January has sliced and diced it’s way through my life quickly. I have been unable to grasp my to-do lists tight enough; they fly away from my finger tips too fast. I am keeping up with my challenge – as if you were worried – and I’m here to report a quick note about some of the fantastic things I have discovered.
Days 14 & 15 brought similar experiences – both had to do with cooking 🙂 One of my favorite dinners, even as a little girl, has always been beef stroganoff with mushrooms. Growing up, my mom used to let us pick our favorite meal for our birthday dinners; beef stroganoff was always a crowd favorite of mine. I love pasta {who doesn’t?!} and the comfort of cream of mushroom soup. It’s warm, filling, and oh-so-tasty.
Since I’ve been on my healthy train, {minimal processed foods}, I decided to try something new with my favorite recipe: Instead of pasta, I made it with quinoa.
I made WAY too much quinoa, but it was just as tasty & WAY healthier. I did miss the familiar
taste of noodles, but I actually really enjoyed the flavor of quinoa. {Recipe will be posted by January’s end}
Days 16, 17, & 18 I spent at a cabin in the woods with my best college girlfriends. We brought along our men and traveled through the night, {three hours}, to weekend bliss. I absolutely love it when we’re all together. Our friendships have changed throughout the past 8 years, but we’ve always made time for one another. We don’t live close, {one of my girlfriends traveled almost six hours this weekend to join us}, but we are good at making our friendships feel important.
Anyway, back to my something new.
Usually when we all get together, our gatherings surround food and cocktails. We veg on dips, play games, and catch up. Tony and I got in late Friday night and had to play catch up. I allowed myself three drinks. I had made it a goal to REALLY minimize alcohol consumption in my life. Unless it is a celebratory occasion, I didn’t want to drink. As mentioned in previous posts, {a cup of reality, please}, alcohol and chemo do not mix.
For my something new was to hold strong to this goal. Although I did drink three drinks, I didn’t allow anybody to make me feel like I needed to keep drinking as the weekend progressed. My friends are amazing. They completely understand my situation.
But..
It’s hard to let old habits die. My BEST memories in college involved these girlfriends & doing something silly; most of the time under the influence of alcohol.
But when the time came to fill my drink, and the offers started rolling in the second night, I stuck to water, & guess what? Nobody batted an eyelash at my choice & the weekend was just as much fun.
I am proud of myself. It may seem like something simple and unimportant, but it is a stepping stone to the better me of 2015.
Be back tomorrow with my first book review! I finished Little Big Lies by Liane Moriarty & it did not disappoint. It may even be better than My Husband’s Secret.
peace out.