No January Blues Allowed – Celebrating Your Low-Carb Lifestyle in January

Eating Over The Sink

Hey, here we are in the New Year once again. In our household, we had nothing but fun from Thanksgiving until this red-hot moment. Great holiday goings-on! “Yes,” I hear you sigh, “we had fun in December, but the dark, cold days of January are upon us, and with them, no hope for a good time until at least Ground Hog Day, next month.”

The season of partying is not over!

Au contraire, says I. The season of partying is not over! Not by a long shot. The Festivals continue, to wit:  St. Vincent’s Day, the anniversary of the Eskimo Pie, and the Celebration of St. Antoine and the Truffles!

All these events take place during January, especially during the third week of January. St. Vincent and Eskimo Pie Day take place on the 22nd and 24th, respectively, and the third weekend of January is the time for the Days of the Truffles.

Celebrating St. Vincent the patron saint of vineyards & wines

St. Vincent is the patron saint of vineyards, and wines, and as such, is lauded and applauded in every land. In the Champagne region of France, grand parades are held in the streets. Children wear costumes of blue coats, white aprons, and caps that look like the clothes worn by wine cellar workers. Some of the older members of the populace carry pyramids of fancy breads and pastries laid out on long, decorated boards, and others carry barrels of wine. All this merriment eventually ends up at the local churches, where special masses are held. Then, the breads are distributed to the celebrants, and the wine is blessed. After the blessings, much wine is tasted and tasted again. And, throughout the day, toasts are drunk to St. Vincent in thanks for his help during the year, while the grapes are growing and the wine is fermenting.

Meanwhile, in the Provence area of France, the colder weather of winter brings forth the black truffles. The most flavorful variety, called Tuber melanosporum for those of you keeping score, appears from mid-November through mid-March, but they reach their peak during January.

Let’s Celebrate St. Antoine the patron saint of truffle hunters

The village of Richerenches hosts the largest and most important truffle market in the world. More than a ton of truffles, and more than half a million dollars in cash, change hands in a market that is more like a tailgate picnic than a commodity exchange. The sellers, carrying their myriad sacks of truffles, wander along the main streets of Richerenches seeking to sell, while the buyers wait near the open trunks of their cars, hoping to strike a satisfactory deal.

On the third weekend in January, St. Antoine, the patron saint of truffle hunters, is celebrated in a special mass held in his honor. The church altar is piled high with truffles, along with the truffles that are donated in the collection baskets, instead of money. These truffles are auctioned off after the service, and the proceeds go to the Church. Bidding is lively, as the truffles usually sell for more than market price. And no one has to buy on an empty stomach. Throughout the auction, church members pass bread triangles spread with tapenade, a delicious (and low carb) olive paste, and, to wash it down while keeping the bidding up, glasses of white wine. In praise of both St. Vincent and St. Antoine, and whether or not one goes home with truffles, everyone goes home happy.

Why is there no patron saint of Eskimo Pies?

Although there ought to be, there is no patron saint of Eskimo Pies. There is, however, the Father of Chocolate Coating on Ice Cream Bars. That man was Christian K. Nelson of Onowa, Iowa. Nelson was obsessed with the notion that hot chocolate could be made to stick to cold ice cream, like a ‘skin’ of chocolate. Though others in the ice cream business thought it a fool’s dream, Nelson continued to experiment until he found a way.

The first successes were called ‘I-Scream Bars’. Later renamed ‘Eskimo Pie,’ the treat received instant approval from the public, and was selling more than a million bars a day in its first year. This helped the dairy business in Iowa to emerge from the Depression, and resulted in spreading the idea that ice cream could be eaten year-round.

Now, if none of these celebrations push your buttons, as they say, Uncle Zack has others for your selection. How’s about celebrating National Oatmeal month? High carb, but nonetheless, a true January classic. Or you could even attend the Camel Wrestling Festival, held in Selçuk, Turkey, during the middle of the month. But if all else fails, I urge you to consider a visit to International Falls, Minnesota where they hold the Ice Box Days. I am told that during this festival, anything that can be frozen, is frozen, and then played with by as many people as possible. Events such as frozen-turkey bowling, cold pizza delivery races, and an ‘Ode to the Cold’ poetry contest warm the cockles of the local hearts.

Are You Celebrating a January Diet?

You’ll notice that I didn’t say a thing about celebrating a January Diet to take off those extra pounds that might have been applied at holiday gatherings. I can report with great pride and uncharacteristic smugness that I did not stray one mouthful from the Low Carb Way during the holidays. (The same cannot be said for Glorious Spouse, who wishes to remain anonymous in this regard.) To those rest of you who have to do penance during this month instead of celebrating some of these other festivals, I can only hope the relapses were worth it. Nothing is worse than eating off the plan, only to find it wasn’t really that tasty. Hopefully, you had a big portion of the No-No items for me. Pure I may be, but jealous I remain. Maybe I’ll have some chocolate next year.

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ZACK GRADY writes from Southern California, where he is constantly aware that the only difference between ‘desert’ and ‘dessert’ is ‘S’.

More Low Carb Articles by Zack Grady.