Still Blue Week Two

Dear Margaret,

I'm assuming from your silence on the subject that you are treating me like you would a friend who won't leave a really bad boy friend.

1. Don't bring it up unless she does. 
2. Be sympathetic but supportive. 
3. Try to disguise your horror. 
4. And when you can't, repeat step 1.

Week 2 went faster than week 1. I had a rough day somewhere around day 9 when I resorted to eating dates. Dates always look like cockroaches to me. Even though I don't even like them I had some on hand from prior plans to make a date and raisin cake. Fortunately they were de-pitted so the holes in the middle dispelled the cockroach similarity enough to get a few down.

There was a close call on Saturday night when after a glass of wine with dinner I poured myself a small glass of port. Totally legal as it has no refined sugar (more of that arbitrariness). Then I remembered the block of dark chocolate Andrea gave me for my birthday. It is specifically designed to go with port and I almost went to the closet and got a hunk of it. My brain couldn't get around the idea that port was okay but chocolate wasn't when really the port probably tastes sweeter. I don't know for sure because I resisted. Narrowly.

The other thing that's come up this week as we've been out celebrating the holidays is specialty cocktails. I ordered a Lemon Drop forgetting that they are rimmed with sugar. Fortunately the bartender only rimmed one side so I could avoid it. Well, most of it.

Overall, this week I learned that I am not really addicted to sugar. I'm getting along ok without it and really don't miss it most of the time. However, I really miss the cozy ending that it brings to a meal. I miss the "treat-ness" of a cookie in the afternoon. I miss baking a lot.

I think it's not the sugar itself as much as the baked goods. If I thought there was any point I'd experiment with baking without sugar, using agave or other substitutes. But basically, I don't think sugar's that bad for you.

Which reminds me, don't you eschew sugar for months at a time when you are training hard? Hmmm?

Love, Elise