I tucked in my shirt!

Tonight I had an opening reception to go to for the annual Member Show of the Pastel Society of New Jersey. I was fussing around over what to wear, as I especially wanted to wear some new handmade jewelry I bought yesterday. The earrings and necklace were a pretty turquoise color, and nothing in my wardrobe seemed to go with it. Finally I pulled out a cheap $3 T-shirt from AC Moore that I had bought to paint in. But had not used it yet so it was still clean.

It was the only thing I could find in the right color! So I pulled it on over my slacks. But it still looked like a cheap $3 T-shirt, so I tried to see how I could "dress it up", and pulled a vest of the closet. That started to look better. But the T-shirt still looked cheap, and looked a little weird hanging so long below the vest.

So I ended up TUCKING THE SHIRT IN. Maybe only someone who has been as large as I was can understand what a milestone this was for me. It's been YEARS since I last tucked in my shirt. I can't even remember the last time I did it. I like my shirts long and loose so they come way down over my hips, and hide my tummy. The idea of wearing a shirt tucked in is just totally alien to me.

But tonight I did it! And I was not even all that displeased with how I looked. Of course I did have the vest on too. But it's not a long vest. I was actually *okay* with how I looked.

So might as well celebrate the little things in life, . Tucking in a shirt is sure a little thing, but it's a big milestone for me!

The reception was great too. I got to hand out the prizes (didn't win any, boo hoo). Lots of awesome cheeses to try, and some veggies and hummus, and water and unsweetened iced tea. I just avoided the chips and crackers and the dessert and sweet table, and had a great time.

Cauliflower salad

It's July 4th - the US Independence Day. Typically a day of parades and fireworks, but also a day for picnics and barbecues. I was invited to two today. First a picnic lunch at my sister's house, and second a barbecue at a friend's house. For the first I was asked to only bring myself. For the second I was asked to bring a side dish.

Barbecues classically feature grilled meats of some sort, so from that standpoint provide no problems for eating, but the side dishes are often problematical - things like pasta salads and potato chips (likely fried in trans fats and/or high PUFA oils), or baked beans with lots of sugar.

At my sister's it was so easy to eat. She had fresh cold cuts, including my favorite KerryGold cheese, made from the milk of grass-fed Irish cows. There were pasta salad and chips there too, but also plenty of nice fresh veggies and dill pickles. We sat in her backyard in the shade, with a light breeze blowing, and watched birds and chipmunks and a woodchuck playing in the stream and the woods behind her house - very pleasant indeed. And after eating we took a ride through Rifle Camp Park and Garrett Mountain and saw plenty of deer and wild turkeys. The coyotes were all in deep hiding though, despite the "beware of coyotes" signs posted at both parks!

But for this evening's barbecue I figured I had better bring a side dish I knew I could eat, as I couldn't count on any of the others being acceptable to me, so I made my cauliflower salad, which is very tasty indeed.

Cauliflower Salad

1 head cauliflower, steamed, and broken up into bite-sized pieces

6 eggs, hard-boiled and chopped up

3-4 scallions, cut into pieces, including as much of the green part as you can manage

1/2 shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup spicy mayo

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Turn into a serving dish and sprinkle paprika or cayenne over the top. Chill until ready to serve, at least a few hours, to give the flavors a chance to meld.

As for spicy mayo? I made my own mayo more-or-less following the spicy mayo recipe in Nourishing Traditions. But you can take a cup of any mayo and add to it:

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp hot sauce

1/2 oregano

1/2 tsp thyme

1 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp cayenne

I made it last night and the flavors have been blending since then. The party is in 30 minutes so we will see how it goes over. But I also made it on Memorial Day, and my friend who is having the party today had it then, and requested it for today. So I know at least one person will like it. :-)