Zen in the Kitchen

More often than not in the last few years, the devil on my left shoulder won out over the angel on my right.  I’ve been letting so much slip.  I can’t pinpoint when it began.  Like most erosion, it’s a gradual thing. 

Coming from a large cooking family, I always took pleasure in the preparation of food.  Zen is a good chef’s knife and food to chop, dice, mince, a pot to stir.   Like my morning walk slowly but surely, my healthy eating and cooking habits fell away, too.


Although I still shopped the farmer’s market, that love of kitchen time slipped away.  I let the fresh vegetables and fruit in the fridge spoil.  I opted instead for a quick egg and toast for breakfast, tuna sandwich for lunch, wings from Western’s wing bar for supper, and on Friday a large pizza that I would eat a slice at a time breakfast lunch and dinner over the weekend until it was gone.



And all each slice chased by a beer or two or six a day. (Still on the To-Don’t list – no beer until 5pm this where).

Having the walking habit back in place for the last ten days, it’s now time to realign the foods in my life.  Time to recapture the pleasure in preparing good simple food.

First up is breakfast.  As it’s March, not quite spring yet, but close enough.  It’s time for a little spring tonic, cleanse and to reinstate my spring and summer favorites.  First up to fix is breakfasts:

• Protein smoothie with berries, oats, yogurt, flax and a spoon of blackstrap molasses
• Muesli with yogurt
• Fresh spinach  frittata in a half pita.
• Black beans on a warm corn tortilla

Breakfast is a good first step.  I know it’s not enough, but it’s a start.  I didn’t lose my way in a day; I won’t find my way back in a day.  Baby steps.