Merry Christmas!

End-of-the-year holidays are not often associated with increased physical fitness, and now, post-Christmas dinner, I am feeling, shall we say, somewhat unfit.

Day began after a good night's sleep, then a glorious run on the beach in southern California, where I'm spending the holidays catching up with some old friends and family. We even watched some ducks, geese, and shore birds (godwits, curlews, sandpipers) as well, before heading off to a traditional Italian-American Christmas dinner, put on by my brother-in-law's lovely family. This is where the trouble started.

I tried a little of everything: I happily dove into mozzarella balls, olives, peppers, baked brie, & other appetizers, pasta as the primo (first course), bread, ham & vegetables as the secondo (second course), but it was among the endless supply of desserts that I truly cancelled out any of the health benefits of the day's previous activities.

can you say pasta?

No canoli this year, but my sister the professional baker (Sweet Cheeks Baking in San Diego) made a gorgeous yule log cake, and between that and the apple & pumpkin pies, pumpkin bars, and hordes of homemade cookies, I was in deep trouble!

Cookie monsters are not often sufficiently tempered by running enthusiasm or trying to fill up on veggies.

yule log cake: in spice and peanut butter chocolate - uf!

The question for improved physical fitness starts again tomorrow.

Meanwhile, a question on holiday main courses in the US: do more people eat ham than turkey now?

I went to three Christmas-time dinners, all of which had ham, and turkey didn't make it to any of the menus. Just curious.