"For decades now I've heard that it takes twenty-one days to form a new habit, thirty days at the most. If a person can just marshal their will power for three to four week, bingo! They've got it made. But anyone struggling to form a new habit knows there's more to the story.
Researchers at University College London tracked people attempting to form different types of new habits. Instead of three or four weeks, they found it took an average of sixty-six days for new habits to become automatic. And they project that some would take more than 250 days."
~Michael Hyatt, CEO of Your Virtual Mentor
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| The soup that seemed to multiply in the refrigerator. I kept eating it and eating it and eating it. |
Days 1-2, Days 3-4, Days 5-7, Days 8-10, Days 11-12, and so the story continues...
Day 13
Breakfast: Sausage and Vegetable Soup in Chicken Broth
Lunch: Waldorf Salad with Kale and Chicken and a Glass of Pinot Noir
Dinner: Sausage and Vegetable Soup in Chicken Broth
For the third time this week, it's back to Phoenix. This outing is with my family. We're scheduled for a 10:00 a.m. college tour. I'm very happy to be chauffeured there and back by my husband. It's Saturday, so it is not appreciated when the lilting tones of my iPhone's alarm awakens me at 5:30 a.m. I would love to be a morning person. Sadly, I am not. But, it's up and at 'em, because we should be out of the house by 7:30 a.m. We barely have enough time to get out the door on time and I discover too late that we have eaten the last of the eggs. Plan B is to quickly heat leftover soup. It's the soup that keeps giving, and seemingly multiplying in the fridge. I joke the soup is like the oil celebrated at Hanukkah. Maddie can't fathom eating the soup for breakfast. On the way out of town we pull through the drive-thru at McDonald's and order her an Egg McMuffin for the road. I console myself that this fast food side trip is a very infrequent activity. It truly is an exception. And it always has been for my family and me.
After the college tour, Maddie asks if we can eat lunch at our favorite restaurant, Hillstone located near 24th Street and Camelback in the Biltmore neighborhood. Our family loves everything about this restaurant— the efficient and professional service, the terrific food, the beautiful interior. I could move in and take up residence. The property also has a koi pond, outdoor patio and fireplace. All my needs are met. I usually order the Seared Ahi served with greens that are spiked with chunks of avocado. mango and black sesame seeds. For whatever reason, I decide to break my habit and instead order the Waldorf Salad. I'm glad I did. It was wonderful. I enjoyed every last bite and washed it all down with a stellar glass of Pinot Noir. Life is good. We're back to Tucson by 3:00 p.m. so Maddie can go to work at 4:00. It's a nice quiet night at home. I don't feel like cooking and we're not going to dine out twice in one day, so it's more of that frickin' never-ending leftover soup.
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| I saw this recipe on Saveur magazine's Facebook page and decided to make it post haste. |
Breakfast: Sausage and Vegetable Soup in Chicken Broth
Lunch: Macadamia Nuts and half an Avocado
Dinner: Homemade Cream of Tomato Soup and Chicken Caesar Salad
Jay completes the grocery shopping in the late afternoon, so it is Mother Hubbard's cupboard until he returns laden with bags filled with mostly fresh vegetables, fruits, eggs, nuts, whole chickens and a flank steak. I finish the last of the soup and then supplement in the afternoon with a few Macadamia Nuts and half an avocado that I season with a little sea salt and eat with a spoon. I clean the refrigerator while Jay is out. This is one of my least favorite activities. In my book, it's right up there with cleaning the bathroom.
Pretending that I'm on a cooking show and the challenge is to produce a gourmet meal with only a few disparate items, I throw together dinner with the few remaining leftovers from last week. It's not fancy, but it's satisfying. It would have been lovely to dip a toasty buttery grilled cheese sandwich into the tasty Cream of Tomato Soup, but it is not to be. Week two of the Whole30 challenge comes to a close without much fanfare or palpable enthusiasm. But, we are dedicated, and we will forge on.
I hope against hope that The Good Wife might be on after the Patriots/Colts game, but alas it is not. After Jay wanders upstairs I happily turn off the post-game
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| Soup. More soup. And, even more soup. Good thing 'tis the season for soup. |
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| This was circulating on Facebook and the origin is unknown (to me). As Liz Lemon would say, "I want to go to there." |
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