Goodbye, December

I started off the day by going to an early (car-headlights-on early) yoga class at the YMCA. It was the last visit I needed to reach my 12 for the month, which, you may recall was one of my intentions. Aside from having to squeeze in a lot of visits towards the end of the month, this particular goal worked out very well for me! In addition to my usual Pilates, I tried three class formats, all variations on yoga. I think I will keep some of them in the mix going forward. One trick that really helped was to put all the classes in which I was interested on my calendar each week. This way, I could keep track of my options and be mindful to plan my other activities around them.

So, how'd I do on those other resolutions? Pretty well, I'd say. I missed some opportunities to get together with friends due to weather and not wanting to over-schedule myself. Still, I went to several holiday happy hours, a Christmas party, a birthday party, and brunch with a friend yesterday. Not too shabby! There are several more folks I hope to see early in the new year.

To celebrate the holiday season, I did almost precisely what I suggested in that post-- put up a Christmas tree, bought some holiday albums, and went to a few movies. Actually, one of the highlights in this department was sharing the movie Elf with our niece when she slept over. She LOVED it and wanted to watch it the next morning, too. One thing I wanted to do, but didn't, was go to a holiday concert. I'll put that on the list for next year.

Today, E is working, so I'm spending a low-key day at home. I plan to do some reading, work on getting out our New Year's cards, and make a salad to contribute to the New Year's lunch at E's sister's house tomorrow. Tonight, we'll be heading out for dinner at a Vietnamese bistro near our house, which is offering an amazing tasting menu. We'll ring in 2013 at home with an Old Fashioned and maybe some bubbly. Hope you all have a fun and save New Year's Eve!

New Year, New Projects

I'm not making any of the traditional New Year's resolutions this year-- I'm generally happy with my eating and exercise habits. Still, I want to keep things fresh by taking on a few new challenges in 2013.

Try snowboarding once. I've never tried any winter sports involving hills. I've cross-country skied a few times, and E and I have snowshoes that we break out a few times a year. I'm not sure what exactly appeals to me about snowboarding, but it seems potentially fun. Several of the ski hills around here offer beginner packages that include a lesson and equipment rental along with the lift pass. It seems like the perfect thing to try on a cabin-feverish weekend.

Make kombucha. Until recently, I resisted even trying this stuff. The big reason is cost: At $4 a bottle, I figured it was a habit I didn't need to pick up. Then, on a whim, I picked up a bottle at the co-op as a treat. Lo and behold, it was delicious! I tend to love the tartness of fermented foods (sometimes I eat sauerkraut with my eggs at breakfast) and I know they are good for me. Many of the bloggers I follow have picked up the kombucha habit and are making it themselves. I'm going to give it a try, starting with this technique. I think the only problem will be finding a warm enough place in my house!

Try rock climbing once. As with snowboarding, this would get me out of my physical comfort zone. We have an outstanding indoor rock climbing gym nearby, so I know I could get good instruction there. I've heard that the activity can be rather cerebral-- it's not just about speed or strength, but about plotting your course up the wall. This kind of "thinky" activity sounds fun to me.

Read poetry. I read poetry with some regularity in high school and college, but am completely out of the habit now. I think it would be good for me to challenge my prose-reading brain with something a little different. I have no idea where to start, so if you have some recommendations, please leave them in the comments section!

Coundown to 2013

Friday at last! It's amazing how long a two-day work week can seem. I jetted out a bit early today and scored a ride home from my brother-in-law (who gave us La Quercia prosciutto as a host gift and is now walking my dog-- he is awesome!), shoveled the walks, and am now wrapped up cozily under a blanket.

Said brother-in-law is staying with us tonight before he leaves town tomorrow, so we have plans to go to Brasa for dinner. Brasa is one restaurant I'm always in the mood for-- the menu is chock full of well-sourced, simply prepared, and delicious meats and veggies. We like ordering family style to share a wide range of their tasty sides. Nearly all of the menu is gluten-free, which makes it especially easy to put together an order without feeling like a demanding wierdo.

Tomorrow, we have one last big family gathering (at the Ikea cafe, of all places) before all the far-flung relatives re-fling themselves home. We'll see some of the travelers again in mid-2013, but we probably won't see E's other brother and his family, including the niece and nephew, for quite some time.

If last weekend and early this week were all about family holiday traditions, the coming long weekend is for seeing friends and recharging for the new year. I have brunch and quilt shopping plans with a friend on Sunday, and we are still sorting out our New Year's Eve plans. On New Year's Day, I think we'll throw a roast in the crockpot, drink some eggnog, and take down the Christmas tree.

Christmas

We are just home after spending several days with E's family for the holiday. The past few days have been jam-packed with playing with the nieces and nephew, eating great food, making fun of the dogs, and general merriment. Our 8-year-old niece is often the only kid at family gatherings, so it was nice for her to have her adoring 3-year-old nephew trail around after her. At least, it was nice when he wasn't trying to nab the toy she was playing with at the time. Our little almost-1-year-old niece was shy about being held by anyone but her parents, but would tolerate it when blissfully asleep-- she spent about half an hour zonked out on me this morning.

As usual, E's mom put out an incredible spread for her houseful of guests. On Christmas Eve, we had a ham dinner with roasted sweet potatoes and kale salad. I skipped the Swedish thin bread and cookies, instead enjoying some eggnog for my dessert. Christmas morning was the traditional family breakfast of bacon and a special woven bread ("candy cane bread"). I'm not kidding about the bacon; there were 6 pounds cooked for 12 people. I'm pretty sure I ate my fair share, along with some fruit. Dinner was the great lasagna feast! Though I couldn't compete with my mother-in-law's cheese and pasta variety for sheer mass appeal, almost everyone sampled my paleo version and pronounced it tasty.

I was expecting some controversy about not eating gluten anymore. When asked, I tried to keep it light and just explain that it makes me feel sick. This approach worked well, and everyone was pretty understanding. Gluten-free diets have more mainstream recognition, I think, than our usual paleo way of eating. It's a little harder for me to explain the whys and wherefores of paleo eating. I have a general grasp of the concepts, but really would prefer to just hand people a book. In mixed settings, I'm more likely to summarize what we do eat (lots of high-quality meat, eggs, veggies, and some fruit), explain that it works for us, and leave it at that.

Though we had a great time over the holiday, I'm happy to be back at home enjoying relative peace and quiet. Reba and I took a cold walk around the neighborhood, and I had a cup of tea and a Facetime session with my sister and nephew in Wisconsin. We're planning to have some leftover lasagna for dinner and a low-key evening before getting ready to head back to work in the morning. Just two days of work before another long weekend-- I think I'll survive.

Two of Five

Number 2 of 5 days off, that is. Yesterday got off to a rocky start- I got a terrible night's sleep, and then woke up (too early) to find that the cat had peed on the dog's bed. Filthy creature. Fortunately, things only got better from there. I had some coffee and eggs and swept off to a yoga class, feeling very satisfied that I was out of the house before 9 a.m. After class I ran a few errands, including scoring an awesome Christmas gift by happenstance, before joining E, her brother, sister, sister-in-law, nephew, and two nieces for lunch.

E and I passed the afternoon pleasantly with some Christmas music and gift wrapping, then I went out to get a haircut. Our evening was topped off with our friend's annual birthday wing extravaganza at the Mall of America Hooters. Yes, you read that correctly. This year, there were 8 gay fellas, E & I, and 10 dozen wings. Tradition holds that we must avail ourselves of some wacky Mall of America entertainment afterwards. Past selections have included the mirror maze and indoor mini golf. This year, the birthday boy selected a rollercoaster. I sat that one out ("I'll hold the coats!") and was glad I did, considering how green everyone looked afterwards. Maybe next year we'll stick to the Build-A-Bear workshop.

One of my errands yesterday was to pick up ingredients for our contribution to Christmas dinner. For the past few years, E's mom has adopted a tradition of serving lasagna on the holiday. Everyone likes it, and she can prepare it in advance instead of spending the morning fussing over a roast or something. Since I'm skipping the pasta these days, we offered to bring a paleo lasagna to add to the feast. I'm looking forward to trying this recipe, with some bonus italian sausage added to the sauce.

These are probably my last quiet moments for a few days-- shortly, we are heading off to E's aunt & uncle's house for an extended family gathering. We'll have a few hours at home this evening (egg nog tasting time!) and tomorrow morning before we pack up and go to E's parents house through Wednesday. Off to chop onions for the lasagna! If I don't manage a post tomorrow, happy holidays to all who are celebrating!

Observations

The days were going by very slowly earlier this week; on Wednesday at lunchtime, a co-worker and I both noted that it seemed like it really ought to be a day later. Today there was a marked difference in the atmosphere at work: The pre-holiday activities seem to be winding down, and "Back 12/26" is starting to show up on the in/out board. I predict tomorrow will drag, particularly once my morning meeting (for which I spent all day preparing) is over. Good thing a few of us have planned a happy hour, providing a good pretense to duck out a bit early.

I just heard from E that she is on her way home after a few errands. She's picking up both wine AND gelato. I think the treat factor is about to get kicked up a notch around here! On top of that, I just mixed up the macaroon recipe I've been meaning to make all week, and will be shaping them and throwing them in the oven later. If the world is going to end tomorrow, we might as well enjoy ourselves on the way out.

Eats today: We've been working our way through the leftovers from my cooking frenzy earlier this week. However, the glitch in my plan was that I prepared tons of meat, but not enough veggies. Tonight, I'm roasting a squash and sauteing a head of cabbage to go along with the crock pot pork roast from earlier this week. This is one of our most common meal structures-- some kind of meat, plus an orange vegetable and a green one. There are countless combinations to choose from, and it's simple, satisfying, and healthy. I can't ask for much more on a cold and windy winter night (except for maybe wine and gelato).

Almost There

It's probably stating the obvious to mention that, this time of year, it can be difficult to keep up your healthy habits. Your co-workers keep bringing in seasonal treats, and there are plenty of festive parties and happy hours to attend. All of the baking, shopping, and social occasions can take time away from your normal workout routine. It's tough to strike the right balance between staying more or less on track and being overly austere at the expense of enjoying the season. Now that we're well over halfway between Thanksgiving and New Year's, I thought it would be worth taking note of how the holiday season is going.

Eating habits: Things have been working well on this front! I've avoided knowingly eating gluten since Thanksgiving weekend. I think I accidentally ate some at a work potluck-- I nabbed some meatballs before remembering that most people make them with some bread crumbs as a binder. I'm taking it easy on the sugary treats, but still enjoying a few more than I normally would. The highlight so far has been the spread of gluten-free goodies at a friend's holiday party last weekend. As with sugar, I've had a few more drinks than I normally would, but nothing too crazy.

Exercise: You may recall I'm shooting for 12 gym visits in December. I'm at six so far, so I'm a little off pace. The second week of the month, there were some logistical issues that prevented me from getting there on any of the weekdays. I've got a system for the rest of the month: I put all the classes I want to attend in my calendar. I know, it sounds like something straight out of a women's fitness magazine. But hey, it works! Having that little reminder staring me in the face when I look at my calendar helps me to internalize what I need to be doing and when. If everything goes according to plan, I'll be knocking out my final visit on December 30th.

All told, I think I'm doing pretty well! The big challenges are still yet to come, though. This weekend, we start family celebrations that will last through Wednesday. After that, there are a few days of normalcy before New Year's Eve hits. So, how are the holidays going for you? Have any good strategies to share?

Signal

Well, hello there! I seem to have fallen off the Holidailies wagon a wee bit. Here we go, right back into it. In no particular order, here are some of the things that have distracted me for the past few days:

• The Big Bang Theory. E borrowed the first three seasons from a co-worker several weeks ago, and we are just now starting to watch them. I wasn't wowed from the start, but, after four episodes, it's growing on me! 
• Rules of Civility. I was lucky enough to get an ebook copy of this from the library, and I'm really loving it. The characters are well-drawn and the writing crisp and engaging. It's fascinating getting a glimpse into late-Depression-era New York.
• Cooking. This week is getting busy with gym visits and Christmas preparations, so I've been trying to cook big batches of stuff so we have leftovers to get us through. I made chili on Sunday, baked chicken thighs, sweet potatoes, and kale yesterday, and a pork roast in the slow cooker today. I also keep trying to squeeze in a batch of coconut macaroons, but haven't found the time yet. Maybe tomorrow?

Saturdalia

So, I skipped a day yesterday. I really couldn't think of anything to say about the horrible events in Connecticut that others haven't already said better. Coincidentally, we had our 3rd-grade niece come and stay the night with us last night. She came a little later than originally planned, because her mom (E's sister) wanted to see her when she got home from work. I totally understand.

Speaking of that visit, it was pretty great. Now that she is older and able to articulate her thoughts a little better, it is more fun just to chat with her and hear how she is experiencing life. For instance, she recently reached the mark where she no longer needs a booster seat in the car. She said she misses it a little, but is also happy she doesn't have to use it anymore. Don't we all feel that ambivalence when we reach certain milestones in life? Glad, but a little wistful, too? We also watched Elf, which, of course, is an amazing movie any way you slice it. This morning, we took her out to breakfast at our new favorite local-ish joint, Colossal Cafe.

We are going to a holiday party later, but my afternoon is unexpectedly free! I'm going to spend it perfecting my holiday Pandora station, making macaroons, and getting a start on wrapping presents. Oh yes, and keeping the cats from knocking over the Christmas tree. Every time I enter the room, the tree skirt is akimbo in some new way. Earlier today, one of them managed to unplug the lights. Considering that they normally spend 99% of their day sleeping, I'm not sure where this energy is coming from. I hope the tree can survive the abuse for another few weeks.

Meatastic

I think I've mentioned once or twice here that we have a subscription to a monthly meat package from True Cost Farm. Today was pickup day (exciting!), so I thought I'd share a little about how the whole thing works.

I stumbled across this farm earlier this year, when I was researching options for purchasing meat in bulk. What attracted me initially is that the packages are a mix of beef, pork, chicken, and sometimes a bit of lamb. Most other bulk purchasing options involve significant amounts of one type of meat or another. We don't have a big freezer for storage, so a smaller (~12 lb) mixed package works nicely for us.

Each month, we collect our meat package and 1-2 dozen eggs from a pick-up site (someone's home) several miles from us. The location is not the most convenient, but since it's only a monthly outing, it's been manageable. All the meat is frozen and is left in a cooler at the pick-up site.

Once we get it home, we lay it all out on the counter to check out the bounty. Oh, and take a picture!

This month's haul:
3 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
1 beef roast
1 package breakfast sausage patties
1 flank steak
1 package chorizo
2 dozen eggs

Of course, we can, and do, buy meat at the co-op that has been produced using methods that align with our values. The goodies from True Cost are specifically raised not just for sustainability, but for taste and quality as well. All the meat has been straight-up delicious. We also really, really love the eggs. They have the most amazingly golden yolks and taste amazing! They get doled out slowly throughout the month for special weekend breakfasts.

I like supporting this kind of venture and appreciate the opportunity to try new cuts or preparations. Last month, for instance, we got a giant bag of frozen chicken bones and encouragement to make bone broth. Yum! It's also quite convenient to have meat in the freezer all the time-- it helps with meal planning, and has also saved the day on a few occasions when I've failed to plan ahead. All in all, it's been a valuable and tasty addition to my cooking arsenal. If you have a similar option in your neck of the woods, check it out!

Transitions

For the past five years, I've served on the board of my professional association. First as scholarships chair (twice), then as Vice-President, President, and, for the last year, Past President. My last board meeting was tonight. Well, technically, it was about 30 minutes of board meeting in a bar before our holiday happy hour. Nonetheless, it marks a closure; I've been involved for virtually all of my professional life (in my current field, anyhow). I've planned events, raised money, recruited new board members, awarded scholarships, and gotten comfortable with public speaking. There have been some unbelievably frustrating moments as well as moments that have given me great pride in what we do. I've gotten to know a lot of wonderful people who I hope will be my colleagues and friends for years to come.

I've categorized my involvement with this group as "volunteer time" in my mental accounting. With the end of this commitment, I have some time and energy freed up to try something new! I'm thinking of doing something more hands-on and direct-service oriented. If I find an organization that's a good fit, I could see pursuing a board position again eventually, but for the moment I'd rather be one of many helping hands than one of the few directing all those hands. The first step? Signing up for a volunteer orientation at one of the non-profits I've been following. I'm looking forward to volunteering in a new way in the new year!

Potlucky

I thought the snow made yesterday's commute bad. I was wrong. This afternoon's trip took slow to a whole new level. How slow? I caught a bus early enough to get to the gym 35 minutes before my Pilates class was supposed to start. Traffic was so backed up on the route that I didn't get to that intersection until 35 minutes AFTER the class started. Like almost everyone else on the bus (except the one sleeping guy), I was texting with my loved one about my plight, and she was kind enough to pick me up so I didn't have to endure the last 2-mile stretch home. We had to go grocery shopping, anyhow, to get ingredients for potluck contributions-- mine tomorrow, and hers on Thursday.

Potlucks have been a bit tricky since going paleo. The last one fell during our Whole30, which was, for the record, about the worst timing ever. I made a giant vat of carnitas, and mostly ate that and raw veggies. I'm glad my eating choices are a bit more flexible now, so I won't have to interrogate my co-workers about their choice in cooking oils this time around. Nonetheless, I'm sticking to my strategy of making a main dish. That way, I have something substantial to eat and can stick to small tastes of other items that appear to be fairly compliant.

I wanted to make something that doesn't need to be served warm. Hauling the crockpot on the bus, like I did for the carnitas, is not something I want to undertake again. I decided to prepare my summer pot-luck go-to item: curried chicken salad. I bought a plain rotisserie chicken at Whole Foods, which sped up the preparation considerably. All I did was chop the chicken, dice 3 stalks of celery, and throw in some dried currants. The whole thing is dressed with plain yogurt mixed with curry powder and salt. Easy-peasy! I originally intended to use homemade mayo instead of yogurt, but considering how my evening went, convenience won out. I'm using the time I saved not making mayo to drink a nice glass of wine.

Snow and Salmon

Snow on a Sunday? It's magical, beautiful, forces you to slow down and yield to the forces of nature, etc, etc. A post-snowstorm Monday? Kind of a huge pain in the butt.

I planned ahead last night and set the alarm a little bit earlier. Our normal commute involves E dropping me off at the stop for an express bus, but she had planned to work at home this morning. Consequently, I needed to leave a bit earlier to take the slower local bus. On days like this, the local is better, anyway. It may move slowly, but at least it moves, whereas the express route is toast when the freeway clogs up.

I made it to work just fine, and only a smidge late. The commute home was hairier; I took the local again, but it took about half again as much time as normal. I considered jumping off partway home to pick up my share from the candy-making party, but was worried about getting home in time to let Reba the dog out. She has remarkable abilities to hold it, but I'd rather not tempt fate.

You're probably wondering where the "salmon" part of the title comes in. Right about now! When I made up our weekly menu on Saturday, I made a point to put some fish in the rotation. As a landlocked Midwesterner, it's not usually one of my go-to meals. I love the stuff, but it just doesn't always register. On top of that, it doesn't make great leftovers. I hate to stink up the lunchroom at work by nuking fish. But, since we still have leftover minis from yesterday to eat tomorrow, I only need to make enough salmon for tonight's dinner. I think I'll season it and cook it in butter on the stovetop-- simple and delicious. I'll make buttery cauliflower mash and saute some carrots with cumin seeds to round out the meal. E's going to pick up the candy haul, so I plan to end the day with something sweet. I believe I heard something about nutella fudge...

Snowy Sunday

Sometimes, life hands you a day off. We had some plans for today: E was going to go to work for a few hours, and we were both going to go to the aforementioned candy making party. There were several inches of snow on the ground when we woke up, which scuttled the work plans. The steady snowfall throughout the day (and our not-so-great-in-fresh-snow car) led us to, regretfully, pass on the candy making.

Instead, it's been a peaceful day at home. I'm still wearing my PJs, if that's any indication. I made a big pot of coffee and a leisurely breakfast of pork and sweet potato hash. We bought some gifts online and are now close to wrapping up our Christmas shopping. Best of all, we decorated the Christmas tree! Since it's been several years since our last one, digging through the ornament box revealed many we had forgotten about.

Pretty soon, I'll get started on dinner prep. On Sunday nights, I like to make meals that produce a lot of leftovers to get the week off to an easy start. I'll make a double batch of "minis" (what we call this WOD recipe), some sauteed kale, and roasted butternut squash. We've got White Christmas on deck to watch this evening, with our pets cozily curled up around the room and the Christmas tree twinkling away in the corner.

What I Eat

Many of my friends and family haven't quite wrapped their heads around the whole paleo thing. The broad message of eating whole, unprocessed foods usually resonates, but the detail can get tricky. I admit, it can be complicated in terms of what I eat day-to-day, what I don't eat at all, and (here's the grey area), what I eat infrequently as a treat but prefer not to include in my everyday choices.

Meat, poultry, fish, eggs: In abundance! I try to source good quality grass-fed beef, pastured pork, humanely raised chicken, and wild or sustainably farmed fish. Just like on Portlandia, I want to be able to visit the farm. I actually haven't done that yet; maybe next summer! We get a monthly meat and egg share from True Cost Farms, linked to the right. We also recently bought an eight of a grass-fed beef that E's mom's cousin raised. These sources are supplemented with purchases from the co-op.

Vegetables: In abundance! I try to include at least two varieties with every dinner, which flows into leftovers for lunch. I haven't successfully incorporated them into breakfast regularly yet, although we do enjoy a pork/sweet potato hash as a break from eggs. When possible, I buy items in season.

Fruits: Some, usually 1-2 servings a day. I try to buy seasonal fruits, but bananas are a fallback option.

Fats: Coconut oil for cooking. Olive oil for low heat cooking and dressing salads or vegetables. Pastured butter (Organic Valley has a great one) for cooking eggs and dressing vegetables. I steer clear of processed seed, soy or vegetable oils.

Chocolate: I enjoy a few squares of 80-85% dark chocolate several times a week.

Nuts: I eat a handful a few times a week, usually raw or dry roasted mixed nuts. My favorites are cashews and pecans.

Dairy: As noted above, we use quality butter as a cooking fat. We have also recently started eating sheep or goat cheese once a week or so. I avoid most other dairy, as I find it makes skin problems flare up for me. If I indulge at all, it tends to be in restaurants or a rare stop at an ice cream or gelato shop.

Alcohol: Due to the gluten restriction, I've quit beer, which I used to love. Now my drink of choice is red wine, although I occasionally will have some vodka with club soda, sip some whiskey, or have a hard cider. I keep it to the weekends, maybe one or two drinks in an evening. Occasionally, I take longer breaks from drinking, like during the Whole30 we completed in October.

Sugar: I generally don't eat sugary foods on a day to day basis. The chocolate I eat is so dark that the sugar content is less than most fruits. I incorporate small amounts of sugar as a treat, either in paleo baked goods or some other goodie. The current temptation is some toffee I bought last week at the wonderful Golden Fig. I bought a tiny bag and have been doling it out slowly!

Potatoes: Though forbidden on many paleo "challenge" regimens, I do eat potatoes occasionally-- maybe 1-2 times a month. They're a whole food, after all, just not one with tons of redeeming nutritional value.

Legumes: Generally, I avoid these completely. Once in a great, great while I will have a scoop of hummus as a "least bad" option at a party or something.

Non-gluten containing grains: I eat white rice in small quantities perhaps once every few months, usually with indian or thai food. In the summer, I'll eat an arepa maybe once a month from Hola Arepa. In other words, these are occasional treats only. The ones that don't appeal to me (quinoa, brown rice, etc.), I don't eat at all.

Gluten-containing grains/flour: I've recently come to the conclusion that I should not be eating gluten at all. For a while, I was eating it occasionally, but the last time I had some, I felt sick for half a week afterwards. I have yet to go through a holiday with this restriction, so Christmas ought to be interesting!

I've arrived at this style of eating in a slow evolution from the South Beach Diet, which E and I started in August of 2011. Until now, I've never actually sat down and articulated these choices in detail. If I got into the whys and wherefores, it would take several more entries to explain! Fortunately for me, others have done a good job of assembling that information. If you'd like to learn more, start with these links:

What Is The Paleo Diet?
Whole9 Nutrition in 60 Seconds
Mark's Daily Apple Primal Blueprint

Festive Friday

Huzzah! It's Friday, and I made it through my first week of Holidailies!

This evening was the annual holiday party for my workplace. It's a public sector agency, so there's no budget; basically, everyone goes to the same bar at the same time. Drinks and tater tots are enjoyed. This year, there was trivia with prizes from Goodwill. A sausage grinder that clamps to a countertop? Yes, please! Through no scheme of my own (honest), I also wound up having both of my drinks paid for by someone else. All in all, a fun evening.

It's going to be a busy weekend around 787. Tomorrow, I'm planning to take a yoga class, get a Christmas tree, check out the Union Depot grand opening, and take my lady out for Thai food. Sunday, the main event is a candy-making party at a friend's place. Snow is in the forecast throughout the next few days. Between that and all the holiday activities, it will really be feeling like Christmas before the weekend is out. Hope you have a fun and festive weekend!

Simple Supper

Cooking from scratch has been part of my everyday routine for most of my adult life-- there's no doubt it's the best way to eat well, and healthfully, while controlling the food budget. Still, I have to confess that, before E and I started eating paleo, we had some bad habits. Frozen pizza night on Thursdays was one of them. Sure, it was an all-natural pie from the co-op freezer, but it was still pizza.

These days, gluten and processed foods are not part of the plan. Consequently, I have to come up with an alternative for facing the Thursday night slump. Much as I love putting together delicious recipes, by this point in the week, I just want to get a tasty meal on the table with minimal effort. Tonight's dinner was along these lines.

When I got home, I turned on the oven, then took a few minutes to wash up a few dirty dishes (I love starting with a clean slate). I peeled and sliced a few sweet potatoes into half-inch rounds, coated them in olive oil, salt, and a cayenne-black pepper blend, and threw them in the oven to bake on a half-sheet pan lined with parchment.

Next, I quickly sliced up a head of cabbage and took a 10-minute break until the sweet potatoes were almost halfway done. I melted a knob of coconut oil in a big non-stick pan, added the cabbage, and liberally sprinkled it with salt and Tsardust Memories seasoning from Penzeys. After giving the cabbage a toss and flipping the sweet potato slices, I put 4 italian sausages in another pan with a bit of water. For the next 20 minutes, I stirred the cabbage and turned the sausages about every 5 minutes (and caught up on social media).

I have got to work on my food photography!

Voila! Dinner is served. The whole shebang took about 50 minutes from start to finish, with closer to 20 minutes of active prepping and cooking. Even better, there were plenty of leftovers to pack for tomorrow's lunches. Let's face it, frozen pizza never made it till the next day.

Resolutions

I know. It's still a bit early for New Year's resolutions. This year, I've sort of accidentally made a few December resolutions. I realized earlier today that they actually fit together quite nicely! To wit:

• I want to go to the gym 12 times in December. My health insurance refunds part of my monthly dues if I hit this somewhat arbitrary mark. Lately I've fallen in a comfortable routine of going to Pilates class twice a week, and doing some walking (mainly as part of my commute) most days. You'll note that, barring a freak 6-week month, this does not add up to 12 visits a month. I'm shooting for 12 in December for two reasons: First of all, boosting my workout routine will help me to enjoy those holiday treats (remember the eggnog?) with out feeling like I'm going too far off track. Second, it will force me to mix things up and try new workouts. Tonight, E and I did a joint session with the personal trainer she works with. Later this week, I think I'll break out my dormant yoga muscles. 
• I want to get together with my friends. As an introvert, it is far too easy for me to slip into "hunker down" mode on the weekends. Running a few errands, cooking a nice meal, and enjoying a movie on the couch with E are often the extent of my ambitions. All too frequently, the seasons change and I realize that I haven't seen so-and-so since it was flip-flop weather. A lot of folks are planning parties and other various outings and events this month. All this introvert has to do is say yes, and show up! 
• I want to do things that help me appreciate the season. I'm not even faintly religious, but I've always enjoyed the Christmas season. I love having some festivities to lighten up a dark time of year. Maybe I absorbed some spirit from my years of choral singing; Christmas music is some of the most beautiful in the canon. When I was a kid, the month seemed to drag on and on, the big day always tantalizingly out of reach. As an adult, it's all too easy to let the season rush by in a blur, piling holiday shopping on top of our regular busy schedule. This year, I'm making a point to do things, Christmassy or not, that help me slow down and enjoy myself. Getting a Christmas tree, going to movies, buying a few holiday albums-- it's all fair game as long as it's festive and maybe a little indulgent.

The common thread is that all of these resolutions push me a bit out of my regular routines and comfort zones. It might seem counterintuitive to deliberately go out of kilter during what can be a stressful time of year, but I am hoping that these small changes will help me to travel more mindfully through the month. 

Tuesday

I'm getting to this later tonight than expected, so a short one will have to do. What three things can salvage a dark, cold Tuesday night?

• 30 Rock. I love this show. We fell behind last season, but are catching up on old episodes now that they're on Netflix. A Queen of Jordan episode-within-an-episode is always good for a laugh. I'll take that with cheese!
• Shepherd's Pie. It may have taken longer than expected for this meal to come together, but it was worth the wait. Savory, delicious comfort food.
• A Scandinavian crime novel. No, I couldn't stop after Stieg Larsson's Millenium series. Today I've plowed through over a quarter of Camilla Lackberg's third novel, The Stonecutter. Her books are suspenseful, fast-paced, and chock-full of detail. I never though I would enjoy crime novels, but they have been really fun to mix in with my regular reading. 

With that, I'm ready to tuck myself into bed. Sleep tight, folks!

Chili

One of my favorite hearty weeknight meals is a big pot of chili, though my recipe has changed quite a bit over the years. The version from my vegetarian days involved three types of beans. Later, I added in meat, but experimented with flavors like turkey "white" chili. These days, my favorite version is Mel's Chocolate Chili. Cocoa powder has long been my secret ingredient for chili, and this recipe embraces it.

One constant throughout my years of chili-making is the chili powder I use: always Penzeys Medium Hot Chili Powder. It's rich and warm, with just the right amount of heat. Give it a try!

Normally I am pretty faithful to Mel's recipe (with a few minor tweaks*), but for today's batch, I'm using a special ingredient: beef bacon. Our October meat share package included 2/3 of a pound of the stuff, and I've been waiting for the right opportunity to use it. The newsletter advised us that it doesn't crisp up like pork bacon and therefore doesn't work so well in the traditional "bacon and eggs" context. I decided to use half in the chili and save half for the shepherd's pie recipe that E is planning to make tomorrow.

For these uses, I sliced it into 1/2 inch pieces and sauteed them in my enameled cast iron dutch oven. I swiped a few pieces to taste once they appeared done. The wonderful salty-smoky-savory tastes of bacon are there, along with a deep beefy flavor. I was surprised by how much I liked it-- it was tempting to just keep right on munching the little chunks, hot out of the pan!

I used the fat from the beef bacon to saute the onions (replacing the coconut oil) before continuing with the recipe as written. The result? Chili even tastier than normal, with an amazing smoky undertone. Leftovers for lunch are going to be awesome this week!

* If you want to try Mel's recipe, I recommend replacing the beef broth with a second can of tomatoes. And I would be remiss if I didn't recommend her excellent cookbook, Well Fed.

Preparations

A few weeks ago, when I was on vacation, a friend of mine emailed me to invite me to participate in a fancy cookie baking class/brunch event. There would be wine, giant mixers, and frittata! What could be better? My relaxed, vacation-y self responded that I would be delighted to join in.

Fast forward a few weeks, and I was back to real life and a renewed commitment to avoiding gluten. A few experiments on vacation and over Thanksgiving have led me to conclude that the side effects are just not worth the splurge. As you might imagine, making cookies, no matter how fancy, was no longer tops on my to-do list. Unfortunately, my friend wasn't able to find a replacement for me and the organizers had committed to a minimum number of people. I made up my mind to go anyway, have fun, and give away the cookies.

This morning, E and I stopped at Kopplin's on our way over to the class location. While waiting for my coffee, I got an email that my friend was sick and would have to miss the class. Since she was the only one I would know there, I decided to skip also, and just eat the fee.

With an unexpectedly free day in front of me, I decided to work on some non-cookie-related holiday preparation. Our dining room, which is seldom used for dining, has recently done double duty as bike storage and sewing workroom. Since the dining room is also where we plan to set up the Christmas tree, clearly something had to give. I moved all the bike gear and extra dining chairs to the basement, all the sewing supplies upstairs, and gave the whole room a thorough dusting. Next up, I vacuumed and washed the hardwood floors. With just a little more re-arranging, we'll be ready to bring a tree into our house this week.

It's been several years since we've bothered getting a Christmas tree. The years we spend the holiday in Wisconsin, it doesn't really seem worth it. Two years ago, when we last spent Christmas in Minnesota, we kept putting off the purchase until it was too late. This year, I'm really looking forward to it. I love plugging in the tree early on a dark winter morning and drinking a cup of coffee while enjoying pine scent, the twinkling lights, and the quiet.

Beyond making room for the tree, my other preparations today included doing a little gift shopping and buying some new holiday music. A post about my favorite holiday movies and music is sure to come in the next week or two. Stay tuned!

Noggin'

When my sister's husband (then boyfriend) M first starting joining us for holiday celebrations, he brought a new and wonderful libation to the table: Eggnog. Oh, I had had eggnog before, of course, but only the stuff in the carton that you can buy at any grocery store between November 15 and January 5. It's sweet and thick, with uniform pale yellow tint. I had a few cups of it a year, sipped plain with a sprinkle of nutmeg out of the Christmas Pfalzgraff mugs at my parents' house.

M's eggnog is a whole different beast: He makes it from scratch with raw egg yolks and plenty of booze. It's still sweet, but packs a potent vodka punch. The first batch is traditionally made for Thanksgiving and makes it's debut at the Turkey Trot organized by his friends. Personally, I just can't do alcoholic nog at 9 am, but I'm always glad to partake later in the day.

Inspired by M's potion, I started making my own nog a few years ago. I read online that it could (and maybe should) be aged in the fridge for 3 weeks or more. This allows the alcohol and egg yolks to work their magic together, melding the flavors and creating a naturally thick concoction. Yes, "magic" is the technical term (I never promised I was a food scientist; here's a layman's explanation). I use the chow.com recipe linked in that article, although I have never bothered fussing with egg whites and cream to serve it as instructed. The primary alcohol is bourbon-- I use Jim Beam-- so the flavor differs from M's vodka-based nog. My Midwestern family was too nice to pick a favorite the one year I tried to foment a nog-off.

At this point, you may be wondering how this concoction fits with that whole "paleo/primal" eating thing. With an ingredient list including 3 kinds of alcohol, white sugar, whole cream, and milk, the simple answer is that it doesn't really. For me, eggnog is a special seasonal treat that should be thoroughly enjoyed, but indulged in very rarely. I've seen recipes for nog with coconut milk and no egg, but who are we kidding-- it may well be tasty, but it's not eggnog. I'd rather enjoy a few servings of the real thing and share the rest of the batch with family and friends.

To allow for 3+ weeks of aging, I mixed up this year's batch yesterday. In a nod to minimizing the use of processed sugar, I tried replacing a cup of the white sugar with 3/4 cup of Grade B maple syrup. It made the nog a lovely golden tan color, and I'm hoping the flavor will meld well with the bourbon. It doesn't look that glamorous at this point, but I can't wait to give it a try!

Launch

Well, hello there, world! The last time I was writing anything longer than 140 characters online, it was on a LiveJournal. Before that, I had one of what we used to call an "online journal", marked up by hand in HTML and everything.

For a few months, I've been toying with the idea of starting a blog, and Holidailies has tempted me to finally take the plunge. My partner and I have transitioned to eating in a paleo/primal way over the past year. As a result, I seem to have a lot to say about food, recipes, and cooking, with no real outlet for doing so (aside from taunting my Facebook friends). Food is likely to be a main theme on this blog, but other snippets from life around here will find their way in, as well-- thus the title.

Thanks for reading! I am excited to jump back in to online writing. Please bear with me as I work out the kinks.