Entry 008 I Don't Care What I Weigh Today

I didn't weigh myself today. 2 days ago I went 'shrooming with my buddies Mel and Kathie. Last night I fixed a 2 inch thick bone-in steak and about a pound of chanterelles. With butter. Sorry Doc. Not going to have mushrooms I harvested myself with 2 squirts of aerosoled canola oil. Then I had 2 yogurts instead of one. I don't think I went backwards on the scale, but I took a holiday. 24 pounds is a milestone. And in 31 days. May I just say YAHOO!! I am more active now. Went to the gym twice this week, planted 12 twelve foot evergreens in the upper pasture, walked up the stairs at work, ( I still hate doing that) went 'shrooming for 4 hours, all on foot and went for walks on all the other days.

The 'shrooming was a lot of fun. We bundled in my truck and bounced along dirt roads not too far from Mel's house. We took the dogs, Luc, the Catering Poodle and his sister Monaco. I think they had the best time. While we were foraging in and around fallen trees, thick ferns and mossy overgrowth, they were racing back and forth between the three of us. We stopped for some chicken strips I had grilled at home, some boiled eggs Kathie had made and some fabulous refrigerator pickles my co-worker had put up for me. Food after hard work is really more toothsome.

Mel is dreaming of sauteéd chaterelles in butter.

Mel mocks me because her harvest  is much bigger than mine.

A little socialism at work. Divide the spoils.

My buddy Kathie, mother to Monaco

Kathie had the biggest haul and the agreement is no sharing the spoils. I never heard of this rule, but Kathie said it was Mel's idea from the first trip that I was not on. I think she made it up but I am all good with that. These little fungi are very important to us here in the Great Pacific Northwest.

Kathie's haul.

Besides the mushrooms, I cooked up a slather of sweet onions. NO butter.

I am a huge fan of grilling. I cook outside all year round and this diet plan really lends itself to that. Now grilling is not to be confused with barbecue. Q is something done over very low, removed heat for many hours. It renders the meat to a state of "fall apart." It is harder to find good barbecue out of the South. Sorry. Its just that way.  Grilling is the often male method of rapid cooking over high heat. I have a three burner, with rotisserie, side infrared plate, a very hot searing burner and side burner for things like mushrooms and onions. It is my Cadillac. Gotta go. Have some sea scallops that need grilling.