As the holiday season sets forth upon us and the pandemic rages on and worsens, I can’t help but laugh at the prospect of the New Year’s resolution. In a time when so much that gives us joy has been stripped away, it seems unusually cruel to even fathom a basic New Year’s resolution. Drinking less? Swearing less? Eating better? Exercising more?
Having been in survival mode since March, some days my unhealthy habits are the only thing getting me through. No, I haven’t become a raging alcoholic (yet), but do I have a box of wine at the ready most of the time? Yes, yes I do. Do I tend to swear a bit too often, even in front of the kids? Fuck yeah, I certainly do. As for eating, do I still attempt to cook fairly healthy meals? Yes, most of the time, but I also make plenty of tater tot hotdish, cheeseburgers and chocolate chip cookies. I fondly recall when exercise was a consistent part of my life, back when I could go to the Y. I truly miss it and never quite realized how much of a luxury it was, especially with the provided childcare. Am I freaking out about gaining weight . . . maybe just a little, but I blame the wine and the cookies. God damn it, maybe I just need to swear more.
So what the fuck can we do to make 2021 better? Considering how bad 2020 has been, maybe it’s not much of a challenge, as the bar is pretty damn low. I declare a 2021 New Year’s resolution should not be about personal growth. We do not need to give something up, start a new hobby or discipline our bodies. I mean, I won’t stop you if you decide to go this route. Good for you. But I do seem to recall that most self-improvement type resolutions fail by February. But hey, no shame in trying. Godspeed.
I have grown to hate the words “unprecedented times” as it’s hard to go a day without hearing them together. Yet as much as I hate them, we really are living in unprecedented times (my apologies to anyone alive during the 1918 flu pandemic). So if you find yourself considering a New Year’s resolution this year, in these unprecedented times, I’d like to suggest you look at the bigger picture and instead of focusing on personal growth and self-improvement, try to spread a little joy to your community. Whether that community consists of your neighbors, friends, family or strangers, 2016 would be a great year to pay it forward by going out there and putting some positivity into the world. It doesn’t need to be anything too complicated or grandiose. Shovel a neighbor’s walk this winter. Send some handwritten notes to loved ones letting them know that you miss them and you’re thinking of them. Randomly drop off a bottle of wine at your bestie’s house if you know she’s been having a bad week. It’s those little things that keep us going and inspire us to help others. We could certainly use a chain reaction of kindness in this world right now. Be the spark that lights the fire. Not only will it bring a little joy to others, it will also bring a little joy to yourself.
I enjoy baking a lot and between being home pretty much all the time and having a wicked sweet tooth, I have found myself inundated with sweet treats. Between the lack of exercise, stress eating and a strong desire for comfort foods, I need to get these goodies out of my house or else they will be eaten up with abandon. So what does one do when you love to bake but do not want to be tempted to eat all the things? Happy to say this confectionery conundrum has been solved with the birth of the QuaranTreat Fairy. After making a batch of very calorie rich pumpkin cream cheese muffins, I thought I’d surprise some friends by anonymously dropping off muffins at their homes. At the time I used the name Covid Bakery Fairy, but quickly realized I needed a more appealing name that did not include the word Covid. Luckly, my friend Cori suggested the QuaranTreat Fairy, which was swiftly adopted.
Having been in survival mode since March, some days my unhealthy habits are the only thing getting me through. No, I haven’t become a raging alcoholic (yet), but do I have a box of wine at the ready most of the time? Yes, yes I do. Do I tend to swear a bit too often, even in front of the kids? Fuck yeah, I certainly do. As for eating, do I still attempt to cook fairly healthy meals? Yes, most of the time, but I also make plenty of tater tot hotdish, cheeseburgers and chocolate chip cookies. I fondly recall when exercise was a consistent part of my life, back when I could go to the Y. I truly miss it and never quite realized how much of a luxury it was, especially with the provided childcare. Am I freaking out about gaining weight . . . maybe just a little, but I blame the wine and the cookies. God damn it, maybe I just need to swear more.
So what the fuck can we do to make 2021 better? Considering how bad 2020 has been, maybe it’s not much of a challenge, as the bar is pretty damn low. I declare a 2021 New Year’s resolution should not be about personal growth. We do not need to give something up, start a new hobby or discipline our bodies. I mean, I won’t stop you if you decide to go this route. Good for you. But I do seem to recall that most self-improvement type resolutions fail by February. But hey, no shame in trying. Godspeed.
I have grown to hate the words “unprecedented times” as it’s hard to go a day without hearing them together. Yet as much as I hate them, we really are living in unprecedented times (my apologies to anyone alive during the 1918 flu pandemic). So if you find yourself considering a New Year’s resolution this year, in these unprecedented times, I’d like to suggest you look at the bigger picture and instead of focusing on personal growth and self-improvement, try to spread a little joy to your community. Whether that community consists of your neighbors, friends, family or strangers, 2016 would be a great year to pay it forward by going out there and putting some positivity into the world. It doesn’t need to be anything too complicated or grandiose. Shovel a neighbor’s walk this winter. Send some handwritten notes to loved ones letting them know that you miss them and you’re thinking of them. Randomly drop off a bottle of wine at your bestie’s house if you know she’s been having a bad week. It’s those little things that keep us going and inspire us to help others. We could certainly use a chain reaction of kindness in this world right now. Be the spark that lights the fire. Not only will it bring a little joy to others, it will also bring a little joy to yourself.
I enjoy baking a lot and between being home pretty much all the time and having a wicked sweet tooth, I have found myself inundated with sweet treats. Between the lack of exercise, stress eating and a strong desire for comfort foods, I need to get these goodies out of my house or else they will be eaten up with abandon. So what does one do when you love to bake but do not want to be tempted to eat all the things? Happy to say this confectionery conundrum has been solved with the birth of the QuaranTreat Fairy. After making a batch of very calorie rich pumpkin cream cheese muffins, I thought I’d surprise some friends by anonymously dropping off muffins at their homes. At the time I used the name Covid Bakery Fairy, but quickly realized I needed a more appealing name that did not include the word Covid. Luckly, my friend Cori suggested the QuaranTreat Fairy, which was swiftly adopted.
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| So many calories in these cream cheese muffins! |
My resolution heading into 2021 is to keep the QuaranTreat Fairy alive by spreading some joy and calories throughout my neighborhood. My youngest son William is five-years-old and likes to help me bake. We also get a bit bored in the house, so taking a drive to deliver treats breaks up the day nicely and he likes to hang treat bags on door knobs. I like having a reason to experiment with new recipes and love that even when you screw something up, with enough butter and sugar, it usually still tastes pretty good. I feel good brightening someone’s day with a little surprise, William is entertained and my sweet tooth gets satisfied without overindulgence. I hope this QuaranTreat Fairy gig will help get us through this winter and I look forward to spreading a little joy each week, one sweet treat at a time.
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| First attempt at macarons |
Writers note: It sure feels good to write about something that doesn’t involve the election or the T word.
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