What the? I'm sorry but I am NOT ready for living in total darkness! Not only limited hours of daylight, plus the end of daylight savings, but also a cruel, endless string of dark, cloudy days. Ugh! This is how dragged down I feel in March, not November. I'm toast this winter, completely. When our kids are in college, I am so out of here. Grumble.

Given that I'm firmly stuck here for the next, oh, eight years at least, I'd better reach extra-early for my tried-and-true northern-clime gloom deterrents, not usually seen consistently until the end of December. But hey, desperate times call for desperate measures. First, I complain loudly and often. Then I force myself outside. Grumble. Yeah, the one sure thing that "feels me better" (as Nathan used to say) is the last thing I feel like doing - exercising in the great, dim, cold outdoors. Turns out that even watery sunlight is better than no sunlight at all. Hmph.

I also consume a lot of warm liquids. Pots of tea, mugs of hot chocolate (while playing Scrabble with Nathan - that could cheer me from the worst of moods), bowls of brothy soup. Good for my tummy and soul. Tonight's tortilla soup, followed by a hot cuppa joe, did me up pretty well. Oooh, now it's time to go soak in warm liquid - aka a bath - and I should be almost back to normal. Almost. Grumble.

Moderate it: warm liquids are so filling for very few calories. Even hot chocolate can be moderate if you make it yourself with low-fat milk, good quality unsweetened chocolate, and not too much sugar. Enjoy!

I don't know about you, but I'd have a hard time getting through the day without plenty of sips of tea and coffee. It's not about the caffeine - I have to down the decaf/low-caf version these days. (Old much? Sigh...) It's really about flavor and interest. What can I say? My 'buds get bored fast. I've been on a green tea in the a.m. kick these days, experimenting with different high quality brews from TeaSource. A visit to their store is always a blast for sampling various teas and tisanes (herbal teas), but ordering online is quick and easy too, check it out. Recent favorites are Green Arrow green tea and Lemongrass herbal tea. Hot in the morning, cold in the afternoon, hot after dinner, that seems to be the pattern. Tasty, healthy, no-calorie drinks, as stand-ins for a glass of wine or something "dessert-y" at the end of a meal, are a moderate epicurean's best friend, along with:

...ripe peaches and strawberries. I can't say how much I'm enjoying them right now. Pure decadence - but not really. Prrrfect.

...dried red pepper flakes. Yeah, the kind you grew up shaking on pizza slices, I'm a bit obsessed with them right now. Add a generous pinch, along with minced garlic, to olive oil and heat for a few minutes before sauteeing a variety of vegetables. Finish with lots of freshly squeezed lemon (or a drizzle of really good balsamic vinegar), and Kosher salt, and you will be glad. Good for you too, nice.

...grilling food. I'll grill damn near anything at least once. Well, maybe not eggs. But fish, veggies, fruit, bread, pizza, potatoes - yum! I love not having to clean up pans afterward. I love cooking outside. I love delicious results from lighter ingredients. Get thee a grill basket, and a roll of aluminum foil (for making packets), and start experimenting, says I. It's fun!

...iPods. Yay for summer songs! Yay for shameless reminiscing! Yay for looking like a complete dork while you walk/bike and (try to secretly) sing along! Hey, if it helps me get my butt out the door, it's all good, dorkiness be damned.

So, I'm very much looking forward to tomorrow! Yep, I'm talking about the Sex and the City movie, like everyone else, I admit I'm dying to see it. The girls, the clothes, the city (even the food!) - all of it. I have a date to see it with my husband, in fact, since he's the one who introduced me to it. A little lunchy-poo, followed by the 'vie, ooh now that's a nice Friday. Then to top it off, Baseball Moms - how appropriate, right? SATC followed by Happy Hour with the girls? Absof--kinglutely!

Moderate it: pop your own popcorn in a little bit of olive oil and smuggle it into the theater for a healthy treat. We've all heard how bad movie popcorn is calorie-wise, even a small, unbuttered. Plus - I realize I'm in the minority here - I think it sucks and that the freshly popped at home version blows the theater stuff away. Pop that!

Okay. It's over. Not just 2007, but the parties, cocktails, appetizers, rich meals, excess good cheer - over! Enter ye moderation (in fact, a little deprivation wouldn't hurt at this point) and reside in thee for a spell. Please? At least until my birthday this weekend...

Hey, there's nothing wrong with risotto, cream puffs, chocolate mousse, prime rib, mashed potatoes, lobster, champagne, or caviar - a sip and a taste of something lovely can always fit into a healthy diet - it's just the all-in-the-same-week aspect that is a bit, uh, immoderate. Heck, often all in the same day! Egads but it's been a very Merry Christmas. Whew.

And so. It's a New Year and time for a slice of...cold, hard reality. Or at least a plate of pretty salad greens alongside a nice piece of fish. Or a bowl of brothy soup. A mug of hot tea. A lovely ripe pear. A handful of raw almonds. My go-to restorative, depuffing foods. In fact, several such meals in a row, followed by several long, brisk walks, and I'll be feeling like myself again in no time.

Right?