It could happen to you…too

Light

She held her red scarf, and lovingly wrapped it around her waist for the rest of the day, shielding her fat, naked thigh from the piercing eyes of the world. It was a tragedy, pure and simple that this could ever have happened to her.

In the same moment though, she was thankful that she no longer had a choice. If she wanted to live, then something had to be done. A hard message, brought about in so shocking a manner but she was grateful for listening to her spirit that morning even as she struggled to rouse herself from listless sleep.

For some reason, the going down of the sun had brought with it many questions and cares – her burgeoning waistline, heavy breathing as she took the first set of steps yet still on the ground floor and her love of food. One thing would have to give she was sure, as she tossed and turned, creating chaos with her cool, white Egyptian cotton sheets (from Ikea). And so she spent the entire sleeping hours thinking, dreaming and wishing for the days of old, when she was a girl and thin.

And as the golden rays of the morning dawned, so did her hopes and dreams, of getting back to health and a life of vitality. A life where she didn’t feel hopeless and drained, or fat and foolish – a new dawn of being was what she hoped for.

Hasty to put the wheels in motion, she donned her clothes – her favourite black silk trousers, which her mum gave her a year ago. She loved those pants – they fitted just right: hugging her ‘child-bearing hips but in a manner so graceful and flattering, she wanted to have these trousers for ever. She especially loved the way they fell straight to the ground – not too short, only a tad too long and straight-legged. She felt like a star, even as she struggled to tuck tummy and chest in to do up the side zip. ‘One day, these trousers will tear’, she giggled to herself, wondering where she would be when it happened. Exhaling and properly dressed at last, face in place, hair properly coiffured, she ran out the door into the cool spring morning snatching her black leather bag and her red shawl.

She didn’t know then that this would be the day.

When her dreams came true. Or nightmares shall we say. When her best-loved trousers would split and her shawl would be her salvation.

She sat at her desk, working her morning away – exchanging emails amidst meetings, cups of tea, bathroom stops and hard graft.

It was about 11 am when suddenly, without warning, she felt a draft caress her inner right thigh, accompanied by a gentle, ‘prrrrrrrring’ sound – the precursor to the main event – fabric being divorced from fabric. It had begun. The death that had to be died for new life to reign had started. This was the call she needed…..to get up, en masse (flesh, flab and all) and take a stand for her life. Her precious life. If she still wanted it, that is.

As that chapter closed, with the last page slipping out of her fingers, she let it go, let the back cover shut with nary a sound to show for the momentous occasion it was. And she embraced the new dawn, complete with bells and whistles, lots of body movement, greens on the plate and the occasional dessert.

Light had come….an amazing dawn.

I am sending this on to Sleep is for the weak’s writing workshop #28, which I discovered through a post by Sarah of Maison cupcake. Thank you, Sarah.

—–♥♥♥♥♥—–

Ladies and gentlemen, it happened to me. For real. And I live to tell the tale. To many.

Of course, push has come to shove. I refuse to let shame defeat and overcome me, instead I’m standing up, 3 years after my last baby…..all excuses worn thin. I’m standing up to say – I’m embarking on a lifestyle change. A change in food and in movement. I’ve danced Zumba 3 times in the last 3 weeks and even though my hips can’t sway the way I want them to, I have sweated and enjoyed terrific music.

What does this mean for me, you and Kitchen Butterfly? Healthier recipes, loads and loads of experiments and discoveries (plus the odd failure or two :-)). I only wish my camera were back with me as this is already day#2 of our new lifestyle and I have already made so many new dishes with Butternut squash, amongst other things. Anyhow, I am keeping a journal of every single thing we eat and I’ll share a summary of the dishes I cooked at the end of each week. Some of the recipes are definitely repeats like the Butternut squash gnocchi we had for lunch, and the carrot salad and lamb (both adapted from deb@smitten kitchen). As soon as the camera is back, I owe you – big time!

The recipe is one I can make in the coming weeks that fits the dictates of my our eating plan (husband and I) in ‘The Maker’s Diet’ (more on that later in the week).

It is a delicious and easy coconut sambal recipe which is great with rice, in salads and with all manners of meat. Its spicy Thai flavours permeate the dessicated coconut, leaving it moist but not wet, fragrant but not overly hot and just plain gorgeous. It reminds me so much of a similar side I had at an Indian restaurant in London last year….and desperately wanted to recreate, remember? Glad I got a chance to.

Here it goes:

Coconut Sambal from new wave asian by Sri Owen

Ingredients

For the spice paste

2 shallots, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 – 6 red chilies, deseeded and chopped

2 red bird’s eye chilies, chopped (optional)

2 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger

2 Makrut lime leaves, shredded {or lime zest}

2 teaspoons tamarind water or lime juice

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon salt

Other ingredients

115g dessicated  coconut

115ml water

Garnish

Red chillies, sliced

Coriander leaves

How To

Make the spice paste: Put all the ingredients for the spice paste into a blender and process until smooth. Then transfer to a saucepan and cook on medium heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring now and again

Make the sambal: Stir the coconut into the spice paste, along with the water, stirring more often now until most of the liquid has been absorbed but the sambal is still quite moist. Adjust seasoning if necessary.

To serve: Best served at room temperature as a relish, dressing or garnish .

To store: Keeps for 2 days, refrigerated.

[wpurp-searchable-recipe]It could happen to you…too – – – [/wpurp-searchable-recipe]