Carbodehydrated

Today is the two week mark for P and me and our South Beach Diet. We made it through Phase 1! What's more, I LOST FOUR POUNDS. Not epic, but frankly, a slower loss rate bodes well for keeping it off.

Still, today was throw-down day. Festival. The Red Hour. Get outta the way Landru, I needs me some CARBS. Tomorrow is back to it. We are back to Phase 1, but fresh fruit in moderation is back on the menu. Fruit has been my weakness, my lustful focus. OK, I have whined incessantly about the baked goods that have paraded through Radiation Oncology the last two weeks. I admit it freely. And it has been trying: Ramone's pastries, eclairs, coffee cake, cookies, cookies, cookies, cookies (all on different days), home made blackberry and cherry pies. Yes, really. And I have tasted NONE of it.

But MAN. Walk me though any grocery produce section and I had apple envy. Banana yen. Cherry lust. My one instance (OK, TWO instances) of cheating came when we got a bag of fresh strawberries from our CSA Redwood Roots--I had 3 berries two weeks ago and four a week ago. I dutifully topped and froze the rest. P got the Laser Eyes of Death when he quietly suggested that I actually NOT TAKE the strawbs (like that would ever happen).

So now those red frozen hunks of sweet berry goodness are being churned into home made ice cream. P and I had a pre-agreement that today, the two week mark day, we could have treats. This was good because one of the docs brought in lunch of Chinese food today, and I could actually EAT CHINESE FOOD. I was good--a little of each in moderation, TINY portion of rice, no carrots, no seconds.

Still tonight was the Big Feed. We had Star Burger and fries and onions rings. I had a cider, P a beer. Home made ice cream to follow. Tasty!!! Still, my taste buds have changed. I globbed out a dollop of Heinz Ketchup and it was AWFUL! It tasted like tomato syrup. I, who NEVER waste food, allowed the remainder to be pitched. If I can find some good ketchup that doesn't taste like corn syrup, I'll buy it. Otherwise, me and Ketchup are DONE until I make my own.

So now the part of this post I was leading up to: STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM.

Here is a pictorial process:

Berries macerating in sugar:














Berries, cream,eggs, sugar, etc:














Churning...:














The finished product. Verdict? YUMMY!:

















The pictures say it best. I ate the bowl. It was yummy. I am a happy camper! Tomorrow, I am a Phase 1 girl all the way!