Here’s what I decided this morning. I may not have Nigella Lawson’s poise, or Rachel Ray’s bubbly enthusiasm or even Martha Stewart’s endless creativity ( or her large posse of creative types on the payroll). I don’t have Jamie Oliver’s endless enthusiasm to feed the world, though we do share the same name and love of eating. And I certainly don’t’ have Gordon Ramsay’s fiery temperament. But I do make a mean chocolate drop cookie! The fridge last night was full of cookie sheets covered in waxed paper, chocolate drops cooling in rows. I tried a few, and even though I am losing my taste for sweets with all this baking, I had to stop myself from eating a tray while watching television. There should be a leather restraint or a cute little pink pill we could all use to stop ourselves from over-indulging this season but it is almost one of the great joys of this time of year. Sure we will all be moaning about having to go back to the gym and lose some weight in the new year and we will all promise not too do it again. The fitness police will tell us this is a cycle that we have to break, that somehow carrot sticks and hummus snacks on Christmas Eve are somehow just as tasty as rum balls and egg nog. I understand they have to protect their job but frankly they are wrong. I love this cycle. And I don’t exercise in the new year because I feel guilty for eating what I liked, that I only get this time of year, with friends and family. I exercise because it is good for me, desserts or not. And I enjoy the sweets, the meals, the wine, the drinks and the chocolates this time of year because they taste good, because they are a tradition, because I get to enjoy them with the people I love. I say go ahead and eat. I would rather live my life exuberantly than die a thin corpse. Exercise for sure, but in moderation, just like enjoying this season’s treats in moderation. Well, sometimes to excess when it comes to shortbreads or chocolate drops but the main thing is to enjoy! I may not be a professional chef with a cooking show to support me, guest signings, tours and books but I know how to make a great plate of Christmas goodies. Tonight, more baking and more sticking my finger in the batter to ensure it tastes great!
No comments:
Post a Comment