Christmas Pudding

For Thanksgiving we had yam pudding for breakfast, and I love it. It's like having the pie we skipped for dessert. This morning I intended to make some pumpkin bread for C to use up the can of pumpkin that's been in the cupboard for awhile (more on that later) when I decided to look up my old pumpkin pudding recipe. Mulling it over, I realized I was never as happy with the pumpkin pudding as it didn't have the rich texture I love in the yam pudding. The Light Went On!  The grain was always a challenge with the batches of pumpkin, switching back and forth, trying different cereals, and viola! Use yams for the grain! BEST OF BOTH WORLDS! Usually I skip the fruit on mornings I have pudding, and now it's part of the recipe.

(2) Fruit    12oz prepared pumpkin (I used the whole 15oz can)

(1) Protein    2 eggs

(1) Protein    8oz half n half - I meant to use half milk but the carton was dated yesterday on the cream

(2) Grain    8oz yams

Pumpkin Pie spice plus lots of extra ground Ginger

So, the yams I used were from the left over mix we had prepared for the sweet potato casserole at Thanksgiving. So yes, there was some brown sugar in it. But proportionately, this still puts sugar down past the 3rd ingredient in the recipe, making it acceptable. And I didn't use any dates as I normally do in yam pudding.

This made two huge servings, and they are sitting in the fridge in their Pyrex bowls waiting to be baked off in the morning. I'm thinking of it as the season's Gingerbread substitute; all the flavor with none of the flour and just minimal sugar. As I am a savory food addict rather than a sweet one, this shouldn't be a trigger for me. So Just as I think of the yam pudding as a pumpkin pie replacement, this will be my gingerbread replacement. Not wanting to confuse the issue of whether it's a bread knockoff, I am calling this my Christmas pudding.

And by the way, I did not eat in the middle of the night last night. Better than that, when I couldn't sleep and the thought crossed my mind that normally I would get a snack, I was able to brush the thought aside without any fighting or drama. There was no compulsion. And I am wondering if this is what happened; called for support, felt encouraged, cleaned out the cupboard, removed temptation, had a Bright Night.

Now I get to go highlight a little box in my paper journal for the first time in 20 days. Almost three weeks. 'Three weeks lost' came immediately to mind, but they were not lost, they were another learning experience. I hear it all the time - reach out for support - but my isolator usually keeps me small and quiet, and alone. I feel like this was a battle won, and I am grateful to feel the relief and strength that comes from having had a Bright night.

I am adding a Bright Line Support label so I can search back and be reminded of what Self Care really looks like - it's not really all about 'self' at all.