Dish #3 & Pictures of me

I met with trainer Traci at Fitness World West today. After my nice hard workout, I lent her a hand with her new brochure. She is looking for new clients in the new year and after everything she's done for me, I was glad to knock out a quick testimonial. However, she also wanted new pictures - of me. We took them with no protest from me, but it got me thinking.

I've mentioned before that the second most asked question of me is a request for my "before" pictures. I have also mentioned, I can't find any. That's because no one wanted to take my picture before. People weren't trying to exclude me or be mean, it just wasn't a priority for anyone, including me. Especially me.

I had let myself become someone I did not recognize, nor particularly like. Neck-up mirrors were plenty for me and only necessary if I had to adjust my hair. The idea of putting what I was seeing into a permanent record of film or megabytes was simply too much to consider.

It was one of the things that led me to photography as a hobby - I could control the image, I was behind the camera. The number of times I have been able to insist, "No, you get in the picture..." and send someone else before the lens is innumerable and yes, sad. Photographically there are years missing in my life. Times I might now like to recall with pictures to help me suss out the details of the memory. They're gone.

Gone, like the times I had to not climb that hill because I couldn't breath or my knees hurt. Gone, like the times I missed chasing Caelen as a toddler because I couldn't keep up. Gone, like the friendships I missed having because I was too closed off to start a simple conversation.

Yet now, like the sun squeezing through the clouds after a storm, all of that is gone as well. The pain, the self-retribution, the lack of confidence - G-O-N-E. And like the 109 pounds I have lost so far, those negative things that held me back are gone and I will never let them come back.

So, take my picture, I want to remember this moment.

Now, on to the recipe of the day. Healthified side dishes being our theme, nothing vexes more people than stuffing or more to the point, dressing. I say dressing, because the chances you are actually going to bury your broken bread in a fowl's behind are slim. I like to avoid salmonella as a general rule anyway.

Dressing with Cranberries

Ingredients:
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
10 slices whole-wheat bread, toasted and cut into cubes
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped fresh cranberries
1 cup whole water chestnuts
1 cup chopped apple

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly coat a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large skillet, heat the chicken broth over medium heat. Add the celery and onion and saute until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes, parsley, tarragon, paprika, nutmeg, cranberries, water chestnuts and chopped apples. Add the onion and celery mixture. Stir to mix evenly.

Spoon stuffing into the prepared baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 more minutes. Serve immediately.

Nutrition: (Makes 6 servings)
Serving size: 1/2 cup
Calories-147; Total fat-2 g;Saturated fat-0.5 g; Monounsaturated fat-1 g; Cholesterol-1 mg; Sodium-263 mg; Carbohydrate-29 g; Fiber-5 g; Protein-5 g; Potassium-256 mg; Calcium-51 mg.

Yours in health, Kate