Proper nutrition

The other day, Margaret and I were eating at Outback Steakhouse. (We don't eat there as regularly as we did in college, where all the servers knew us and our order... and they knew to bring me my Diet Coke refill when my glass was 1/4 from being drained. Ahh, the good old days.) Anyway, after dinner, with both of us feeling particularly stuffed, I realized that I hadn't had any calcium in my diet that day. Fortunately Outback offers calcium on their menu... sweet, coconut-encrusted, hot fudge dripping calcium. No osteoporosis for me. No siree!

Which reminds me of one time on a camping trip, my mom had made an enormous breakfast. I don't know what it is about breakfast and camping, but something about breathing forest-filtered air all night must take a lot of energy, because I don't know anyone who doesn't wake up ravenous on a camping trip. Anyway, the usual camping breakfast is elevated to the equivalent of a Valhalla feast welcoming Viking warriors once my mom is through with it. Ham, eggs, bacon, potatoes, sausage, biscuits, steak cutlets, toast, pancakes, orange juice, milk, hot cocoa, and occasionally a quiche! Well, we had just finished breakfast and were cleaning up when my aunt opened the cooler and saw her yogurt, saying, "Oh yeah, my diet." And proceeded to eat that, too! It was then and there that I learned that eating a sweetened dairy product could undo a 3,500 calorie meal. Information that has served me well. (Which is why I recommend eating your pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving with LOTS of whipped cream!)