indeed, I discovered that by adding some canned clams to my left over sauce this morning, I made a delectably nice think sauce that needed no bread or pasta. It was just a nice low cal, virtually no fat, comfort food.

Thankfully, I can get to work a little later than usual and do a solid hour of a P90X workout, drink lots and lots of water, eat a crisp salad (my colleague makes me one for lunch each day). Then, it is a 24 hour fast. I have the willpower. I have to maintain. I have to stay healthy. I have to continue my newfound hobby. Cooking for health on a two burner stove.

Cheers, oh and by the way, it helps to sip the remaining wine while stirring the pot.

        Sassea,