Thursday, December 20, 2007

Christmas

"What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past,
courage for the present, hope for the future."
- Agnes M Pharo

I thought a little Christmas time quote was in order!

My good friend Kathy had a wonderful post on her blog recently about making sure that we all take some time for ourselves, and to enjoy the holiday season...slow down! We all get so wrapped up in all the different places we have to be, the parties to attend, gifts to get and wrap that we forget about the simple joys of the holiday. For myself, I am a very "tradition" oriented person. I love the traditions that go along with the holidays, thanksgiving my mom always had dinner, and has everyone over (about 30 people), and for Christmas Eve we typically have another big dinner, and then Christmas Day is usually just my immediate family, we do breakfast (always involving polish sausage...a tradition) and hang out. Growing up (and even when my mom was a kid for that matter!), My Grandma always made Hungarian Coffee Cakes for Christmas Morning. She would make them Christmas Eve, and wrap them up, and we weren't allow to touch them until Christmas Day, and it's the only time of year we got them! Well Grandma passed away in '99, and for a couple years my aunts kept up on the tradition, but for lack of better excuses, they got lazy, and in '05, Christmas morning came without a coffee cake, I'm a stickler for tradition, and I was totally bummed out. So last year, I surprised my mom, and tried making my very first coffee cake, and it turned out great. So this year, I have another one to make, it's a long process, but well worth it. Needless to say, I will be indulging in a bit of that coffee cake Christmas morning. Anyone else have any traditions?

But I've decided I do need to take a couple days to relax, I've been fighting a cold for a couple weeks, baking cookies like a mad woman, going to the gym like a certified gym rat. I need a break to enjoy things. That being said, I am going to relax my gym goal for the month from 18 times to 15 times. The 18 was a little too much at the beginning of the month, I'm only suppose to be doing the workout I am doing every other day. So expecting to get in 8 workouts in 11 days, is a little much. So 5 times for the rest of the month is doable, and gives me some relax time.

I've been doing very well at avoiding the baked goods and nuts here at work, but they are truly everywhere! Tonight I have to put together my cookie plates, which will be a big test of my willpower, but I'm going to do it! Get through putting together over 20 cookie plates with not one lick, bite, taste, nothing.....NADA! My counter at home looks scary right now, I have over 40 dozen cookies thawing on the counter....oh boy. Add to that three types of fudge, cookie dough truffles and the infamous buckeyes and I have a recipe for eating disaster.

But I will be good! I will win this battle.

Anyways, I gotta get back to work, but I hope everyone is avoiding the baked goods calling their names...Plug your ears and sing loudly if necessary :)

Morning
80 oz water 0
1 medium apple(s) 1
Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal 2
Subtotal 3
Midday
Creole Style Skillet 4
1 small pear(s) 1
Gingerbread Oatmeal 2
Subtotal 7
Evening
Chicken Veg Chowder - Quick-added food 4
7 oz cauliflower 0
1 item Country White Bagel 1
3/4c Crunch w/ Yogurt 3
Subtotal 8
Snacks
Ice Cream - Quick-added food 1
2/3 cup Go Lean Cereal 1
1/2 cup Fiber One 0
Crumbs - Quick-added food 2
Subtotal 4
Food POINTS values total used 22
Food POINTS values remaining 0

3 comments:

Kathy said...

Thanks for the shout out, Kate! And Kudos to you for keeping that lovely Christmas tradition alive in your family...you are a treasure!

noelle said...

I love traditions involving food too. I love making my grandma's sweet pickles every summer.

And we have plenty of foods that we 'have to' have on certain holidays. One of them is scones for Christmas morning. That's hubby's treat. I make 2 or 3 kinds each year.

Kudos for staying out of the baked goods another day! When you pack up those plates tonight, suck on a candy cane or chew some gum. Then your mouth is already busy so it's harder to nibble.

Enjoy your night off from the gym!

The Price's Wife said...

You make some good points... Although I am beyond impressed that you've been working out on top of everything else!