Toads-in-the-Hole

Yesterday one of my co-workers glumly announced, “Geez, I wish that it would stop being so cold outside, so I would stop eating.” Then, she shoved a fun-size Snickers into her mouth – her twelfth of the day, she admitted – and washed it down with a swig of coffee.

I laughed, and then considered.

True enough, I too have been stuffing mountains of carbohydrates and proteins into my body since our cold snap began in mid-January. I can’t seem to get enough of those delicious Deli-Rye Triscuits, glorious baked potatoes, and any sized-or-shaped pasta. I’ve eschewed any kind of leafy green, not to mention any citrus fruit that isn’t in the form of a twist, perched neatly on the edge of a cocktail. And I’ll confess it here: a couple of nights ago while at work, I plunked two quarters into the break-room soda machine at eight o’ clock and poured an entire 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola Classic down my throat. Gasp!

Oh, and one more thing … I can’t stop baking.

When the thermometer plunges, it would seem that our Ice Age caveman-selves take over our appetites and satiety centers, screeching “OOO-ah-ah-ah. Chungawhignumba-bizzle-bazzle!” (Translation: “Omigod! It’s so cold! You’d better eat that entire polar bear liver while you can!”) My inner Neanderthal – a happy-go-lucky creature – has discovered fire and prefers her liver well-done. Our ancient brains warn us to pack on the pounds in times of cold stress for fear of those long, frigid nights without a single speck of food to sustain our lives. And we simply cannot help ourselves when instinct demands.

In the past three weeks, I have baked a pineapple upside-down cake, countless pans of brownies, six russet potatoes, two casserole dishes of ziti, stacks and stacks of cinnamon toast and English muffins, and three batches of peanut butter chocolate-chip cookies.

And, mind you, Joel and I only eat together now on weekends.

We heartily thank Mother Nature for the below zero temperatures that will keep summertime’s bugs at bay, but are looking forward to a slight warm-up to calm our ancestral appetites!