Monday, December 20, 2010

Coping with Christmas

I love this time of year - but every year now I have to check my anticipation. As I approach the season I think of stuffing myself with mince pies, a rich, dark Christmas pudding and turkey laced with cranberry sauce, stuffing, parsnips and rich gravy - followed somehow by taking the first bite of a rich dark Christmas cake.

It is all fantasy - and now I'm saying to people that Christmas is a time I lose weight when they put it on. I've been circumspect this year. I used to love those early Christmas dinners with work colleagues, friends and associates. Now I'm avoiding them. If I won't be particularly missed, I don't go - it's just too awkward to keep asking for the turkey to be served without gravy and for an alternative dessert to the Christmas pudding. I'm trying to persuade the family mince pie maker to make Golden Delicious apple pies with the same texture as mince pies. I'm still waiting.

There's flu around. I wonder if I could pick up the swine flu virus on Thursday in time to allow me to drink loads of wine to see it off - as I've done for the last couple of years. No sign of it coming anywhere near me so far. Perhaps I'd better go and sit in the doctor's surgery and see if I can pick it up...

RAS

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I still make gravy. Use the dripping in the pan, stir in flour and then add water slowly and always stirring while bringing to a boil. Add salt, garlic, soy sauce. Okay it is not as tasty as the gravy I used to make, but it is better than nothing.
How about salads?
Try yoghurt with garlic or shallot and a pinch of salt for a salad dressing, or sweetened condensed milk with malt vinegar, acetic acid & salt, or youghurt, malt vinegar, sugar & salt a wee drop of oil. I make my own yoghurt and use the same quantity of whole powdered milk as yoghurt powder...this makes it extra thick so it is better to add to a salad.

RAS said...

I'd use leek instead of garlic, which I think is quite high in salicylate.
regards
RAS

Anonymous said...

Your posts are missed. Are you well?

RAS said...

Thanks for your concern, anonymous. I'll get something up soon!