Cookie Therapy

It's a good thing I listen to my Father, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to post this week's edition of Haveil Havelim. But, since I was blogging as I received submissions, I was able to get everything up before the sickness completely took over. For once, not waiting until the last minute really paid off. If only I could do that with my thesis!

I've been feeling ill now for a few days and, by Saturday night, no amount of ginger ale or saltines could make the queasiness go away.  In complete desperation yesterday, I baked a batch of my Aunt Irene's (A"H) chocolate chip cookies. These are as all-natural as one can get, with only eggs, oil, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and orange juice making up the batter. I tossed in a handful of chocolate chips and baked away. Only, for once in my entire life, I couldn't stomach eating them. I forced fed myself 2 and it didn't help, and so I pushed the platter away and went back to lying prone on the couch in front of the Food Network. No amount of Iron Chef America helped, and so this morning we were back at the Medical Center to try to figure out what's going on with me. Here's hoping I start feeling better soon!

Shabbos was a very interesting experience. We ate out Shabbos lunch in Katamon and Pidgeon and I did the hike to our hosts house in pretty decent time. The meal, we discovered, was dominated by Australians and some of the men segregated themselves during the buffet meal. We, however, all came together for dessert and as our hostess passed around generous portions of triple-chocolate cake with coffee ice cream, one of the Aussies said the following:

I was just in Atlanta the other day and my lord but Americans are just so fat! I  mean, I've never seen such obese people in my life. I don't even know how their bones can support all the fat weight!.

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat and listened to the rest just dig right in and take their pot shots about fat Americans. I pulled at the tightness of my skirt and tried to ignore, but the comments were just getting crueler and crueler. I finally couldn't keep silent anymore and mentioned two well known facts:

1) Americans don't exercise nearly as much as they should

2) Many Americans cannot afford to eat well, as fruits, vegetables and lean cuts of proteins are much more expensive than any Happy Meal and McNugget with Super Sized fries costs combined.

Pidgeon mentioned they should rent the movie Super Size Me and, unfortunately, the conversation just kept going. I should remark that the ring leader of the conversation had quite a paunch himself. And then, he went on and on about how the Orthodox Jews of Atlanta are just so svelte.

A few years back, a good friend of mine from Atlanta got married and so I visited the Peachtree State and spent a wonderful Shabbos in the Orthodox Community. It happens to be an extremely affluent community, and so I was not surprised by his comments that the members tend to be slender. When you can afford to eat healthy, nutritious food, have a pool or tennis court in your backyard or a gym in your house so you can work out and access to educational materials about good health, you too can stay in shape.

What bothered me most about the topic of conversation is that it was just not a topic of conversation that's appropriate for the Shabbos table. Don't get me wrong, I'm no prude, and I've spent more than my fair share of Shabbos meals discussing Quentin Tarantino movies or celebrities who are sleeping around, etc. But, while we're eating, why bring up topic in such a nasty matter.

And yes, I am not a svelte size 6, so I do take personal offense to the fat bashing that went around the table. In fact, a number of people at that table were not anorexic, so it was extremely ironic to watch them verbally attack chubbies when they themselves hadn't seen the inside of a gym in years! 

People in glass houses, folks, they don't throw stones!

Well, I'm off to hit the gym and try to work off all of this American fat that's weighing down my bones. 

Yom Tov!