DRY HARD 2: DRY HARDER! Dry January 2024, Thread#2 🧃🧋

[HPLikecraft]

Thread#2...

Let's keep going!

Still here. Getting a bit bored of my alcohol free drinks (which is funny as I have drank mostly Chardonnay for years and never got bored with that).

I think I'm going to try one of my OH's Leffe 0% tonight - let's see what that's like.

I'm looking forward to the end of Jan to be proud of myself for completing dry Jan for the first time but then I'm not as what happens then for me?! Anyway I really just need to focus on today 💪🏼

Today's post is the first of a couple around Tips & Tricks / coping strategies for Dry January (or otherwise!):

http://wellitywellness.com/2024/01/18/dry-january-18-tips-and-tricks/

This is an excellent post with some great tips. So good to have it all in one place for when the wine witch comes calling. Thanks!

Great post @wellitywellness , I love the AVG method. I'm just trying to think of someone I hate enough to make it work!

I feel like the more you go without, the easier it gets because your brain just gets used to it

Lovely day out today, but so cold! Might see if I can make something like a mulled wine out of the Sentia later.

@MeinKraft , I agree. The hardest night for me was 31st December, knowing I wouldn't be drinking again for at least a month and worrying that I wouldn't manage it or would be miserable.

@wellitywellness , I'm the same when it comes to delaying dinner so I can have a couple of glasses. I'm struggling to bring the time forward though as I'm so used to eating late and just don't feel hungry enough. I will persevere though, as eating late is bad for all sorts of other reasons.

Just delurking to suggest that AlcoHorlicks Anonymous would be an excellent group to be in - slight bastardisation of the name in the blog.

I made soup today and the recipe called for wine - so I bought one of those supermarket tins of chardonnay and poured the unused amount away (telling myself it was probably only suitable for cooking anyway and I wasn't missing anything).

(Mushroom soup, in case anyone's interested). Currently cooling in the slow cooker pot ready to be wazzed up in the blender.

That must've taken some guts @MrsDanversGlidesAgain 😔

Thank you for the post @wellitywellness I will read it later in bed.

Still here, still AF. Yay!

Checking in to say still here and still drawing much support from this thread. Loved your blogpost today @wellitywellness . Lots of great tips - wish I could acquire a healthy addiction - I would love to get back into swimming! Another work week nearly done and it's a momentous one for me because it's my last (I hope ) full time week ever. I'm moving to a 3 day week as part of turning 60 next week and wanting some more time to call my own. Very excited. Here's to all of us keeping going over the weekend. Power to the People of the Alcohol Resistance!

Interested in the recipe @MrsDanversGlidesAgain!

I've made blackberry couli from the millions of blackberries we have in our freezer (we eat it with yoghurt, porridge and ice cream). I've worked a full day, walked the dog, run some errands at lunchtime, cleaned the kitchen (DH cooked) and finished my uni assignment so I'm feeling pretty productive today. No cravings and an easy (hopefully) weekend ahead.

@MrsDanversGlidesAgain next time, just freeze the remaining wine. I think it was St. Delia that first suggested this. It doesn’t matter how bad my cravings have been, I’ve never been tempted to defrost a wine ice cube 😀

... Uff.
You're all doing so well and are so upbeat which really helps.

BUT. I don't know if it's because the GP has just changed my HRT but I'm finding things tough today. Proper rage this morning when poor DH was a little bit of a tit, and then full-force-u not-employable-ever-again-who-is-that-mad-woman when someone (a local councillor) was introduced at work for a chat. I brought up the rumour that they're looking to cut library services by a third (it's a literacy charity) and did not hold back.
Oh well. Can't have everyone like you I guess. Not going to crack open a bottle, but may have to send DH out to buy consolatory cheese.

Also still here... and mostly thanks to this fab thread... I'm SURE I'd have given up by now without it, but I feel I'd be letting the side down
I'm actually finding the week days fine even though I drank wine every night, but the weekends are a drag.
I also joined a boxing club last week (I used to do Taekwondo but stopped 6 years ago) and had my third session tonight... knackered but feeling good!

And I'm working on a paint by numbers which keeps my hands busy in the evening :)

Checking in. Day 18 drawing to a close and still AF.
Thanks for the camaraderie, it helps to have fellow travellers.

Day 18 draws to a close. And that means, at the end of today, that we’re a whopping…

58%

of the way through DJ2024!

Power to the People of the Alcohol Free Resistance 💪✊

Haven't checked in for a while but still doing good here. Sleep still a bit hit and miss but enjoying the general feeling of calmness and knowing that even if I don't sleep v well I'll still feel better than if I'd had a drink the night before.

It was about a teaspoon. Didn't even sniff it 😀

20g butter
1 chopped onion
1 chopped clove garlic (I use puree)
4 potatoes, about 250-350g chopped
350g roughly chopped mixed mushrooms
150 ml white wine or dry cider
1.2 litres chicken stock
salt & ground pepper
Sour cream and parsley to garnish

Heat the butter and add onion, covering to make sure it's well coated. Add potato, cover and sweat over a low heat for 5-10 minutes until soft but not browned.
Add the mushrooms, garlic and wine/cider and stock. Season, bring to the boil and cook for 15 minutes until all ingredients are tender.
Put the mixture through a mouli legume or blend, bring back to the boil and season/garnish.

I made the mistake of using open cup mushrooms so it's rather dark but is satisfyingly mushroomy and full of vit D. Comes from a book called 400 Best Ever Soups that I picked up in a charity shop.

That's sounds nice @MrsDanversGlidesAgain
Soup is my favourite food!

I love soup. Usually I have a freezer full of homemade, esp the thick veggie and beany types. Makes an excellent lunch.

Awesome, many thanks for the recipe @MrsDanversGlidesAgain

Just checking in. Still AF and on day 12. Had a social event with friends last night. Only for a couple of hours so I took along a couple of 0% beers and managed fine. I joked with a mate that it was most likely the first time anyone had seen me at an evening do without a glass of wine in hand. It felt really good!
Still planning a pass night next Thurs but I have a busy work day following so may arrive late and leave early to limit the damage 😊

Well done everyone on powering through!

I joked with a mate that it was most likely the first time anyone had seen me at an evening do without a glass of wine in hand. It felt really good!

Ex and I worked in the City of London in the 80s and the drinking culture was engrained and pervasive. One colleague joked that he walked into the office and hadn't recognised DH without a glass in his hand.