The "R" Word - New Years Goals or - Bacon Rules!

Ok, here it comes. The “R” word. It’s the first day of 2011, and I am setting goals and making promises to myself. I really don’t like the word “resolution” because it undoubtedly involves failure – and usually deprivation of some sort. Hence, the word goals.
My first goal is pretty simple: Eat bacon. I have been depriving myself of this major food group for 12 years. As a quasi-vegetarian I would eat lots of fish and at times dip my toe into the “fowl” arena, but chose not to eat red meat, pork and yes – definitely no bacon. Oh, a time or two I would splurge on turkey bacon – and I always had tofu bacon on hand. (You can’t lie about something like that). Trust me; a fake BLT is not my favorite summertime food. But something magical happened to me a couple of days ago. I was having dinner with a good friend of mine and we ordered blue cheese smothered homemade potato chips topped with huge chunks of real bacon bits. (Oh yes, so very good). Normally I would order them sans bacon. It was habit. But I forgot to say “no bacon please”. And when they arrived, I grabbed a loaded chip and popped it in my mouth without even thinking. And a party ensued. My mouth loved every second, and some kind of sensor was sending euphoric signals to my brain. Bacon! I had deprived myself of this wonderful food group for 12 long years! No more. I felt like that little dog on the TV commercial. Bacon! Bacon! Bacon!
I will still be mainly a fishetarian but with one minor exception – I will be adding bacon to the mix. I have done a little research on the subject. Bacon contains Vitamin B1, B12, Zinc & Selenium. National Bacon Day is held the Saturday before Labor Day. The most popular flavors include: hickory, maple, applewood and mesquite. I now have heard about chocolate covered bacon, bacon flavored ice cream and bacon martinis. Brings a whole new meaning to the term “sweet and salty” – but the older I become I have learned to “never say never”. Which is why I ordered a T-shirt that says “Bacon is Meat Candy”. Ahhhh - and it is, it really is.
I really only have one other goal besides eating bacon – and that is to move my body more (I don’t like the word exercise). The two goals really are a perfect match. The second goal allows me to enjoy the first goal even more.
I guess I realized, after 12 years of silliness, that bacon really does make everything better. So, Happy New Year everyone – and - in the words of Homer Simpson, “MMMMM, Bacon”.