Bloodroot: A very special place

Saturday was a lovely day. Our soon-to-be bride, Kara, had her first fitting -- and she looked so beautiful, so grown-up, so perfect, of course the tears flowed. Next, I got to see our daughter-in-law, Kim, in her bridesmaid's dress, and all I could think of was how happy we will all be in just a few weeks.

And then we visited designer Jennifer Butler in downtown Fairfield, who reassured me that she can easily make my mother-0f-the-bride dress by the wedding. What a relief. And what fun. I've never had a dress custom-made for me before.

For lunch, we headed to Bloodroot, a vegetarian restaurant tucked away on a side street in the Black Rock section of Bridgeport. It is right on the water, and although the gale-force winds made it difficult to walk from the parking lot into the restaurant, once inside, it was warm and comforting.

Tomorrow, I am going to share a recipe from our lunch, but today I want to focus on a sign hanging in the restaurant. I wish I had taken down the words, but the essence of the message is that women have been oppressed and bombarded with negative body image messages for too long, and when you read the menu, please don't comment on calorie count or ask what foods are the least fattening.

I applauded the sign, and told owner Selma Miriam how much I loved it. Her honest reply: "We just make healthy food."

Powerful message, Selma. And exactly how we all should approach eating. Sunday, I spent a lot of time thinking about that message. I was also reminded by blog reader Ann Blystone that the way I am eating now is not a diet, but a lifestyle change.

I am fine for now, dedicated to only eating healthy foods in small portions. But what happens once Kara gets married and the need to lose weight flies out the window? I'm praying that does not happen, but I am a creature of habit, and that has been my M.O. Lose weight. Gain weight. Lose weight. Gain weight. Yadda. Yadda. Yadda.

Can this old dog be taught new tricks?