Roller Coasters and Leftovers

So, I have had one emotional month! For those of you who have not read previous posts, I'm an emotional eater. It's not a good thing when I have stress. I usually gain weight. This time was not the case. Maybe because it's a different kind of stress all together. I mean, over the course of my life, I've had stress. But it's been the "how am I going to pay that bill?" or "what can I do to fix this" variety. This month, I had the kind of stress I've never known in my practically perfect existence. The kind of stress that turns your world upside down. You see, I lost a parent. He fought hard the battle against cancer, but he did not win.

I know that he accomplished what he set out to do in this life, and he did it well. God called him home. I believe that with every fiber of my being. At the same time, I can't help but wonder how much of this terrible illness was brought on by his diet. It wasn't just any cancer. It was colon cancer. My dad, the lover of all things yummy, had a long life of Creole food. Lots of fat, meat and rice. Very little else. He liked vegetables, but would turn them away because then he could eat more rice and gravy. He also had a bad soda habit for years. There's got to be a connection with the way we treat our bodies through our diet. How else do you explain a man who had (quoting the MD here) "absolutely NO risk factors for cancer" getting cancer? It's one of the reasons I'm on a crusade to get my family on a healthier diet. Maybe if we treat our bodies better they won't be so quick to rebel against us!

After nearly a month of no Meatless Monday (I was staying with my mom and eating everything in sight probably out of rebellion) I got home and thought "I just don't have the energy to come up with something new and fun and tasty". Then I remembered. Leftovers. I made a ton of butternut squash sauce last month and froze the leftovers! Yay! Of course the children don't like butternut squash sauce. I still haven't figured out why. So they got peanut butter and honey sandwiches. Probably their favorite meal. They were happy. I was happy, and I didn't have to take time away from much needed housework. Hopefully I'll be back in full health food mode soon.

On a side note, my oldest made me proud at a church fellowship. He went to get a cupcake for himself and his sister. The lady tried to give him two. He said that the cupcakes were big and he and his sister could share. He said "too much sugar isn't good for you and that's a big cupcake so my sister and I can share." I was so impressed when the food server came and found me to tell me of his wise choice! It's what I've been striving to teach them!

Keep on the lookout for new recipes posted on my recipe page. I'll post some as soon as I can catch up on all this housework! Hmm. I may never get there....