I started my new job on Monday, but you know how the first week in a new position goes- training galore. So, this week we've been learning about Personal Medicine (well, that and blood borne pathogens- PS, did you know that you can get Hepatitis from tears? Makes you think twice before consoling a runny-nosed little one....). Anyways, Personal Medicine is another phrase for coping skils- they are the things you do to make yourself feel better when you're blue, or just the activities that add pleasure to your life.... things you light up for and look forward to doing. I decided to make a list of my top 3 Personal Medicines:
1) Eating (not just eating junk, but eating something legitimately DELICIOUS)- I kid you not, I think about food constantly. Not only do I light up when I get to eat, but I get all tingly simply planning a meal, looking for new recipes, or trying a new restaurant.... Eating completes me. (Yes, I do realize that I'm one bad month away from gluttony.)
2) Music- specifically playing music on an instrument or singing. For me, it is important that I be a participant in the music in order for it to be in my Top 3 list, otherwise simply listening to music falls somewhere around #8.
3) Television- ok, I'm not the world's BIGGEST couch potatoe, simply eating and watching TV all day, but these are the things that I find calming.... things that distract me from a problem, things that cause me to smile, laugh, or sigh with relief. (And it's not like I don't have close runners up with #s 4, 5, and 6 (prayer, talking to a friend, and yoga)..... but these 3 are my favorites, so no throwing stones.)
Anyways, it's been a pretty rough 2 months in the Costa household. And this week has been the icing on the cake (which actually brings me to my next point). So, when our pastor's wife told me that she had made a chocolate fudge cake with a ganache topping (COMPLETE WITH FUDGE CHUNKS IN IT!!!) and that I HAD to take 2 pieces home (you see where I'm going with this, don't you), my Personal Medicine radar when through the roof! And this is where the trouble starts.
When I pulled into the driveway, I noticed that my husband's truck wasn't there (hmmmm....). I then received a text from him that he had gone to the gym and wouldn't be home for some time (ooooohhhh....). So I sat down on my cushy, memory foam bed, fork in one hand, plate of chocolatey goodness in the other, and had my first bite (aaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!).
I tried to save him some, I really did! But it's been such a hard couple months, and he's being sooo good on his diet (unlike some of us....) that I didn't want to tempt him with chocolate cake. Besides, he doesn't even LIKE chocolate cake the same way that I do (um, with disgusting obsessiveness?).... and he doesn't even know what ganache is, so it's not like he can miss what he's never had, right? I know. I KNOW! I'm pathetic. I really tried to be good and just eat my piece.... while watching my recorded Biggest Loser episode.... but it was gone so quickly, it almost didn't seem fair to stop. Afterall, this is my Personal Medicine- this cake is practically a vitamin! So I figured, "Hey, I'll just take a tiny sliver of his piece. He won't want the entire thing, anyways". But the crumbly, moist cake cut un-evenly (this happens when you cut something with your tongue), which, as we all know, is unacceptable. I was just trying to even it out.... but then the ganache slid off the top of the cake (and onto my fork). It was a chocolate miracle, really. Far be it for me to deny myself a miraculous event- and my husband, I'm sure, would've given me the topping because he usually does.
But then I noticed that small chunk of fudgy cake, sitting their topless, and I realized that this is NO way to present cake to someone. There was no other option. I had to eat it. Sure, I had to push myself a little- but sacrifice is one of the greatest testaments of a loving marriage, is it not? I bet my husband will even thank me when he gets home (I'm sure the scale won't, but that's something to worry about on another day... you know, a non-two-pieces-of-cake day.)
1) Eating (not just eating junk, but eating something legitimately DELICIOUS)- I kid you not, I think about food constantly. Not only do I light up when I get to eat, but I get all tingly simply planning a meal, looking for new recipes, or trying a new restaurant.... Eating completes me. (Yes, I do realize that I'm one bad month away from gluttony.)
2) Music- specifically playing music on an instrument or singing. For me, it is important that I be a participant in the music in order for it to be in my Top 3 list, otherwise simply listening to music falls somewhere around #8.
3) Television- ok, I'm not the world's BIGGEST couch potatoe, simply eating and watching TV all day, but these are the things that I find calming.... things that distract me from a problem, things that cause me to smile, laugh, or sigh with relief. (And it's not like I don't have close runners up with #s 4, 5, and 6 (prayer, talking to a friend, and yoga)..... but these 3 are my favorites, so no throwing stones.)
Anyways, it's been a pretty rough 2 months in the Costa household. And this week has been the icing on the cake (which actually brings me to my next point). So, when our pastor's wife told me that she had made a chocolate fudge cake with a ganache topping (COMPLETE WITH FUDGE CHUNKS IN IT!!!) and that I HAD to take 2 pieces home (you see where I'm going with this, don't you), my Personal Medicine radar when through the roof! And this is where the trouble starts.
When I pulled into the driveway, I noticed that my husband's truck wasn't there (hmmmm....). I then received a text from him that he had gone to the gym and wouldn't be home for some time (ooooohhhh....). So I sat down on my cushy, memory foam bed, fork in one hand, plate of chocolatey goodness in the other, and had my first bite (aaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!).
I tried to save him some, I really did! But it's been such a hard couple months, and he's being sooo good on his diet (unlike some of us....) that I didn't want to tempt him with chocolate cake. Besides, he doesn't even LIKE chocolate cake the same way that I do (um, with disgusting obsessiveness?).... and he doesn't even know what ganache is, so it's not like he can miss what he's never had, right? I know. I KNOW! I'm pathetic. I really tried to be good and just eat my piece.... while watching my recorded Biggest Loser episode.... but it was gone so quickly, it almost didn't seem fair to stop. Afterall, this is my Personal Medicine- this cake is practically a vitamin! So I figured, "Hey, I'll just take a tiny sliver of his piece. He won't want the entire thing, anyways". But the crumbly, moist cake cut un-evenly (this happens when you cut something with your tongue), which, as we all know, is unacceptable. I was just trying to even it out.... but then the ganache slid off the top of the cake (and onto my fork). It was a chocolate miracle, really. Far be it for me to deny myself a miraculous event- and my husband, I'm sure, would've given me the topping because he usually does.
But then I noticed that small chunk of fudgy cake, sitting their topless, and I realized that this is NO way to present cake to someone. There was no other option. I had to eat it. Sure, I had to push myself a little- but sacrifice is one of the greatest testaments of a loving marriage, is it not? I bet my husband will even thank me when he gets home (I'm sure the scale won't, but that's something to worry about on another day... you know, a non-two-pieces-of-cake day.)
I asked her 12 times while reading this and now that I'm done...I still have no clue what a ganache is. And I don't care...probably some stupid girl thing with 18 ingredients, all of them chocolate. Yucky.
ReplyDeleteOh you are totally justified in eating that cake; I mean really, it's a girl thing I know Pat understands the meaning of chocolate and females...they go together like peanutbutter and jelly, like Romeo and Juliet, like....well you get it. So the only thing I have left to say is ...hope you enjoyed it, hope you aren't beating yourself up when you step on the scale and "what is ganache?".
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