After F*A*S*T

Time flies when you’re eating food!

Ten days have elapsed and I’ve found many wonderful culinary delights since that first bacon smoothie passed my lips shortly after midnight on Easter. And it hasn’t all gone according to my original plan.

All my research told me that I would need to ease back into my diet carefully, so, with the exception of that little bacon treat, that’s what I planned to do. Smoothies, orange juice, guacamole. I also planned to target some foods that are known to be beneficial to the old liver and kidneys–two organs that I’ve been beating up on as of late. Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts were on my agenda.

So my first meal was a bacon smoothie, with two strips of bacon on the side–it just seemed like the right thing to do. I accompanied it with a little fresh broccoli. Later, I made myself a cocoa-peanut butter-banana smoothie with a side order of cabbage. Yum.

Honestly, I didn’t want to be one of those people that only shows up to church on Easter and Christmas Eve, but despite not having a “church home” at present, I really wanted to go, so we attended the Easter service at Rev. Rummer’s church. The service was part of a really refreshing morning, made all the better by the explosion of flavor I found in a simple glass of orange juice.

Prior to heading out for the service, I discovered that Michelle had bought the boys a really nice, spiral-sliced ham. I put it in the oven, and we departed. When we returned, I pulled it out to check its progress and decided that it would be a spectacular idea to make gravy from the drippings, since the boys wanted mashed potatoes. I’m the gravy maker in our family, and this batch would have made Picasso jealous. I tasted it, and decided that I, too, would have a little mashed potatoes and gravy–they’re both soft, after all. And I figured a bite or two of ham couldn’t hurt.

Crazy good, it was. And my belly rejected it not. So I had a little more. And a couple of deviled eggs. I needed a nap, but not a trip to the emergency room. I was full sooner than normal, but in no discomfort. After my rest, I set myself to my planned task of brewing 10 gallons of beer–five each of Berliner Weisse (for late summer) and a Belgian wheat fermented with dates. After all that lifting and whatnot, I was ready for more mashed potatoes. And ham.

And still felt good. We reflected on the day, noticing that unbeknownst to us, as everyone had supported me with the best of attitudes all along, this day of us pooling a feast was sheer delight. We’d missed it. It had been a gaping hole in our last six weeks.

Our drooling over the deliciousness of the gravy enticed Michelle, and I’m happy to report that she is an omnivore once again!

On “Day 2” there didn’t seem to be any reason to hold back, so I had a blueberry-kale smoothie for breakfast, leftovers for lunch and Michelle fired up a batch of sour cream chicken enchiladas, a family favorite, and guacamole. Yep, Michelle ate the enchiladas, and like me, she is back to “normal.”

It’s been a great week of appreciation and rediscovery. My only tummy-frown came on Wednesday, when I had lunch with one of my favorite octogenarians at a local grease hole restaurant. The company was delightful, but the burned out oil didn’t feel right.

With firm resolve to reestablish my weight, I can report that in 10 days I’ve put on 13 pounds. Which sounds bad. Anywhere from 2-7 more will be fine. I smoked bacon, ribs and pulled pork with the boys on Saturday and on Sunday we had a successful morel mushroom hunting expedition.

I’ve exercised quite a bit to ensure I don’t just turn to fat, I’ve hit a lot of those liver and kidney foods, and I had Michelle design me a yoga practice that targets those organs, as well. Much like my initial effort to plump up before the fast, the key has been several small meals per day. And these last two, I’ve laid off a bit, knowing I’m nearing my stopping point and readying my gut to find its appropriate plateau.

All is well. I’ll update this blog if it seems pertinent, but if you’d like to continue following my exploits, I’ll point you toward brewvana, my “regular” blog, to which I’ll be returning with greater fervor now that this side project has run its course.

Again, thanks for tuning in.

J.