Change

On Saturday, Mari and I went shopping. Last night, when I tried to put the new clothes away, I was confronted with my overstuffed closet. So, I decided I had better start sorting through my clothes. As I determined whether each item was too big or whether I could still wear it for a while, I became a bit sad. I don't necessarily have an emotional attachment to my clothes, but I know who I was when I wore those clothes. I'm not so sure I know who this thinner version of me will be. Losing weight allows a person to try on a lot more personae. And I'm not sure who I am yet.

In the past, losing weight has actually caused me to lose friends, and it has changed people's attitudes towards me. There's the guy who's my buddy with whom I goof around like one of my brothers who suddenly starts flirting with me. Or the jealous girl friend who doesn't like me when I'm like this. I'm not saying that my personality doesn't change. Of course it does. I have a lot more confidence and energy. But it's frequently the change in other peoples' reactions to me that freaks me out. I have to watch that and not give into it this time. But I'm more mature this time and so are my friends. My true friends will celebrate the healthier change.

Yesterday, I wasn't satisfied that I had any ingredients for a new recipe, so I made my version of Minestrone or I should say one of my many versions. My understanding of minestrone is that it's a soup with pasta, beans, and tomatoes and whatever other vegetables and herbs you want to include. I'll give you last night's version, but I won't include measurements. You have to measure and figure that out on your own.

Ingredients
Olive Oil
Chopped onion
Thinly sliced garlic
Chicken broth
Water
Mixed beans
A large can of tomatoes
Carrots
Cabbage
Corn
Green Beans
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Salt
Pepper
Basil
Oregano

Preparation
1. If you use dried beans as I do, soak the beans for as long as you can(overnight is better) before cooking. Drain and rinse before cooking

2.Cook the onion and garlic in the olive oil until translucent. Add all ingredients but pasta. When vegetables are nearly done add the pasta. If you are going to freeze portions of the soup, quit cooking the soup before the pasta is done. Pasta gets mushy when fully cooked and then frozen. If you freeze it a bit before it's done, you can cook the individual servings a bit longer.

Also,when I made it this time, I didn't add a lot of water to the soup. The individual servings were quite small, but when I do prepare those servings, I can add as much or as little water as I want to. Water is a great thing- no calories.