Oxymoronic, but oh so delicious.

Oxymoron...According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the word is a combination of words that have opposite or very different meanings.  What does this have to do with food?  It doesn't deal with a lot but, one can certainly joke about the moronic undertone food can play off.  Take for example, the grilled cheese sandwich.  Many of us grew up with the comforting feeling of receiving a grilled cheese sandwich after a long day after school.  All of one's cares simply fade after the salty taste of cheese and butter are married together in white bread.  Flavors are enhanced when one decides to use sweet Hawaiian bread over simple white bread.  At one point your life changes and you are informed that you can't have too many grilled cheese sandwiches anymore.  You're getting fat, you're blood pressure is high, not enough fiber in your diet, etc...etc.  One of the suggestions instead of eating white bread is to eat whole grain bread.  Instead of Kraft American cheese, eat some low fat content white cheese and let's not even think of butter anymore.  And then, a friend comes over and offers you a whole grain grilled reduced fat mozzarella cheese sandwich.  You're eyes squint over the realization of loopholes that occurred.

Despite, I'd like to introduce you to the All-American cheese burger.  Here you have your typical all beef patty with lettuce, tomato, American cheese, topped with a sesame seed bun and fries, but not french fries (or freedom fries at one point)... sweet potato fries.

Nutritionists hail over the benefits of sweet potatoes over regular spuds.  The color is an indication, rich in beta carotene (good for the eyes) and the obvious texture compared to regular spuds indicate high in fiber.  But, who cares about all that mumbo-jumbo when all you can think about is sinking you're teeth into all this juicy, greasy deliciousness. To top it off, you seasoned your fries with cinnamon-sugar mix.  In the end however, I should give credit to the integrity of the ingredients, even if they're paired with unhealthy excess.  Although we see here, obvious heart stopping grease, it's nice to see the vegetables aiding in an effort to metabolize one's indulgences in taste and the need for energy.  In that I'm content with the happy balance and happy gastronomic experience, not to mention all this being home-made.

Happy munchies and have a great day, y'all.

Things Weighing on My Mind

As far back as I can remember, the most rooted memories of my life are the ones where I had the most intense feelings.  I'm an early 80's baby, but I can remember a time when I was in pre-school with such clarity because of how I was feeling that day.  I'll never forget the moment I saw my mother wrap up an exchange gift that I wanted so bad that I claimed it, without realizing the gift was meant to be given away.  I look back and begin to feel sympathetic of the fire fighter who played Santa and how frustrated he must feel as he dealt with me, the fussy child as he gave away what I felt was mine.  Then of course there would be the string of lovers (a short one I promise), when I got employed, nights out with friends, the music I cherish, etc,etc.

The one memory that would and will never leave and lays heavily on me til this day was when I became aware of my weight.  I've never made a big deal of it when I was a kid until I was 10 years old.  At my school, the cafeteria contained a stage for when the school had special presentations.   I was with my classmates in the lunch line when I saw another classmate of mine stand alone by the stage looking hesitant.  I got my lunch, ate, and when I went to put away my tray, I saw that she was still there by the stage.  Here I was thinking she was waiting for a friend so that they'd both enter the lunch line and eat together.  But after I had put away my tray and feeling puzzled as to why she didn't eat, I approached her and asked.  In the end, she told me that her mother told her to watch what she ate because if she didn't she'd get fat.  All of the red flags, warning bells, kept sounding off, erecting in my head.  Oh gosh, will I get fat, if I don't watch what I eat?  I took her statement to be somewhat karmic because I had often teased my neighbor how fat he was and how his grandma fed him too much rice.  From that day when my classmate told me of how she's watching what she ate, came a slew of starving days, many forms of exercise and what I thought I needed to do to achieve a certain body type.  It didn't help that after compulsory education I no longer had physical education to keep my body in a balanced state of weight.  After my formal education, the stresses of personal and professional life threw my knowledge of a healthy life way off-balance. 

Up until the present I've struggled with this.  Sadly, the inevitable had hit me.  Last year, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and hypertension.  Sometimes I wonder, had my classmate not say that to me would my destiny be much different.  Would I end up this way, regardless?   The news struck me hard because I remembered the death of my mother.  My mother had type 2 diabetes and hypertension.  All of which, led to renal failure.  My mother underwent dialysis for 8 years.  Watching my mother go through that I suppose was like people watching loved ones die of AIDS or Cancer.  You see the drastic changes.  All the treatments are meant to give only enough time for one to be ready for death.  But, no one ever really is ready for it are they? 

Either way, it was time for a lifestyle change.  One of the things I've drastically changed was my diet.  Here I've prepared a kind of crust-less Spinach Frittata.

- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/2 of a large chopped onion                                        
- 16~20 oz (1 bag) frozen spinach
- 4 scrambled eggs
- 2 teaspoons of sea salt for taste
- Cut up Mozzarella cheese

In a large pan, heat up the oil.  When you start to experience a strong smell from the olive oil as it's heated, drop in the garlic and onion.  Lower the heat to a medium high.  Watch that sizzle a bit and begin throwing in the spinach after you see that the onions are translucent.  The spinach need not be defrosted.  While all three are cooking, I use that time to scramble the eggs.  When I see that the spinach has been defrosted and much of it's water had evaporated from the frying, I put in the scrambled eggs.  Keep tossing all of them ingredients, continuing the stir fry.  Then prepare a 6x8 baking dish or something close to that size, and pack in the cooked spinach.  Slice some mozzarella cheese and lay top.  Throw the baking dish into the microwave for 2 minutes and melt the cheese.
Eat it for breakfast.  Lately, I've been eating this with Salsa.  But in the beginning, I wouldn't.  Perhaps it was just because I didn't have salsa with me or that I was too lazy to make salsa. 

With an hour's worth of exercise, and this for breakfast everyday, I had lost 20 pounds.  My lunch and dinner also had the same nature as my breakfast.  If you keep at it, the results show.  So, be careful and keep disciplined.  If not, naturally it will show in the results of your blood tests if you're diabetic.  Quite frankly, working hard on your health removes you from a social life.  If you're committed to it though, it obviously is life changing.  There will always be things I'll struggle with, but in the end it's all about the choices we make on how we want to live life.