What's for lunch?

I wrote an e-mail yesterday to The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond.

(If you don't read that blog, you should. She's adorable and has tons of giveaways. Plus, she's funny and cooks with butter.)
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Hi Ree -



Long time listener, first time caller. :)


I have such admiration and fondness for you, if I wasn't sure I'm awesome and normal, it would be a little creepy. I bought your cookbook over the weekend (after hinting about it for Christmas, then NOT getting it from anyone, then finally breaking down and buying it for myself), and it's the only cookbook I've ever read from cover-to-cover, over-and-over again.


I made your chicken pot pie last night, and my eldest - who doesn't like ANYTHING - said it was the best thing I'd ever made. And it was taaaaasty. And now, I'm thinking what I can make next.


I saw you on the Today show making the cinnamon rolls with Al. And on Food Network with Bobby Flay (whom I have a very strange crush on...if you ever do write back, tell me more about him...). What is your eating/exercising plan, if any? You don't eat that stuff for every meal, do you? Or is it that you burn enough on the ranch that you CAN eat all of that? Please address this issue...because I want to eat cinnamon rolls and brisket and cobbler, but need to know how to do it responsibly.

Sincerely,
Jessica, The Snarky Mom

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And this leads me to questions for all of you. How do you live day-to-day with food? I'm always in the midst of a dieting lifestyle eating plan, and if I'm doing low calorie, I crave butter and sour cream. If I do low carb, all I want are Wheat Thins and Cinnamon Toast Crunch. And I find when I do one plan, I switch sometimes mid-week (sometimes mid-day) to accommodate what I want to eat.

It's very frustrating.

I also toe the line between healthy, organic, food-as-fuel and comfort, down-home-cooking, traditional family meals. There doesn't seem to be much in common with the two.

It may not be a part of the Food Pyramid, but it sure makes things tasty.

(Well, the one thing in common happened last night. I made beans and cornbread from Ree's book. I thought it was awesome. It was definitely "down-home-cooking" with ingredients like shortening and buttermilk. And like the healthy stuff, my kids wouldn't touch this either. And neither would Disgruntled Husband.)

I have a Body Bugg (the thing on the arms of the Biggest Loser contestants), and it helps, but like most things in my life, it all comes down to laziness. I want the Body Bugg to monitor what I put in my mouth without me having to enter it in on the computer. By the same token, I'd also like something to exercise me in my sleep.

Last year, I did pretty well with weight loss, but I also was on my elliptical machine every night. This year, as I approach the old age of 32, I'm just too lazy tired to do this. This might have something to do with the department store of misfit toys in front of it.

And going out to work out? It was -21 yesterday. As the high. Even if I went outside to go workout, I'm pretty sure the not-so-mini-van would growl in protest.

Which is why I am wondering what other people do. If you do "down home cooking" how do you NOT become a diabetes risk? If you do healthy, how are you getting your kids to eat it? And yes, I know that I can't just sit in front of my computer and burn the amount of calories needed to lose weight. But I have faith in science that someday it will happen.

Oh, and if anyone wants to send me a personal trainer and/or chef, I'm open to it.

Help. I'm afraid to eat. I'll get over it, but would like a little guidance.