What Else Should I Be? All Apologies

I'm confused, is it weak to need people? Before I reach out to anyone lately I think first, what do I really want from them and am I right to ask?  Usually I don't bother because it feels all letchy and feeble to be in a position of vulnerability.  I tire out before I even begin to understand my inclinations.  I was taught not to ask for support. My mom and dad had a real thing with not bothering people, leaving people alone was sort of the most charitable thing you could do.  I try to just join the humans when I can be cool.  Usually I believe you have everything necessary inside yourself or you should anyway.

But if you test that same theory it doesn't work with food.  I need a beef steak once in a while, no apologies.  This is fact.  I desire pasta but white flour products proved to be like a bad boyfriend, toxic to the gut, so now I suppress that urge but in my heart I know I could get down with a huge heaping bowl.  Pizza makes me happy.  Tacos are gifts from God.  All of this doctrine is tight.  I never have to question my stomach.  But your mind is another animal all together.

I felt the need to find something to do with Thanksgiving leftovers incorporating a pound of ground pork that I had thawed.  Homemade pork meatballs with turkey gravy hit mountains higher than my expectations and the cranberry relish mixed in with the brown rice made the perfect bite.

These pork meatballs hit the spot.  In place of bread crumbs I used the residual pumpkin corn bread stuffing with all the built in magic.

You Can Always Lose a Little More

Thanksgiving came around quick this year, almost sneaking up on a girl.  Thank goodness my retail job company was not one that felt the need to open at midnight or worse on Thanksgiving day.  Funny how you find yourself being more grateful for the lesser gifts, like a holiday off where before it was a given.  Now I think back to past four day holiday weekend stretches and it feels like a dream. Never one to plan ahead, I just got the one day off to celebrate the holiday this year.  That's fine except when you realize all the work it takes to make a T-day meal.

But this year it was to be a bigger challenge.  We're on a temporary no fat, no sugar, no dairy diet of sorts.  I made the turkey skin on which did add fat but we didn't eat the skin, although I allowed myself a small taste while carving that musta covered about half that bird! 

I made roasted acorn squash stuffed with wild rice mushroom stuffing.  It didn't rock my boat but P liked it a great deal and it looked real Purdy.  He gutted that whole sucker.

Then I did a roasted root vegetable mash with carrots, sweet potato and added poblano peppers, garlic and some fat free yogurt for creaminess. 

 You guessed it, roasted brussel sprouts glazed with balsamic vinegar.

I stuffed these giant mushroom caps with chopped sautéed mushroom stems, green onions, garlic and walnuts.  The giblet gravy was made with whole wheat flour (which doesn't thicken much by the way) defatted (sob!) fresh turkey stock and more mushrooms.  To replace the cranberry relish, I just pounded out some seeds from a fresh pomegranate and they were super refreshing with the turkey. 

After eating I was kind of depressed because I really missed the buttery mashed potatoes and the rich fatty gravy, all the bready stuffing and rolls.  But I realized things could be a LOT worse.  That is no joke.  As you get older you not only see but pay more attention to the hardships of others. It could be a lot worse and I am grateful for so many things. Maybe being more grateful for less is the new thing.  It works and it's cheaper!