Friday, December 15, 2006

Potluck pressures

Mary, at Mary's View did a post yesterday that gave me a good laugh early this morning. There are various lunches and dinners in December to attend and I always struggle making the decision of what dish to bring. Somehow I feel a pressure to show off my culinary "skills", which are really very basic. I always take very healthy lunches to work, walk regularly, and generally can resist treats that end up in the nursing stations. My co-workers may not realize how much I love sweets and rich desserts.
We had a potluck lunch today with the therapy staff from our unit. I signed my name under "munchies", whatever that is supposed to be. The guys usually sign up under paper plates, napkins and plastic utensils. So last night, before I read Mary's post, I peeled carrots, chopped and cleaned celery and cauliflower to go with hummus dip. I made little bite-sized sandwiches with wraps. What a healthy looking tray of munchies... not a chip in sight. The Becka was working alongside me preparing these items for another pot luck with her friends who still have youthful metabolic rates.
Well, there was a generous spread on the table with something for everyone to enjoy and we all had a good time.
Little Jonathan came with his mom and ate his obligatory vegetables before he settled down to enjoy, guilt free, the chocolate oreo cake.
I don't know if I will follow the tips that Mary gave, or continue to munch on my carrot sticks. Perhaps I will compromise and grate the left over carrots to make carrot cake with cream cheese icing.

Click here to see the recipes The Becka and I used.

6 comments:

  1. Anonymous8:42 pm GMT-5

    Ruth,

    Despite what I said about carrots and the like, people always gravitate to those veggies anyway. Your plate looks delicious! Under my circumstances I'd need to pass on the dip, though :(

    I ate 8 Hershey kisses with almonds today and I feel bad about it, but hey! I'm taking walks during the day now and tomorrow is another day, ey? Looks like I'll need to walk 10 miles a day for the next two weeks...LOL.

    You go girl, and make that carrot cake with cream cheese icing. And thanks for mentioning my plight on your blog.

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  2. Looks yummy to me, too!

    I'm usually the one at my job signing up to bring the paper products, mostly because I work with a bunch of Martha Stewarts and my *cooking* really can't compete with theirs.

    Oh and Mary - Hershey Kisses are my weakness - I'll eat them until I get a tummy-ache.

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  3. Your munchies looked wonderful!

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  4. Mary- I do not know how you have the resolve to even try dieting this month. I would be happy to not gain, and work on the weight loss in January. More power to you!

    Laura- Martha Stewart clones would scare me out of bringing anything from my kitchen. Comfort food is where I am at.

    Samzmom- Thanks, and they did taste good if I say so myself. Two more dinners to participate in this month...(sigh)

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  5. Anonymous1:49 pm GMT-5

    I can't eat 90% of store bought goodies because I either get migraines or hives so I am normally the healthy platter person.

    I have a friend who proclaims it sacreligious that I make some of my cookies with whole wheat, rice milk and soy butter and sometimes ground flaxseed. Or I substitute avocado for cream in chocolate fudge. However all my lactose intolerant friends (I have quite a few) loooove me, which is why I do it. And I just love homemade healthy food, I can't help it, but I am sure there are much worse weaknesses than organic health food (if cheaper ones...)

    To fling one of those new flanged terms around I am a flexitarian it would appear. I eat lots of veggies, avoid most bad stuff and eat lots of fish and a little meat (personally I call it balanced but they need a complicated term for everything nowadays.) So I would descend upon your fruit tray like a fruit bat... ;)

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  6. Flexitarian...hmmm, I will have to try that label sometime. Kudos to you for trying to eat well and considering your lactose intolerant friends.

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