Ruby is my hero!
23rd Jun 2010
This is the most inspirational blog I have ever read. There is nothing she says here that I disagree with. Read and be inspired.
http://www.mystyle.com/mystyle/b5223_losing_feargaining_understanding.html
Oprah on, “Women, Food and God” the book
6th Apr 2010
I record Oprah’s talk show on my DVR everyday just to see what she’s got cooking (literally). She has so many great guests and she has a weight related show 3-4 times a month and they’re usually very informative.
Yesterday she talked about a book title, “Women, Food and God” and mentioned that she had an except from it on her web site. If you have not read the article in O Magazine (I subscribe) or read this book, I urge you to check out the article on www.Oprah.com - it was wonderful. Most of what the article talks about I found out for myself in my own weight loss journey, but when someone like Oprah puts it out there MILLIONS of people like me (in the overweight community) will be helped by reading it. My book is finished and I’ve written about much of what this book talks about - but I don’t know if or when my book will see a major audience, and this kind of message cannot wait. So - in the meanwhile - check out the article on Oprah’s site and let me know what you think.
Howdy from Kitty! Did you miss me?
3rd Mar 2010
I can’t believe the new year is here and I didn’t even post a blog the whole entire month of February! YIKES! I’m behind!
A lot is going on - but that’s no excuse. I’ve been finishing my book and creating new recipes and I have a few more irons in the fire for TV appearances so who knows what will be up in 2010.
My friend and confidant (and fellow RFP) Carol T from Biloxi, MS sent me an email a couple of days ago about Mississippi and how overweight the state is. I then turned on the TV show RUBY that I recorded from last week and Ruby is going to Biloxi, MS to see if she can remember her childhood and maybe connect why she is so overweight. As Ruby travels through Mississippi she stops at various places to eat and at each stop she is hit with Southern Fried Comfort Food like no body’s business. I know all the dishes and how they smell and taste. BUT I now know how to cook them in a way that doesn’t make me gain all my weight back. Carol’s email was about how she and her husband had gone out to eat at one of the Casinos and she was the only normal weight person in the restaurant. Not surprising…
I don’t know how I can show people the way I cook but I’m determined to do it. I could cook for Ruby and she wouldn’t have had to say NO to everything on her trip to Mississippi. The South is so notorious for cooking with butter, sugar and for frying everything - and I mean if we could figure out a way to fry tap water I think we’d do it. I mean, back in the day I even fried my own potato chips.
There is a way to prepare food so you don’t have to live a life of NO. Let’s face it we can say no when people are around, but something takes over when it’s just me alone in my kitchen with my friend the refrigerator. Fat Kitty knows all my buttons to push.
Make sure, if this is you, that you have good choices around when that voice comes calling for you. Mississippi is number one in obesity, but it doesn’t have to be that way forever. I’m sorry we even have that as a statistic but every year that goes by, as the country gets fatter, we have more fat statistics. I was reading the other day about when portions started getting larger and it was 1970, when they first started to increase. No secret that was the same year we had an explosion of fast food joints. By 1976 obesity was on the rise. So, it’s not hard to put 2 and 2 together here. I was plump in 1970, but not fat until the late 1970’s so I fit right into this trend. I’m just another test rat the fast food industry is playing with. I got super sized portions and my body super sized along with it.
So, Carol if you’re reading this, I understand your concern, but as we both know you have to be ready to hear information before you can act on it. For years I turned a blind eye (and fork) to my weight and food issues. As I watch Rudy on her TV show try to find the answer to why she overeats I wonder if she’s ever considered this. Maybe she does, just because she does. Maybe there isn’t a dark horrible answer to why each of us stuffs our mouths full of food that is bad for us. Maybe we just do this like someone else who likes to paint with water colors. Maybe we just do because we just do. I have quit trying to find the answer because in all my searching it never helped me lose weight and keep it off. Accepting that maybe this is just a part of me (meaning my desire to overeat) that will never change has helped me more than any other single thing. It allowed me to create my recipes and enjoy them without guilt. NO guilt, that’s what I want. And I wish you the same happy life. If you never lose weight, you are beautiful - remember that. Simply beautiful.
Life after Bobby Flay!
12th Aug 2009
What a whirlwind experience this has been. The response was overwhelming and generous and kind and all the things I could have only hoped for.
But now it’s back to life - and guess what? A miracle occurred this past weekend.
If you’ve been reading my blog and know anything about me you know there are certain things I cannot have in my house like ice cream, potato chips and any kind of chocolate bar. Well, this past weekend after the Bobby Flay Grill It show aired and I was no longer nervous about screwing up, Neil and I decided that we would celebrate with some champagne, lobster tails and asparagus. I thought this was such a special occasion that we should have a dessert - which we hardly ever eat. So I asked him to get me some orange sherbet, but make sure it’s the smallest size they have in case I fall into the carton head first. I have never had ice cream or sherbet in my fridge that I did not eat it all till it’s gone. I know that I will do that so I no longer ever buy more than a pint.
Well, as luck would have it - the only size my husband could find was a half gallon…sigh. I knew what was going to happen but I allowed it in my condo anyway. I wanted it. What can I say - Fat Kitty won that battle. This was Sunday afternoon.
Last night when I came home I realized that I had not eaten any more of the sherbet. Sunday after my lobster dinner I scooped out about 3/4 cup of the stuff and put it back in the freezer - and it’s still there. And I knew it was there and didn’t eat any more of it. Not sure how long this will last but this is a victory for me. A BIG victory. I forgot about something that I ordinarily eat till it’s gone. How did I do that?
I think I’ll just accept the victory and leave it at that.
Maybe it was Bobby Flay? Maybe watching our episode and how accepting he was of me - I can’t explain it but I felt normal. I’ve said many times that I thought once I lost weight that I hoped I’d be like a normal person who never thought about food. That didn’t happen for me - but for a brief moment it did.
Grill It With Bobby Flay!!! Today!!
9th Aug 2009
Hey I just watched my episode - it turned out pretty good I think! Gee I was nervous..Thanks to EVERYONE who sent their well wishes and sent me good luck. I think it all worked! THANK YOU!!!!
GRILL IT WITH BOBBY FLAY AIR DATE
14th Jul 2009
The Food Network called this morning to tell me that my air date is AUGUST 9TH! at 10:30am..
GGGEEEE!
So glad they called when they did - I have an article coming out in the Clarion Ledger tomorrow and Sherry (the very sweet reporter) was able to change the air date in the article before it went to print! YEY!
I’ll post a link for the article tomorrow!
And I’m gonna watch both air dates (July 19th at 10:30 and August 9th at 10:30) just to be sure. This has been pretty confusing, so who knows when I’ll be on! HA!
Thanks for all the patience..
GRILL IT WITH BOBBY FLAY UPDATE
10th Jul 2009
I saw last night that my cable provider AT&T Uverse has me listed as appearing July 19th when I did a search for my DVR to record it. The Food Network web site has me as August 9th, so I don’t know what to say about that. I have calls into the production company Embassy Row and also emailed everyone that I was contacted by but no return.
The director of Grill It, Lauren Thompson, originally told me July 19th so I think that is correct, but I will watch both. The show airs ONCE on Sunday morning and then repeats ONE more time on the following Monday.
So sorry about the confusion.. I hope they will return my calls, but I started this Monday and so far they haven’t, so I can only tell you what I know. I intend to watch both. And I do think the final correct date is Sunday, July 19th. To repeat on Monday the 20th.
Love,
Kitty
MY Episode of GRILL IT WITH BOBBY FLAY IS JULY 19th
27th May 2009
I have an air date for my episode of Grill It! Set your DVR or TiVo! And check your local listings for a time! I’m going to get Neil, my husband, to watch it first and then if I do okay - I’ll watch it! HA! Fingers crossed!
My Day Grilling with Bobby Flay! WITH Photo!
19th Mar 2009
I could hardly sleep the night before I was so excited. But I managed to get some sleep and felt very pumped when I got up and got dressed.
I work just north of Hollywood and Highland (which is where the Kodak Theatre and the Oscars are held) and since the address for the shoot was in West Hollywood, I asked to be picked up at my work address.
The driver assigned to me (Chris) got to my office early and since you never know about the traffic in LA I decided we should go. I guess we got to the absolutely beautiful home in the Hollywood Hills overlooking the LA basin (you could see the ocean and it was a spectacular view) about 11:00am PT. The Grill It show is shooting two shows a day there and I was to be the second person of this particular day. When I got there Rae, the producer in charge of me, met me at the driveway and escorted me up to the house. We couldn’t go in because the guy grilling pork chops ahead of me - his show with Bobby was running overtime. So Rae and I chatted and hung out for a while. I’m not sure of the time when they wrapped that episode but it was an hour or so easy and then the crew broke for lunch. They had every kind of food you can imagine set up buffet style for everyone to eat. I saw no really low cal stuff so I got an egg roll and a water and sat and ate. (I don’t like to eat much before I do anything that has to do with performance anyway. It makes me sleepy.)
I think I had been there for two hours when the makeup gal and the wardrobe gal and I squared away my look. I had arrived with my makeup done and I was wearing the top I wanted to wear but when the wardrobe gal asked me about my pants I told her that I really wanted to wear the black ones that I brought. I couldn’t believe it but she let me - so I felt very good about my look. I thought about how just a few short years ago I would be stressing out about how fat I was going to look on TV. But not this time.
First we shot me saying how glad I was to be there and how excited I was to meet Bobby. I think I must have been too excited because the director told me to bring it down a notch or two. HA! Hey I get excited!
They took me to the set and Juliet, the “on set” producer in charge of me took me to the kitchen where they had a question about my grilled biscuit. Morgan, I think was her name, had prepared all of my recipes based on the recipes I had submitted and the biscuit for the grilled strawberry shortcake was very loose. She really wanted it to be right and so I took the dough and threw some flour on the table and then plopped the dough down on it and was able to make it work. Morgan was a real peach the whole day by the way. She was behind me at every turn making sure things were right. In the middle of me kneading the biscuit dough I heard someone say “Would you like to meet Kitty?” so I looked up and two feet in front of me was Bobby Flay. I know my mouth dropped open - and I said “Oh my gosh - Bobby Flay!” He thanked me for coming and we talked a minute or two (about what I can’t remember - too excited!) and then he said he’d see me soon and he left. How exciting to meet him before things got underway. And I had been working with the biscuit dough explaining how I make it so I was glad he saw me in action - cooking.
So then the crew broke for lunch. I had already eaten my egg roll so took a few pictures and soaked everything in.
Then we began the Grill It Show.
I want to begin by saying that Bobby Flay is a complete and total gentlemen. My food didn’t always turn out like I cook it when I’m at my condo but he smiled and winked and gave it a thumbs up. If you are a fan of him in any way - just know that as much as you like him on screen - he is even nicer off screen. You know when you are in the presence of a star. Bobby Flay is a star - and I still can’t believe I am a part of his series “Grill It”.
So Rae, turned me over to Juliet, the producer in charge of me on the set. She took me to my cooking station and showed me what’s what. And I used to think I had some sense but March 17th at exactly 1:30 my good sense left me. HA! I have been on TV shoots and have even been the focus of a shoot, but this was pretty overwhelming. The person ahead of me had run so far over that I think there was a tad of anxiety that the day was about to get really long. I was told a certain camera to look at but there were many cameras and they all looked the same once the shoot got underway so I’m not sure if I ever looked at the right one. A suggestion to the crew would be to put a yellow (or some loud color) flag or marker on the top of the lens the guest is supposed to look at. But I think they are probably used to that, so I think it will be all right.
Bobby was getting his mic on and he looked at me and said, “How are your grilling skills?” I said, “Not nearly as good as yours”. He said, “Are you good?” and I said, “I think I’m pretty good.” I think he winked at me but that might be wishful thinking. HA!
So Bobby got behind his station and he introduced me. I ran on set and we were off to the races.
I did get a chance to ask Bobby a couple of good questions.
1. If you were on a desert island and you could only have one spice with you - what would it be? (You’ll have to watch for his answer)
2. What is your favorite meal to cook for your wife? (again you’ll have to watch)
3. What’s the difference between a yam and a sweet potato? (another interesting answer)
And I asked him to show me how he makes that garlic paste with fresh garlic. Which I did on set.
At one point I told him about how my brother Louie had first introduced me to his “Throwdown” show. I told him he could throw me down anytime and he laughed (and so did some of the crew so not sure they can use that. HA!)
He made a shrimp dish that knocked the socks off of my shrimp dish, but I think my grilled salad was very good. I told him about losing 60 pounds two years ago and I think that floored him. We talked about cooking light and I told him I created these recipes to help me keep my weight off. He tasted my grilled strawberry shortcake and I felt a good reaction from that (meaning I think he really liked it as opposed to my shrimp which I could see with my own eyes were overcooked) I made my Sangria and we toasted. I had written a parody to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” titled, “Griller” and I sang it as part of my farewell to the camera - “Cause he’s the Griller - I’m here to say - no one fires up a grill like Bobby Flay - yes he’s the Griller - I want to learn, from the Master Chef himself creating perfect, perfect - burn!” . It was 4:50. And the day had flown by.
I brought the crew my laughing CD Laffy Laughing All the Way that I recorded a few years ago as a thank you gift and Louie’s good buddy Seth Kent from Winona, MS, who roasts and distributes Southern Aroma Coffee made me a “special Blend for Bobby Flay” so I wrapped it up in green paper and ribbon for St Patrick’s Day and asked Rae to give it to Bobby as a gift, so she did. I asked her if I could get a picture and I could see that she was a bit hesitant - it had been a long day for Bobby (and everyone - they were all SUPER nice but you can tell when people are tired) but Rae asked the director, Lauren (who was very encouraging) to see if I could take a photo. She went in and I could hear Bobby say “Of course!” So he came out and Rae took this great photo of us.
My driver (a different guy named Charles) was waiting for me at the end of the driveway and so I told Rae good-bye and off I went. I called Neil (my husband), my father L.V. Harrison in Winona, my boss Dave Bell in Australia and of course my brother Louie who is totally responsible for this entire day. I had not heard of Bobby Flay two years ago. Louie, who is a big fan told me that since I love to cook that I needed to check out his show “Throwdown”. The rest is history.
I hope you enjoyed reading about this day as much as I enjoyed living it. I love you all.
Bobby Flay taping is TOMORROW!
16th Mar 2009
I still can hardly believe it myself! And I have just had the kind of day that you want to freeze in time because it has been so special! I went down to Ann Tayor and Banana Republic and found the CUTEST outfits ever for tomorrow and they all fit!!! YIKES! It’s such a special blessing to shop now and have clothes look so nice.
And I’ve been working with a producer on a comedy/drama that we hope to soon pitch and the star that is considering it just called the office and we had such a marvelous chat! If he attaches I’ll let you know but right now it’s just exciting to get to talk to him.
And my brother’s good buddy Seth Kent who owns and operates Southern Aroma Coffee in Winona, MS just sent me some coffee titled “Special Blend for Bobby Flay” that I will give to Bobby tomorrow for St Patrick’s Day! I wanted to have a gift for him and how perfect is THAT!
Stayed tuned and I’ll let you know how it goes! This is truly a blessed day…no two ways about it.
