Hostile Take-down?

Last week was a bum deal. I had no snacks at work. And when it's that time of the month (which is 32 days a month) - I need snacks! I've almost always got something tucked away in my drawer or in my over-head cabinets: a stash of Cheez-its, a supply of granola bars, candy corn, etc. But occasionally I run out and with four kids, there's not always time to make that quick stop at the grocery store to re-supply.

So today I brought pretzels with me. Dry . . . cheap . . . pretzels. They weren't very satisfying last night and I highly doubt they will do the trick today. Especially since I forgot to bring my refillable water bottle. Now I'm going to have to walk across the complex to the on-sight cafe and get a water. And while I'm there, I may as well load up on snacks. I have one Lean Cuisine left in our break-room freezer. But as I mentioned earlier. . . (I need snacks.)

So how do you remain pleasant and professional - and not scare people when you walk into the cafe and grab three bags of potato chips, pop-tarts and a pack of Nutter Butters, all the while biting your lip so you don't hurl out in a deeply demonic voice "I NEEEED SNAAACKSSS!"?

Then of course, I'll have to walk back across the complex without dropping my armload of goodies... and I know that day is coming. I haven't dropped my lunch (or snacks) yet, and I've worked there for almost 6 years. I'm sure that bringing my lunch the majority of the time is part of the reason, too, that I haven't dropped anything yet while crossing the lot. But each successful trip, means I'm one trip closer to the inevitable.

Much  the same as an empty stomach makes it hard to sleep at night, when I need snacks, I find it too hard to concentrate on anything. Sometimes I crave sweets, but not chocolate. Sometimes I want nothing but chocolate. Sometimes I need salty, specifically Pringles, or specifically pizza flavored Combos, or even just plain saltines.

For a while now, the ladies in my family have made chocolate covered pretzels for Christmas. I absolutely love these. They're inexpensive and quick and easy to make. But the last few years, my mom has made sweet'n'salty heaven: Saltine crackers with a layer of creamy peanut butter inside - then dipped in chocolate! Fan - Flipping - Tastic!! It's the perfect indulgence to end all cravings. And you're getting your protein at the same time. Win-win I'd say.

In reality, I could live without snacks. I really could. But here's the science behind the formation of this habit:

• My Parents: It's true: We can blame almost anything on our parents. When I was a young kid at home we always had snacks in our house! Mom got groceries once a week (that's what I call extreme discipline!) And we did, we always had snacks! Pop, chips, ice cream, cookies, Little Debbies. Both of my parents grew up in farming families so Mom knew how to cook and bake. Her pies are superb! She always had something fresh and home-made in case company stopped by, and that was nearly every evening. Besides the baking, the actual snacks she got at the grocery store was because Dad always wanted something to snack on. So it was a habit learned early on. A house without snacks in it is a foreign concept to me.

• SAHM: Stay-at-Home Moms deserve a lot of credit. They work hard raising the children, cooking meals, transporting children, cleaning the house, doing the laundry, paying the bills, etc. I was a SAHM early on in my marriage and I read the parenting magazines and believed what they said. I believed that I worked hard and that I deserved a little "me time". A cup of coffee and a slice of home-made coffee cake (amongst other things).

• The Italian Way: I married into an Italian family. And what do Italians love to do? Two things: 1. Cook  2. Eat    No complaints from me! It doesn't help the habit either, when the family has a restaurant. There were always bread sticks. "Just have a quick bowl of minestrone with a slice of fresh bread." or "Just have a sfogliatelle." Then when my husband and I ran the restaurant, my place was in the office and it was a constant to have someone asking me to try this or try that. Again, no complaints from me.

• Present Day Therapy: This I owe to being a female and having a Mom and a Sister. And stress. Mom has stress. Sister has stress. I have stress. Who doesn't? And once in a while we just need to get together to de-stress. This typically means a trip to Bud's. An Irish Cream latte please. And they have the best donuts! And if you're lucky, they have day-old donuts bagged by the dozen for sale: half off. Anyhoo. . . We call this our therapy session. We vent, we talk, we laugh. We come away from this session and head off in our different directions feeling refreshed, cleansed, like we can now take on the week ahead.

In summary, I could live without the snacks. Though it would be a hard battle. I would need to completely retrain my brain to remain calm and concentrate on the task at hand no matter how much my stomach grumbles, or how much my cravings are telling me to just have a cracker. Yeah, it's possible. Do I want to do it?

More importantly, would people around me want me to do it? I think not.

These items may or may not be found in my drawer at any given time.