Oh yeah, you have to be super careful with the salt on roasted brocc. And it looks awful, but it's really really tasty.

It's odd--even whole grains like cereal or oatmeal send my blood sugar up, while bacon and eggs keeps it level. But then my cholesterol aims for the sky. It's always a balancing act.

If there's anything I've learned through all this, it's to pay very close attention to what your body (and your taste, and your appetites) are trying to tell you.

Possibly the weirdest thing that's happened to me - several years ago I had a long stint, a year or so, frequent back aches. I wasn't at my heaviest then, so I don't know that it was weight related. But god, it was awful. Advil, tylenol, back cremes, hot pads - I remember borrowing percoset from my dad and getting no relief. It was awful. And somehow after a year or so it gradually stopped. No idea what changed.

But now - if I eat a really high fat meal - 10 minutes later I feel that backache starting up again. It's happened enough times, 6 or 8 or so, and doesn't happen otherwise so I know I'm not imagining it. Freaky. (When I'm more paranoid I think this means I have spine cancer or something. But I'm pretty sure that's not it.)

If my backaches turn out to be caused by eating fat, I'ma shoot myself.

I don't think they are, though. When I was doing Atkins, my back didn't hurt. I think in my case it's stress.

Now, can anyone direct me to an almond meal cookie recipe that is not 1) macaroons (I don't want that egg white airiness) or 2) full of other low-carb, "primal", or "healthy" ingredients I am not likely to have in my house? My goal is to recreate cookies I ate in the village of Aidone in Sicily called Pasta di Mandorle, which were a almond-tasting cookie with the basic texture of American sugar cookies (i.e. not biscotti or macaroons.) But improvisational baking is the fastest route to disaster I know. Could I just make sugar cookies and sub in 50% almond meal?

I'm not exactly sure what I just invented, but it's really good. Started out with a handful of cashews, which I soaked in water for a few hours. I was planning to make cashew creme to put on top of the soup, but I got tired and didn't. So I still had all these soaked cashews. I put them in the food processor with a little of the soaking water, a splash of lemon juice, some agave nectar, and some frozen fruit (the berry and cherry blend from TJ's.) Then blended, a lot. Also put in maybe a tablespoon or two of coconut kefir. I basically ended up with bright purple pudding. Not quite what I was going for, but so good. And really filling -- I ate about half a cup of it, and I am totally full and feel like I won't be able to eat anything else for hours. Plus, yummy and purple.

If my backaches turn out to be caused by eating fat, I'ma shoot myself.

Oh, I don't think they were then. Trust me, I was paying attention to anything at all that might have affected it, so I'd have noticed. And there was definitely a huge stress factor.

I have no idea where this weirdness has come from, but it's not the same thing.

Almond meal? Huh. I used to make this lemon torte that subbed ground almonds for most of the flour in the cake part and it was awesome. So I would totally experiment with using them in cookies. As I recall, it was very moist but also pretty heavy - this recipe had you beat egg whites almost to that meringue level and fold them in to counteract. So you might need to go there. The end result isn't meringuey.

Or, you could use almond extract or almond paste for the flavor and stay closer to a traditional recipe.

I make a kale, sausage and pasta dish that's pretty close to this: [link] (I wing it.)

Thanks for writing that, Brenda.

I like vegetables, but they require my planning my food better, plus even with the best intentions, I often stare the excellent healthy food in my refrigerator and then make popcorn or a sandwich.

I should mention that in additon to the sad sad blog (which I'm going to try updating once a week from now on) I store recipes I've tried or want to try here: [link]

That back thing is weird, because about 13 years ago (pre-buffistas) I had this weird crazy back/groin pain that no one could find a cause for. It was horrible and nothng could touch. I finally got so sick of it that I changed my diet, pretty much like Brenda did- the revolving everything around vegetables thing, and only whole grains and little meat. And it went away. And, as a side effect I lost a hell of a lot of weight (I went from a 14 to a 6). I was really really into it, and frankly, did not want to lose any more weight, but things changed, I got really depressed, went on anti depressants, and when I got better I started doing theatre again, and there is just no time.

Anyway, about 2 years ago the pain came back, and I keep thinking about doing it again, but I am a little scared that I am doing it to lose weight, and that leads to scary things for me as I tend to get really obsessive and weird

Can I point out that the cats that was snarling and charging at me a few hours ago is crashed out beside me in the couch wiht his head on my lap. And he's already tried once to lick my face off.

Today's menu:

Breakfast, coffee, 12 oz, 4 tsp. sugar, 1/2 oz half & half, 2 eggs, over easy in nonstick pan with 1/2 tsp. butter, two strips thick-cut lean bacon, well-drained, half-slice whole grain toast, no butter.

12 oz. tap water, filtered, chilled.

Lunch, baked, well-drained ham = 6 1-inch cubes, half a banana

Snack, 1 strip fruit leather, 1 inch x 3 inches x 1/4 inch

8 oz. tap water, filtered, chilled.

Supper, three slices very thin crust pizza, with pesto sauce, white meat chicken, sliced garlic, black olives, artichoke and broccoli.

8 oz. club soda, 6 oz. orange-mango-peach juice, mixed.

24 oz. water

Snack, 2 Tbsp lemon sorbet, six walnut halves.

This is a typical day for me. You see the only veg are on the 'za. Artificical sweeteners give me gastric problems so I have actual sugar, just a minimum amount.

I will have a cupcake, or two bites of a fancy dessert, but I "pay for it" with raw zucchini coins or a bowl of steamed broc for lunch the next day. My texture issues being what they are, I tolerate lightly steamed and herbed or raw veg best. I really don't like complicated complex flavors in any dish--white food is ever my default, even when it's ohsobad for me. So recipes are sort of wasted on me.

I really am trying to cultivate a friendlier attitude toward veg. "Vegetables are friends, not food." No--wait.