Today is sort of like a mini Christmas here . I found out yesterday that the bathroom work will begin TOMORROW morning. Huzzah ! That is if the contractor can get here in the 10 inches of snowfall that is being predicted in the next 24 hours.We shall see, but at least there is a definate time frame now ,instead of a simple larval "this week or next". Let the mess begin !!!!
I was investigating holiday recipes yesterday, as the next 3 weeks see 3 holiday celebrations coming to our house. It is my firm intention to limit he treats to one per occasion, eaten only on that day and they must be things that remain true to our way of eating. Rather than turning into a narrow field, there is an explosion of possibilities. Good to know, but then I stumbeled across a recipie for something I have an absolute weakness for- Almond Joy Candy bars. It's not so much the chocolate with theses, but the combination of the coconut and nuts that makes me weak in the knees. Always have, and I speculate that it may be an indication of my need for a higher level of essential fatty acids. In either case, when I saw the recipe I was a hairs breath away from dropping everything and making a batch right now , just to see if the recipe worked. But then something made me stop and ask myself "and what would be the harm if the recipe failed ? Would bad candy mean that the Sun would not flip from decreasing light to increasing light ? Would it mean that Jesus birth would not happen if I make bad candy and there would be no celebration to commemorate it ? " It gave me a giggle, and I decided against making a batch. It can wait till the holiday.
However, it got me to thinking. How many of us who are the "holiday makers" of the family decide to test out recipes ahead of time or make things early , in the event that it may fail and therefore we have enough time to try again ? And if the batch turns out bad, might as well eat them because they don't count and it is wrong to waste food ? Or worse, the batch turned out good so we can nibble on them , then need to make more so we have it for the holidays ? I think this is one way the holiday weight creeps on. it is not so much what you eat on the day of, but what you eat in anticipation and planning. Combine that with the foods we consume as we gather with friends and associates on the days before , because the holiday is meant to spend with family and not those others.
Moderation is hard any time of year. Listening to your own body signals of hunger and satiation are even harder. Add those things to an environment of joy and indulgence because of that joy can feel like an impossible dream . However it can be done if we just stop, breathe and listen to that annoying little voice in our heads that asks those logical questions that will help us keep on track.
We can do this !
2 comments:
Great point about holiday weight gain sometimes being about the anticipation and preparation of food.
I have to confess that I often times just try new recipes out on company! Usually it's okay, but I've had some flops.
I often feel that way about the holidays, too. Growing up in an Italian family, EVERYTHING is about the food and it all has to be just right! I try to change the outlook - it's not about the food, it's about the people - but, they don't seem to want to go with that! LOL!
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