Diet for the New Year

Like everybody else, I am on a diet to recover from holiday bingeing. But I’m also making great efforts to cut back how much money I spend, and the only place I see as a possibility is food. This is tricky because I really am not extravagant with food in the first place. I consulted my friend Jon (here he is with his no-good girlfriend), who is quite thrifty. I can’t bring myself to live off of two cheese sandwiches with mustard for lunch yet, but I compromised with cheese toast, carrot chips, and tomato and roasted red pepper soup. Bonus–orange food day!

The biggest cut I hope to make is chocolate. I am not going to buy any more of my beloved Scharffen Berger Nibby bars. I justified the expenditure for a long time because, by eating really exquisite chocolate, I am not tempted to eat a lot of it, which is cheaper in the long run, and healthier as well. And the Professor found a great place to order it drastically discounted. And he substantially contributed to my supply, as did other dear family and friends. Still. It is expensive when you look at monthly consumption. So, Nibby bars, goodbye . . . goodbye (sung to the tune of “Leggy Blonde“). This is the last of the stash.

No more chocolate for me. I learned in Al-Anon and therapy that the best way to break a habit or addiction is to replace it with something else healthier. I think I’m going to try and substitute the decaf green tea that I drink like crazy already, which I started to replace my coffee addiction. Wish me luck. Now I’m off to attend to that other expensive addiction–I have some Tilli Thomas yarn calling to me–”I want to be a Mini-Clapotis!”