Just a quickie!

Ho Ho Ho, 10 days to go. Good morning everyone. Just stopping in to say hello and that I am committed to keeping in touch. I have lots to do on the schedule.  In the beginning of the month, I print out a calendar for every week of the December. Then I write on the different days, all the things I hope to get accomplished, related to the holiday and holiday dinner. If it doesn't happen, it can get moved to the next day or week. It's really helpful to get that 'to do' list out of your head and onto the paper. It frees your mind of all those thoughts. It's portable too. Yesterday I got my cards done and mailed, and a few other things on my list. Today is a wrapping day, since it's supposed to be rainy. Baking and cooking start tomorrow.

I always have a small sit down dinner Christmas Eve after church, and then Christmas afternoon, both sides of the family come for a big dinner. We usually have about 24 - 26 every year. It requires table arranging, and lots of dishes. I have 2 big ovens and one very small one on the side of my largest oven, so I do two turkeys and a ham, and all the fixings! I have been doing this for 23 years, so I have gotten pretty good at it. I keep detailed notes, so I know what pans will fit in what ovens, what additional tables we need, how much food, etc. The notes are a valuable tool to me every year. When I pull out that binder, I am so happy to have it all written down from last year. It helps me get the right amount of potatoes,  the right size turkey or now turkeys,  the right amount of wine, as things change from year to year and kids get bigger with bigger appetites. I even have my shopping list on the computer, so I print it out and then add or subtract things as necessary. I think I would be much more stressed if it weren't for my binder. In fact, every party, dinner, or event I have ever hosted, I have in there. It's fun to look back, see what I made, and it's always good to see how tastes changed. What I served at my sister-in-laws baby shower 27 years ago, wouldn't be what I served today! I see how I have grown as a host and as a cook. I do like to entertain!

I also wanted to say that I weighed in yesterday, which is my  normal weigh in day, and I lost a pound. Now last week, I gained a pound, so no big celebration. I weigh every day,  but my official weigh in day is Wednesday. This morning I was down 1.4 lbs., and I went out to dinner last night! So I don't know if it's a fluke, but my attitude, like many of yours, is to make it through the holidays, lighter or at least the same weight. I'm not even making that big of a deal about it. This is really just a season of days, just like every other season of days. There just happens to be more food around, more get togethers, more stress. I'm not looking at it as if I'm going into battle against the enemy ( sugar and carbs). I haven't had any cookies or sweets, but if it happens, it happens, and I will start again with the next thing that goes into my mouth. This is one concept that I am finally getting. Start again, right away.  No one ever got obese over a bag of chocolates or cookies, or too many appetizers at the party. It was  repetitive bad eating, over and over again, for many years.

So I don't have time to post any  new things that I made, or new recipes that I've come up with. Because there aren't any. I'm not following the fast track, as I do eat grains, but I am trying to keep some of my meals fast track, and some regular. For all of you BFC purists, now would be the time to turn away, because I'm about to tell you of a little sandwich that I made recently, which was delicious! I don't think some of you would approve, but a girls gotta do, what a girls gotta do!

I ran out of my ezekial bread that I have with my eggs for breakfast the other morning. My husband had bought some of the Arnold 100% whole wheat sandwich thins for his sandwiches that he takes for lunch. I looked at the label and the bad news is there is sugar added, 2 gms. The good news is there is 5gms of protein, and 5gms of fiber in one thin. They also add stevia extract, so it's a mystery as to why there is also added sugar in there. So I had one with my eggs. It was very good. My breakfast had no other sugars, so I counted the 2 gms and that was that. I know Kay has been eating the white ones and loves them, but I think a different brand. I used to eat these years ago when I was following WW, but gave them up because of the sugar.

The next day, I decided I felt like a nice sandwich for lunch. I love the ezekial bread, but it's not so good if not toasted, and I didn't want a wrap. I wanted a put my fingers around it, type of sandwich. So I took a whole wheat thin, added some mayo on each side, some rotisserie chicken, lettuce and then put some Nature's Hollow mountain berry jam on top of the mayo. It was delicious. It reminded me of the turkey sandwich I used to have the day after Thanksgiving with the cranberry sauce. The jam wasn't as tangy, but a quick and very good substitute. So don't scold me, but I enjoyed it so much, and it was so satisfying, and only had 2 gms of sugar, and I never go over my sugars, so I'm gonna do it again...at least for the holidays!

So that's my quickie! Aren't you glad I don't have time for a long post. Love and Christmas hugs to you all!

Thought for the day:  Acceptance is the universal currency of real friendship. It does not warp or shape or wrench a person to be anything other than what they are.    Joan Chittister