Fat Tuesday

I had a chance to get together with a friend and her family last week before they left for NOLA (that New Orleans, Louisiana for those who aren't familiar with the acronym). My friend and a good number of her family members evacuated from New Orleans and eventually relocated to Dallas after Hurricane Katrina. Since then I have been fortunate to learn New Orleans sayings ('make' groceries a.k.a going grocery shopping) and have exceptional cuisine (crawfish etouffee pies anyone?)!

From previous conversationswith my friend,  I believe that Fat Tuesday got it's name because it's the last day before Lent begins, and people typically eat a fantastic meal since something is given up or sacrificed until Easter. With Fat Tuesday quickly approaching, I asked my friend what she would be giving up. She shared that last year her pastor stated that Lent shouldn't be about giving up or sacrificing something, but should be looked at as being committed or dedicated to something.

Of course, I immediately began to think about what I could commit to for 40 days. Naturally, my thoughts drifted to my health, eating habits, and my desire to lose weight. Initially I thought about eliminating all sweets from my diet. Realizing that was a bit extreme, and that my commitment to that wouldn't last for long, I decided to commit to eating sweets only once a week. For me a sweet treat is picking up a cupcake or going to get a lemon tart from La Madeline. Unfortunately, I don't discrimenate against sweets too much.

If all goes well, hopefully my taste for sweet things will diminish and I will lose a couple of pounds in the process!