The Eighth Day of Christmas

On the eighth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

Mmmm....milk. I love it and all the things that come from it-butter, cheese, yogurt, and every variety of frozen creamy products. Today I atet a lot of them--some diet friendly and some not!

Since the holidays are almost over, it will soon be back to diet reality; less rich food and more health-friendly options. This morning I made a smoothie with non-fat yogurt and frozen fruit, using the immersion blender that I got for a Christmas present.

Although I already have a standard blender in my kitchen, I've seen chefs on the Food Network pureeing soups and sauces with an immersion blender and I decided I wanted one. In just a few days I've used my new toy to puree pinto beans for dip, crush cooked cranberries for sauce, and blend gravy. I really like it-it's lightweight, easy to use, and easy to clean; you just remove the blending part and put it in the dishwasher.

For my smoothie, I poured frozen mixed fruit into a measuring cup, thawed it a bit in the microwave, and added several spoonfuls of yogurt and a splash of milk. I planted the blender in the center of the cup, set the speed control to a medium setting, and held the power button down. A few seconds later the cup was full of smoothie goodness.

This afternoon I enjoyed a lunch full of full-fat dairy products. Tony organized an early birthday celebration for me before Son Tony left to go back home. We had lunch at Dave and Busters, then moved into the arcade section for some games. I ordered a tasty mac and cheese with chicken and bacon pieces, and Tony brought in a chocolate cake with decadent chocolate buttercream icing.

My diet can start tomorrow!