Finding the chase and cutting to it

It’s been a while since I’ve been able to kick back my heals, and I am currently sitting in my lounge, planning some lunch, watching my favourite cookery programme.

I’m a foodie. I have always liked delicious food – after all, who doesn’t. I love food combinations when I am doing something special. My everyday food belies that, probably, but great ingredients beautifully cooked taste amazing. They don’t need much else.

That said, we had a honey roast ham, yesterday, traditional fare for us the Sunday before Christmas. I’m saving some of the ham for light lunches, and of course, vol au vents. Boxing day is bubble and squeak with sausage meat fritters, and turkey and ham vol au vents.

But what to do to rest between the feasts? We are intermittent fasters, meaning we don’t eat much during the week but go free rein during the weekends. It ensures we get the nutrients we need without getting too heavy.

But the winter feasts, the holiday season, the parties, can ruin all that. In fact, in the UK, we typically put on 2.3kg or 5lbs of weight.

In the middle ages, this behaviour guaranteed survival during the times when food was scarce. In our part of the UK, the coldest months are about to roll-in. Before central heating, the weight put on over this period meant you could weather that weather.

Trouble is, under the age of 80, it can cause more harm than good.

So we’re conciously snacking for our main meals today and tomorrow, until family arrive: soufflés for lunch today with carrot soup this evening. I have ham sandwiches tomorrow while Jon cooks waffles.

Not using diet food, then?

No. But keeping the portions down, and removing things like thick wedges of bread. Nice, light meals.

The trick is keeping your carbon footprint down too. Looking at my show, they do not appreciate how much power can be saved cooking the soufflés in the microwave, instead for the hob.

It’s not about the money, honey. I’m looking at our power usage compared to last year. Most of my food is now cooked at home too, so our electricity is a little higher this year. But the power saving is dramatic – cooking with the smaller oven, microwaves when possible – and of course our heating is with electricity now…

Oh, well it’s a lot warmer in the UK now…

Not on individual days, actually because of a lack of solar energy (it’s been cloudy), there is less solar gain in our rooms, and we’ve had to heat our rooms much more than last year.

And we’re cooking at home more. We’ve had to turn down the thermostat in our bedroom in the morning, because it was way too warm in December, with the heating on how we had it.

Looking good, then?

Yes, I think it is. Merry Christmas🎄.