Quote from: Maddie86 on December 25, 2017, 08:54:00 AM
I was having a pretty hard time yesterday dealing with holiday stuff. I had an overwhelming urge to drink. I hate feeling the need to drink, I haven't felt that since over the summer when I had a few really bad days at work. I promised myself that I wouldn't drink out of sadness again, and never drink alone, only drink when I'm celebrating something. A lot of stuff has been piling up lately and I've been feeling pretty depressed. well, I made it without drinking last night!
Congratulations, Maddie! That is not an easy thing to do. Just one day at a time...
I'm cooking already (8 AM here). Two friends who won't have family to spend Christmas with are coming over later for dinner with me. I'm doing the works, a turkey, garnet yams and other sides, cranberry walnut bread, and an apple crisp with vanilla bean ice cream for dessert. ALmost all the dishes are gluten free for one friend.
Alcohol figures into this. One of my friends can't be with family for the holidays as they tend to turn the day into a drinking competition. My friend has been clean and sober for a long, long time, but the temptations are still strong, of course. Instead of each of us spending the day alone with a turkey sandwich, we will be hanging out together, and joined by another friend this afternoon.
We'll play games or watch a movie while the turkey roasts.

The yams are in the oven for their first pass, baking til tender so I can slice and dice into a pan, to be topped with a sort of 'crisp' crust built from maple syrup, brown sugar, almond meal, and rolled oats. While the turkey is roasting I'll do the sesame roasted asparagus and a few other goodies. A friend is bringing salad and squash soup. We'll have the cranberry walnut bread and of course a cranberry-orange relish on the side.
Sometimes we have to build our own family. I'm so glad I have my new sisters.
❤️❤️❤️