Thank goodness the big holiday meals are over.
I love to cook, bake, and prepare massive amounts of food for my family.
And one of the best parts of the holidays is all the treats and sweets that we do not normally eat.
And my innards are paying for it now.
I don't have the steel insides that the younger ones do.
We cooked a fresh ham this Christmas, instead of the precooked, or smoked ones that we usually have.
I will not do that again. It was good, don't get me wrong, but the fat that was on that meat was incredible.
It permeated all the meat and covered all the dishes and utensils so much that it took several washings to clear it off them.
I can just imagine what our innards look like. Mine are protesting so much that the leftovers will have to go to the younger family members.
Can't believe I am looking forward to getting back on the healthy track!
Okay, I know this post has absolutely nothing to do with losing weight or being healthy, but I have been making so many sweets for the holidays, I just had to post this one.
This is a batch of home made toffee candy that is made of all natural ingredients, so that part is good.
The first time I made this candy, I was stirring away with a plastic spoon, and the next thing I knew, my spoon was gone. All that was left was a piece of the stick that was the handle.
The rest of it had melted into the sugar and butter mixture, and this was a thick spoon too.
So it's best to use a wooden one for this candy as it gets very hot.
You will need:
1 cup of real butter
1 cup of granulated sugar
1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
Heat the butter and sugar in a heavy saucepan to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly.
Boil for 6 minutes or until golden colored, still stirring constantly. Pour into a buttered 9 inch pan and let stand for three minutes. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top and let stand for 5 minutes. When they are shiny, spread the chocolate evenly over the surface. Cool completely in the refrigerator. Remove the candy and break it in small pieces. Store in the refrigerator.
So rich and so addictive, this home made toffee is so delicious.
Don't eat too much though - that butter is so bad for diets!
There wasn't much walking going on this past week.
Moving the foot of snow around that we received earlier in the week took much of our energy and time.
Today's snow began about 2:00. By 4:00, we had almost three inches on the ground.
My husband suggested we go for a walk, and by the time we left it was getting dark.
The snow was beginning to turn to ice and we could hear it bouncing off our jackets as we walked along.
The world was a quiet one - no cars, no people. Just the sound of the bouncing ice.
It was dark, but the white snow covering everything kept the road visible.
And the most beautiful part of the walk - the lights from the Christmas trees.
It was picture perfect with all the snow - just like a card.
Glad my husband talked me into a walk in the snow in the dark.
As we age, our metal capacities tend to slow down.
Our brains are not as sharp as they once were, but with some "exercises" they can be kept in good shape too.
One thing we like to do each morning is a daily Sudoku puzzle.
Not the kind on the computer where you just have to punch in the numbers, and most times it will let you know if you are wrong.
We do it the old fashioned way - with pencil and paper after we copy it from the newspaper onto a blank grid.
It has become a competition of sorts between my husband and I.
See who can complete it first, and have it all correct.
Some of these puzzles are so easy it only takes a few minutes, but the majority of them really make you think - some of them for way too long sometimes.
We like to think of this as exercising our brains - use it or loose it.
We love to use them - and it is a free workout each day!
One thing I really do not like is when I lay down at night and I hear my heart pounding - no matter what position I am in.
As we get older, this becomes more noticeable, and as we gain weight, or our blood pressure rises, it seems to also increase the sound.
About two months ago, I became more diligent in my daily workout, and I have found that it helps tremendously with this pounding heart noise.
Another benefit - a few more pounds have been shed.
Sitting at the computer all day makes it all the more important to get exercising.
A bit of prevention goes a long way!
