I’m so excited for 2026. I feel like on some level we just barely survived 2025. For everyone I’ve spoken with recently, it was a hard year. When things get too hard for me, I just shut down. Living with autoimmune illness (part of it thyroid) just saps your energy to begin with, so when I have to do more than my spoons allow, my body stops me. Having even one sick person at home, is enough to flare my immune system, so with four of them sick in succession, I’m done. A one hour nap becomes a two or three hour nap and I’m waking up wondering what the hell happened. The dogs are like personal alarm clocks, so I never sleep too long. I am so grateful for the slower pace for a week or two before the middle children go back to college for the semester and the mom-mobile rides again.

I had my bubbly with family to start out 2026 and at least for January, I’ll only be cooking with wine (or tequila). It’s a great time to focus on goals, gummy bears (or spiders), and health. We all have our vices and I’m tweaking mine to be a little healthier. With one diabetic and one pre-diabetic (the bloodwork came back) in the house it means more veggies, less quick carbs, and a higher protein intake (my diabetic is on the shot and losing muscle mass is not an option).

My almost middle child has insulin resistance. His bloodwork does not show diabetes or other issues, but a sensitivity to artificial sweeteners(check your liver enzymes if you drink diet soda & other diet beverages). I can’t drink them either for GI issues, so I just do flavored teas or juice and sparkling water, of course this would happen to the pickiest child on earth, the one that hasn’t touched fruit since he was born. It was easier to sneak vitamins into his food when he was younger, even if it means his pasta had pureed carrots, beets, and spinach in it, or desserts included pureed fruit. It’s a texture thing and he can’t stand it. I’ve been told people on the spectrum have strong aversions to certain foods, I’m seeing that, so I got a juicer. We’re going to try and make pulp-free homemade juices or he’s going to drink the green sludge in the morning with 100% of his daily everything in it. That’s all there is to it.

The soda junkie in him won’t go away easily so we’re back to mocktails (see how this works, lol). I have stockpiled seltzer in all kinds of flavors and fruit juices. It’s how I survived the diabetic diet for three pregnancies. One ounce of your favorite no sugar added juice and seven ounces of any seltzer and you’ve got a homemade soda, with usually no more than 5 grams carbohydrates (compared to 40 grams in a soda).

Tonight I’m drinking 1/2 ounce pomegranate juice, 1/2 ounce cranberry juice, and 7 ounces orange seltzer. We’ll see if the man-child likes it, too.

Since my Christmas book is out, and it’s a quick read spicy vampire book, I’m listing the recipe for a Mocktail Renfield below. Happy Dry January!

Mocktail Renfield-

3 ounces blood orange juice

1 ounces cranberry juice cocktail

4 ounces cold white tea or jasmine tea

gummy spider(or worm) for garnish

ice

Fill a tall or hurricane glass with ice. Add in juices, pour in cold tea, stir. if your man-sters are fussy like mine, skip the ice and use pulp-free orange juice. Garnish with gummy spider and serve. Enjoy!

Wishing you a great start to 2026, may it not be a dumpster fire!