Yesterday's Intended Posting

Today I am writing about three or four things to have around if you're going on a diet. No, not pills, drugs or other pharmaceutical aids..though they worked, back in the good old days when the doctors handed out amphetamines like candy.  I couldn't take them, though, in any effective quantity, because they made me very nervous.

So,let's talk about benign substances that will help us get through the difficult days when we can't be eating all that we'd like. These are things you can make and assemble and put into the refrigerator to await the munchie attack.

1.Tomato juice or V-8 or both.  They are amazingly tasty and filling, and if you grab one instead of the cookies you might otherwise have grabbed you'll find yourself quite satisfied with your choice.

2. Pickled beets.  Buy a can of sliced beets.  Put the beets and juice into a sauce pan and add these three things in the proportion that pleases your taste. More of one thing requires more of another so you must go slow and taste:  sugar, apple cider vinegar, salt. When you have achieved "pleasing," boil them up till sugar dissolves, allow to cool, and put in a covered jar or bowl in the refrigerator.  They serve a multitude of appetite needs.

3.  Pickled cucumbers.  Cut the cucumbers quite thin, put them into a saucepan with some water. Add as above: sugar, vinegar, salt. Dill is good too.  Boil up till sugar dissolves, let cool, and put into the refrigerator.  You may keep a fork in them to handily quell those randy tastebuds, as you open the refrigerator door and peep in.  Let it be a stainless-steel fork.

4.  Carrots with Jalapeños.  Peel large carrots, cut them in thirds vertically, and on the diagonal from side to side making diamond shaped pieces.  Place in saucepan with water, and boil them up.  They should be short-cooked but will be acceptable if cooked longer (i.e. leftovers)...Drain. Place in a glass jar.  Add as many pickled jalapeños as you want, proportionate to the quantity of carrots.  Add a bay leaf. There should be some of the pickled jalapeño juice in there too. Close jar, tip and shake, and store in refrigerator.

5. Instant Gazpacho.  Go back to No. 1 up there, and instead of drinking down the juice all at once, pour it into a bowl. Add any and all of the following: chopped green onions, chopped cucumber, chopped green and red pepper, jalapeño or serrano, and plenty of chopped fresh onion.  Add lots of cubed fresh tomatoes or even canned. Add to taste, lemon juice or a spoonful of vinegar. Add a spoonful of olive oil , or not if you are trying seriously to avoid all fat.  Add a dash of good Louisiana hot sauce like Crystal, Mexipep or Tabasco. Add s and p. Stir, cover, put into refrigerator to await the moment of Need. Guaranteed to please and satisfy.  

With these five rounds of ammunition, you will be well stocked for a siege of low calorization.  You will be so glad you had the little bowl of (beets, gazpacho, carrots, cucumber) instead of that bowl of peppermint ice cream you'd  thought you wanted. Throw that stuff out! YAZZYBEL