The struggle to maintain a balanced diet...

Prompted in part by this interesting article on Salon.com today. But then, I regularly think of nutrition and proper eating and getting exercise and the like but some days it's harder than others. Especially since I've entered the unemployed phase (again) of my life. Cooking and baking are among several of my hobbies and since I'm not working, I've been doing more of both. Well, I've been cooking all this time or else we would have eaten little more than Annie's Mac & Cheese, pierogies or Chip0tle. But now I have lots more time to spend in my kitchen and here's a sampling of what I've made: Mississippi Mud Balls, Cherry Chocolate Biscotti, Shortbread Cookies, Lemon Frozen Yogurt, Pecan and Chocolate Covered English Toffee, Granola and Lemon Cake.

Yes, I've cooked food somewhere in there. You know, stuff with vegetables and all. And I sent most of what I baked in to Michael's office and some of it went with Michael when he left to visit his parents. Except the granola. It's in the oven now and it's not leaving this house. Anyway, baking is so much fun and so is tasting what you make. And I am a taster. I taste all the time. That's part of the problem, you see. Then I taste the finished product. And it's always good if I do say so myself. But after the baking is over and the goodies are packed away, they call to me. I can hear them through the tupperware or the freezer or where ever they are stored. And that, my friends, is the problem. That's why this stuff goes to Michael's office.

And then there's the bread making I made as one of my goals for the year. I've baked two batches so far and both were quite good. Both were also made with whole wheat flour. I like wheat bread anyway so that's no sacrifice. But the finished product just tastes so good that I would almost eat it to the exclusion of my dinner. Maybe I need to find some new hobbies that keep me out of the kitchen. Or maybe I need to hang out with Jillian and Bob more often (not like I don't hang out with them enough already). Or maybe I should wear a H@nnibal Lect0r mask while I bake. Or, maybe, I should get a damned job already.