Normally I don’t really write much about food on this blog because, well, I’m not inclined to be one of those blogs. Don’t get me wrong, I love food blogs. I love the step-by-step instructions and the delicious recipes (Tasty Kitchen and Pioneer Woman, hello!), but I just don’t cook enough to write much about it.
The inspiration bug bit me after spring sing, though, and I realized that I am getting a little too old to not cook more often. I mean, eating out is wonderful, but it is expensive, wasteful, fattening, and not good for the environment. And when I eat in, my typical meal rotation is cheese quesadillas, pizza bagels, and buffalo wings. And maybe some pasta thrown in. Oh, and ranch dressing. So obviously I need to work on my nutrition.
I’ve been reading a lot of blogs focused on homemaking and vintage lifestyles, and I guess it prompted me to start planning out my meals for the week and actually cooking. So on Sunday, when I was trapped in bed with a head cold, I took out all my cookbooks and attempted to plan a meal: one that did not include cheese as the main ingredient. It is a lot harder than it sounds, actually. I can’t imagine planning out a week of meals for an entire family, but I think if I get enough practice, it will get easier. One thing is sure: I definitely appreciate all the hard work my mom puts into the meals at home.
I also tried to plan for meals that had more fruits/veggies/whole grains and for ingredients that can be reused in different meals. For instance, last night I ate grilled chicken and vegatables, and tomorrow (or whenever) I am going to use the leftovers in a chicken and veggie frittata. Have I ever made (or eaten) a frittata before? Absolutely not. But that is part of the fun. I love trying new recipes and adding them to my “keeper” collection. And hopefully as I get better at cooking for one person, it will be much cheaper than eating out or eating heavily processed foods.
Eventually I would like to live in a place with an awesome pantry and a great farmer’s market. It’s also my dream to have a garden of my own, but it’s all about baby steps right now.
Also, I am hoping the cooking process will become a stress reliever for me, since it engages my creative homebody side. So far, it has been.
Here is one of the reasons I want to focus more on nutrition in the coming weeks:
I have approximately 37 days until I will be on a cruise ship to the Bahamas. I am so pumped. Sun, sand and LOTS of fun with some of my best friends in the whole world. The only way it can get any better is if I have a rocking bikini body to go with it. So that is my main motivation. I pinned by favorite new bikini to the wall to remind me of the greater goal.
And here is the person who is helping me get where I want to go:
To be quite honest, Jillian scares me. But she is pretty effective at motivating you, which is always helpful. This should help blast away the winter flab! I just did the first day of the program and my legs feel a little shaky. I am anticipating a sore day tomorrow!
The Kaylee Chronicles 