3Bisous

I am very, very fond of the French custom of kisses on the cheek when greeting friends and family members.  At the beginning of the school year, I call in my Italian colleague from next door to help me demonstrate this custom with my 6th grade class.  (Mme P has no idea her image would be used for this one!  Maybe Betty Boop suspected?  I am still longingly looking at my photos from the July trip-- heavy sigh)  I am sure they think I am weird.  Oh well.  C'est la vie.
I have started a new blog and named it 3Bisous.  These kisses are called bises or bisous and in the south of France. 3 is the magic number.  The name of the blog has nothing to do with the content, however, at this time.  Unfortunately, I do not get to kiss enough Frenchies to have much to write about in that realm.  This one is devoted to my quest for self-improvement, namely losing weight.  The number on the scale has been slowly creeping up for the past year.  I've blamed it on middle-age, menopause, and thyroid issues.  I don't talk about it much, certainly not at school.  We all come in various shapes and sizes and that's a good thing.  But getting up every morning and not being able to fit into my clothes is a big bummer.  Wanting to erase most of the photos taken of me in France is bad for morale, too.  Mindlessly putting stuff into my mouth is not good for me.  I love to eat and I love good food.  Since my sabbatical and eight months total spent in France working for Chef Érick, good food has taken on a new meaning for me.  Fresh ingredients reign supreme.  It's when I slip into old habits and eat for no good reason or am too tired or lazy to prepare something good for myself that the weight goes up.
Enter the most sensible book I have found to date:  The Skinny Rules by Bob Harper.  His name meant nothing to me when the BFF told me about the book.  I don't watch a lot of TV and haven't ever followed The Biggest Loser.  Bob is a 46 year old personal trainer who appears on TBL.  So, the new blog has become my journal.  I am not ready to share it -- not yet.  But I am on Day 4 and feeling pretty proud.

Bob's Signature No-Oil Hummus

2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1 15.5 oz. can low sodium garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 garlic clove, cut into smaller pieces
1/4 c. low sodium vegetable broth (or water) to thin

Place all in food processor; process until smooth.
Refrigerate in airtight container up to 5 days.

I scooped some up on an Arnold Whole Wheat Sandwich Thin cut into wedges.  Really, really good.

Bon appétit et bon courage to all trying to self-improve!