Why Am I Here?

So…why am I here? What is the purpose of this blog? Well, I’ve been a foodie probably all my life. I love food. I was blessed with a fast metabolism for the first 25 years of my life, so I enjoyed eating anything and everything with few consequences. I was always an explorer when it came to food…I still am. Even as a child, I would pick out the most unusual things on the menu to try. Raw oysters, octopus, plantains, liver….you name it, I tried it, and usually like it as well. No chicken fingers and cheeseburgers for this kiddo…that was for other kids who weren’t as adventurous as me. Not to mention, my mother was something of a health nut and deemed fried food and sugary cereals gifts of Satan himself.

However, as I hit my 30s, then had a child, all of that unrestrained eating had to come to a stop. I gained 30-40 pounds and didn’t lose a bit of it after my daughter was born. She’s now 6 years old and I look like I’m still carrying her. She even likes to rub my belly and say “You’re having a baby”. No silly child, I’m not…you know what that is? That’s the baby fat that you were supposed to take with you when you were born, but you left it all behind. Which she did…she’s a skinny minnie. So now, I’m having to watch what I eat and doing my best to eat as healthy as I can without sacrificing flavor.

What made me want to start this blog? I recently bought the lastest Hungry Girl book, “300 Under 300″ and was anticipating a slew of quick, easy and healthy recipes. Well, I guess 2 out of 3 isn’t bad. Most were quick and easy, but not always healthy. Most used processed foods like fat-free and sugar-free substitutes which rely on chemical additives and fillers. Upon reading reviews and comments, so many people seemed to think that one has to sacrifice natural healthy foods when eating lo-cal. Many also said that eating healthy was too expensive or that preparing a truly healthy dish was too complicated. I want to prove these statements wrong, so I’m starting this blog to keep track of my own progress in that direction and hope that my readers will be steered towards a more healthy-eating lifestyle as well.