I just drank my first cup of black tea in six weeks.
I’m not religious, but like many of the folks around me, I borrow freely from religions as it suits me. I have been known to meditate, do yoga, fast, exchange gifts at Christmas, color eggs at Easter, and eat latkes at Hannukah – even though I don’t consider myself Hindu, Christian, or Jewish.
So this Easter I thought I’d try my hand at the Lent fast. Originally intended to be a time of cleansing and religious study (no rich foods and read the bible), Lent has morphed into annual six-week symbolic fast, meaning that folks generally just give up one thing to represent their sacrifice.
I decided to give up black tea and caffeinated coffee as I felt I had become a little too dependent on caffeine to jumpstart my day.
Chad said he would give up French fries. (Although we actually only eat French fries probably once a month, I thought it best not to press the point – as he wasn’t keen to make a sacrifice in the name of Christianity to begin with.)
Upon hearing what we were doing, Bella promptly said she would give up cabbage rolls, which she hates and never eats anyhow.
I explained more about the concept of Lent to her and she grudgingly decided to give up Starbucks, and then the next day decided she would give up soda instead. Again, she rarely drinks anything fizzy, but she did point out that her Lent sacrifice would prevent her from having root beer floats as well.
I don’t know how it went for them – but it felt good to nip my black tea habit in the bud. I think I can revert back to my original couple cups a week habit rather than a couple cups a day. I liked being aware of my craving – not the moving so slowly and foggily part – but that phase passed quickly enough.
Bella didn’t get an Easter basket per se this year – but she did get a chocolate bunny from See’s, a pack of sour “5” gum, and her favorite Ritter bar (Dark Chocolate with Marzipan – obviously she gets her keen sense of chocolate from my side of the family) tied with a yellow ribbon on her breakfast plate. Her Easter gift was a pass to the San Diego Zoo.
Easter meal I’m putting off until next week when Chad’s parents will be making their monthly visit to play with Christian. I thought I’d try a Provencal-Roasted Leg of Lamb and Spring Pea Soup with Bacon Breadcrumbs with a Bittersweet Chocolate Cake for dessert (all from Williams-Sonoma online recipes). For me, it’s really just an occasion to spend money on a slab of meat and to cook for the family.
On Easter day, we had a Braised Brisket with rice (also from Williams-Sonoma recipes online – But I only made it because I needed the brisket for their Shepard’s Pie). Chad spent the evening rolling my change to see if I have enough to replace my camera. Looks like I do.
