Peanut Brittle and Such!

It's that time of year when treat giving is at an all time high, and I joined in the festivities.  This weekend I made peanut brittle, peppermint bark, peanut blossoms, chocolate chip cookies, homemade oreos (red velvet and golden), and chocolate crinkles.  By last night I was done looking at sweet treats and dishes.  I was grateful to unload some this morning and sent them with Beau to take to his coworkers and others he wanted to thank.  With all this temptation in the house I indulged in one piece of nostalgic, crunchy, and sweet peanutty goodness which is peanut brittle.  Making Peanut Brittle is a family tradition.  My mother has made it every Christmas for as long as I can remember.  She even has uses a special pot.  It is a triangle Guardian Service Pot.  I have never made it before, and when I called my mom for some tips I discovered she was also making Peanut Brittle with my oldest sister.  Then I found out that my second oldest sister was also making Peanut Brittle.  It made the tradition that much more enjoyable.  There is something simply impressive in watching ingredients turn from liquid goo to candy.

Despite all the sweets in the house I still managed to lose a little more weight!  Thank Heavens!!  Last week was overwhelming with the desire to binge and give up.  I am glad to have my resolve back.  I think that writing down my concerns helps strengthen me in my weakest moments.  I am re-centered and refocused.  I am also accountable for the feelings that I am having.  I never thought that writing down my weaknesses would make me so much stronger.

I want to take a moment to recognize one of my greatest supporters.  This person is one of the pickiest eaters I know and one of the most opposed to change as well.  This person only wants the best for those around them, and often time tries to overcome their own personal struggles with "weird" foods in order to support me.  This wonderful person is my husband.  Sometimes he just wants Pizza, but that is understandable.  He is not ready to make the same changes that I am making.  I have a very huge incentive to lose this weight (to hopefully improve my chances of becoming a mother as well as improve my blood pressure and heart murmur); however, Beau does not have any health reasons to change the way he is doing things.  Neither of us have been diagnosed with Diabetes or High Cholesterol.  He doesn't have Blood Pressure or Heart Issues.  Besides the occasional feeling of fatigue, Beau doesn't have a pressing reason to lose weight or change his eating habits.  He is so amazing to me.  He tells me that he loves me just the way I am, and I don't need to change for him.  He knows that I want to change, so he has patiently waited in restaurants as I try to find a healthy option, attempted to eat my poorly adapted recipes with strange ingredients, the long grocery store trips as I search for the best option, and so many other things.  He listens to me as I pour my heart out in concerns over cooking, eating, cravings, and fears.  He gives me advice and a hug when I just need to know that he cares and loves me.  Now he struggles from time to time, and just needs to eat a hamburger.  This is why we are such a good match.  He is patient as I work diligently on changing my lifestyle, and I am patient with him as he needs to eat the foods that make him happy.  I am so grateful to have him at my side as we both try to figure out how to live with my lifestyle.  It makes us better together.