Bena Mae’s Kitchen: Fighting the after Christmas blahs

It’s a let down we experience at this time every year.  All of the hoop-la is over.  Nothing to look forward to except the long dreaded winter.
It’s hard to get a handle on the next few months of cold weather, colds, bronchitis, winter ailments, the worst of these being cabin fever.  Everything sucks.
I don’t have the formula for getting around this blah feeling.  I should be used to it by now since it hits like a ton of bricks every year.  Maybe a trip to the library.
Watching TV doesn’t help unless you don’t mind umpteen reruns of the Duggars and their nineteen children (or is it 20?), but their cheerfulness makes me want to grab the bottle of Maalox.  And the shows on HGTV only make me want to sell my house and buy a condo in the Bahamas.  Fully decorated.  With a  view of the ocean.
Still, it’s this time of year that I envy/resent the snowbirds who flock to balmy regions like Florida.  Cowards, I call them.  Where is their pioneer spirit?  We are left to shovel snow and fight the elements while they are sunning themselves on white beaches, playing golf, and dining outdoors, in the fresh air, al fresco.  Now I ask you, where is the equal opportunity in all of this?
Is this sour grapes?  You betcha.
But wait.  The beautiful beaches and warm sunny weather will never equate the beauty of a snow covered mountain, an easy chair in front of a roaring fire with a good novel half-read, a cup of hot cider or cocoa within reach.  The smell of a delicious stew bubbling on the stove only adds to the picture of contentment.  And we ask ourselves, who needs al fresco?
And later in the year, the sighting of the first crocus, daffodil, lady slipper.  In a land with no change of seasons, where is the thrill of watching the earth come alive again? And with it, a new birth, a resurrection of the spirit.
Sameness has never been a top priority for me.  I look forward to each new season, despite my angst during the  winter months.  But I take heart, knowing that nothing lasts forever.
Now if I can just get through January and February.  
 

A good dip for your New Year’s  or football party. This super seven layer dip is piled high with Mexican style goodies. Serve it with tortilla chips!

Seven Layer Tex Mex Dip

1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
1 cup guacamole
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 tomato, chopped
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup black olives, drained

In a large serving dish, spread the refried beans. Layer the guacamole on top of the beans.
In a medium bowl, mix the mayonnaise, sour cream and taco seasoning mix. Spread over the layer of guacamole.
Sprinkle a layer of Cheddar cheese over the mayonnaise mixture layer. Sprinkle tomato, green onions and black olives over the cheese.