Tuesday, January 2, 2018

And Just Like That

And just like that it's over.

The holiday season has come and gone. What's left is decidedly not an afterglow. More like exhaustion mixed with apathy. October is Halloween, November is Thanksgiving, December is Christmas/Chanukah/NewYear's. And January? January is Blaaah.

Half the fun of the holiday season, much like getting married, is the build up. You get engaged and for months and months you do research, pick a venue, colors, flowers, cake, caterer, guest list, plan the honeymoon . . . on and on. All of the preparation almost as sweet as the day itself. Having something to look forward to is euphoric in its own way. Finally the day arrives and flies by in a blur. Not to worry, it's honeymoon time. Pure joy, a time you'll never forget. Then it's all over, you come home, and go back to work, to a life not centered around planning a party. 

The holiday season is so much like that, lots of preparation, delightful anticipation. Part of it is marketing, some stores now edging their Christmas displays all the way back into August. Part of it is the excitement of a schedule full of family, friends and celebrations. Add in the planning, what do I want this year, what do I want to give, and to whom? Where will we celebrate, and how? Decorations, parties, charity, cards and wrapping paper, plane tickets and hugs long awaited. There's anxiety associated with holiday season, but there's also unadulterated fun. 


And Just Like That another holiday season is over. Start the countdown to the next. | www.BakingInATornado.com | #holiday #humor


Then, just like that, it's over and along comes the let down. January is just so mundane. Back to work or chores or whatever everyday life looks like for you when there are no big build ups in the foreseeable future. Laundry, budgeting (thanks for that one, holiday season), hibernating (and thank you too, below zero winter temperatures), shopping, cooking just for 2 again.


Quick Linguini with Clams and Broccoli is a weeknight dinner ready in under 30 minutes. Lots of flavor added to packaged ingredients and dinner is ready | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #dinner #pasta

Quick Linguine with Clams and Broccoli


I've mentioned before that I'm not one for New Year's resolutions. So less a resolution, more a survival strategy, I've devised a plan to endure the January monotony, apathy, routine, boring, ordinary, run of the mill, commonplace, uneventful doldrums.

*I will text my boys once a day. Yes, that may be excessive, and they won't answer me, but if nothing else I can find a little joy in the fact that I'm driving them nuts.

*Every once in a while I'll throw my sweatpants in the wash and put on a pair of jeans. Hopefully after a week in sweat pants I'll still fit into them. If not I may need a plan B.

*I will paint my nails, even my toenails (OK, that's a maybe). Color is uplifting, right? 

*I'll shave my legs. No, actually I won't. And I'll enjoy the hell out of not doing it.

*I'll cook as if the boys and all of their friends were still here. Starve the cold, feed your freezer, that's a thing, right?

Oh, and it's just 357 days till Christmas. You know, in case you're counting.


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Quick Linguine with Clams and Broccoli
                                                                       ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Ingredients:
1 can (15 oz) White Clam Sauce
1 can (6.5 oz) chopped clams, drained
2 TBSP white wine
1 TBSP dried parsley flakes
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp minced garlic
1 slice bacon, cooked and finely chopped

1# linguine
1 cup steamed broccoli florets 

OPT: grated parmesan to taste

Directions:
*Place the white clam sauce, chopped clams, white wine, parsley flakes, red pepper flakes, black pepper, minced garlic and chopped bacon in a pot over medium heat. 
*Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until the pasta is cooked.
*Cook the linguine al dente, according to package directions. Drain well and place in a bowl with the steamed broccoli. 
*Pour the clam sauce over the pasta and mix well. Serve with grated parmesan cheese. 

14 comments:

  1. I plan to explore crockpot cooking this January. So for the next 5 days I am challenging myself to turn off the TV ( especially all the negative news) and do some research on crockpot recipes and youtube videos that are easy to follow, and then try my hand at crockpot cooking. I guess I'll be feeding my freezer too! :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's a great plan. I've enjoyed playing with my crockpot, figuring out what foods work well in there and which ones to avoid.

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  2. I love clams with anything but with pasta for me it is a cold weather comfort food, yum! I am the opposite, I can't wait to get back to normal, business as usual after the holidays!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, pasta is definitely a cold weather comfort food for us too.
      Enjoy your January!

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  3. I like clams, and I haven't had a dish with clams in it for a long time. Thanks for the suggestion.

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    Replies
    1. Wish I still lived where you can get fresh clams, but since I don't this is a good alternative.

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  4. In all the years my husband has made clam sauce he has never once put broccoli into it. And why not? It’s such a natural. Like January being blah. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com

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  5. I used to hate the Christmas season because of the stress level, but since the kids were born I love everything about Christmas. I love it and the planning, cooking, shopping. Okay, not the shopping but since I did it all online this year I won't complain about that.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So true, seeing things through the eyes of little ones sure can bring back the joy of things we'd come to associate with stress.

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  6. December was blah, but hoping for a great January. Think winning the lottery and being able to stay home great......

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey, if you win that lottery, don't forget your friends!

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  7. I so know what you mean by the time January rolls around we are all exhausted and feeling blahhhhhhhh

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And unfortunately it's been so freezing cold here no one leaves the house. That just makes the blahs even worse.

      Delete

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