It's really sad. It seems that as the holiday gets closer, people get meaner. I work in a service department at a car dealership and as Christmas approaches, many people seem to be less patient, angrier, and more apt to just plain old lose it. What ever happened to "the joy of the holidays"?
Because of our finances, we have been forced to cut way back this year. At work, our department adopted a family instead of doing Secret Santas. At home, I told the kids our budget per person was only $100 this year. But my kids, in a rare angelic moment, donated HALF of their personal Christmas budgets to this family full of kids that might otherwise not be getting anything. I can't tell you how proud I am of them.
So, because of that, we have cut back further still. I have goodies for stockings and a couple of nice gifts per child, as well as new PJs for everyone. And that is it. I have warned the girls that its going to be nothing like our usual Christmas, with so many gifts surrounding the tree that it takes us an hour to unwrap them all. They tell me they are fine with that (we'll confirm that on Christmas morning!)
And, as I've reduced all the frantic gift-buying and wish lists, it seems that my stress level has dropped right along with it. I have had a few days that were not really on-plan but with all the goodies floating around the workplace, I'm amazed at my resistance. I don't have the angry-gotta-get-5-hours-of-shopping-done-in-2-hours feeling. I'm feeling pretty ....calm. And isn't peace a symbol of the season? How far society has strayed from that.
Today was not as terrible as yesterday, as far as eats are concerned. In fact, I'm very pleased to past my count for the day.
Calories: 1464
Carbs: 201
Fat: 29
Protein: 114
Yay, me!
Here is one of our favorite family recipes - super quick and easy!
MEXICAN PIZZA
1 Greek Pita
Mexican-seasoned Ground Turkey
Salsa
Refried Beans
Shredded Cheese
Preheat your oven to 400. Spread refried beans (I use PC low-fat) on the pita - about 1/3 cup. Top this with a tablespoon of salsa. On top of the salsa, layer cooked ground turkey (I usually make a big batch on the weekends ) about 4 ounces. Sprinkle shredded cheese (I use light cheddar) to top and bake in the oven until warm all the way through. Let it stand for a couple of minutes before slicing and enjoying. You can drizzle some plain non-fat yogurt on the top in lieu of sour cream.
This is a great recipe because it's very flexible. If you don't have ground turkey, you can use leftover sliced chicken or roast beef. The amount of cheese I top with varies based on my current dietary goals.
All the typing has me hungry! Off to make Mexican Pizzas!
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