The Recipe Book Project is born

One day in June I began to come to terms with the fact that I was changing my diet permanently. While I could see allowing myself some higher G.I. foods once I reached my goal weight, it didn't seem likely that I would ever be comfortable going back to eating the way I had before.

Up to that point I hadn't messed with all that many of my recipes, choosing instead to eat things that were already G.I. friendly. But faced with accepting a total lifestyle change (and surprisingly, doing so quite willingly) I began actively recruiting new recipes and facelifts for old favorites.

Meanwhile, people in my church and my local Curves now knew what was different about me. I was down 20 pounds and was meeting life head-on. It was hard to miss. I was able to share with people what changes I had made, able to encourage other people, able to mentor some of them. People told me with tears in their eyes how great it was to see the hope for themselves.

My online friends began noticing the new me as well, though they couldn't SEE the difference in my body shape. I had learned so many new things that I couldn't help but share.

Did I mention that I'm a writer? I've spent the last several years honing my skills as a novelist in preparation for (hopefully) launching a career as a writer. So one day the inevitable thought strayed into my head. I write. Why not a cookbook? Why not share what I've learned, what I've been doing, in a tangible form?

The thought wouldn't go away. I began researching how to take on such a project and determined the shape it should take. My talented daughter designed a bulletin board for me and I began writing up the recipes and tips I'd been developing. In August, I launched a request for volunteers to test recipes, and people from all areas of my life showed up, willing and eager to try new things.

Some of these people have weight to lose, or cook for people who do. Some are inexperienced cooks, some are old hands who substitute and "wing" everything that comes their way. All have signed on to test at least 50 recipes in the next year and give me feedback on each.

These are a long way from Better Homes and Gardens test kitchens. There is no one caring that a five year old puts however much lettuce into each bowl that he feels like without measuring it. There is no one to make sure that each stove is working correctly, that everyone knows how to chop an onion, that the aprons are matching and tied just so.

Personally, I think that's the beauty of the project. There are plenty of recipe books out there written by doctors and nutritionists and tested in the aforementioned perfect labs. This project is written by the people for the people. It's not designed to be a coffee-table book, though I'm not against great photos in a recipe book. It's designed to be used, to be useful to the average harried cook who has a real life to juggle, picky palates to work around, and wants to find ingredients at her local grocery store. Exotic food is fine, but who wants to make it every day?

Will this recipe book find a publishing home at the other end? I honestly don't know. I'm sure that searching for publication for it will be different than for a novel. Right now I'm concentrating on keeping a step ahead of my testers, making sure that recipes posted on my (private) forum are ones I've tried and liked. This step is going to take the better part of a year as far as I can see. We will see where it leads at that point. Of course, I'd love for it to be picked up by a major publishing house.

However, I will tell you the honest truth: it's already been worth every minute I've invested. A dozen and more families are trying new food, learning from me and from each other. They are tackling weight issues and healthy eating issues in a supportive forum. I've found dozens of new and adapted recipes that Jim and I love as much as most of our old ones. Going public with my diet has helped keep me accountable.

Everything is win-win. The only lose-lose has been the weight and the inches. For some reasons, that's a loss I'm willing to bear.