Here’s some food porn for us all to drool over.  I do love looking at some yummy food.  It helps get me back into a positive mood.  Not sure you know but I’m realistic yet optimistic. Because…

            when it rains, it pours.

We’ve had our fair share of rain lately.  What with Hurricane Irene flooding our basement and knocking out our power/water for days as well as delaying the start of school by 6 days; my husband hospitalized 3 times in two days and then staying there for 3 days for severe stomach pain; and finally in rainy dreary weather my 7 year old went to the hospital to get his tonsils and adenoids out but had a bad time recovering—vomiting blood 3 times and feeling lousy; I’d say we’ve had enough. 

But when we returned from the hospital,  I got news that so far none of our partners are willing to pay more than $7500 for the $200,000 investment we made in a restaurant.  Last week the $7500 offer came in from our Slimy Partner who got everyone else involved.  My husband was the GM and chef when our SP thought he could make it “more profitable”.  Fast forward a few years later and still they’ve never come close to half the revenue my husband brought in.  In fact, he showed us a graph of revenue and I saw the steep decline which correlated to the day my husband was forced out.  The SP had never been in the restaurant business but was a schmoozy stock broker and thought he could make more money.  He tried changing the menu several times, went through many chefs and styles and in that period lost loyal customers who were confused as to what the restaurant was trying to do/be. Ah, but he’s profitable now.  Hmm. Great accounting: get in more partners to invest another couple of hundred thousand each and suddenly it’s profitable because their capital investment paid off your “debt” investment!  We want to move on and cut our losses but come on, we’re just asking for $15,000.  A $185,000 loss. We need it all back but will take as much as possible.

Anyway, I’m a bit out of sorts.  Drinking a glass of wine to unwind.  And many deep breaths.  A bit of progressive relaxation later might do wonders too. 

So, anyway, the most important thing is my family— and their health and wellbeing.  I try not to let the stress show, and I’m not always successful, but getting my kids back to school actually helps.  Yes, to be separated for a few hours so we can miss each other and regroup is healthy.  And, I want to make sure they’re not only mentally healthy but physically.  One way of making sure they’re fit is to give them the healthiest eating options.  The connection between eating and long-term health is well known.  Look at obesity figures and the health problems associated with them.  The adage “You are what you eat” has been around for ages.  If more people paid attention to what their kids ate and really what was in the food they ate; then maybe more people wouldn’t be so unhealthy. 

And, yes, stress is a major factor in health— and that’s why I am working on reducing it.  But eating, is the crux of why we are how we are.

I believe it is important for my kids to get the best start while not obsessing over the unhealthier stuff.  Yes, you might see me tense when I am asked if the kids can have X while over a friend’s but I believe that the mental and physical need to mesh.  I need to relax a bit over the unhealthier options while making sure my kids know what is healthier. Let them enjoy a treat.  But everyone needs to make sure a treat is the rarer stuff in diets (or at least understand what is actually unhealthy).

Tomorrow I hope to post some awesome photos and recipes of what we’ve been eating.  Not just ranting.  And to quote Scarlet O’Hara, “After all… tomorrow is another day.”