Monday, May 26, 2014
Good2Grow
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Why Settle....Its just not right
This past weekend, we traveled to Richmond to go to a show. So we went a day early just to have a night out and be away. Anyway by the time we arrived it was almost 8:30 p.m. being tired we decided just to eat at the hotel. As always I study the menu reading options, looking at ingredients to figure out what to have. Most of the options sounded good, but I decided to get Pork Osso Buco. I had just made veal osso buco a few days early, so I wanted to see how I paired to a restaurant. Although this was pork and mines was veal all of the recipes I have ever seemed pretty much had the same ingredients with a few variations. I actually misread the menu for what the dish included. For some reason I thought it said Risotto with barley. When my plate came, It looked okay, but was not what I had expected. I was hoping it tasted better than what it looked. There were two shanks on the plate on top of Risotto and a sauce drizzled around the plate.
I began to eat my meal and soon discovered it was not what I was hoping for. The risotto was actually all barley and not a good flavor and I was not particular about the texture of it. The shanks were a little dry but I was hoping as I cut them up, the inside would be more tender and pleasing. Well it was not. I dipped it in the sauce again hoping it would come out different. Still it was not good. My husband asked me how did it taste. As I said pass me the salt and pepper. I told him it was not great. So right after the waiter walked by and asked the same, I said everything was fine. I thought to myself, why did I just say it was fine and it was not. I was thinking this cost $21.00 a plate so I should get some kind of gratification out of it. But I think many times we say things are okay when they are not.
So what's my That for this post: Often times, we enter into relationships or friendships hoping that they are something wonderful. We have our own interpretation of what is presented to us and what this other person may bring to the table. But like with this meal, I did not ask the waiter as I typically do anything about what I was about to eat. Just like with people we often look past the details and dive in. Then we begin to notice whats wrong and keep trying different things to make it better, but in the long run you are still left with what was originally presented. Then we soon realize we have settled for something we really did not want. Like when the waiter asked me did I like my meal, I should have said no. For whatever reason this time I did not and settled for what was there and was disappointed. How many times do we do that in real time and real life. You settle for what is there and never question it, you try to correct it, add to it, change it but you cant change something that was already there if you did not do it in the beginning. For instance, if my shanks were prepared different they may have tasted different. When you are in a relationship/friendship do you look at what the ingredients are, what each person is doing and gauge its appropriateness for what you are looking for? If its not what are you doing to change it. After my shank was done, I could not change the texture, the taste or anything because I did not prepare it. Just like you did not create the other person that you are going through your experiences with. You can not change them and they can not change you. It has to be self actualization and realization that change needs to occur.When someone says "Is everything okay" How do you respond? Do you give an answer to satisfy the other person and you suffer in silence. Well suffering in silence helps no one, especially not you. What happens, you finally walk away unfulfilled, unsatisfied and wanting something else. Most of it could have been avoided if we would be honest in all situations no matter how big or how small. Can you tell a waiter you are not pleased with your meal and not worry about it. Can you tell your friend there is something wrong in our friendship, and overcome whatever it is and remain friends. Can you do this in any relationship and work to fix it or if can not be fixed can you leave that relationship. Just like I left my food on the plate because for me it was not edible.
My realization is, if I would have just simply told the waiter that I did not like my meal and replaced it with something else, I would not have been so disappointed by the end. My excuse that night was I was just so tired and hungry that I did not feel like waiting for another meal or anything, I just wanted to eat and go to bed. I think we have all been in the situation where we did not want to wait and was just tired of things in life, so we have settled for one thing or another. But, next time I challenge you not to settle-you know what you need, what you desire and what is satisfying to you. What will you do to make the next thing better? Its all up to you.
This past weekend, we traveled to Richmond to go to a show. So we went a day early just to have a night out and be away. Anyway by the time we arrived it was almost 8:30 p.m. being tired we decided just to eat at the hotel. As always I study the menu reading options, looking at ingredients to figure out what to have. Most of the options sounded good, but I decided to get Pork Osso Buco. I had just made veal osso buco a few days early, so I wanted to see how I paired to a restaurant. Although this was pork and mines was veal all of the recipes I have ever seemed pretty much had the same ingredients with a few variations. I actually misread the menu for what the dish included. For some reason I thought it said Risotto with barley. When my plate came, It looked okay, but was not what I had expected. I was hoping it tasted better than what it looked. There were two shanks on the plate on top of Risotto and a sauce drizzled around the plate.
I began to eat my meal and soon discovered it was not what I was hoping for. The risotto was actually all barley and not a good flavor and I was not particular about the texture of it. The shanks were a little dry but I was hoping as I cut them up, the inside would be more tender and pleasing. Well it was not. I dipped it in the sauce again hoping it would come out different. Still it was not good. My husband asked me how did it taste. As I said pass me the salt and pepper. I told him it was not great. So right after the waiter walked by and asked the same, I said everything was fine. I thought to myself, why did I just say it was fine and it was not. I was thinking this cost $21.00 a plate so I should get some kind of gratification out of it. But I think many times we say things are okay when they are not.
So what's my That for this post: Often times, we enter into relationships or friendships hoping that they are something wonderful. We have our own interpretation of what is presented to us and what this other person may bring to the table. But like with this meal, I did not ask the waiter as I typically do anything about what I was about to eat. Just like with people we often look past the details and dive in. Then we begin to notice whats wrong and keep trying different things to make it better, but in the long run you are still left with what was originally presented. Then we soon realize we have settled for something we really did not want. Like when the waiter asked me did I like my meal, I should have said no. For whatever reason this time I did not and settled for what was there and was disappointed. How many times do we do that in real time and real life. You settle for what is there and never question it, you try to correct it, add to it, change it but you cant change something that was already there if you did not do it in the beginning. For instance, if my shanks were prepared different they may have tasted different. When you are in a relationship/friendship do you look at what the ingredients are, what each person is doing and gauge its appropriateness for what you are looking for? If its not what are you doing to change it. After my shank was done, I could not change the texture, the taste or anything because I did not prepare it. Just like you did not create the other person that you are going through your experiences with. You can not change them and they can not change you. It has to be self actualization and realization that change needs to occur.When someone says "Is everything okay" How do you respond? Do you give an answer to satisfy the other person and you suffer in silence. Well suffering in silence helps no one, especially not you. What happens, you finally walk away unfulfilled, unsatisfied and wanting something else. Most of it could have been avoided if we would be honest in all situations no matter how big or how small. Can you tell a waiter you are not pleased with your meal and not worry about it. Can you tell your friend there is something wrong in our friendship, and overcome whatever it is and remain friends. Can you do this in any relationship and work to fix it or if can not be fixed can you leave that relationship. Just like I left my food on the plate because for me it was not edible.
My realization is, if I would have just simply told the waiter that I did not like my meal and replaced it with something else, I would not have been so disappointed by the end. My excuse that night was I was just so tired and hungry that I did not feel like waiting for another meal or anything, I just wanted to eat and go to bed. I think we have all been in the situation where we did not want to wait and was just tired of things in life, so we have settled for one thing or another. But, next time I challenge you not to settle-you know what you need, what you desire and what is satisfying to you. What will you do to make the next thing better? Its all up to you.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Its Broken.....so why not throw it away
One of my favorite spatulas broke in half this past Sunday. I did not even realize it was my favorite until it broke. The history of this spatula that is was my then boyfriend now husbands spatula. You know when you merge households everyone has to give up something to make room for both people. Well this spatula was his and I tried to get rid of it long time ago and he said it was his favorite so I kept it. Now almost 9 years later the handle broke in half and I can no longer cook with it. The handle cracked more than a year ago, but I continued to use it, again because it was my favorite and I did not know it. How did it become my favorite, I am not sure. Out of the 12 I have I used this one the most especially to cook breakfast every morning. Now for the past few days I have been struggling to use a different spatula and I promise I am not flipping pancakes and making eggs like I was last week.
Even today, I am still trying to figure out why can I not let go of it. Yes its still on my counter. I realized I am a creature of habit especially when it comes to home and everyday life. As I was washing the dishes yesterday, I thought why wont you throw that away you can not use it for anything, but maybe I can fix it. In reality I cant. Glue or tape wont hold up to heat. Then of course, other things started going through my mind and I got distracted and its still there. I began to think about people in my life and relationships. Just like my broken spatula are there broken people or broken relationships that need to be fixed and cant be. If they can not be fixed why is that. Is it because I am such a creature of habit and struggle with change or is it that they are not willing to help in fixing the brokenness. Just like my spatula cracked right in the middle, any broken relationship has to be repaired right in the middle. Both people willing to come together and glue it back. If the two pieces cant be repaired then you will have to throw it away. For instance supposed when my spatula broke there was a little plastic piece that I did not see fall off and got lost, then when I went to fix it, it just did not work. Just like that relationship with that person, there maybe something missing so unnoticeable that it just can not be fixed until something else happens. Sometimes we are unsure of what that other thing is. A person has to come to their own reality and be willing to fix themselves before they can repair some relationships.
Fast forward, I never finished this post, but its a week later and I still have my spatula. So yes, there are still things I need to resolve within. There are relationships or friendships that I need to determine if they are reparable.
One of my favorite spatulas broke in half this past Sunday. I did not even realize it was my favorite until it broke. The history of this spatula that is was my then boyfriend now husbands spatula. You know when you merge households everyone has to give up something to make room for both people. Well this spatula was his and I tried to get rid of it long time ago and he said it was his favorite so I kept it. Now almost 9 years later the handle broke in half and I can no longer cook with it. The handle cracked more than a year ago, but I continued to use it, again because it was my favorite and I did not know it. How did it become my favorite, I am not sure. Out of the 12 I have I used this one the most especially to cook breakfast every morning. Now for the past few days I have been struggling to use a different spatula and I promise I am not flipping pancakes and making eggs like I was last week.
Even today, I am still trying to figure out why can I not let go of it. Yes its still on my counter. I realized I am a creature of habit especially when it comes to home and everyday life. As I was washing the dishes yesterday, I thought why wont you throw that away you can not use it for anything, but maybe I can fix it. In reality I cant. Glue or tape wont hold up to heat. Then of course, other things started going through my mind and I got distracted and its still there. I began to think about people in my life and relationships. Just like my broken spatula are there broken people or broken relationships that need to be fixed and cant be. If they can not be fixed why is that. Is it because I am such a creature of habit and struggle with change or is it that they are not willing to help in fixing the brokenness. Just like my spatula cracked right in the middle, any broken relationship has to be repaired right in the middle. Both people willing to come together and glue it back. If the two pieces cant be repaired then you will have to throw it away. For instance supposed when my spatula broke there was a little plastic piece that I did not see fall off and got lost, then when I went to fix it, it just did not work. Just like that relationship with that person, there maybe something missing so unnoticeable that it just can not be fixed until something else happens. Sometimes we are unsure of what that other thing is. A person has to come to their own reality and be willing to fix themselves before they can repair some relationships.
Fast forward, I never finished this post, but its a week later and I still have my spatula. So yes, there are still things I need to resolve within. There are relationships or friendships that I need to determine if they are reparable.
Monday, January 20, 2014
Satisfaction Or Maybe Not.........
This past weekend, hubby and I went to dinner while my son was at a friends birthday party. We decided to get Thai food, which I have not really had a really good Thai meal since leaving New Jersey. We had a favorite place in Somerset that was very authentic and no you would never see Pad Thai on their menu. Sitting down and going through the menu, I realized how hard it is for me to order off a menu these days. I am always looking at what the dish includes, wondering what ingredients are in it, how is it prepared, how is it going to look and most of all is it going to meet all of the flavor profiles and textures that a meal should. Through my learning process of cooking and trying to grow more, I try with every meal to be sure it is satisfying and meets the basic flavor profiles and textures. I have figured it out, when I do this, I am not over indulging in anything, because I have met what I was looking for in that meal. When there is something is lacking whether sweet, savory or even crunchy, I may eat a little more or have desert or something else because again I am craving something that is not there.
In life, think about it......when we are not satisfied emotionally, spiritually, physically and in other areas of our lives, we often indulge in other things until we feel like we have reached that level of satisfaction that we thought we needed or wanted. When its not meant, many times we go through the same things and repeat the same cycles over and over again. I have struggled with my weight for a long time for various reasons, many times turning to food for comfort for something that I was lacking. I would say I was an emotional eater. I ate when I was sad, happy or just because I was bored. I ate in social gatherings, alone but used food as my friend. I was not necessarily eating because I was hungry, but because I was in a situation that I needed satisfaction or comfort. As I began to grow, and well I am still growing and learning on a daily basis I am ensuring that my needs are met emotionally, spiritually, physically, and other areas of my life so there is no need for over indulgence. Each thing I do leads to something else. It should set me up for the next thing.
Think about this. When you have a coursed meal, lets go with 5. The courses are prepared in small portions, each course cleanses your pallet for the next and between all of the courses every texture and flavor profile will be met. At the beginning of your meal you may think there is no way this is going to fill be up but by the end you will realize you will be, because of the course settings and what was in each course. In your every day think about it like this are my task or goals for the day preparing me for the next thing. Am I over indulging for no reason at all. Small steps can be measured better than big steps. We all are working towards something. Take time to think about those small courses and how they can be better the next time. Don't do things out of emotion, do the things that you believe in and are satisfying.
Over the past few months I have lost almost 20 pounds. I have been asked with the food I cook, etc. how is that possible. Its as simple as this. I don't over indulge. I prepare meals that are satisfying so we don't need a lot. I prepare things in a healthier manner, use as less processed products as I can and other things like that. I am not a gourmet chef by far but I can prepare a meal for some of the best chef's out there that would leave them satisfied.
Just like my life these days, I am exactly where I want to be today and am working toward who I am going to be tomorrow and that simply is a better Arione every day. I don't have to out do anyone else, or try to be someone else to be great. All I have to do is be me. When it comes to this new endeavor, I just have to keep doing it. A fellow blogger had on her blog would she be okay if no one ever read her blog another day. I asked myself the same question. My answer is yes. Why because this is something that I have wanted to do, I am doing it, its satisfying and its helping me to grow. Its meeting those basic things in my life.
If you are not satisfied, what are you missing? What's that secret ingredient? How do you find it? How do you accomplish it?
This past weekend, hubby and I went to dinner while my son was at a friends birthday party. We decided to get Thai food, which I have not really had a really good Thai meal since leaving New Jersey. We had a favorite place in Somerset that was very authentic and no you would never see Pad Thai on their menu. Sitting down and going through the menu, I realized how hard it is for me to order off a menu these days. I am always looking at what the dish includes, wondering what ingredients are in it, how is it prepared, how is it going to look and most of all is it going to meet all of the flavor profiles and textures that a meal should. Through my learning process of cooking and trying to grow more, I try with every meal to be sure it is satisfying and meets the basic flavor profiles and textures. I have figured it out, when I do this, I am not over indulging in anything, because I have met what I was looking for in that meal. When there is something is lacking whether sweet, savory or even crunchy, I may eat a little more or have desert or something else because again I am craving something that is not there.
In life, think about it......when we are not satisfied emotionally, spiritually, physically and in other areas of our lives, we often indulge in other things until we feel like we have reached that level of satisfaction that we thought we needed or wanted. When its not meant, many times we go through the same things and repeat the same cycles over and over again. I have struggled with my weight for a long time for various reasons, many times turning to food for comfort for something that I was lacking. I would say I was an emotional eater. I ate when I was sad, happy or just because I was bored. I ate in social gatherings, alone but used food as my friend. I was not necessarily eating because I was hungry, but because I was in a situation that I needed satisfaction or comfort. As I began to grow, and well I am still growing and learning on a daily basis I am ensuring that my needs are met emotionally, spiritually, physically, and other areas of my life so there is no need for over indulgence. Each thing I do leads to something else. It should set me up for the next thing.
Think about this. When you have a coursed meal, lets go with 5. The courses are prepared in small portions, each course cleanses your pallet for the next and between all of the courses every texture and flavor profile will be met. At the beginning of your meal you may think there is no way this is going to fill be up but by the end you will realize you will be, because of the course settings and what was in each course. In your every day think about it like this are my task or goals for the day preparing me for the next thing. Am I over indulging for no reason at all. Small steps can be measured better than big steps. We all are working towards something. Take time to think about those small courses and how they can be better the next time. Don't do things out of emotion, do the things that you believe in and are satisfying.
Over the past few months I have lost almost 20 pounds. I have been asked with the food I cook, etc. how is that possible. Its as simple as this. I don't over indulge. I prepare meals that are satisfying so we don't need a lot. I prepare things in a healthier manner, use as less processed products as I can and other things like that. I am not a gourmet chef by far but I can prepare a meal for some of the best chef's out there that would leave them satisfied.
Just like my life these days, I am exactly where I want to be today and am working toward who I am going to be tomorrow and that simply is a better Arione every day. I don't have to out do anyone else, or try to be someone else to be great. All I have to do is be me. When it comes to this new endeavor, I just have to keep doing it. A fellow blogger had on her blog would she be okay if no one ever read her blog another day. I asked myself the same question. My answer is yes. Why because this is something that I have wanted to do, I am doing it, its satisfying and its helping me to grow. Its meeting those basic things in my life.
If you are not satisfied, what are you missing? What's that secret ingredient? How do you find it? How do you accomplish it?
Saturday, January 18, 2014
I am going to call this post "The Spices of Life"
This week, I decided to clean out my plethora of spices. I do this about every six months. As I am doing so, I notice I have a lot of multiples half used, some unopened. Some I have no reason why I even had them. In some spices I had a wide variety of each. I began to group them by type-sweet, savory, spicy, etc. Then I realized the ones that I have many of are my go to ones, like soy sauce-I have a variety of it in brands, low sodium, regular, & dark. My next go to is Vinegar- well lets say I will never have a shortage-there was a range from plane white vinegar to aged balsamic to champagne. The next would have been garlic, there was garlic powder, garlic salt, crushed garlic, garlic infused olive oil and some other things that included garlic. In the midst, I received a text from someone and it caused me to think. All of my friends are like a spice. Different in their own way and add something to my life. Just like with spices they are unique in their own way, add something to every dish, none are exactly the same. Many of my friends have similarities but all of them are very different.
As I am still sorting and tossing things that were no longer in date, it made me think about the cycle of life and how people are there some for the long term and some for short periods. Like why I knew why I had some of my spices and no clue to the rest-its the same way with people. I have 3 girlfriends, that I could relate to my three go to ingredients. I have been friends with them for anywhere to 12 years or more. They are Robyn, Persephone and Takima. I will let them figure out which spice I think they are. These three ladies have been friends with me and have added things to my life in so many different ways and no matter how much time or space is between us we can pick up the phone and its never a struggle to pick up where we left off. Now not to say, I dont have other good friends because I do, but like with my soy, vinegar and garlic, these three never fail. I can use all of these ingredients all at once and have a perfect dish or I can use them individually have a perfect dish. Just like with them, we can hang as a group or individually and everything is perfect. We are all spicy in our own right.
I also thought about grouping and socialization-how are my friends group, how do they mix. Think about it when you are preparing a meal, you put together the things that mix well together and compliment each other, so that the dish is appealing, taste well and meets your need at that moment. I used to be bothered when I was not included in things with groups of friends, but think about it just like a recipe, I may not have fit into that event or activity that night. Maybe they were doing something I had no interest in or whatever the case may have been. Although there is a flip side, some people could just be rotten-like those old spices that I had left in the cabinet. Either way, its okay with me. Some people stick to what they know and will not venture out with spices, just like they wont with friends. Personally, I don't understand why but to each its own. I like variety in people and in things and in food of course. Life would be very boring without it. I have different friends who add different things to my life-at different times-in different seasons and for different reasons.
That being said, no I don't mix them all together and hope it works-I would not do that with one of my recipes so why would I do it with the people I know. Somethings just don't mix. Now you may be thinking that is a harsh thing to say, but its the truth. Its as simple if my friend does not like Sushi-why am I going to force them to go to Sushi restaurant. Why they would not want to eat and the experience would not be enjoyable for either of us. I want as many positive experiences in my life as possible, so if I know it will probably be negative why put myself in that situation. Same with my recipes, I want them all to be great but they may not. So what do I do, keep adding spices and seasonings, hold onto my go to's, add in the ones that go well together, get rid of the rotten ones and experience life to the fullest.
I leave you who and what are the spices in your life? Where do they fit? Who are you go tos? Are they rotten and need to be cycled out?
You hold the key to the perfect recipe of your life, but you need your spices to make it complete.
This week, I decided to clean out my plethora of spices. I do this about every six months. As I am doing so, I notice I have a lot of multiples half used, some unopened. Some I have no reason why I even had them. In some spices I had a wide variety of each. I began to group them by type-sweet, savory, spicy, etc. Then I realized the ones that I have many of are my go to ones, like soy sauce-I have a variety of it in brands, low sodium, regular, & dark. My next go to is Vinegar- well lets say I will never have a shortage-there was a range from plane white vinegar to aged balsamic to champagne. The next would have been garlic, there was garlic powder, garlic salt, crushed garlic, garlic infused olive oil and some other things that included garlic. In the midst, I received a text from someone and it caused me to think. All of my friends are like a spice. Different in their own way and add something to my life. Just like with spices they are unique in their own way, add something to every dish, none are exactly the same. Many of my friends have similarities but all of them are very different.
As I am still sorting and tossing things that were no longer in date, it made me think about the cycle of life and how people are there some for the long term and some for short periods. Like why I knew why I had some of my spices and no clue to the rest-its the same way with people. I have 3 girlfriends, that I could relate to my three go to ingredients. I have been friends with them for anywhere to 12 years or more. They are Robyn, Persephone and Takima. I will let them figure out which spice I think they are. These three ladies have been friends with me and have added things to my life in so many different ways and no matter how much time or space is between us we can pick up the phone and its never a struggle to pick up where we left off. Now not to say, I dont have other good friends because I do, but like with my soy, vinegar and garlic, these three never fail. I can use all of these ingredients all at once and have a perfect dish or I can use them individually have a perfect dish. Just like with them, we can hang as a group or individually and everything is perfect. We are all spicy in our own right.
I also thought about grouping and socialization-how are my friends group, how do they mix. Think about it when you are preparing a meal, you put together the things that mix well together and compliment each other, so that the dish is appealing, taste well and meets your need at that moment. I used to be bothered when I was not included in things with groups of friends, but think about it just like a recipe, I may not have fit into that event or activity that night. Maybe they were doing something I had no interest in or whatever the case may have been. Although there is a flip side, some people could just be rotten-like those old spices that I had left in the cabinet. Either way, its okay with me. Some people stick to what they know and will not venture out with spices, just like they wont with friends. Personally, I don't understand why but to each its own. I like variety in people and in things and in food of course. Life would be very boring without it. I have different friends who add different things to my life-at different times-in different seasons and for different reasons.
That being said, no I don't mix them all together and hope it works-I would not do that with one of my recipes so why would I do it with the people I know. Somethings just don't mix. Now you may be thinking that is a harsh thing to say, but its the truth. Its as simple if my friend does not like Sushi-why am I going to force them to go to Sushi restaurant. Why they would not want to eat and the experience would not be enjoyable for either of us. I want as many positive experiences in my life as possible, so if I know it will probably be negative why put myself in that situation. Same with my recipes, I want them all to be great but they may not. So what do I do, keep adding spices and seasonings, hold onto my go to's, add in the ones that go well together, get rid of the rotten ones and experience life to the fullest.
I leave you who and what are the spices in your life? Where do they fit? Who are you go tos? Are they rotten and need to be cycled out?
You hold the key to the perfect recipe of your life, but you need your spices to make it complete.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Over the past week I have been contemplating on where I see myself going with This & That. There are many things that I would like to see happen, so I have decided that I will take things as they come. I have been researching other bloggers, recipes, cookbooks, cooking techniques, how to get published and everything else. Everything I read says that you have to find your niche, no more just cooking and doing things like just a seasonal cookbook. I need to stand out. Of course I got to thinking how am I going to stand out from the millions of others that are doing very similar things. Well about 36 hours later after that thought, the light went off in my head and now I know exactly what I am going to do. I am not ready to put it out there yet, but I can promise you it will be great. During this time when I was thinking what made me stand out in my life and what makes me unique. Then I started thinking about people I know and people you read about and what makes them unique. Of course, I had to relate those thoughts to my passion which is food. What makes my food unique? What is going to make it stand out? Why are people going to want to eat it?
My answer is everything will be unique as I am. There is no one set way to prepare a meal. Some of us eat only organic, farm to table, some eat only processed foods. But that is who we are. My goal is not to change what you eat, but to eat and prepare meals that fit you. My recipes will be written in ways that you can tweak them to fit your life. Personally, I try to prepare as many fresh products as possible and have less processed foods. I buy as many local foods as I can including eggs, honey, meats and vegetable. I do believe that when you eat from your environment it helps with allergies and sickness. I have learned and am still learning how to preserve fresh ingredients. Now that does not mean I don't keep processed things. But again I just pick and choose at the time what I am using or not using. So yes if you came to my house you would see some jarred pasta sauce, canned goods and other items. Why because, I still want to be prepared in case of a natural disaster. Yes, I am weird like that.
As for my endeavors, there will be some personal cheffing (pretty sure that's not a word) going on, cooking lessons, preparation tutorials, what to stock when its in season kind of things. I will have a plethora if information for those who are interested in food and it meeting you where you are. You wont have to be a trained or gourmet chef. All you will need to do is spend a little time and make a little effort. A lot of people assume it takes a lot of time to make things but it really does not.
My answer is everything will be unique as I am. There is no one set way to prepare a meal. Some of us eat only organic, farm to table, some eat only processed foods. But that is who we are. My goal is not to change what you eat, but to eat and prepare meals that fit you. My recipes will be written in ways that you can tweak them to fit your life. Personally, I try to prepare as many fresh products as possible and have less processed foods. I buy as many local foods as I can including eggs, honey, meats and vegetable. I do believe that when you eat from your environment it helps with allergies and sickness. I have learned and am still learning how to preserve fresh ingredients. Now that does not mean I don't keep processed things. But again I just pick and choose at the time what I am using or not using. So yes if you came to my house you would see some jarred pasta sauce, canned goods and other items. Why because, I still want to be prepared in case of a natural disaster. Yes, I am weird like that.
As for my endeavors, there will be some personal cheffing (pretty sure that's not a word) going on, cooking lessons, preparation tutorials, what to stock when its in season kind of things. I will have a plethora if information for those who are interested in food and it meeting you where you are. You wont have to be a trained or gourmet chef. All you will need to do is spend a little time and make a little effort. A lot of people assume it takes a lot of time to make things but it really does not.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Today I thought what do I really accomplish in a day. So, lets see my typical day is I get up between 5am and 6am, I shower, get myself together, get my son ready for school, iron everyone'c clothes, fix breakfast, feed the dog, make lunches, take my son to school and whatever else comes in between before 7:30 am. At 7:45, I drive Myles to school, drop him off and depending on what else I need to get done I am back home by 8:15, then I am checking work related emails, scheduling meetings, working, making family plans, attending work meetings, board meetings or whatever before the school day ends.I pick Myles up at 2:30-2:45, do whatever needs to happen, home for homework, cooking dinner, cleaning, bathing and everything else that comes along with it. Then onto the computer again to check work, maybe blog, maybe play a game and do something to entertain myself. Sometimes it wounds up being volunteer work because of the work I am signed up for in the community. Its not easy to say the least. My days are filled with some type of work and obligation. Today I had to tell a group something about myself, and all I could talk about was my new adventure with food and doing some personal parties and personal cheffing. It never crossed my mind to talk about eh 4 boards of directors that I presently serve on. Maybe because those are the things I do to stay invested in my community and are passionate about. All I wanted to talk about was my love for food and making people happy. One day I will figure it all out, how do we find happiness, eat healthy and give back to the community that you live in. We all have some part in it all. If its buying sustainable foods, decreasing waste, etc. Donating your time, talents and treasures to you community. There is always something that needs to be done. There will always be the haves and the have knots. There will always be people in need. Its has been like this since the beginning of time. We can all make a difference to some degree. We may not be able to change the world. but we can help one person at a time.
One of my goals this year is to reduce food waste. As much as I like to cook, I realized we threw away a lot of food. So one of my goals is to figure out what can I do with leftovers, can I freeze, can I make something else out of the same ingredients. Its a work in progress to say the least to repurpose things. Many people do it with clothes and other items. I see it like this there are so many with food insecurities and I dont want to be that person how can I learn and teach the next person to use what they have and what is in season to make healthy affordable meals for their families. I don't have all of the answers but am learning as I go. Food wise I try to use as less processed products that I can and use whats available and local to prepare my meals. Yes I am looking for others to split a cow with, buying local chickens, goat, and pork and other products. I believe that if you eat from your environment, you decrease food allergies, etc. We eat local beef, honey, chickens, etc. Call me crazy but its just my opinion which I am entitled to just like you are entitled to yours. You have to do what is best for your family and your beliefs.
People may assume its hard to make things home made but its not really. It takes the same amount of time. I can control and monitor our intake by making things on my own. I have to be accountable to me and my family. The dinner I made tonight was pretty healthy. Pan seared Mahi Mahi with Key Lime seasoning topped with Avacado Salsa, Black Rice and Steamed brocolli. Everything was power and protein filled. The black rice was new but is supposed to be very healthy.It was a little weird to eat but yes I would eat it again.
I don't really have a This N That, except be the best you can be for whatever presents itself and always be willing to do This or That with an unexpected outcome. You never know what will happen.
One of my goals this year is to reduce food waste. As much as I like to cook, I realized we threw away a lot of food. So one of my goals is to figure out what can I do with leftovers, can I freeze, can I make something else out of the same ingredients. Its a work in progress to say the least to repurpose things. Many people do it with clothes and other items. I see it like this there are so many with food insecurities and I dont want to be that person how can I learn and teach the next person to use what they have and what is in season to make healthy affordable meals for their families. I don't have all of the answers but am learning as I go. Food wise I try to use as less processed products that I can and use whats available and local to prepare my meals. Yes I am looking for others to split a cow with, buying local chickens, goat, and pork and other products. I believe that if you eat from your environment, you decrease food allergies, etc. We eat local beef, honey, chickens, etc. Call me crazy but its just my opinion which I am entitled to just like you are entitled to yours. You have to do what is best for your family and your beliefs.
People may assume its hard to make things home made but its not really. It takes the same amount of time. I can control and monitor our intake by making things on my own. I have to be accountable to me and my family. The dinner I made tonight was pretty healthy. Pan seared Mahi Mahi with Key Lime seasoning topped with Avacado Salsa, Black Rice and Steamed brocolli. Everything was power and protein filled. The black rice was new but is supposed to be very healthy.It was a little weird to eat but yes I would eat it again.
I don't really have a This N That, except be the best you can be for whatever presents itself and always be willing to do This or That with an unexpected outcome. You never know what will happen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)