Nika's Culinaria - Eat With Your Eyes

(There is more ice in this photo than in this MA winter, so far)

I do Christmas, Easter, the solstices, beltane, samhain, Valentines Day, Thanksgiving, Fourth of July, birthdays, all of that (all in an areligious way). I have even done a Seder for cultural growth for the little ones (my husband was amazed and puzzled, poor guy).


(Pure comfort)

BUT, I do NOT do New Years resolutions, period. I also loathe new-year diets and dieting. This is my least favorite time on the Food Network. Oy, too much with the diet shows, already.

I am not sure what it means but I spent the day yesterday cooking massive stews and soups and homemade corn tortillas. I scrubbed all my pots and cleaned the kitchen like a fool. I didnt mind either, which for me is novel, I hate cleaning too :-).

For me, at my age, my 40th New Years was relatively free of reminiscing. Its something I do not really like to do anymore because living in the past is tedious and I need all the energy I have to live in the now. I did give thanks once again for our new baby, Baby O. That is a good thing to remember. I did give thanks for the entire family and the opportunities I have had this year to grow creatively.


(Q)


(KD)


(Baby O)

I did not (and certainly will not) waste a second worrying about calories or diets or carbohydrates.

I will not indulge in that guilt-ridden consumer trend that sweeps through the US this time of the year. I have lived way too many years on diets (Oh NutriSystem, how many times, I shall not count them) and have begun to break free of that insidious group think. I have three kids to teach healthy food attitudes to, thats a huge responsibility. What I put in my mouth and theirs ARE the lessons, not any lecture I could give. I dont mind telling them that I love pralines, loathe malted balls, and such. I will never tell them to watch their weight or that birthday cake has to many calories to have a second helping.

SO many "will nots" huh.

What I will do this year is love more, hug more, smile more, cook more, create more, live more.

I hope you will too!