Tuesday, December 31, 2013

The "Holly Days"....................................



Almost over..............those days of preparation, excitement, decorating, raising a glass, donning holiday attire, wrapping/unwrapping, hugging and kissing loved ones (well that goes on year round), and of course eating! Oh my, the eating that's been done over this past week of celebration! 

Every year I try to change the habit of cooking, baking, and then eating things I'd never eat in the other fifty one weeks of the year. It never works out though, Christmas traditions are just that, traditional!  After company left we were left to finish up the leftover plum pudding - with brandy butter no less, the "better than any other year" mince pies, the holiday tin of ginger cookies, and so much more. Do you do that too? 

Plain old toast and marmalade sounds really good at this point in time........and as soon as those bits of holiday china are packed away, plain, healthy, easy eating will return.  My kitchen will return to the daily soup pot on the stove, crunchy salad greens in the crisper, and lots of plans to eat much healthier in January.

16 comments:

  1. I can so relate to this post, Mary. I am enjoying every last moment of the holiday season, but...
    I am secretly craving the return to "normal". Soup pot on the stove and crunchy salad greens sounds like heaven about now.
    Don't know if I have mentioned how much I love your current header. It is beautiful and oh so peaceful.
    Also love that photo on the sidebar of beautiful Devon, England. So pretty!
    Thank you for your visits and kind comments throughout the year. Wishing you and your hubby a happy and healthy new year.

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  2. That's the challenge! We are on overload here and hope also to return to normal eating soon. (Course there's a lot in the freezer.) Now that brandy butter and plum pudding sounds good.

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  3. My sentiments exactly. Dear Mary, have so enjoyed your beautiful posts. Wishing you and your family a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. ox, Gina

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  4. We're on the last of the mince pies (tomorrow should see the back of them) but there's still some Stilton & Port to finish! Why do we do it? Thank you for a wonderful year of armchair travels and stunning photography, where are we going next? Happy New Year from Normandy.

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  5. There are still quite a few cookies in the freezer, but Tim takes them in his lunch to work, so I won't have to bake for a bit and they don't tempt me when they are in the basement. I've got a pot of chicken stock burbling away on the stove just now and I'm looking forward to vegetable soup tomorrow.
    I have so enjoyed your blog, Mary, and thank you for sharing snippets of your life with your readers. Your photography is lovely in itself, and is always enhanced by your thoughtful words.
    Wishing you and yours a most happy and healthy New Year.

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  6. Happy New Year my dearest! Sending my love your way ~ Vanessa

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  7. Happy New Year Mary! I, too, am ready for nights of soups and salads. Hugs, Bonnie

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  8. Happy New Year. May 2014 bring peace, joy and prosperity.

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  9. Wishing You a happy New Year Mary.
    We eat more Summer fare than cold places so it is easier to not eat too much . Dark Chocolate might be the exception for me - I had a few more than normal of those.( I am not a sweet tooth, so that helps as well. )
    I enjoy your blog and look forward to reading it during 2014.

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  10. Healthy eating to all of us!
    Thank you for a most wonderful year of posts, travels, sharing. It is always a joy to read your blog.
    Happy New Year. May 2014 be good to you.
    Farm Gal in VA

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  11. Once I come out of the sugar coma, I will eat lettuce!
    Happy New Year dear.

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  12. We do try and include healthy snacks in amongst the sweets - but sometimes sweets just win out - but it is the holiday season and time to be jolly. I have some of the treats stashed in the freezer, to be brought out a little at a time for special days - tonight is a buffet plate of leftovers from Christmas Eve open house - and a simple day of resting tomorrow. Happy New Year.

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  13. Yes, after the rich eating it does feel good to face the
    New Year with fresh, healthy food. Amazingly I had
    my annual check up and normally I gain a bit at Christmas,
    but I was still 5 pounds lighter then last years check up.
    A very good thing right after Christmas.
    Happy New Year and hope you had a wonderful celebration!

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  14. We didn't do our usual cookie baking this year, and I've been watching my calories for the past month. But I allowed myself to eat some special dishes when we went on our vacation. The holidays are great, but there is also great satisfaction in getting all the decorations tucked away for next year!

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  15. I love your pretty dishes. Yes, the diet has gone awry the past month, even the past 2 weeks, and I've gained 4 pounds!! Yikes. I do love my chocolate and we've eaten more potato chips than we have in 3 months. So, we too will be trying to get back to healthier eating. Somehow I always think I have to eat all the chocolates in the first week of January too, instead of spreading them out as a treat.

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  16. Don't I know it! I always eat too much from Thanksgiving on! By the way love the dishes!

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