Sunday, 1/9 -- Can you deep fry a parsnip?

These past few weeks I had made a conscious decision about my diet. I decided that I was going to let the holiday season feed me with all the good, bad and ugly foods that came my way.

This holiday season didn't disappoint.

I think I may have surprised a lot of people by eating so "badly". Especially since I spent so much time and energy reading, researching, experimenting and pontificating the Whole Foods/Natural Foods diet.

I have abandoned nothing from that philosophy. I am committed to changing my diet to include nothing but the best foods that the Earth can provide.

All this being said, I will NEVER allow myself to be the one person at a party that turns my nose at the party food. I will never attend a dinner and refuse to eat what was prepared. And I will never be the difficult guest that you have to prepare a special menu for.

I will, however, make discrete choices from restaurant menus. Choose some foods over others. Maybe limit myself to one serving. Stuff like that.

I never want to be rude, and I never want to refuse food. I'm too much of a glutton.

The holiday junk food feast is now over. Spinach dip, sausages, cookies, cake, doughnuts, pizza, wings, French fries, lunchmeat, salad dressings and assorted meat dishes. This is just a partial list of the foods that will be retired from my diet until the next "special occasion."

Until that time, I am seriously hungry for nothing but the best fruits, veggies and other organic, quality food I can find. (Yes, that will include seafood, limited dairy and a little meat.)

Dare I say that I'm been looking forward to experimenting with rutabagas again? I'll bet they are wonderful deep-fried with bacon.

I'll end my rant today with the perspective that I'm believing more and more:
Any meal can be healthy, feeding the mind, body and spirit, when it's prepared with love.