Weigh-in Tuesday... in the balance

I weighed in this morning with a flat line between last week and this week.  Nothing gained, nothing lost.  Better than something gained, for sure, but not what I hoped for.

Last week had its challenges, and chief among them was my energy level.  I helped Dad with painting every day last week.  I'm not sure exactly why it sapped my energy, but it definitely did. I didn't get my butt to the gym as often as I usually do, so this week I've decided to return to the schedule that helps me best: alternating higher-impact aerobics (at Slimmons) with lower-impact exercise (like swimming and yoga.) I'm aiming for 60 minutes or more, 6 days a week.  I'm determined to have a balanced exercise schedule.

 In fact, I'm determined to find balance in all things.  I know that it's not generally possible, but I like to aim for center (perhaps, as my friend Lisa says, waving at it as I swing past.)

The biggest thing that brought balance to my food habits is actually Richard Simmons' Food Mover system.  When I visited Slimmons for the first time, Richard recommended it to me, and his long-time student Felise taught us the ropes.

This is the FoodMover package, which - if you're inclined - you can order here.
(Just for integrity's sake, I wanted to disclose that I have not been paid to review this.)

Basically, there's a little plastic device with sliding windows, and interchangeable cards.  If you're eating, say, 1400 calories a day, you'd slide in the "1400" card and it would tell you exactly how to balance your diet between servings of carbs/protein/veggies/etc.  As you eat each allotted serving, you close a window.  (When I have a serving of fruit, I close one of the little "apple" windows.)  It comes with a booklet that defines the servings sizes, and after about a week or two of working with it, we had most of our favorites memorized.  

It was surprising just how well-balanced our diets became as we were paying close attention to portion sizes and balance.  Before we started, it wasn't unusual for us to share a half-box of pasta or more.  We expected that if we ate less pasta, we'd be much hungrier.  Thanks to Food Mover, we learned that we never had to feel hungry if we ate all of the rest of the defined servings in a day.  Turns out that if you close all your little "portion windows," not only have you eaten exactly what you set out to eat, you are surprisingly satiated.

FoodMover is an excellent guideline, but I'll admit that the more comfortable I've been with healthy eating, the less attention I've paid.  To help with my general balance, this week I've decided to return to daily FoodMovin', and I'll be sharing my food log in the process for the next 7 days.  I'll explain the "windows" I've closed for each meal.

Here's my FoodMover after lunch & afternoon snack, and before dinner (and lots of afternoon water.)
I'd eaten all of my allotted starch, and had 2 fruit, 3 protein, 1 fat, 3 veg, 1 dairy and 6 water remaining.

  
And here's my log for Monday:
Breakfast - 1 whole-wheat bagel (2 starch windows), 1 tb lox spread (1 fat window), 2 tomato slices (negligible calories.)
Lunch - 1 low-cal tortilla (1 starch) with 4 oz lean grilled ground turkey (2 protein), 1 tsp light vegenaise and 1 tb low-cal blue cheese aioli (1 fat), baked yam fries (2 starch),
Snack - A bottle of Trader Joe's red veggie juice (2 veg, 1 fruit)
Dinner - Personal frittata with 2 eggs (2 protein), swiss chard & leek (2 veg), and 1 oz goat cheese (1 dairy), 1 baked apple with tsp cinnamon/sugar (2 fruit)
Beverage -  12 oz of zero calorie Steaz (1 extra), 8 oz skim milk (1 dairy), 64 oz water (8 water)

Per Richard's suggestion, I usually eat my carbs earlier in the day - though sometimes I spread them out a little more.  All the better balance the blood sugar, my dear.

I have one other goal for my balance this week - I would like to precede my workday with a period of meditation, prayer and centering.  It really helps me, all-around.

What are you doing to find balance in your life this week?  Whatever it is, I hope it helps you to take care of you.

Suck it, Yoda.

It's Tuesday, which usually means a trip to the scale and a weigh-in report here.  But since I've been flu-y, I don't want that number to be artificially low.  So I'm skipping the weigh-in this week and hopefully once my body is more recovered next week, the number won't be out of whack either.

During Tom's fever-induced naptime this weekend, I happened to stumble upon a Star Wars marathon on TV.  So I listened to The Empire Strikes Back while doing some photo editing.  And as Yoda schooled an impatient Luke on Dagobah, I found myself getting pretty pissed off.

Let's be clear.  I love Star Wars - and have ever since my brother introduced them to me one at a time, on his trips home from college.  And boy howdy did I respond.  I was a pretty nerdy kid.  For my eleventh birthday, my hair was done up in the Return of the Jedi double braid crown.  The first essay I ever typed on a computer (around the same time) began with "I know everything there is to know about X-Wing Flyers." Yoda is my favorite character, other than my schoolgirl crush on Luke. (Don't be surprised that it's not Han. I also prefer Raoul over Erik, Riley over Spike, and young X over young Magneto. Though it's impossible not to prefer Rhett over Ashley.)

Anyway... as I listened to Yoda's fatalistic platitudes on Sunday, I found myself thinking he was full of crap.

Wrong, you are.  Full of the force, am I.  Filled with crap, I am not.

Wrong again, Yoda.

Here's the thing.  You ask Luke to lift a whole ship out of a mud-laden swamp with just his mind.  You say...

"Do or do not.  There is no try."

It has, in fact, become one of the most popular quotes to come from the movie. (Next to... that one.  You know the one.  "Scruffy-looking nerf herder.")  And, like Yoda, it is full of crap.

Now, I'm not saying Luke can't do it.  You and I both know he can.  But Luke needs practice.  And what's another way to say that?  He's trying.

My first day working out at Slimmons - my first minute, actually - I was struggling.  The aerobics was kicking my ass, and I wasn't sure I was going to make it through all 90 minutes.  And, in fact, I didn't.  Within 20 minutes, my heart was pounding so hard that I felt nauseous.  I had to do the rest of the workout sitting.  I was humiliated.  The road ahead of me seemed not just challenging but completely impossible.

But Richard, and the kind people at Slimmons, encouraged me.  So I came back to the next class, and I sat down before I felt nauseous.  I kept attending.  The more I worked, the longer I could make it before needing to sit down.  And within a month, I made it through all 90 minutes.

On the journey to better health, you'll face all kinds of challenges.  You won't be able to do everything you want to do, right away, so try to be patient with yourself.  Sometimes you'll be your own challenge, and a food choice or a missed workout you regret will make you want to throw it all away - because you've been told all your life that you're supposed to be perfect.

Well, no one is perfect.  And all we can do is take that regret and transform it to wisdom.  NO DAY is a lost day, if you don't let it be lost.  If you missed your workout after work, can you talk a walk with your family after dinner?  If you overate at lunch, try thinking about it, talking about it, and letting it go.

There's too much pressure on us (from ourselves, mostly) to perform perfectly at everything from moment one.  The ensuing shame and fear will only make it that much harder to try and keep trying.  Remind yourself that you're not perfect, and then take a moment to be mindful.  You don't have to wait until tomorrow.  You don't have to wait at all.  Every minute is a new minute for you to take care of yourself.  And taking care of yourself takes practice.

You say "there is no try"?  Well, suck it, Yoda.  I say...

Try or try not.  But there is no do without try.

French Pastries on Fashion Friday

About a week ago, I had another one of my vivid dreams of Paris.

This was the last time we were there. Boy, we do look a little different these days.

I've only been the once, but ever since, it's haunted me during slumber, surprising me with visions of train-travel and exotic sights, and... macarons.  Yes, when I dream of Paris, it always involves macarons.  No, not those chewy coconut things (those are macaroons.)  Macarons are brilliantly-colored French cookies, which are two light-as-air halves sandwiched with super-creaming filling. They range between 80 and 100 calories, so it's a perfect sweet treat for me - in moderation.

So when I woke up last Thursday, I knew that a macaron would be the object of my next seven-day craving period.  Seven days were up yesterday, so today we ventured over to 'Lette in Beverly Hills, to savor my dream-cookie. 

Here you see some of the beautiful array. From left to right, I *think* these are:
peanut butter, vanilla, green tea, raspberry, salted caramel, and almond wedding cookie.

Almond wedding cookie, violet cassis, and espresso.

But my personal favorite, by far, is the passion fruit.

Look how dainty! Who needs an Oreo when you could have something this divine?

Perfectly layered, with a tangy passion fruit ganache in the middle.

It was just what I had been dreaming of - literally.  Well, except for the part about eating it beneath the Eiffel Tower.

I used the occasion as a chance to dress up.  I've been feeling a little down about my wardrobe lately, and the arrival of several tailored pieces from my mother-in-law made me realize that I needed to do more outfit pairing.  Putting something cute together makes me feel more mentally put together, more creative, more... cute.  So starting today, I'll be bringing you Fashion Fridays... to insure that I'm dressing up at least once every week.

Sundress by Mlle Gabriel
Scarf by Target
Headband by H&M
Earrings by Etsy seller dbdesignsit

This dress reminds me of a cross between a Dixie cup and the flying Doritos in the interpretation of Beethoven's Fifth, in Fantasia 2000.





So... what are you wearing today?

Friend Makin' Monday, plus: the art of balance

I was having such trouble with motivation and balance yesterday.  I'll tell you all about it, but first, it's Friend Makin' Monday so I have some questions to answer!

FMM: Describe Your Dream Mate

My dream mate is kind.  He is gentle and loving to animals and in-laws.  He knows when something is going to make you sad, even before you do.  He comforts you when it does.  He's honest to everyone he meets, and loyal to everyone he loves.

My dream mate is supportive.  He is a cheerleader when you're winning, and especially when you feel like you're going to fail.  He goes with you to exercise classes, even when he's feeling shy.  He is behind you 100% when you're working on yourself, and does nothing to sabotage your good work.  And when you want to sabotage your own good work, he doesn't criticize.  He doesn't ignore your pain.  He takes you in his arms, and he dances with you.  He just dances with you.

My dream mate is funny.  He may be quiet in crowds, but when he does speak up, it is always something that makes people laugh.  And they rarely see it coming.

My dream mate is smart.  He has a good understanding of the world and how it works, he follows the news, he reads, he absorbs facts like a sponge, which makes him a formidable competitor at any trivia game.  He remembers telephone numbers (as I do not.)

My dream mate likes pretty much exactly what I like, when it comes to movies or hobbies or people or design.  Maybe there's a few differences thrown in for good measure.  There has to be something to debate, after all.

And I'll admit that the description of my dream mate might make you might laugh, and tell me he doesn't exist, and that it's very unlikely I'd ever be lucky enough to meet him if he did.  But you'd be wrong on both counts.  I was surprised that he existed, too.  So I married him.

***

On to balance and motivation, and a challenging day yesterday.

As has been the case since January, I was happy to do everything related to my weight loss journey.  Plan food for the week? Check.  Eat planned food for the day? Check.  Go to the gym? Check.  Blog about weight loss journey? Check.

But as has been the case since January, being so successful with my health has caused the balance to shift.  Everything that I used to do easily (while I avoided taking care of myself) is like pulling teeth now that I'm focusing on my health.  So when it came to anything else yesterday... dishes, laundry, journaling, bill-paying, writing, meditation... you name it, I tried to shirk out of it.  Successfully.  Just before our planned departure time for the gym, I was in pieces. And in tears.  There's so much that I want out of life.  And so much of it starts with these little tasks that I sometimes struggle with.  Writing leads to career.  Bill-paying leads to house-buying.  Laundry leads to looking cute, putting your best foot forward, and not smelling.  Doing dishes leads to avoiding bug infestation, and we ALL appreciate that.

I urgently want the career, the house, the peace of mind. (And following that, the other, more unspoken desire: the kid I can't afford in LA without those things.) So why is it so damned hard sometimes?

Before Tom lovingly nudged the gym bag into my hands, I posted one sentence on Facebook:

"I used to do everything but take care of myself.  Now I work hard to take care of myself, but everything else feels like a struggle.  Will I ever be able to balance?"

When I got back from my swim (and since then) I've received such insightful replies that I wanted to share some of them with you, here.  Because so many people seek balance and it may well be the eternal struggle.  For your inspiration, here are some of my friends' thoughts on balance:

Erica says: "I think there will be a point where balance is found... but it takes time and practice, just like living healthier."

Lisa says:  "I always think of balance as a pendulum on a string.  It gets pulled too hard in one direction, it has to swing back and forth to achieve balance again.  But it always swings by balance on the way back and forth, so you can at least keep your eye on it and know where it is."

Cynthia says:  "In dance, balance is something that is always - slightly - maintained, but is the place you start from, again and again, only to move beyond the point of being centered.  Getting back there, that is where the struggle is, that is where life is lived.  Rejoice in the act of coming to center and bursting forth."

Today the pendulum has been heading back to center again.  I'm waving at it as I pass by.  I rejoice as I burst forth.

Pizza and Cake

I've had a very pleasant low-internet few days, in which I...

...exercised every day!  I'm still on a roll for the #100daychip, on that as well as planned food.  Thursday was at Slimmons, Friday was in the pool, Saturday was at Slimmons, and today I'll be back in the pool.

...organized our spice cupboard! Previously, every recipe would send us on a wild spice chase.  Now it is - I'm not kidding you - in alphabetical order.  When it comes to organizing, I'm the picture-image of Longfellow's Little Girl with the Little Curl.  "When she was good, she was very very good, but when she was bad she was horrid."

Earlier this week at Good Will, I also purchased a second-hand spice magnet set. Alas, it doesn't fit within our cupboard, so it's now hanging on the fridge, waiting for us to select our six most popular spices.

...bought some makeup!  Thanks to roller-coastery hormones, I've been breaking out terribly the last few months, but my inflammation has finally tamed down.  I'm usually an all-or-nothing girl with makeup.  Bare, or matte with ruby lips.  But thanks to the glow I've gotten from healthy eating and regular exercise, I wanted to take a look at a few more 'natural' cosmetics, that would allow me to clean up for special occasions without covering up. (Well, special occasions and Slimmons, where Richard tells us quite plainly that we should wear makeup in class.  He does, after all, so why shouldn't we?)  I have a trove of Target gift cards I've been sitting on, so I headed to Target where I found some excellent natural products, including:

Pixi Flawless Beauty Primer.  This is very light and sheer, though it helps me even my skin tone. It's slightly luminescent so it adds a fresh, dewy finish.  (If I want to be fancy, I'll use a little pressed powder over top.  I use Dior, though I'm running out and may have to try something a little more budget-friendly when it's gone.)

Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush.  More of a creamy stain than a typical blush, this helps me bring out a little more color after the Pixi primer evens my skintone.  It was very light for a cream, which - to me - means that it doesn't make my already oily skin any more of an oilslick.

And my new favorite, Maybelline's Color Sensational Lip Stain (in Touch of Toffee.)  This is exactly what I was looking for - it is a stain, not a stick or gloss, so it adds a dimension of sheer color that stays in place for several hours.  It looks (and kind of feels) like a felt-tip marker!  It's a little bit on the drying side, so I have been putting a little lip balm on top to keep them soft. (My favorite is by Tokyo Milk.)

...hung out with friends. I stayed within my targeted calories and planned 200 calories of indulgence, despite the lovely array of their snack table.  Half an ounce of herbed goat cheese, two crackers, and two tangerines.  (I was able to bypass things that involved puff pastry or chocolate chips.)  Again, eating before parties or movies makes all the difference for me.

...watched a movie I knew I'd dislike, for the very pleasure of disliking it.  I am not a big fan of hate as a general rule, but for some reason, I get a real kick out of hating movies.  (For the record, it was Sucker Punch.  No one incites more hate-glee in me than Zach Snyder.)

...decided to eat pizza and cake.  Yes, really.  She'll skip puff pastry and chocolate chips, but eat pizza and cake?  Yes.  But I haven't eaten either of them yet.

I made a rule for myself that has really helped me aim for moderation and avoid emotional eating.  I'm going to be on this path for the rest of my life, and if I don't practice eating all kinds of food in moderation, it will always be a challenge that hangs over my head.  Enter the seven-day rule.  If I am craving a food that doesn't typically fit within my target for nutrition (both calorie total as well as overall balance), I allow myself to eat it.  If I still really want it after seven days.  That way, I'm not eating on emotional impulse.  And I still get to step outside of what I normally choose to eat these days.  The rest of my life is - I hope - a very long time to not eat something.  I haven't made all of these changes to 'punish' myself, but to take care of myself.  Cutting out pizza, or sugar, or any kind of food entirely is a quick path to guilt and shame and failure.  So instead, I plan, I allow, and I balance.

I've only had one real craving since I started in January, and that was in early February, for a particular brownie I missed.  So I waited the seven days... then I waited four more days, because I wasn't sure I wanted to slow down any progress I was having.  But then on that twelfth day, I decided it was time.  I was not going to let one brownie knock me off my path - it would, in fact, help keep me on my path.  I ate the brownie (over two days, actually.)  And because I didn't want it to be mindless eating, I uni-tasked it: I sat quietly and enjoyed the brownie with all my senses.  It was all I needed.

I'm at the seven-day mark for pizza craving today.  We make single-serving homemade pizza every few weeks, but I wasn't craving homemade pizza.  I was craving pizza-pizza.  Specifically, Round Table's Gourmet Garlic Chicken pizza.  So once I reached my seven-day mark today, I had the familiar "now that I can have it, do I really want it?" feeling.  It's going to slow down my loss, and that's never fun.  So just to get a good picture of how much it would slow down my loss, I went to Round Table's nutritional information, where I discovered that one slice of a personal-sized skinny-crust Gourmet Garlic Chicken is only 140 calories.  With a dinner that includes some fruit and steamed veggies, I could have two pieces and still be right in calorie range (with two pieces frozen for planned indulgence later.) 

The cake, on the other hand, isn't a craving.  It's a recipe.  Lately, it seems like Cake Pops and Cake Balls are everywhere.  I love the idea of having a single-bite serving: it's built-in portion control, as long as you eat just the one portion.  But at bakeries and restaurants, some Cake Pops are up to 250 calories per tablespoon of indulgence.  But having learned so much about healthy recipe adjustment, I knew instinctively that the total per serving could brought down significantly with some healthy swaps.  So today, I'll be trying out my first batch of Cake Pops - and I've calculated them to be 90 calories per serving according to my tweaks.  The real trick, for me, will be making sure I only enjoy them infrequently.  Luckily, my whole batch will go in the freezer, and when I want one, I'll have to thaw just that one.  After it's thawed and I've enjoyed, there won't be another thawed one to readily snack upon.  And I find that my appetite responds pretty well to thwarting immediate gratification. 

So stay tuned for a step-by-step on the cake pops, plus some other fun recipes we've been trying, a list of goal rewards, and a weigh-in Tuesday that should prove to be a pretty big milestone!

Bringer of War

Yesterday I talked about how fake baked goods tempts me to eat real baked goods... and how that reminded me of a short film I wrote a few years ago.  The script is pretty brief, so I decided to post it in its entirety here.

There are two thoughts behind this short film.  One, that moderation is possible.  And two, that cupcakes are haunting.

(Photo AND cupcake by Flickr user mm550366)

So, without further ado...

BRINGER OF WAR

© 2011 Heidi Powers

INTERIOR - KITCHEN
An retro-kitsch TEAPOT sits on the table in a cozy breakfast  nook, where LIZ, tall and plump, sits with her roommate SANDRA, petite and sinewy.  The two ladies sip their tea. 

LIZ  
No, that's what I told him.  I said I wasn't going to go out

with him until he asked me on a date - a real date - with 

more than an hour's notice. 

SANDRA  
Well, good for you! Ballsy. 

  LIZ  
I really do like him, though. 

  SANDRA  
And he knows it? 

  LIZ  
Well... yeah. I think. I'm not sure. 

  SANDRA 
  But he didn't ask you out after that? 

  LIZ  
He sort of did.  He told me to clear my evening next 

Wednesday, when he's back in the office.  More tea?  

SANDRA  
Sure, thanks.

Liz tops off their teacups.

SANDRA  
So, Mr. Nerdy I.T. on Wednesday! 

  LIZ  
But he didn't tell me what we were doing.  For all I know 

he just needs another person for his RPG.

She stands and crosses to the refrigerator, grabbing a carton of milk.

SANDRA  
Oh, I hope it's something nice!  Then I can live 

vicariously through your geek love!  

LIZ  
Don't jinx things!  Geek crush, that's all. 

She pauses to consider the fridge.

LIZ (CONTINUED)  
Hey, I have cupcakes. Want one? 
  SANDRA What?  No.  

LIZ  
(Teasingly)  
They're fancy... Madagascar bourbon vanilla...   

SANDRA  
I don't care if the vanilla is so rare and precious that it had to 

pass through a monkey's intestines.  No thanks.  

LIZ  
Well I wouldn't want to eat one if it had. But I'm pretty sure 

a monkey didn't poop any of the ingredients, because this is sugar bliss.   

SANDRA  
Maybe I was thinking of coffee beans.  

LIZ  
What? 

  SANDRA  
Those coffee beans that the monkeys... defecate.

Liz pulls a cupcake from the box and places it on a saucer.  She crosses back to the nook, sits down and begins to nibble at it.

LIZ  
Such an appetizing conversation for teatime.  Thank you!

SANDRA
Are you actually eating one of those?

LIZ
Sure, why not?

SANDRA
Well... for one thing, you have a date on Wednesday...

LIZ
He knows what I look like.

SANDRA
Yeah, but you know how it goes. You can't eat just one.

LIZ
Uh, yeah you can.  It's called "moderation."

SANDRA
So what are you going to do with the other cupcakes?

LIZ
Cupcake.  Singular.

SANDRA
What will you do with it?

LIZ
Uh, I dunno.  Give it to someone else?
 

SANDRA
I worry about you.

LIZ
Well, thanks for thinking of me.
I'm OK. 

They sip their tea in silence for a moment.  It's awkward. And Sandra can't hold it in.

SANDRA  
You're going to eat the cupcake.  

LIZ  
I'm not going to eat the cupcake. 

SANDRA  
When I go out later, you won't be able to resist. 

  LIZ 
  I'm NOT going to eat the cupcake.  

SANDRA 
  It will taunt you.  Every time you open the fridge 

you will smell Madagascar bourbon vanilla!  And you 

will be powerless to stop it.  

LIZ  
Is that how you see this? A demonic cupcake is on 

the loose and there's no escaping it?

 

Sandra considers this for just a moment until we...

CUT TO:
INTERIOR - KITCHEN

It's the same kitchen from the first scene, but now it is empty, and shot in black and white to signify that we are in SANDRA AND LIZ'S IMAGINATION.

Slowly and quietly, we hear the ominous tones of Gustav Holst's MARS, THE BRINGER OF WAR as it thumps militantly, driving the camera as it pushes ever nearer the REFRIGERATOR.  Something is dreadfully wrong.

The fridge seems to open of its own volition.  We back up to follow the light pouring out from the door as it oozes down and across the tiles.  Until it brushes the edge of something and reveals - no.. it's too horrible.  We can't look... it's...

The CUPCAKE.  We close in at its eye level.  If it had eyes. In the light of day, it might look perfectly innocent. Lucious, even, with its creamy frosting, its playful sprinkles.

But in the harsh glare of the refrigerator light, it seems downright menacing.  Is it... it couldn't be.  Is it... glaring at us?

Through a series of shots, we discover that the cupcake is on the move with steely resolve.  Hard shadows dance across its face as it stealthily sneaks toward the edge of the kitchen.

It peeks around the corner, through the doorway, at something we can't see. 

INTERIOR - LIVING ROOM

Liz sits serenely, reading a magazine.  She smiles thoughtfully and turns the page.  Not a care in the world.

INT - DOORWAY
The cupcake has moved through, a bit, onto a table near the door.  It fills the screen, for the most part, except an indistinguishable blur in the background.  The focus pulls to reveal that the blur is LIZ.  The cupcake has her in its sites. It nods at her, knowingly.

INT - LIVING ROOM
Liz looks up from her magazine.  She can sense that something isn't right - she has goosebumps and doesn't know why.  She begins to look forward, left and right, for something - she doesn't know what.  As the music builds, we suddenly realize that the cupcake has come up behind her - the sneaky bastard.

A Hitchcock-style dolly zoom on Liz as she screams silently in horror - she has discovered the impending doom of the cupcake on her shoulder.  But she recovers her senses enough to rise and RUN!

INT - KITCHEN
She pulls around the nearest corner, back into the kitchen.  She catches her breath.

INT - LIVING ROOM
Like a horror movie monster, the cupcake slowly and  persistently pursues her.

INT - KITCHEN
Liz scrambles for something - anything- to use as a weapon. Salt shaker?  Spatula?  Aha: jagged, pointy, yes!  A FORK!

She seizes it.

She peeks around the corner to assess the situation.
 
INT - LIVING ROOM
Liz's POV.  The cupcake has drawn closer.

INT - KITCHEN.
Liz looks anxious.  She peeks around the corner again.

INT - LIVING ROOM
Liz's POV.  The cupcake - like a ninja - has moved closer once again.

INT - KITCHEN
This is agony.  But she can't wait any longer. She slides onto the doorway floor, face-on with the cupcake.  She wields her fork and stabs it.  A success!

But - wait. The cupcake, brutalized, is nodding again, with the same knowing confidence.  Suddenly Liz looks down at her weapon... it's a forkful of cupcake.  She played right into its hands.  If it had hands.

Liz looks resolved.  This isn't her time.  She flings the fork away from her, towards the refrigerator, and slams the kitchen door in the cupcake's crumbled face.  She sinks against the
cupboards.

With a sudden shift in the music, the refrigerator door opens again, but this time, a dashing but pompous BABY CARROT marches out and onto the floor.  He examines the cupcake carnage and the discarded weapon.  Tut tut - something's afoot.  He summons another carrot to his tactical meeting, and
another - until suddenly they become a whole carrot army.  And they're on the march.

The carrot soldiers shimmy up a table leg and march across the table at Liz's eye level, as she watches them from her spot on the floor.

Liz instinctively climbs up and into the chair at the back of the table, putting the protective front-line of beta carotene between her and the door.

The barricade spreads out just in time.  Against all odds, the cupcake - war-torn and haggard - has made it through and up to the other end of the table, opposite Liz.  The carrots steel themselves.

The two sides battle.  The carrots are in the shit.  Frosting carnage spreads, fallen carrots pile, and still the army isn't giving up.  But just when things are looking brighter, the cupcake makes a hail-mary play: it hurls itself, slow-motion, through the air... right at LIZ.  This is the end, folks...

Or not!  From seemingly nowhere, Sandra leaps into the shot, into the air, across the table, waving her hands. 

SANDRA (in slow-motion) 
  NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! 

Her open mouth collides with the cupcake as we -

JUMP-CUT TO

INT - KITCHEN
We're back in reality, again.  And Sandra has frosting all over her face.  She looks sheepish.

LIZ  
How's the cupcake?  

SANDRA  
(mouth full)  
It's... good.   
(She pauses. Awkwardly.)  
Thanks.