My diet since last week has been despicable. Not only that, I broke my #1 kitchen rule – no veggies left behind! Being the frugal person that I am (Hungryman would say stingy), throwing anything away is no simple task. Normally, as a planner and creature of habit, I know exactly what my meals and snacks throughout the day are going to be. I’m one that doesn’t mind eating the same food over and over again. Cook once, eat for several days. I guess I have Hungryman to thank for the variety of dishes that appears at our table. He tends to live on the wilder side than I. Every Sunday, I plan out the 4-5 dishes I’m going to make throughout the week. And I buy just the right amount of produce. No more. No less. The problem this time around was, I had zero desire to cook all week. Instead, I had this insatiable craving for processed foods. I woke up craving ice cream and went to bed thinking about ice cream (enter the gallon of Blue Bell ice cream in my freezer). I snacked on chips…lots and lots of Stacy’s Pita Chips, rice crackers, Cheerios (as my saving grace)…I can’t remember the last time I ate like this. I searched for answers (since there are answers to everything, right? ;)) and couldn’t help but wonder if it’s bc of Clomid. We’ve been praying and trying for a baby for quite some time now and thought we should give this drug another try. Properly this time. You see, I was prescribed this drug about 2 years ago when I had hypothalamic amenorrhea! I learned afterwards that you must have a cycle for the drug to be effective. Thank you, nurse practitioner… Anyway, while I feel excited, I’ve been a hot mess ever since day 1. Because I want to keep my friends, the “no company allowed” policy was strictly enforced. All I needed was MY ice cream and my television remote..and Kona bc his distinctive smell (a.k.a Kona stink) comforts me.
I took my last pill yesterday, and I must say, I’m feeling much better (can’t ignore the placebo effect). I’m reminded again of how much the art of eating is about the emotional as much as it is physical needs.
So it’s time to get my act together, starting with my diet. Fresh produce? Check! Healthy fats and protein? Check! This meal was a perfect way to kick things off. Have you ever seen purple bell peppers? It was my first time encountering them at the Farmers Market, and they made it into my bag with ease. I can live with this kind of impulse buy. For some reason, I thought they would be sweet like red bell peppers, but the taste was similar to that of the green ones. I didn’t really care for it. This salad comes from the cookbook that I’m determined to cook my way through – Salad for Dinner. So far, I’ve made Warm Mushroom Salad. Today, I’ll be sharing the lemon-tahini dressing. As for the salad itself, you can add whatever fresh produce you have on hand. Adaptability..that’s the beauty of salads.
The lemon-tahini dressing was creamy and nutty, while the brightness from the lemon cut through the richness to create a wonderful flavor experience. I look forward to drizzling it on top of everything. 😉
