tobermory's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Amost done! So the month of not eating out is winding down. I already know my plans for this weekend (Saturday B-Day party at the in-law�s, Sunday dinner at my parent�s house) so it looks like I�ll make it to the end of the month without any major cheating. I did eat out three times � twice I met friends for lunch (Michelle: California maki, edamame, miso, cucumber salad. Allison: salad bar) and Steve and I did eat at a diner for lunch one Saturday when we were too far from home (lean buffalo cheeseburger, cottage cheese, roesti potatoes, � piece of pie). I�m pretty proud of myself (and Steve because I couldn�t have managed this without him). We�ve made this kind of resolution before and usually broken it in just a few days in with lame excuses. This time we�ve stuck it out and been pleased with the results. I discovered that I�m a better cook than I thought � I tried a number of new recipes and there was nary a dud in the bunch. I think I might have managed to break my addiction to deep fried foods � I did some saut�ing, but nothing completely immersed in hot oil � and it�s been nothing but good for the ol� digestive system. The money I have in my wallet lasts much longer � duh. Even with bigger grocery bills and buying premium quality meats (sorry � the $3.89/lb. meatloaf mix from the fancy grocery is not only tastier but lower in fat than the cheaper stuff from the supermarket, and the Perdue chicken breasts have way less nasty stuff to trim off) I still have more cash. I�m a better planner. Yes, I�ve been giving up most of one day every weekend to cook a big meal that will provide leftovers and often lunchmeat, but I actually find it soothing to putter around in the kitchen. I don�t think we�ll go a full month without a dinner out again because it kind of killed our social life, but I want to make a conscious effort to, when we do eat out, to choose better restaurants. By better I mean restaurants that serve things I can�t make at home, that use artisianal ingredients, or provide a unique dining experience. I don�t want to get sucked in to the trap of going out for a burger or pizza because it�s quick - it�s too easy for me to order the extra beer, add on the french fries, have an appetizer, and sure, bring on the dessert! I�d like our first dinner out to maybe be at Green Zebra where we had a fabulous meal in every respect: healthy, tasty, different (and yes, kind of expensive which is not fabulous but I guess it is expected). Resolution Diary: 4:12 p.m. - 2006-01-25 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
||||||
|
||||||