salads taste better when their container is edible
I was kinda surprised at the enthusiasm from my dad’s post from yesterday! Glad I got some positive feedback. Sometimes, I think its cool to hear from people WAY removed from our blogger/foodie world. For those that have their own blogs, I encourage you to interview your parents! They may be more awesome than you think! I would like to address some stuff about my dad.
First, I call him Aba because as some of you guessed, it does mean dad in hebrew. My mom was Israeli and my dad is Belgian and they never spoke English to me as a kid because they figured I’d learn it in school. Actually, when I was about four, I heard my dad speak to the grocery store clerk and I yelled, “DAD!? I had no idea you spoke english!”. Sadly, my dad never spoke much of his native dutch to me, but a lot of my books were in French and my both my parents spoke Hebrew to me (I can actually spell and read in hebrew and french as well!). Also…my dad is wonderful about ED support and all, but I would like to clarify that he doesn’t always “get it”. He certainly hasn’t triggered my behavior, but he doesn’t understand the way my OCD tendencies are wired into my brain. I dont expect him to understand and he’s such a “fix it” when its broken type of guy, and its taken my a while to convey to him that he doesn’t and that he can’t “fix it”. The only person that needs to “get it” is me. Cause I’m the only person that can continue the recovery, but the support does help a ton.
Anywho….I wanted today to be a bit lighter. I actually had such a clumsy day, a dropped my breakfast before I got to have a bite all over the newly vaccumed floor and my tuna salad I had for dinner last night fell off the table onto the carpet before I got to eat it too! Funny thing, my roommate laughed at me when it happened only when about five minutes later, her Amy’s lasagna fell off her lap!
Oy!
But what was good was that we laughed about it. Laughter can get you through a lot. It got me through treatment, I think it got me through my mother’s death, and I think its a healthier way to face negative circumstances. Note, I’m not using laughter to deny any negativity or mask it. It’s merely a tool. Jews used it a lot in the Holocaust, hence why I think the term “Jewish humor” is so popular.
Thats probably why I’d like to write a book about my eating disorder that is funny. Most are SO depressing, and no offense to those who have “recovery” blogs, but most are very sad. I just feel so sorry for them. I just want to make them laugh. I find the fact that some people are afraid of oreos or go up and down stairs just to keep moving kind of funny. Go ahead, yell at me for thinking its cruel to make fun, and hell I was scared of oreos once too (and I admit, I guess I still am), but at least I have a sense of humor about it! But a cool way to squash the fear (as I’ve mention many times) is to face it. Eat an effin oreo. Try to…..gasp…..take the elevator!
I’m curious if you have ever tried to use humor in your life in tough spot. Be it death of a loved one (or pet, I was nearly as sad when my childhood dog died!), depression, disorder, getting laid off (lord knows I SO dont handle that well), etc. How do you find your funny?
And now…..lets not forget some eats!
Fennel is such an awesome and versatile veggie! Probably one of my favorites! Well…its was on sale at the market so get ready for some fennel filled recipes this week (savory and sweet ones!).
For the fennel chicken salad (which can be made vegetarian) combine:
-1 can or poached chicken breast (yes, I used canned chicken, so sue me) OR if your vegetarian, plain baked tofu or garbanzo beans
-2 tbs greek yogurt
-half a small fennel bulb chopped finely
-2 finely chopped celery stalks
-some chopped fennel fronds
-i tbs almond butter (i used raw almond butter, its weird, but trust me! SO GOOD!)
-2 tbs mustard (any kind, I used the cheapo yellow one)
ugh, I have such ugly hands! I like my thighs more than my hands!
stir and very handy in my tortilla bowl!
Stay tuned for a new giveaway tomorrow (i know I promised today, but life got in the way, hmmm, did not mean for that to rhyme! )
Eden's Eats 
I love your attitude, Eden. I think a sense of humor is so important! You are right, eating disorder and depression blogs can be sad sometimes (although some of them are quite hopeful, but those people are often further along in their recovery). Anyway, I’m all for being able to make fun of yourself and take yourself less seriously. I would rather laugh at the fact that I used to get up in the middle of the night to run up and down stairs (um, what the hell??) than sulk about how pathetic and crazy I was. Yes, it’s sad that I felt compelled to do that, but it’s over and done, and now it feels better to just laugh it off. I love your idea about writing an eating disorder book that is funny instead of depressing.
Your dad seems really great. My sister also calls our dad Aba (not because we spoke Hebrew growing up though…she didn’t start calling him that until she was 20 and spent a semester abroad in Israel, and she liked the name). Anyway, most parents don’t truly “get it” but your dad seems very supportive.
Laughter and humor are the loves of my life, and they’ve definitely helped me (and continue to help me) get through some of my toughest moments. I think one of the things about my ED that made my life the most miserable, was that it took away my ability to laugh. When I was in the depths of my illness, I couldn’t see the funny in anything, and any laugh that came from me was forced without any real emotion behind it.
As I got better, my ability to laugh came back, and I began to look at my illness in a humorous way. I saw the ridiculousness of my fears/behaviors, and even if things still terrified me, I was able to get a good laugh out of it. Hell, I look back at some of the fears that I used to have, and sometimes almost laugh myself sick at how stupid they were. I think it’s super important to be able to look at our faults/limitations/whatever and be able to get a good chuckle from them instead of beating ourselves up over perceived flaws. I agree that most recovery blogs are just downright depressing, which is why I do my best to approach my recovery with a good amount of humor 🙂
What is it with clumsy days? I never just have a moment, it’s usually a whole day of dropping, tripping, breaking, falling. And you do just have to laugh. No, laughter doesn’t mask things, but it sure helps lighten the mood doesn’t it.
To be honest, last night I was thinking of making a humorous video about how logical it is to be afraid of something like butter. I’ve found over the past few months that laughing when I spill things or drop things or something goes wrong is a lot easier stress-wise than getting mad, spitting curse words or punching things. Humor makes such a difference in any situation and it’s great that we’re able to laugh at ourselves instead of making a big deal out of something that isn’t an issue.
Thanks for sharing your family with us as well, it’s great to hear about them and how they support you – it makes others think about their families and what they mean to them as well.
I’ve always been tempted to throw in a little ED humor in my blog, but too afraid of offending someone. But I find I can laugh at a lot of things that might be inappropriate 🙂 Take, for instance, getting so skinny that sitting in a regular chair for more than 10 minutes starts to make your a** hurt so bad you have to stand. Or being in a room with tons of people sweating in the heat, and you have a jacket on cause you’re skin and bones cold. It’s pretty funny if you start to think about it. I like to see it as motivation as well 🙂
And yes, I’m still a little scared of Oreos. How stupid!
❤ Tori
It is a well-documented fact that I have a gallows sense of humor. A lot of times, I’ll laugh at something that probably really isn’t funny, because the alternative is to cry, and, well, I’m not too good at that. Sometimes I wonder whether I’m using humor to get me through something, or if I’m just creating a distraction for myself to avoid facing the real issue!
Uh, over-thinker much??
I’m glad your dad is supportive — eating disorders are the kind of thing that you just can’t “get” unless you’ve been through it yourself, but it’s always nice when those close to us at least try to understand.
❤ ❤
Finding humor in negative things is so important for me. I think it’s great to be able to laugh off serious issues. Of course, like you said, laughter and humor shouldn’t be used a mask for anything, but I think being able to laugh about some of my craziness when I was in eating disorder mode definitely helped me get over it. 🙂
I LOVE your idea of a humorous ed book! I would totally read it. I can’t even read some recovery blogs because it’s just frustrating for me (no offense to the blogs, I am just at a different point in my life now) how negative and hopeless they sound sometimes.
And eat the oreo? How about eat more than one oreo! Hell, if it makes anyone feel better, get the organic Newman-O’s, haha. Although they kind of “grow” when dipped into milk….
“grow”? ugghhhh….yea I’m gonna stick to the name brand 😉
hahaha wow clumsy day with the eats!! And I think a funny recovery book would be incredible- it’s exactly what people need. Nobody *really* wants to read depressing story after depressing story. They want real..and unless you feel stuck in a rut or something, those sad stories aren’t real. Sure, it was tough while it happened, but there’s bright sides of challenges, too.
I love that you want to look at your ED in a humorus way. I think that is such a fantastic idea. I have tried to do the same but just assumed it was more of an inside joke between my friends and I (even though we were being terribly serious at the same time). Laughter is such a wonderful way to heal. 🙂
Fennel is a favourite vegetable of mine! It is fantastic how ever it is prepared and can take on so many different flavours.
Have a happy Wednesday!
A sense of humor is definitely important, I totally love your attitude.
I think you know this already, but humor is a bit part of my life–even if it’s a wee bit sarcastic at times 😉 Whether you’re dealing with an eating disorder, cancer, unemployment, etc. it helps to try and stay positive and keep perspective. While they aren’t laughing matters in themselves, humor and a positive attitude will get you a crapload farther than anything else!
You said it all, so I’ll shut up.