Thursday, November 15, 2007

To market, to market

Yesterday it was Walmart in PV. Today it's the tianguis in La Penita. Tomorrow it will probably be the little fruit and veggie shop in Guayabitos, just because I like Miguel and his wife Janet. Miguel always picks out a good pineapple for me. "Para hoy, o para manana?" he asks. Today or tomorrow? It makes a difference. He'll get one that's just the perfect ripeness for just the moment I want it. Larry and I missed great fruit while we were in Boston. The hotel really tried, and if we weren't so spoiled, we would have been impressed by what they laid out for the breakfast buffet. But how can you compete with perfection?

We went to "market" while we were in Boston. I shopped for a new pair of jeans. One of the brighter spots in this summer of surgery and tooth extractions is the unplanned loss of a lot of excess Susan. I keep thinking of the tabloid headline: "210 Pound Woman drops 70 pounds: A Third of Her Left Behind!"

Well, my behind is considerably smaller, both right behind and left behind, though I can't say I've lost 70 pounds. More like forty. Like I say, the loss was unplanned, sort of thrust upon me by having to look at everything I eat and asking, Can I chew it? Will it process? Is it gentle, or will it make me cry later?

I've been asked to share. Here are the basics:

Nothing with corners or sharp edges. Absolutely no fried or breaded anything. No chips, tostados, whole nuts, seeds, popped corn, or chili peppers. (I KNOW! That bowl of salsa is off limits! )

Cheese in small amounts -- so I make it count. I go for the really intense flavor of brie, bleu, feta or goat.

Beef - NO. Pork -- Maybe. Chicken -- broiled, really moist. (I buy one of those rotisserie chickens once a week). And fish -- grilled, baked or poached. We live in shrimp heaven, so I've always got some on hand.

Eggs, yes. Hardboiled, they're a staple.

Corn, iffy. Beans, yes -- smashed (like in hummus). Rice, noodles, pasta, potatoes, bread, and oats -- yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes. Olive oil instead of butter, but when butter is better it's in pats, not vats.

Fruits: Just about anything without little seeds. My breakfast smoothie has three kinds, plus yogurt, plus peanut butter. Makes me smile just thinking about it!

Veggies: Anything, anyway. Though raw stuff can be challenging. I disinfect all produce in a ten minute bath laced with Clorolex or the stuff in the purple bottle they sell in the produce department at Sam's Club. I time the disinfection bath by steaming things in the microwave. Ten minutes for quart size Pyrex bowls of carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, winter squash, beets, green beans. I get a real rotation thing going. I also bake sweet potatoes, potatoes, apples, and chayote in the oven together. Yeah, it takes about a day's worth of preparation. But, hey, we're retired! And after all the work, everything is ready in the fridge for reheating, grilling, sauteeing, blending in juices, putting on flatbread pizzas or on sandwiches, or use in cold salads. It takes a lot less prep time for each meal.

To drink: No soda pop, diet or otherwise. Basically, lots and lots of water. Lemons, limes, a little fruit juice makes it interesting. And sweet. Because.....

.....Refined sugar is pretty much out of the picture. Lots of sweet comes from the fruits and root vegetables just by themselves. Honey is good -- and a piece of really good dark chocolate after dinner.

That's pretty much it. How it goes together and what makes it interesting -- the smoothies, the soups, the sauces, the spices and herbs -- that probably merits a separate blog. I've had requests to share -- and I like getting ideas from others as well. If I get one started, I'll announce it here and put a link on the sidebar. Anybody interested?

1 comment:

susie said...

Sounds like a really balanced and healthful way of eating! Keep up the effort- we want you staying happy, healthy and busy !
Love ya,
Susie