An old trivia

I was shopping for soup one day. I can't recall when, but it was a previous time at a certain situation. Searching through the shelf for a delectable soup to purchase, I noticed a recipe on one of the Campbell's Soup label: Broccoli Cheese Casserole. I thought to myself, "What? No, it can't be!"

In 2001, I had entered a recipe contest sponsored by Campbell, 'The 20-minute recipe challenge'. I explained in my entry that it was traditionally a home cooked meal invented by my mother. She would buy 4 cans of Campbell's Cream of Broccoli, 1 bottle of Kraft cheese sauce, 2 cans of tuna, a loaf of bread and 1 block of Parmesan cheese at the grocery store. When you're a child, your concept of time is different from an adult. I had to omit the tuna from the recipe. It did take more than 20 minutes to cook the dish. I changed it to Campbell's Broccoli Cheese soup, Progresso Bread Crumbs and Kraft Shredded Parmesan Cheese. I wrote on the recipe to add milk for a creamy texture. After all it was said and done, I hoped for the best and luck to win.

Obviously, I didn't. However, it did occur to me that not everybody does - at least I tried. On the other hand, seeing that recipe on that label was a consolation. Granted, it wasn't written exactly the way I had done when I submitted it, but the basic idea is still prevalent. How long that recipe has been on that label is beyond me. I don't drink soup on a regular basis. I really don't have the luxury to conjure up a brew with rich ingredients.

Yes, I did look into whether or not recipes could be copyrighted. I don't think you can; unless you have the money to do so. It was a home cooked meal. Either way, someone benefited. I didn't grow up hungry. Some company got their marketing rapport. I'm sure everyone has their own recipe up their sleeves they want to share.

It's not just the recipe - it's how it's cooked that makes the impression.

When dining out becomes too much

My family and I dined out the past two days. The food at Grand Asia is really good. However, the portions they serve was too much for me. I had to feel sorry for the elderly man who was served right after me. He was told he needed to choose 3 dishes for his lunch combo; even after he told the server that he only wanted one dish.

Of course, I took it home and ate it the next day. One thing about take home food, they don't taste the same as they were before. I guess it all depends on what reheats well in the microwave oven. We went to Red Lobster to dine for dinner. I ordered the half serving of their Shrimp Linguini. I could barely finish it.

This was how much was left over of the half serving. It makes me wonder what the full serving might look like.

I could have been full from the salad or maybe from drinking Coke while eating. Either way, I had to take it home. Regardless of the calories, I ate enough. I used to feel tortured having to finish the meal on my plate; especially when we came to America. I don't have to be told or nagged anymore once I started living my life on my own.

I've always been health conscious person. Observing my parents' bad habits were enough to traumatize me and made me want to really take good care of myself. My mother started wearing partial dentures at her early 20's. My father's gum had turned black from not brushing his teeth after every meal. I always made sure I didn't indulge too much on candy. I always made sure I brush my teeth thoroughly when I get up in the morning and before I went to bed.

I stopped chewing bubble gum after my classmate's incident with his braces splitting his lip from doing so. Even after my braces were taken off, I couldn't eat more than one chocolate to satisfy my binge. It would start tasting like metal. My husband suggested that it may be from my metal fillings. It may be so, but I informed him it couldn't possibly be the case. I had them before the braces, and I never had that after-taste then.

Even now when I look in the mirror, there's nothing about me I have to complain about. Yes, I could use more exercise. In more ways than one, I need to get up and have a routine. On that note, there are reasons why I choose not to have a routine. Anyway, I know the Life Choice Program works well for me because I can control my eating habits. I don't have to worry about setting a mundane ritual every single day. I noticed that watching what I eat really helps. What I mean by that is, I pay attention to how much I'm eating. It is actually a bad habit to eat while being distracted. For example, eating while watching TV. Most shows would have me eat a whole 9 oz package of chips at one sitting. It took a while to break that habit.

I'm actually glad that soda cans now come in 1 serving size (7.5 fl oz). It's good to indulge once in a while. There's really no point in going cold turkey, feeling miserable, and in the end making another "promise" to do better next time. A gradual change of habit takes time, effort and patience. I can do that. Some people I know, do not have that kind of time.

 I'm happy to say I am losing a bit of weight. I'm actually doing something right. Of course, it's not for someone's benefit, but my own. I know what works for me. Someday, I know when I return to the doctor's office, I'll get a pat on the back for doing a good job in keeping myself healthy. That, makes me happy.