A Lighter View
Over-eating no more
By K.E.H. Stagg

Dec. 24, 2009

We all recognize that Christmas is a time of giving. In celebration of the gift God gave the world in sending His Son to save us from sin, we exchange gifts and shower one another with foods. Lots of food. Depending on your ethnic heritage, Christmas can be an occasion where you max out your caloric intake for the entire year. I should know! Between the Hungarian butter cookies, dobos torte, chicken paprikas with spaetzle, roast beef and plum pudding with hard sauce, my European ancestry is engaged in a tug-of-war to see which side will give me cardiac arrest first.

I know that the specialty foods that make their appearance at Christmas were, in the old country, a treat to celebrate the special season of the year. They called for ingredients whose richness was a symbol of God’s richest gift to humanity, and they were pricey ingredients too; not something you’d lay out a wad of cash for on just any occasion. I get that part.

It wouldn’t be so hard if I had more self-control. Why can’t I just refuse the wafer-thin layers of cake sandwiched between chocolate mousse-like frosting and topped with caramelized sugar that is dobos torte? And there’s no reason I really have to eat the powdered sugar-dusted flaky pastries filled with stewed apricots or ground walnuts and egg whites. Just like there’s no rule that says plum pudding has to be accompanied by the rum, butter, cream and sugar that comprises hard sauce.

It’s bad enough that I fall prey to my own heritage, Christmas after Christmas. What’s even worse is that I am susceptible to the traditional foods of ethnicities I don’t even share. Stollen, marzipan and panettone are a few of the Christmas treats I find hard to resist. Frankly, when it comes to goodies, I’m an equal opportunity glutton, and I’m as likely to indulge in baklava as I am Russian teacakes.

I need to start practicing Nancy Reagan’s 1980s-era slogan against illegal substance abuse: “Just say No.” If I can’t stop at a normal portion, maybe the best gift I can give myself is to say, “No, thanks.” And once I’ve learned to be satisfied with a bite or two, I can again sample Christmas goodies from around the world.

Any other takers?