Food Vacation

Sorry for the absence from blogging, but for the past ten days I was vacationing. Vacationing from Austin, vacationing from blogging, vacationing from my life, and most importantly vacationing from my diet.

Do you see that amazing picture over there? That one that looks like it came from the cover of Food and Wine Magazine? Well it did not, that was my actual french toast, and I actually took that picture.

Let me tell you about this French toast like I was selling food porn. This French toast started with two slices of fresh baked Texas toast that were amply coated on both side with a mixture that was so savory that you could taste everything from the real vanilla to the egg that must surely have been laid by a free ranch chicken. Piled on a plate, it then was drizzled with a vanilla infused maple syrup reduction, topped with organic fresh mixed berries, and topped with a dollop of hand-whipped creme fresh.

This meal was amazing, and even more amazing was I ate every last bite. I ate every last bite of that French Toast and for ten glorious days just about everything that was put in front of me. I gorged myself on slice after slice of my favorite pizza ever, Metro Pizza. I sat down and devoured an entire plate of fresh lemon crepes at Mon Ami Gabi. I glutted on 12 inches of gooey cheese steak goodness at Capriotti's. I slurped down noodles at Noodles and Company. I ate bowl after bowl of rice, soft pretzels, sliders, macaroni and cheese with real bacon in it, deep fried cod, fries, smoothies, nuts, candies, cookies, and just about anything else that has been banned from my pantry for the past two years. I even indulged in a $14 dessert at Serendipity 3, that's base was made up entirely of deep fried Oreos.

Apparently I was also vacationing from reality, because somehow it was not until I got back that I realized that my stomach now roughly resembles beach ball. I gained five pounds in ten days. I know, I have already contacted Guinness to see if that is some kind of record.

The plan is to eat every meal at home this week, to eat within my points, and exercise. With any luck it will only take me 10 weeks to undo my 10 days of reckless abandonment. As I shopped in preparation for my upcoming week of sheer food boredom, I got seriously food depressed. I had to reach over Twinkies to grab that oh so tasty double fiber bread. I had to sprint past the rows and rows of perfectly packaged cookies and glittering packages of chocolates and other confections to get to the rice cakes and Melba toast.

I love you dear food, I really do, but only get to spend four days a week in scrubs and know that a bathing suit will no doubt be in my near future. Like a fling, it was good while it lasted and now have to return to my hum drum existence without the trill of reading words like cream, rich, or decadent on the package. I am glad we got a chance to get reacquainted, even if it was for such a short time.