Being a woman is a trip
Yes, it’s a trip — a trip through body-shaping, calorie counting, face firming, hair poofing, thinking-about-exercising days, and finally the fact that all of the clothes you wore a few years ago shrunk while in the closet. Did you move the button of your favorite shorts this summer or have you started cutting off the size tags on your shirts or pants? I hope not! So what is it that has most women reading weight loss books or trying to find the right carb/fat/protein ratio to trim their muffin top? I am going to aim a guilt dart at Barbie, clothes made outside the USA, and society.
Barbie comes into fault due to the unrealistic (though highly coveted) shape she possesses. Did you know that the measurements of the original Barbie Doll are equal to a size two waist and hips and a height of five foot six inches tall? Did you also know that the average American woman over 20-years-old is five foot four inches tall and weighs 170.6 pounds? So if you are taller and weigh more than the average woman, can you claim that you are above average? — just asking for a friend.
Moving on to discuss clothes made outside the USA. While I can’t claim that ALL clothes made outside the USA are few sizes smaller than what the tag reads, I CAN, however, tell you that a X-sized blouse from an unnamed overseas company will fit a size eight friend of mine. Will I return it? Nope. How many of you have bought something online and find it nearly impossible to figure out how to return it, much less find that the cost to return it is your penance for doing random online shopping and hitting the submit button before knowing where the clothing is coming from. Can anyone identify their true size? Maybe we should replace the size tags on the inside of our shirts with tags that say, “SUPER CUTE, FEELING GREAT, or LOOKING SASSY.” I know that would make me happier each day. And, speaking of buying from outside the USA but not related at all to this article, my husband did wait for two months for his dog training light to be shipped, not knowing it was from overseas when he bought it. Imagine the excitement when he opened the box and found a cheap little plastic flashlight or “training light” so the directions alluded to. He has not lived that one down.
Lastly, let’s talk about society. Well, actually, forget it. Honestly, who really cares (*smile*)? Most women are more critical of themselves than most others would be. Women have enough issues with getting clothes to fit, trying to fit in cute clothes, and being an inspiration to our girlfriends that we don’t need to jump on the body shaming bandwagon — who cares? From one “curvy Barbie” to another — Rock on sisters!
Smashed Summer Potato Salad
3 1/2 lb. baby red new potatoes
Salt
Pepper
4 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 c. buttermilk (or regular milk if you don’t have buttermilk)
2 tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tsp. pure honey
2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves (use dry if you don’t have it)
2 green onions, chopped
1 roasted red pepper, chopped
1/4 c. fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Place potatoes in a large pot; cover with cold salted water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Drain.
Arrange oven rack close to the top of the oven and preheat to 450°F. Rub 2 tbsp of oil on two baking sheets or one larger sheet and then add the potatoes. Press the potatoes with the bottom of a glass or your palm, until crushed but still intact. Brush potatoes with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and season with salt and pepper.
Roast the potatoes until golden brown and crisp, 22 to 25 minutes.
Whisk together the buttermilk, mayonnaise, honey, and thyme in a bowl and add a bit of salt and pepper. Add warm potatoes and toss to coat. Fold in scallions, red pepper, and parsley.
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