Successes So Far

In an event to dissuade you, reader(s), that this blog is a list of everything I must now deny myself due to an absurd commitment, let me list some of my culinary successes on this happy Christmas Eve.

1) Homemade wheat bread thickened with steel cut oats, flaxseed, and toasted cracked wheat, moistened with maple syrup and olive oil, finished with an egg brushed on top just before baking.

I made four loaves on Tuesday, one of which has already been gobbled up by family members. The downside to the bread was that it was very expensive. I spent $16 on ingredients. The cost could be cut if some of the pricier ingredients, such as ground flaxseed and maple syrup, were substituted or eliminated.

2) Hummus, a family staple, which I have been enjoying on top of my homemade bread (instead of margarine).

3) Trader Joe's Macadamia (I spelled this Macademia at first and thought of a decent joke about nuts and professors) Nut Popcorn Clusters, whose caramel is colored with Beta-carotene instead of FD & C dye.

4) Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice Tea, which has a spicy bite and a sweet aftertaste. A nice hot chocolate substitute.

5)Dark Chocolate Oranges, the kind of chocolate that comes in slices and you have to crack on a table before unwrapping and eating.

6) My brother Charlie's homemade banana bread with real butter on top. Yum!

Two Duds:

1) All-natural chicken sausage. Tastes exactly like Whole Foods smells. I salted it.
2) Organic mild cheddar cheese. May as well be lard. Salted this, too.

Meanwhile, I continue to feel fantastic, more focused, more energetic, less blimpy, all in spite of the fact that I haven't run or worked out in nearly two months. That's a project for January, I guess...