My Fat Season

Well folks, my Fat Season is over. I am finally back down to my normal body size, no thanks to the countless cookies, cakes, pies, chocolates, and junkjunkjunk I ate over the holiday season. There was not a munchie that I didn't love with all of my heart.

But for the past 2-3 weeks, I've been on a mission - not a diet, mind you. I don't believe in diets. While diets work, people on diets don't work. So instead of making myself eat crazy wierd stuff for a certain period of time, I told myself to cut out the following: cheese, sweets, cola, and fried crap. So that's what I did. Now, by "cutting out" I mean "staying away from" for most of the time. I definitely believe that if you don't allow yourself a splurge every now and then, you will fall off the wagon and hit your head on the way down. (This does not apply to actual addictions, so don't take my advice if you have a real problem.)

So Saturday I splurged on cheese and crackers. Oh, I love cheese, from the top of my head to all the way down to my toes. After two weeks of virtually no cheese, I declared it Cheese Time and plopped my pajama-clad self down on the bed and munched away. The Saturday before that I decided it was Junky Fast Food time, so I went to KFC and got a mashed potato bowl and loved every minute of it. Knowing that I'm eating well 6 out of 7 days a week allows me to feel zero guilt when I splurge a little.

Now I'm back down to size, and my pants are even a little looser than they were before my Fat Season began. I even told Jason yesterday that I would actually wear a bathing suit now! Whoop, whoop. I daresay, I've lost a little weight too (as opposed to fat), which I plan to pile back on in the form of muscle now that I'm almost over the flu and ready to go back to practicing kung-fu 2-3 times a week.

But I can't help thinking, when will Slim Fast get around to making a Grilled Cheese flavored shake? Mmm, cheese...

Mama's Gotta Watch Her Stories: A Ramble

So I'm thinking, Man it's the pits that I'm sick. I've got this flu-y viral thing that's taken down half of Dallas.

Then I got to thinking about the phrase "the pits" and I wonder where I first heard it. Then I realize I'd heard it first from my mom, who immigrated to this country over 30 years ago and learned English, no doubt, from a textbook last updated in 1943.

So then I started thinking about where that phrase originated and that made me think of peach pits and how I was always told never to suck the peach meat off of them because I might choke and die.

And that reminded me of The Peach Pit. You know, the diner where Brandon worked. You know - Beverly Hills 90210. And I started thinking about Dylan and how he was supposed to be "bad" and James Dean-ish and well, no one is James Dean-ish except for James Dean.

That got me to thinking about all of the stories I'm missing because of the writers' strike, and why didn't I follow my dream and become a famous writer, anyway? Well.

So there's Ugly Betty, Lost, House, Dirty Sexy Money, etc. etc. I miss you all! At least I've got my Golden Girls reruns on Lifetime, brand new American Gladiators (Nitro, I will always love you.) and semi-funny Colbert Reports to watch. But still, mama's missin' her stories. Achoo! Sniffle sniffle.

Tuscan Blood Orange & the Super Sniffer

It all started with a candle. Browsing the floor at Anthropologie one afternoon, I came across an aroma that nearly knocked me down. It was heavenly. I found myself before a large oak table full of candles - on sale. (Sale! Is there no better word at Anthropologie?) I began opening each candle tin and sniff-sniff, sniff-sniff. Finally, I found the source of the smell: Pacifica's Tuscan Blood Orange soy candle.

(Now, for those of you who know me personally, you know I've got the nose of a bloodhound. I can sniff out just about anything on the wind before most humans can. Sometimes, I'm the only one to smell something like a fire or oil leak. I should work for Chanel. Or the FBI.)

I went back to Anthro a week later and bought a bar of Tuscan Blood Orange soap. Then I made another trip yesterday for a 1.2 ounce bottle of the perfume. I'm wearing it now and I swear - I can hear harps in the background...



Pacifica is an indie-owned company founded in 1995. They offer handmade candles, soaps, body butters, and perfumes in a variety of beautifully-blended aromas. Tuscan Blood Orange in particular smells like a tropical citrus garden on the banks of the Mediterranean. The soaps are a generous 6-ounce bar made with vegan glycerin, loofah bits, and natural oils. I've used mine several times already and it's still the same size as when I bought it. Ah, it's magical!

Oh, and when the candle burns itself out, there should still be some soy wax in the tin. Put the open tin in your undies drawer and BAM! You've got yourself an instant delicious sachet. Happy sniffing!

Six Feet Under

I'm illin', really illin'. Although I'm not running a fever, imagine everything else that can make you feel like doody and I've got it.



Staying home today. It's after 1pm and I just recently woke up. Managed to eat a bowl of cereal (hurts to swallow) and check the mail. In the pile of magazines and catalogues, I came across my new Netflix DVD. Yay! I'm catching up on Six Feet Under and now I've got 4 more episodes to watch while I lay in bed and moan and groan. (And no, the irony is not lost on me.)

Sloppy Seconds

Who knew that leftover rice and an extremely low-stocked pantry would turn into a delicious meal? That's exactly what happened to me tonite, and I'm here to testify that it was a creative, DIY meal the gods will speak of for years to come. Considering all the ingredients were canned or preserved in some way, I am amazed at how delish it all turned out. Make it and see for yourself:



INGREDIENTS
1 large can chicken in water
1 cup cooked rice
1 can mushroom soup
splash of non-fat milk
smattering of bread crumbs
handful of French's fried onions
salt-n-peppa

DO THIS
1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. In a pyrex casserole dish spread out a layer of cooked rice.

3. Drain the water from the canned chicken and spread that goodness on top of the layer of rice.

4. For the third layer, spread mushroom soup over the chicken and rice layer. Smooth it out like icing on a cake.

5. Pour a little milk over the whole shebang and work into the mushroom soup layer.

6. Throw in some of the fried onions and work into the soupy layer.

7. Add your salt and pepper if you please.

8. Throw some bread crumbs on top.

9. Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes - or half of a Law & Order episode.

10. Et voila! Tefi's Sloppy Seconds chicken casserole in effect. Serves about 3-4 people, or two very hungry people. Enjoy!

Added bonus: For a food pyramid-worthy meal, serve with cherry tomatoes and canned green beans simmered in their own water, dry onions, and a cube of veggie bouillon. Delish!

Birthday Anatomy 101

Yesterday for my birthday, the three J's (Jason, Jen, Justin) and I went to see Body Worlds at the Science Museum in Fair Park. In a word, it was exhilerating.

But there are a million other words I could throw out there: interesting, freaky, disgusting, fascinating, artistic, nettlesome, colorful, smelly, overwhelming.

It will be in Dallas for 9 more days and then it moves on. I am seriously considering donating my body to an exhibit like this. I've always known I'd donate my body to science in general, but the idea of being plastinated and displayed for others to be wowed, educated, etc. is a really cool thought. I told Jen, "That way even in death I'm entertaining people!"

Check it out if you can! http://www.bodyworlds.com/en.html

Side Note: The plastination process uses a polymer much like the polymer clay I used to make this hot pink Tweet Tweet pendant. Freaky.

DIY Health Care

When I'm in my "lady way" and I've got the cramps like nobody's business, I find the only remedy is coffee, chocolate, getting ticked off at random things, and kung fu.

So far, I've had 3 cups of coffee, I'm sucking on a Daim chocolate, I am mad at my stapler, and I have kung fu training tonite. I'm on the road to recovery.

Other rememdies: heating pad, Midol, venting, my boyfriend calling me for no reason, and making jewelry. Right now I am inspired to create a piece called Boomshine, in homage to my new favorite techno pasttime. I'll post a pic soon as I make it!