A Different Way to Lose Weight

During these twilight years of my life, I am in the process of giving away possessions I really like and sometimes cherish. Things I don’t have any particular fondness for usually go to a thrift store of some sort for tax deductions. Among the liked items are, of course, books. [Given to family members already is all my real jewelry, which was just a few items. My hands full of rings and bracelets would be a distraction from my keyboard work. I look at the keys, for I don’t touch type.]

Many times I’ve searched for a book, not to find it, but vaguely recall I gave it to someone, who, I thought at the moment, would appreciate it. I hope the donees are still enjoying them. One granddaughter-in-law took off my hands several cookbooks and my loose recipes. This was twenty years or so after I gave several boxes of cookbooks to my daughter when I was still cooking. That was when I owned about 200 cookbooks and used them. A few were coffee table books of great beauty.

I recall many years ago getting home from school to find the post had delivered a big package. It was a gorgeous cookbook specializing in desserts, loaded with color photos, one tempting picture sometimes taking up a whole page. I distinctly remember a chocolate jewel with pink twirled frosting. Each delight graced a different pattern of china or crystal. It was a dream book.

So, I began at the beginning and studied every photo, reading its fascinating name and glancing at the list of ingredients. This took awhile. When I finished, I felt as if I had eaten from the book. I was not even hungry and it was time to get supper on the table. This might have been one of the few cookbooks I never cooked from.

Sounds like a great enjoyable way to lose weight, doesn’t it? Just spend an hour studying exceptionally well photographed dishes of delightful, even decadent, desserts long enough and you will be filled! I don’t guarantee it will work the second time with the same pictures, for I never tried it again. You’d better buy another cookbook.

Now I know what you’re saying. It wouldn’t happen that way with you, for you’d find something you’d just have to cook right then. Well, my guess is that would happen only if you did not spend a long time with the pictures. Saturate your eyes long enough and feast.

This is wild, of course. I know about the conditions in other countries. We need to help them rather than feast so gluttonously ourselves, even if not in actuality. And who, these days, has an hour to spend that way? I hadn’t planned to. It sneaked up on me. It didn’t happen again and I gained back that pound.

♥