. . .  First, let me just say that I am thankful to have the means to even have braces as an adult. Lord knows insurance doesn’t pay a dime for them (they’d rather I be toothless). Second, braces at any age, I’m certain, sucks but there is something truly unglamorous about having a metal smile as a 44 year old woman.

All of that being said, braces are awful. Yes they hurt but that’s ancillary to the aggravation of having to eat soft foods and constantly picking at them to make sure nothing is in them. For a foodie, being restricted to soft, malleable foods is endlessly annoying. Eating chicken or steak is out of the question. Shrimp is too chewy too. I find myself eating a lot of potatoes, ground meat and soup; endless amounts of soup. It’s a good thing I enjoy them. Raw vegetables are out of the question too. Basically, anything that is too crunchy, firm, sticky or chewy is out. I have never brushed my teeth so much in my life. We’re talking five or six times a day.

Here’s something no one told me … they put them on the INSIDE of your teeth too. I have sharp wires with what feels like a rope tethered between to prongs. My tongue is even raw. I don’t guess I have to mention how bad that is for my love life. Shit.

So, I suppose I should use this “challenge” as an opportunity to be creative in the kitchen and find tasty foods that don’t require endless amounts of chewing but are still healthy. I did manage to choke down a salad today. Salads are not good without something crunchy in them. I miss carrots and croutons. Eggs, cheese and lettuce are lovely but so boring and bland.

Okay so I’m being creative. Tonight I made turkey meatballs with Kalamata olives, red peppers and onions, coated in Italian breadcrumbs browned and  then baked. I made a red sauce with onions, mushrooms and served on buccatini pasta. It was very, very, tasty.

I’d post a picture but who needs to see another picture of meatballs. It’s not rocket science or in any way interesting. So, here’s a picture of something much more interesting from my honeymoon. Since it’s so icy and cold outside this image reminds me of warmer days. Wish I could be there now.

The view from our balcony in Amalfi.