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Daily DigestYuck!
 There's a winter storm warning in effect until 7 a.m. on Thursday with 2 to 4 inches of snow expected. Be prepared for a messy morning commute as freezing rain and sleet move through the region. The morning commute will be slippery — drive careful!
Some New York schools, including Hoosick Falls Central School and St. Mary's Academy in Hoosick Falls have already canceled classes.
All North County schools are closed; Pittsfield, Lanesborough, Berkshire Hills, Southern Berkshire and Central Berkshire school districts are closed. |
Duff'em If You've Got'em
 North Adams Regional Hospital went smoke-free Monday — so did all its sister sites, from Sweet Brook to Northern Berkshire Family Practice to the Women's Exchange. No ashtrays, no smoking: No butts about it. |
Wanted: Eagle Eyes
MassWildlife's annual eagle count runs Dec. 31 to Jan. 14. Anyone sighting one of the regal birds in Massachusetts is asked to participate.
Send date, time, location and town of eagle sightings, number of birds, whether juvenile or adult and observer's contact information to Mass.wildlife@state.ma.us. |
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Confessions of a Practical Blonde: A Recipe for AnxietyBy Sharon M. Leary - October 22, 2008
iBerkshires Columnist
 | | Sharon Leary |
A lot of my food phobias stem from childhood, but also because I think particular food textures just don't sit well with me. For instance, let's take fish sticks. I hate fish sticks. What kid doesn't like fish sticks? That was me. You would think that the crunchiness of the batter with light white fish would be OK, especially when you add ketchup. Not for me. Again, the thought makes my stomach turn-even now.
The other possible reason I have for not liking a lot of foods is because I have a sever sugar addiction. There I have admitted it for the entire world to see. Is there a sugar addicts anonymous? Seriously, I'm not joking. Right now on my counter I have homemade banana bread with chocolate chips I added to the recipe to give me that sweet taste I constantly crave. I polished off two cider donuts from the Apple Barn for breakfast and if you check my pantry and refrigerator you will find cookies, chocolate and snacks galore.
Sometimes being an adult isn't what it's all cracked up to be. There are days when I wish my parents still monitored my food intake. At least then I knew that whether I liked it or not, I was going to get a semi-balanced meal. (However, after a recent visit to my parents' house, I realized the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. There were cookies and a stash of candy that surpassed my own. )
 Growing up we always had something sweet to eat after we finished lunch or dinner; most of the time it was cookies or brownies. I see now how that reward has gotten out of control. Luckily for us, as soon as we were done with lunch or dinner we were right back outside the house. We worked off most of the sugar and calories we took in almost immediately; none of us had a weight problem growing up.
After I turned 40, however, I did notice that I was putting on some weight around my core - aah, that would be stomach. I don't rush out and play anymore right after dinner. I'm lucky if I get to take Remy for a walk. Exercise just isn't there for me right now.
So I have food phobias? Who doesn't? However, I think I took it to the next level: dinnertime anxiety. Wondering what was for dinner used to make me cringe. It wasn't so much the main dish as it was what was going to be served along with it.
My mom would not tell me the side dishes until we were about to sit down because she knew how I would react. Dishes like scalloped potatoes, wax beans (still hate them), creamed corn, spinach, beef stew, meat loaf, shepherd's pie, French meat pie, cod cakes (Yuck to this day!), drumsticks, thighs, wings, any kind of salad including macaroni and potato, beets and broccoli would put a puss on this face that was quite obviously a mood breaker at the table.
If one of those dishes were served, I had .jpg) two secret strategies to get through the meal. If I could tolerate putting the food in my mouth, I would take a drink of milk and swallow the food that way. If I couldn't even think about putting the food in my mouth, I took a stack of napkins and I would hide the food in my napkins. I thought I was slick. I didn't know my parents were on to me.
If all else failed, I would look to my mom for help. Sometimes when my dad wasn't looking she would take the food off my plate and she would eat it. Other times I just had to sit there till it was stone cold and she would relent.
We didn't have a dog during those years; I'm sure if we did the poor thing would have been overweight!
Dinnertime Strategies
As I grew older, I caught on to my mom's strategy of planning meals. Each day had particular dishes attached to them. I've come to realize her plan was make it easy for all of us. Depending on the day of the week, one or two of us could have an appointment, commitment or school project that we needed to get to after dinner.
Mondays needed to be quick and fast because we had CCD right after school or i n the early evening, so it was usually spaghetti or meat loaf. Thursdays were payday and mom did the grocery shopping so she didn't have time to plan a big meal, so it was hot dogs and beans or fries. Mom also made Friday a quick and easy night because one or two of us usually were heading out to friends or to the movies. It usually was something simple like grilled cheese, homemade macaroni and cheese, soup, fish sticks or pizza.
Tuesday and Wednesdays were usually the nights that everyone was home and had no pressing engagements. Spaghetti would alternate between Mondays and Wednesdays; chicken or pork chops were Tuesday; Saturday could be all sorts of meals, but the most common was hamburgers.
Sundays were special. Mom would alternate a few classics with some new recipes she adapted. Lasagna, roast beef in the crockpot, baked ham, corned beef and cabbage, and chicken and dumplings were some of our staples. The day was also special because we got the big meal out of the way at noon. That meant sandwiches for dinner and that was fine with me.
Harvesting Some Wisdom
I'm a picky eater, but I am changing my ways. There are so many things that I am willing to try now. In the past, before the words "would you like to try ..." came out of someone's mouth an emphatic no was spoken loudly. Now I'm not so quick to say no.
The advent of cooking shows has tempted my taste buds. I also have two good friends who are nutritionists. They have taught me to add some of my favorites to dishes I previously would avoid. For example, I'll add cranberries, walnuts, and/or chicken to a salad and get the benefit of the green vegetables along with the foods that I like.
I've also been told that as you grow older your taste buds change. So foods that I would turn my nose up to in the past, I now actually consider. It doesn't mean that I always try something new. But I am less inclined to automatically say no.
Convenience vs. Finance
I confess that as I review my monthly budget, I have a new appreciation for.jpg) home cooking. I find myself looking through cookbooks and asking friends for recipes. This fall and winter, I plan on learning how to make homemade chicken and turkey potpies, incorporating some new fruits and veggies into my daily diet and resisting the urge to socialize with friends at a restaurant. I think I will invite them over for dinner instead.
My brother and I have plans to start a small garden next spring. We are planting a garden to help incorporate some fresh foods into our diet and to help save on the grocery bill, but there is also another reason. I am really concerned about the economy and world politics. Plus every time we turn around there is a new recall on a food item.
It's also a way that the two of us can incorporate some exercise and build on brother and sister communication.
'Tis the Seasoning
This time of year, after we put the grill away, I start to crave some of those dishes that I once did not like. French meat pie, shepherd's pie and, amazingly, yes, meat loaf! My mother couldn't stop laughing recently when I called for her recipe to make meat loaf. I asked her what was so funny and she told me that in a million years, she never would have believed that I would want to make meat loaf for myself.
 There are a lot of dishes that we had growing up that I now prepare for myself. But now I put my own spin on them. For instance, I recently made beef stew. I didn't follow my mother's recipe; instead, I improvised. I added some vegetables that I like and made the gravy a bit thicker than my mom's. It was good and we even ate the leftovers. I have to tell you there was a sense of satisfaction as well — I prepared the meal!
Living in the 21st century has its perks as well. We are lucky to have such great resources at our fingertips. If I have a question about how to prepare something, I go to the Web and instantly I'm connected to thousands of sites.
This week I'm planning on preparing a pork tenderloin roast in an apple bourbon sauce with roasted vegetables. So how many will be coming to dinner? |
Hey girl..what night is dinner?? i'll bring the wine!! and the chocolate cake! I love your column, as always. You brought back memories of my mothers dinners!! OMG!! "Yuck" is all I have to say. My siblings and I still to this day give her a hard time about what we had to eat. She just laughs at us. mmmmmmmm...chocolate!!
x's & o's,
Kelley C | | from: Kelley C. | on: 10-29-2008 |
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| Hey sleary what are the chances of getting a dinner invitation.....I thought so! See you at the market. | | from: Rick Springfield | on: 10-28-2008 |
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| Count me in for dinner!! | | from: LISA MARIE | on: 10-23-2008 |
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Way to go. I saw this quote in the fascinating "One Page Cookbook"
"Recipe purity is no different from racial purity or linguistic purity. It just does not exist. Cuisines are alive and change all the time. What is traditional today was esoteric just a few decades back. So being a 'foodist' is as bad as being a racist ! "
| | from: David | on: 10-23-2008 |
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