Birthday party

Sunday:

It was a very busy and exhausting weekend. I am still battling my cold, and trying not to pass it on to everyone, while having family staying here (including a toddler) and hosting a birthday party for Aiden who turns eight tomorrow. Lots of cleaning and cooking and making some vague attempt to be sociable when sometimes I just wanted to sit down and cry from tiredness.

Aiden asked for a strawberry birthday cake. I've never made one but I searched the internet and came up with a recipe that included real pureed strawberries in the batter. I made cream cheese frosting and put fresh strawberries on top and it turned out very well. I make no claims for decorating skill.

Tim ran the games, which included the Water Balloon Olympics in the backyard (it was a very hot day) and I think all the kids had a great time. But my favourite moment was when all the guests left!

Everyone is talking about sugar these days and a lot of bloggers talk about their addiction to the substance, for instance their brain lights up like it's cocaine and they just have to avoid it entirely. I'm finding I also have to avoid it these days but not for the same reason! My body does not in any way have a positive response. For many years I've felt quite ill if I've eaten a lot of sugar, I feel what I call "over-sugared" and it is not a nice feeling. And I also get mouth ulcers which stay for days and are quite painful and make it hard to eat anything. Last night because we had visitors we had dessert after dinner (we don't usually), a rather delicious chocolate mousse cake that I bought frozen because I was too tired to do any additional cooking. And within about half an hour I had an ulcer on the tip of my tongue. I couldn't believe everyone else wanted supper a couple of hours later - how could they eat when I felt so yuck? Today at the party I had one single m&m, and the pain from the ulcer convinced me not to have anything else sweet. (I did try the cake though, I will admit, but left a lot on my plate.) I enjoyed my roast chicken for dinner tonight very much, but if I look at the left over party food I just wince.

I've been going back and forth for years on sugar in my tea and I may have finally conquered that one. I just didn't like the taste as much without that half-a-teaspoon of sugar. I went down to zero for a week then tried sugar again and it was too sweet. Yet I still don't like the taste so much without it. I could give up tea altogether I suppose, but I like the calming ritual of it. If I'm not "addicted" to sugar do I need to give it up? It has never been a trigger food for me, salty crunchy fatty things are my downfall (Doritos I'm looking at you). Yet my body is clearly telling me it doesn't like it. I just looked up that chocolate mousse cake and I would have eaten around 21 grams of sugar, four teaspoons (much less than is in a can of cola). I guess I am resentful that I can't have the occasional sweet dessert without consequences. But I've been having this response to large(ish) amounts of sugar for years and I am pre-diabetic - I really need to start listening to my body!