Tuesday, December 1, 2009

It's December - more foods to try!

I'm a seasonal eater - I eat everything that's in season and then some. Every year, I eagerly wait for December because that means it's time for those seasonal goodies. I used to be a big fan of magazines but I got tired of seeing articles on healthy eating and how to lose five pounds during the holidays - come on, for one month of the year, let us indulge without guilt. If you believed everything that's written in magazines, every food is a deadly sin to be avoided at all costs and we should exercise 24 hours a day - that doesn't sound too healthy to me.
So what are the foods I like to eat without moderation at this time of year? Here are the traditional favorites.
1. Chips (and dip) - I like chips all through the year but for some reason, the onion dip comes out in December and despite my dislike for condiments, I do like it.
2. Bits and Bites - For reasons entirely my own, it just doesn't seem right to eat these at any other time of the year.
3. French Creams - These are nearly impossible to find now. For those who live outside the Maritimes, they're sugary pastel confections that manage to have a creamy, hard fudgelike taste.
4. Barley toys - Again, hard to find but Robertsons of Nova Scotia I think still makes them.
5. Candy canes or red and white striped mints - again, it's almost sinful to eat these during any month but December.
6. Eggnog - My father made the most incredible (non-alcoholic, of course) eggnogs for me when I was a child - until I was 21, he made me one first thing Christmas morning. I get kinda sentimental since he died when I was 22 and I haven't had one as good ever since. I just buy a quart or two of the storebought stuff now but it still brings back pleasant memories
7. Cheese - I have to have a selection of cheeses every Christmas - and it has to be ones that I don't normally buy.
8. Boxes of cheap chocolates - Yep, it just ain't right unless there's a box of not-so-hot chocolates to snack on at parties - you know the kind - they're on sale now at the drug stores for $3.99 or less.
9. Turkey! Turkey! Turkey!
10. Mashed potatoes, mashed carrots and turnip, stuffing - the holy triumvirate of turkey accompaniments.
11. some sort of pie - maybe even mincemeat.
12. clementines - the easiest way to get some much needed vitamin C. Plus, they're really cute.
13. Glasses of cranberry juice or tomato juice - to imbibe before all the other stuff, of course.
14. Antacids. 'nuff said.

4 comments:

  1. I'm laughing to myself as i read your list, as i can relate to your entire list except for the Frech creams. I'd change them for Gagnong's chicken bones and peanut butter fluff's (if i could find PB fluff's somewhere). I'd substitue Bailey's for the tomato juice.

    Now I'm getting hungry just thinking about all that food!

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  2. Oooh, peanut butter fluffs - forgot about those! I think Wal-mart may carry them - I think they do here in the aisle that stocks Purity Foods from Newfoundland. My brother loves Ganong's chicken bones but I never really liked them too much. I'm sure anyone outside the Maritimes has never even heard of this stuff (which might be a good thing) but it's just not December without it!

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  3. those really awful chocolate covered cherries. We had chicken bones in the US. Don't know if we still do. You are soo funny

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  4. Ahem, I happen to like those cherries. I may have taste, but not all of it's good. In fact, during the off-season (when those boxed cherries aren't so readily available), I'll occasionally get a Cherry Blossom, which is a mega maraschino cherry surrounded with cherry flavored goo in a cheap chocolate and peanut shell, which, if you truly hate chocolate-covered cherries, you would absolutely despise! It's an easy way into a sugar coma.

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