Dieting, Spring

I just heard a report on Good Morning America about weight loss. They were talking about people such as the successful ones on The Biggest Loser as well as everyone else who has lost a significant amount of weight, saying how one's metabolism slows down after weight loss which is why people gain back the weight within 2 years. I am not sure this isn't an excuse. I would like to know what these people are eating. I lost 46 lbs in 2013 and I haven't gained it back. I still write down the food I eat which I believe helps considerably. Awareness of what you are munching all the time is very important. I bowl twice a week and I go to exercise classes twice a week. Not, I might add, that they are very strenuous classes, they are designed for elderly people, most of whom can't do anything too strenuous. We all have aches and pains which prohibit us doing certain movements. There's a woman at the bowling alley who looks like the bigger of these two in the picture. Wearing tight clothes. I had a rant about that before. Another bowler whom we don't see often in the winter, was with us last week and his shirt didn't meet his pants in front so we could see his belly. Sorry, turns me right off.

People everywhere, except round here, are burbling on about it being spring and how lovely it all is. I

have seen a few signs of new leaves although they tried it before and got caught in an ice storm. A month ago, the asparagus farm thought he might be selling by the end of April. Now they aren't sure if it will be available this weekend even. People tell me they are buying asparagus in the stores, sorry, I will only buy it from the farm where it is super fresh and I don't have to break off any ends and waste half the spear by doing so. Not only that I am waiting to bore you all with almost continuous asparagus recipes LOL. Matt keeps telling me it will be available eventually. Maybe, but I want it now not eventually. Apart from which, we have now used up all the asparagus soup. Even the recipe below talks about snapping off the ends of the asparagus and discarding them.


Spring-Vegetable Paella
Food and Wine

SERVINGS: 4


You don't need a paella pan to make paella; any large frying pan will do. Serve this paella hot or at

room temperature (as it is often eaten in Spain), as is or topped with toasted sliced almonds.


INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup drained sliced jarred pimientos, chopped (one 4-ounce jar)
1 tomato, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
2 cups rice, preferably medium-grain such as arborio
3 cups canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
1 cup water
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 pound asparagus, tough ends snapped off and discarded, spears cut into 2-inch pieces
1 cup frozen peas
1 6 1/2-ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and sliced
2 cups drained and rinsed canned cannellini beans (one 19-ounce can)


HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

In a large frying pan, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the pimientos, tomato, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.
Stir in the salt, turmeric, and rice. Add the chicken broth, water, and parsley and bring to a boil. Continue cooking over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice, about 7 minutes.
Stir in the asparagus, peas, artichokes, and beans. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes before serving.


Have a great day