Passover

I had a pretty decent week last week, even though I did not do any recipe tests ... but I have a good reason this time! I spent all of last week up to my elbows in prep for Passover. Deep cleaning every inch of the kitchen, getting our pots and pans and dishes out of storage - and mostly eating just leftovers and odd combinations of things to make sure our kitchen was ready for the holiday. 

Our seders went as well as they could, and although those two special dinners are over, the rest of this week will be spent avoiding chametz - bread/flour except in matzo, and also kitnyot - things like legumes, corn, and grains. So no soy, no rice, no beans, no peanut butter - all on top of the usual kosher rules of specific meat and fish, plus no mixing meat and dairy.

I met with my dietician before the holiday to talk through some of my food anxiety, and so far I think the advice and suggestions are working. I am doing my best with WW tracking, but also not driving myself crazy with numbers. I know I am eating well and not overdoing anything, so that's the best I can do right now.

I guess the hardest thing for me with Passover is the mentality: the separation of These Days from Every Day, and the emphasis on things not being routine. We use different plates, we eat different foods - this is to make these days special and separate from our day-to-day. My problem is ... I thrive on repetition. I eat the same breakfast most days with little variation: Greek yogurt and oatmeal, with protein coffee. I rotate between fruits in the yogurt and protein drinks in the coffee but overall, I like having a dependable go-to. I like not having to think too much about food. Right now, though, almost all of that is chametz. Finding alternatives isn't impossible, it's just getting myself there mentally that can be a challenge.

I am looking through my cookbooks to see if there's anything Kosher for Passover that I can make. I know there's a gefilte fish recipe in the Weight Watchers recipe cards from the 70s, but unfortunately I couldn't find any of the fish locally or within an hour's drive. But I haven't given up! I'll find something interesting, I am sure.