planning

so i failed to photograph my lunch. but that's okay because it wasn't pretty anyways. i didn't pack enough sauce, so the pasta was slightly dry. and instead of showing it to you, i've decided to share my method of meal/grocery planning.

i started with an excel spreadsheet. i set up each week, allowing for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. then consulting the "possibility" list at the bottom, i can see what i can make just by using what i already have, or things i've been craving and meaning to make. that way i can either use up existing stores or fulfill that pancake craving i've been having for a week. i put the "possibility" foods into the schedule.

(and though my sheet is set up for a whole month, i only plan a week at a time. it is shown as a month so that i don't repeat and get bored.)

i know that i work certain days and have school certain days, so i plan around that. things have to be made quickly on work mornings and can require, at most, some microwaving to eat. same with school days. will i be able to eat at home or on the go?

planning in this way also helps me to use up leftovers. i can see when i can eat them later in the week, without eating it four meals in a row. and if i don't eat all of my leftovers, they go in the "possibility" list to be eaten the next week.

after inserting the "possibility" foods, i insert additional meals around them. i didn't know what to make tuesday night, so decided to wait to check out the whole foods prepared meat selection. at the grocery store i decided on the buffalo chicken wings. i then popped it into the menu when i got home.

this helps me grocery shop too. because when i add something to the menu, i add its ingredients to my shopping list. which i'll write about on another day.

i hope this helps you plan out your meals. and gets you excited about cooking.

cooking?

i'm thinking of making this blog much more about cooking. i've been quite obsessed lately with what to make for lunch. when i'm not working, i eat whatever there is: leftovers, frozen pizzas, frozen meals, sandwiches, soups, and even breakfast fare. i can cook whatever because i have access to my full kitchen; i could make a 7-course meal if i wanted to. but now that i work and usually only have access to a microwave, i've become a lot more conscious of what i eat. when i used to work (years ago at this point) i would buy fancy vegetarian frozen meals and bring those every day. i have since realized how expensive those are. i do keep one in the freezer for the odd day where i just don't have time or energy to pack a lunch.

anyways i've accumulated a couple of cookbooks and recipes here and there for delicious take-to-work lunches. that i don't always take to work. i thought i should start sharing them here. there are plenty of blogs about bento lunches and lunches for toddlers and what-not. but i feel like there's a complete lack of sites for people who just want a good nutritious easy-to-make adult lunch.

i'm starting with the basics. i've made a few sandwiches, bought a glass tupperware (for use in the microwave), and am getting into the habit of making my lunch. as i discover good lunch recipes or dinner to lunch recipes, i'll let you know. i'm also looking into a few lunchboxes. we'll see how this all goes.

ideally, i would want to create a cookbook of sorts. where you start with 20-30 ingredients (most of them condiments) and you can create an infinite number of recipes. that way you can stock your kitchen and not get bored with what you're eating.

tonight i'm going with the suggestion of preparing more of my dinner so that i can reuse it as a lunch. tonight is pasta with an artichoke pesto. (which i wish i could say i made by hand. maybe when i get a food processor.) tomorrow will be pasta with either a tomato sauce or more of the pesto. i'll take my camera to work and photograph my food there. to show what it looks like after reheating. also since i have school twice a week i'll have to bring things there to eat for dinner. this will be super interesting.

i will need to note the prep time (how long it takes just to get it to work) and the reheat time, if necessary. all ingredients and equipment needed. since i own very little equipment, these will be quite basic: a sharp knife, a bowl, a peeler, etc. i hope this comes in handy to anyone who is in the same quandary i am. how to make delicious lunches with minimal expense (of time and money).

beautiful lady

every time i go grocery shopping, like full-on grocery shopping: lunch, whole foods, dominicks and whatever else, i pass this salon and see their OPI sign in the window. and if i'm walking along the covered walkway, i can see the OPI display inside. today i decided to treat myself. i love OPI nail polish. it's the best. i'm notoriously harsh to my hands. i'm constantly running into things. i am constantly cleaning things. plus my nails are especially brittle. so the fact that i can go a few days without chipping the polish is a miracle and i think that the miracle is OPI.

anyways i bought a fabulously dark red called "bastille my heart". isn't it lovely?!? it's a deep wine color that's slightly metallic.

start of a new year

today is my first day of classes. i haven't done much today, besides distract myself from thinking about class. i fear getting into the same rut i get into every semester. i think i finally have my shit together, that i've finally organized my life. and then BAM! classes start, they assign work, and i'm utterly lost in a mire of "things to do". homework takes priority every time, and yet i never get it done in a timely manner. so everything else gets thrown by the wayside just so that i can scramble to get my homework done at the last minute. i write this now and think this every semester, and i always have a plan. 'i will only do homework on such-and-such day.' 'i will accomplish these tasks this day and those tasks that day.' 'i will do that when i finish my homework.' all these things never happen. i always end up in the same mess. how to avoid it? stop going to school! i wouldn't mind being a student forever. i do enjoy learning and there's always something to learn. but the rest of my life goes into chaos whenever i have classes. so i should stop taking classes! i'm graduating at the end of july. no need to go back to school after that. time to find a job and get on with paying off my student loans! crossing my fingers until then. not only do i have to finish up these last four classes, i have to find a job, an apartment, and enough dough to afford to move. please cross your fingers as well!

happy new year!

this is quite belated, i know. but i have been far away from any mood to write posts. so forgive me. or not.

this new year promises to be an exciting one. i have excellent classes this spring and summer. i'm graduating in july. graduating thus demands finding a job. and possibly moving. all very exciting things.

i'm going to try to be less negative, and more upbeat about what the future holds. you never know, things could work out amazingly!

check back periodically for additional insights.