Eat the Fat

"Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our HEARTS."  Psalm 90:11

Some things are not worth skimping out on.  One of those being Birthday Cake.  I may be a health nut and practice moderation when it comes to carbohydrates and sugary things- BUT don't expect to see me eat a low-fat birthday cake.  Angel food with strawberries is not my idea of celebrating.  Berries and whipped cream are for PTA Luncheons or Easter brunch or Mother's Day or tea parties where the host wears an oversized, floppy sunhat and guests sit on wicker chairs.  

For my day, we celebrate with anything chocolaty, gooey, icing covered, buttery, moist, carmel infused.... nothing is too rich.  Ever.  You will never hear me say, "Gee, this is too rich, I can only handle a few bites." I can stomach some sugar.  I love sugar.  This is why practicing moderation requires a lot of restraint and will-power.  Or, adding an extra thirty minutes to my jog in Central Park. Whatever it takes.

What I can't stomach is fat-free cheese.  This is something else you CAN NOT be chinchy with. Give up the calories to the full fat cheese.  I recently made the terrible mistake of giving it another try. It’s still repulsive.  Fat-free cheese it just terrible.  What is cheese if not fat?  I can not stand this stuff and even as I washed it off the butter knife and out of the ramekin in the kitchen sink, it remained in solid pieces, like shreds of tuna or bits of bread crusts.  I did all this in the effort to not feel guilty about eating my Saturday morning bagel each week. I was going to buy a bagel, bring it home and prepare it guilt-free. 

But, I was more remorseful about buying this fake, processed, food product.  I trashed the tub of white paste and finished my cinnamon raisin bagel with butter and then noshed the other half plain.  I will not feel bad about my low-fat or tofu cream cheese choices.  I will continue to visit The Bagel Mill or Bagel Bob’s and order my whole-wheat, toasted bagel with low-fat cream cheese to go- once a week and not feel bad.  So what if it is not protein or a whole grain or a fruit or a vegetable?  It makes my heart happy.  It really does.