Butter makes it better

Remember when I wrote to Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Lady?

(No, she didn't write back...yet. I have hopes that she will someday.)

I was asking how she stays looking so awesome with the no-calorie-left-behind cookbook she put out. And I started down the "Why me" path of body image self-pity.

Well, since then, there have been a few developments.

First of all, I am cooking my way through Ree's cookbook much like that Julie lady blogger did with Julia Child's cookbooks. Only I don't think they'll ever make a major motion picture about this. There are only a few things in her cookbook that I probably won't try, and that's only because it has peppers in it. Ree's cookbook (yes, I'm on a first name basis with her, because there's no restraining order yet) calls for ingrediants like heavy cream, butter, and Crisco. I made her cinnamon rolls - best thing ever - and there's so much butter, it's scary. But good.

Along with the cinnamon rolls (9 cups of flour, by the way), I've made chicken friend steak (Disgruntled Husband says we can definitely make this again), orange marmalade muffins, beans and cornbread (no one but Mini Me and I liked that one), egg-in-a-hole, spaghetti chicken, and last night, I made her Sunday roast.

Every single thing I made of hers was awesome and tasty and sure to even more jiggle on my money maker.

Except in 2 weeks of cooking like this, I've lost 7 pounds.




Ladies and gents, may I introduce, the new diet food!


Now, granted, I was sick for 5 days, but the weight I lost then didn't come back on. Last Monday when I weighed in (you know, only once a week because the local firemen and people that measure seismic activity are busy enough), I was down 5.5 pounds. Most of that was from being sick, but I thought I'd try something different for that week. I'd eat anything I wanted, when I wanted it, but emphasis on homemade things and actual meals.

So I did. I had cinnamon rolls. I had tasty things like creamy chicken spaghetti. I even had Arby's one day and ate until I didn't want any more. Olive Garden and I reunited Friday night with a plate of shrimp and Gorgonzola ravioli.

And today, I was down another 1.5 pounds.

Did I just figure this whole thing out? There's no taboo now. Nothing is off-limits and suddenly, I don't want some of the crap I used to crave and binge on.

There's no low-fat or low-carb options to worry about. I'm not counting calories or sweating it out at the gym. I will say, however, that I've been a little more active at home, you know, like actually standing up and moving rather than sitting my keister on the couch with the laptop. Like I am right now. Laundry, sweeping, shopping, painting...all burn calories.

I haven't been this excited to go to the grocery store since I was pregnant.

It's amazing what I'm learning in the process, too. Like if I have something really sugary, I have no energy 20 minutes later. And if I don't deprive myself the dinner I made for everyone else -with the heavy cream, butter, etc. - I find my portion size is smaller than what it would be if I had just "given in."

And of all the discoveries about myself I've made in the last 31 years, I think it's my favorite.