So, how are you celebrating the beginning of a new year? Diet? Detox? Gym membership? What about clean eating? Have you done it all and by today have failed in most (or all) of your efforts? Just don’t beat yourself about it. It’s only a calendar date that sends us all into an unbelievable whirl. Only a date. Nothing else.

On the farm we started 2018 in our own varied ways. While most of the pets and animals happily (some less so) wade through the puddles and easily shake off the rain, most of the humans on the farm are bedridden. A potent and persistent strain of cold/flu has been spreading across the neighbourhood and those who venture outside are sporting red noses and instead of weather they talk about their fever and lack of sleep.

For some strange reason I have managed to escape that lurgy (I am aware that I will probably regret that sentence as soon as it’s published). That has meant that I visit the chemist’s in the village more often than I have done over the whole year. ‘Can you get me something to help me sleep?’ ‘Please bring me more tissues.’ ‘Could you buy some lemons?’ Honestly, I have never felt quite so popular…

Anyway, back to the beginning of the year and what it means for us. Resolutions, changes, goals. Well, I am not buying it. Even if the new year has conveniently started on a Monday. As I have written before, just be the best you can be (and yes, that includes good food in reasonable amounts as well as moving around – just because it’s good) all the time and suddenly January stops being one of the most depressing times of the year. I try.

I started with buying a coffee grinder. I know, strange. But I thought: ‘Well if I want to drink coffee, perhaps I will make a proper thing of it. I will grind it freshly and then enjoy drinking it and actually taste it.’

My other thought (I know, so many thoughts!) was: ‘Friends are coming over for a Sunday lunch. I could just do a chicken or something.’ Then I remembered that some time ago we had a supper with a few people and the hosts produced various curry dishes, rice, breads and how we all enjoyed it and still talk about it.

So I decided to make an effort and cook up a feast. As I am writing this, a lamb curry dish is bubbling in the pot. It will be joined tomorrow by a prawn curry, mushroom and chickpea side, rice and some naan. There is also a possibility of vegetable or chicken korma. Thank you Madhur Jaffrey (Curry Easy).

All this leads me to yet another thought. Don’t give up the bad stuff – crowd it out with good stuff instead. Whatever the date.

And try a freshly ground coffee. 🙂