Chocolate Chip Cookies by Thing 1 – I passed
(but he was more than happy to eat them by himself!)
It was a special lunch outing with the women in my family – my cousins’ wives, my aunt, and my mom joined me at Tea on the Tiber. We had wonderful tea, butternut squash & apple soup (oh my gosh – so good!), mini sandwiches, a delicious scone, cheeses, and fruits. None of us had room to enjoy the dessert (coconut cake, brownies, and cookies), so my aunt took them home.
After the lovely ladies’ tea-lunch we walked around the antique shops in Old Ellicott City and did some shopping. The weather was nice. A lot of people were out. And best of all? NO KIDS WITH US! Yes – judge if you want. But if you are a mom, you won’t judge, because you know that time away from kids, grown-up time is precious! And how rarely it happens! It was a lovely afternoon.
Food temptation came when it was not quite time for dinner but I was suddenly hit with hunger. Normally I would have eaten a couple of cookies. Not today. I hate ate a string cheese along with a few broccoli florets with a little ranch dip. Then, I went out to get dinner (Subway) for the family.
Another challenge came when after dinner Thing 1 wanted to make chocolate chip cookies with his daddy. It smelled so good. Then, just when I thought I was going to escape temptation by going to the park with the boys, Thing 1 insisted we “take them with us in case we get hungry.” So it smelled so good in the car too. (And of course he got “hungry” as soon as we got in the car and ate 2.) After the park, we also went to Barnes and Noble. Normally I would have gotten myself some coffee and a scone or a muffin, sit, and watch Thing 1 read books. That would have been a little “treat” for myself. Not today. Nothing. I pushed Thing 2 around in the stroller and looked at books while Thing 1 played with trains.
Each time I DENY myself food, I realize just how often and how much I have been eating – just here and there, this and that. For no reason other than its availability – and because it’s part of many social rituals. You go to the bookstore – you get a coffee and a snack. You eat chocolate chip cookies because they’re there. You go to the park – you pack a little snack. That’s what picnic tables are for! So many of our social engagements, occasions, and rituals involve food. And it takes some serious determination (and a blog to expose your weaknesses when you fail) to keep you away from the bad food that taste oh-so-good.
Mana Writes by Laura 