March 10, 2013 Healthy alternatives

My daughter and I were discussing Easter while at breakfast today.  Our tradition, despite the fact that it isn't our holiday, has been to make baskets for each other filled with both traditional and non-traditional fare.  This year, however, we are both trying to stick with a healthy lifestyle and have asked each other to forgo the candy.  That left me with a bit of a challenge if I didn't want to forgo the holiday completely.  How to create the traditional Easter basket with something other than sugary treats.  I've put my brain into bunny mode to try to create a healthy, but fun basket of goodies for my kiddies.  Although I have  few ideas, I'm going to let them germinate for a bit until I have something full blown with which to work.

In the meantime, I'm curious as to what other people do to keep the tradition.  And do you throw out the healthy eating for a bit, or have you found a way to incorporate both? 

Part of what sent my brain in this unusual direction has to do with the last few days of dancing and walking.  Although I was achy by the end of the second dance class today, by the time I got home, the old body was actually feeling pretty good.  Not good enough to do more dancing or take another five mile hike, I'll admit, but most of the aches and pains have subsided.  I do need to remember to bring a snack to the lessons, though, as I ended up eating breakfast around 9:30 and nothing else until after 6:00!  Of course, I did stand in the club, and later the parking lot and talk for quite awhile with one of my dance friends, then spend the better part of another hour wandering around Whole Foods.  That last part might even be why I don't ache as much.  I kept my body moving at a moderate pace and worked out some of the kinks. What's left can probably be assuaged by the generous application of a hot shower and some focused stretching. 

It's really odd, after having been on the go for most of the last few days to just sit and relax, surrounded by my furry kids and have nothing special to do (aside from the cleaning I should do, of course!).  I'm just trying to decide whether I want to catch up on some reading, do another tarot spread or continue with an online course I started for fun.  Frankly, my brain isn't overly cooperative about any of it, and I still have tomorrow's breakfast and lunch to prepare. 

Going grocery shopping with Heather this morning was actually pretty helpful because we gave each other ideas.  She mentioned wanting to do more salads for lunch, and I came up with getting a package of the "just chicken" from TJ's.  Then she suggested the herbed feta and I wandered back to the produce section where we both bought tomatoes, cucumbers  and bell peppers while I added more mushrooms and shredded carrots to my basket.  I'm thinking I'll make up two salads at a time so I don't have to chop veggies every night.  It is just easier to chop twice as much one night than it is to chop every night.  I used to do that with fruit too, but have found that it is no big deal to do that fresh every night. 

(Posting this late as I crashed and burned last night!)