Holiday Check In

Hi Everyone!

Happy holidays! :-) I just got back from DC after a week at home with the family. It was so great to get away! We had a really nice holiday. The first few days I was home, I worked quite a bit and spent time with friends who were also home. I spent Christmas Eve with just my immediate family...cooked a turkey dinner with my mom and sister, went to church, and opened gifts.

Dinner was great. With some sadness...we decided not to make stuffing. It's just too good...and a gluten-filled disaster. We made mashed potatoes, but I skipped those in favor of the roasted veggies.

My "no grain" turkey dinner! Turkey, gravy, and roasted root vegetables...with a few pickles and olives.

I should note that seconds were had. :-) We also made a gluten-free (but not grain-free) apple crisp! It's one of my favorite treat recipes...and I'll post it soon.

We spent Christmas Day with part of my mom's side of the family. Many of them live on the west coast, but we had a great time with the in-staters! More turkey, more gifts, and a 10-person game of rummy!

On the 26th, I worked a bit...and then we went out to the lake to take a look at my parents' under-construction cabin. It's really coming along!

My family standing in the living room/kitchen area.

On the 27th, I went to Bismarck with my parents. My mom and I worked out at the Bismarck State College recreational facility. It's a great space! I worked out the kinks on one of the spin bikes, and then did a walk/jog combo on the treadmill. Felt good to get moving! We spent that evening with part of my dad's side of the family. Again...just the in-staters. :-) We brought dinner to my aunt and uncle's house...ate, chatted, and played more cards! We learned how to use the timer on my sister's camera...and we're so darn cute I can hardly stand it!

The rest of the time was spent pretty much just hanging out! Drinking coffee with Baileys, watching cheesy Christmas movies, going to bed early, sleeping in. Pretty much exactly what I needed.

Soooo....How did the food/exercise go? Well... I'd say...fair. Exercise was basically nonexistent, with the exception of the day in Bismarck. I have lots of excuses...and they're good ones. I'm from the upper midwest...and it's COLD there. Being outside...or even running on the treadmill in the unheated shop wasn't appealing. And...I also thought that I'd give my ankle a little bit of time to chill out. It feels pretty good at the moment...I've worn nothing but running shoes for the last 9 days, and it's gotten lots of rest. And...the day that I did work out, it hurt.

But...these are excuses. Plain and simple. I'm home...and back in action. Spin/yoga classes tomorrow, Monday, and Tuesday!

Food was better than pretty much any other Christmas ever. Not great, you understand...but better. My family is awesome...we didn't bake, and there were very few treats around! Did a pretty good job of keeping it gluten-free...with the exception of a few sugar cookies made from my grandmother's recipe. :-) As to the grain-free, low-sugar, no dairy plan....um....not so much. (See discussion of coffee with Baileys above!) I will say, though...that all of these were pretty drastically reduced.

Despite all of this, though...I can tell I've been off my game. I'm sluggish...and ready to get back into the routine. It's always good to go home.... And always good to get back. I'm excited for the New Year...though...next up is a post about how I don't believe in New Years Resolutions. :-)

I hope that all of you had a restful, peaceful, and fun holiday. I wish you nothing but good stuff in 2013. More soon!

E