Another Test

 

Today is day 11 (it's evening, actually) and I am currently enjoying a bottle of FRE Merlot. Tomorrow, my Ariel Cabernet arrives. The anticipation is killing me!

HUMAN BRAIN: 4
BOOZE BRAIN: 0
 

On Sunday evening, my boyfriend and I visited a local casino. It's a rather large place with many, many temptations. Gambling, indoor smoking and, of course, drinking. Instead of grabbing a glass of Cabernet, I opted for a diet coke. We poked around a few shops and he placed a couple of horse racing bets. The biggest indulgence of the evening was giving into a warm Krispy Kreme donut. While I am not proud of myself for eating the donut, I am excited about resisting the booze.

Score!

I made meat-free Polish golumpki the other night. I basically substituted the ground beef with Smart Ground, a very convincing soy product. Golumpki is a dish that my Grandma used to make and if you didn't grown up eating it, it could take a while to warm up to (cabbage + rice + spices + onions + ground beef + diced tomato). Anyway, you are supposed to serve, as a side dish, Kielbasa. Poles are huge carnivores. Well, don't you know ... Tofurkey makes meatless Keilbasa now! I purchased some last night and I can't wait to have one with some leftover vegetarian golumpki. I also ordered 3 bottles of Ariel Cabernet while I was shopping last night. They arrive on Wednesday. Meatless Polish food and award winning alcohol free Cabernet. I could die from swooning!

Going on day 8 and doing fabulously. Buying really good coffee is helpful. I encourage that.

Leave it to the USA

I've been reading about non-alcoholic wines and beer and whether or not it is safe for alcoholics to consume such beverages.

Why did I research this? Only in the USA will you find hoards of people opposed to consuming these libations. It's dangerous! experts say. They lead to relapses, according the message boards. I love it. Our country is so tightly-wound, that alarmists come out of the woodwork to warn against the dangers of drinking non-alcoholic drinks. I can understand the logic, but this NEVER DO IT attitude is a little much. There are some people who really enjoy them. Why paint every drinker with the same brush? I take serious issue with these people. How on earth do you know whether problem drinker A is going to have the same relationship with these beverages as problem drinker B? I'm not surprised. I love this country, but come on.

Day 7 Update

It's been 7 days of sobriety and I'm feeling and doing just fine. Of course, this is a Booze Brain dream. See? You're doing fine without me. This means that you aren't an alcoholic. Hurray! Why don't we celebrate with a margarita? Oh, Booze Brain, you are so predictable. While I may not be an alcoholic (or perhaps I am), I am quite committed to the 30 days of being totally dry. Non-alcoholic wine has been a God send, it seems. I am going to purchase more Merlot later and ask the shop keeper who promised to order the Ariel Cabernet to do so. The unfortunate thing is that the Ariel isn't cheap. Nine bux a bottle for non-booze wine. A little steep, but I do understand that it isn't grape juice. It takes longer to prepare than wine because after it is distilled or whatever, they need to extract the alcohol. Fine, I get it. But 9 bux is 9 bux. Maybe I can get a volume discount? 

I do notice that I consume less of the non-alcoholic wine than the boozy kind, but I could probably polish off a bottle in one night if I wanted to. I've been starting the evening with Merlot and ending it with either herbal or Lapsang Souchong tea. I LOVE Lapsang Souchong. It's got a smokiness that is just perfect for the winter (or whatever it is you want to call this odd season we've been having here in the Northeast). It is lovely with a splash of lowfat milk and a teaspoon of honey.

The thing I was most concerned about when I stopped drinking was sleep. I enjoy sleeping. And there's nothing nicer than the kind of deep sleep you experience after several glasses of wine. The first night without booze, I struggled to get to sleep. I also got restless legs. But, I figured that it would only last a few nights and then I would get back into a more natural sleeping pattern. Lucky for me, I was back to normal drowsiness by night 2! I am sure that my daily exercise does help with this, however, it was a true bonus. So far, I've been fine in that department.

HUMAN BRAIN: 2
BOOZE BRAIN: 0

Alcohol Free Wine

Last night, my boyfriend and I had our annual Valentine's Day meal and I typically buy an extra nice bottle of red for the occasion. I was horrified to think that I wouldn't have a dark, delicious beverage in my glass so I decided to check out the local selection of non-alcoholic wines.

FRE is the only brand that my city seems to have and there were only 2 locations that stock a merlot. I don't drink the alcohol versions of white or blush type wines, so why on earth would I drink the non-alcoholic ones? To my surprise, the non-alcoholic merlot wasn't bad! I wish it could have been a little less sweet, maybe a little smokier, but that would be a carbernet and I don't know that FRE makes a cabernet. In any event, I bought an extra bottle for the future. Bonus: the non-alcoholic wines have way fewer calories. Another bonus: Two of the shops I went to offered to special order non-alcoholic wine for me (I think they were a little embarrassed about their lack of selection).

Isn't it just like grape juice, you might ask? No. They prepare the wine like normal, but extract the alcohol after. So, you are left with all of the various complexities, etc., without the booze. And, you get all the same health benefits!

The brand ARIEL gets great reviews and you can order online. Also, they make a cab. So, that's worth checking out, for sure.

 {Description:} Rich in color and flavor, this oak-aged Cabernet Sauvignon offers aromas of blueberries, blackberries, black pepper and chocolate, with a hint of toasty oak, soft tannins and a dry finish. At its optimum maturity eighteen months after bottling, it can be enjoyed immediately or held for up to 5 to 7 years.

It's funny, I stopped eating meat years ago, so when I have an artificial meat prepared in a delicious, convincing way, I feel a bit guilty. I imagine that a really lovely non-alcoholic wine might feel the same way. 

HUMAN BRAIN: 1
BOOZE BRAIN: 0