Like everyone else, I want to eat better. Trite but true.

In order to aid my evolution towards better eating, I’ve come up with some food oriented goals for 2010 and beyond. I’m posting it here to hold myself somewhat accountable. The good thing is that none of these goals really require giving up anything. I just have to try a little harder and think about what I’m eating.

1. Eat fish (or seafood) at least once a week. We eat it about twice a month now…but I’d like to start eating fish or seafood more often instead of heavier meat-centric meals. Added bonus: fish and seafood are quite often easier (and faster) to prepare than meat dishes.

2. Eat vegetarian at least once a week. That’s vegetarian…not vegan. I can’t promise to go that far. I like eggs and dairy too much. Not much more than a year ago, I scoffed and “icked” at the idea of vegetarian meals. I’m a carnivore at heart. But I’ve slowly come to realize that I’m okay with a lot of vegetarian choices. And if you throw mushrooms into the mix, I’m nearly as happy as I would have been with beef or chicken or pork or duck or lamb or turkey. I’ve also realized that just a hint of meat in a dish can sometimes satisfy my carnivorous ways. A few slices of bacon in a quiche or a little bit of sausage in a bean soup actually gives the dish enough meaty flavor for me!

3. Eat vegetables and lots of them. And make them local if at all possible. Once farmer’s market season is in full swing, I plan for the farmer’s market to be my first source of food ideas each week. We’re also already planning a larger garden this year. We’re trying to learn about when to plant what so that we’ll take full advantage of all of the growing seasons we have here in Virginia. In addition, I’d like to pick lots of fruits (and veggies) at pick-your-own farms when they are in season. There’s a chance we’re going to need a bigger freezer and a very large pot…

4. Eat non-industrial meat and poultry. Yes, it’s going to hurt the wallet but I’d really like to find local sources of grass-fed beef, humanely raised pork and cage-free chicken and eggs. We’ve got plenty of possibilities between the local farms and the farmer’s market. And the somewhat famous Polyface Farms (located on the other side of the state) actually delivers their goods once a month to a home here in Williamsburg that happens to be located only about 10 minutes from my office.

5. Buy even less processed food than we already do. We’re pretty good about this already but there’s always room for improvement. I’d really love to be able to stop buying anything containing high fructose corn syrup and/or a list of ingredients a mile long but I’m not sure this is entirely possible. In trying to accomplish this goal, I’ll definitely have to bake more breads, cookies and other treats. Fortunately I’m not at all opposed to expanding my baking repertoire. This goal is also a way to help cut some costs in the food budget. It’s a lot cheaper to bake a loaf of bread than it is to buy one at the store. Same with cookies and cake and granola and so on. We can then spend the extra money on the more expensive but better for you foods I’ve already mentioned.

P.S. I’m already off to a good start on goal #5 with the bread in these pictures. I baked it myself last weekend for sandwiches rather than buying a loaf of grocery store bread!

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For a little change of pace, I’m going to write a different kind of post than usual. When I started my first blog in 2006, I copied my friend Alison (and others) and had a sidebar list of things that I was reading, watching, knitting and listening to. I liked that list a lot but when I moved to my own domain, I got rid of it.

I’m thinking I’ll try to do a post every now and again based on that list. Here’s the first installment.

Just out of the oven and cooling on the counter: Chocolate Valentino – I did add a little espresso powder and hazelnut liqueur to my version.

Will be cooking for dinner in the next day or so: Gai Pad Krapow (Thai Basil Chicken)
– for years this was the only entree I would order in a Thai restaurant. I’ve since expanded my dinner selections.

Currently drinking: Chocolate a la Taza from La Tienda (where I work) – it’s cold and I had some milk getting dangerously close to expiration.

Playing on the iPod right now: Everything But You by Glen Phillips

Checked out from the library today: Weeds Season 1 DVD, Chocolate & Zucchini and The Naked Chef Takes Off – I can honestly say this is the first Jamie Oliver book I’ve ever looked at.

Currently reading: Atonement (started months ago & need to pick up again), The Reach of a Chef: Beyond the Kitchen and Notes from a Small Island – I’m working my way through all of Bill Bryson’s books.

Would like to buy: These silly t-shirts: Just Beat It and This is How I Roll

Thinking about knitting: Saartje booties for a friend having a little girl next month.

Anxiously awaiting: Our new Blanco granite composite sink – the sink that came with the house sucks and washing pans and big bowls in it is a pain. The new double sink is 9 1/2″ deep on each side. I can’t wait until it’s here and installed. Yes, I get excited about things like new sinks.

Should be baking: Sample cakes for my sister’s wedding in July. I seriously need to perfect some recipes.

Needs: New shoes. Tennis shoes, sandals and shoes for work. I haven’t bought any in ages and am now in desperate need. I really want some green Simple sneakers but I should probably buy real walking/running shoes instead.

Playing on the iPod now: “The New Year” by Death Cab for Cutie

Attempting to Learn: Using a flash with the camera and how to take nicer photographs in general. Improving my photography skills is one of my big goals for the year.

Must Resist: Pepsi with real sugar in it. It will only be available for a couple of months and I want some. But I haven’t had a soda since December 31, 2007 and shouldn’t start again. Not even just once.

What’s Keeping Me Busy: Taking a picture every day for one year. It’s a popular trend on Flickr and I’m posting mine there as well. Some days are hard and I really just don’t feel like taking a picture. Despite this, I’m 56 days into the project. Only 309 to go.

Where I’ll probably be going on vacation in August: Seattle (and probably Oregon). The vacation days are approved. We just need to buy our plane tickets. I’ve never been to the West Coast (yet I have been to Alaska and Hawaii).

Trying to find: Bridesmaid’s outfits for my sister’s wedding. Red and white are the colors and she wants casual skirts or dresses for us. The wedding is here in Virginia in July so heavy clothing is a bad idea. At the moment, stores don’t appear to be selling red clothing. Suggestions?

Waiting For: Spring. The cold weather needs to cease. My daffodils need to bloom. The world outside needs to turn green. That’s all I ask.

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Sausage and 17 Bean Soup, originally uploaded by meliass.

With lots of sausage. Lots and lots of sausage.

Despite it being 75 degrees outside on Friday, I chose to make bean soup. I had the beans in the pantry and had bought some Surry sausage for no known reason the day before…so bean and sausage soup seemed like an obvious choice.

That and the fact that I wasn’t allowed to go to the grocery store to buy dinner ingredients. I’m actually not allowed to go to the grocery store very often as of this month. In my monthly budget, I have $150 allocated to groceries. Last month, I spent $300 on groceries…the extra $150 coming from my “everything else” fund. Needless to say, I didn’t buy much other than groceries last month.

So…for the month of April, we decided to experiment. I gave the boyfriend $120 of my $150 grocery budget money (which he combines with his own budgeted grocery money) and he’s in charge of the shopping. I make ridiculously elaborate grocery lists for him and he buys most (but not all) of the things on my list. So far it seems to be working out.

I will still go to the grocery store on occasion…mostly if I’m cooking something I didn’t plan in advance and find that I need an ingredient that neither of us have. He also refuses to go to Ukrop’s or The Fresh Market for me since they’re the two most expensive grocery stores in town…but I still need to go to them on occasion for some specialty items. And that’s okay…as long as I only get what I went for in the first place. That’s the challenge. That’s also how I ended up with the Surry sausage for my soup.

With luck, this new plan for me to avoid the grocery store as much as possible will save lots of money in the long run. The boyfriend won’t buy name brand items as much as I will…he’s even threatened to buy generic things like cranberry juice and refill my Ocean Spray bottle with the generic juice.

I’ll post more food stuff soon. I still have lots of recipes to blog. And pictures to take of a very delicious looking coffee cake that just came out of the oven. I’m also making cherry tarts tonight. Look forward to the pictures…

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Apparently, I wasn’t done writing for today.

After my drink and apps at Bonefish, I’ve concluded two things.

First: I’ve become cheap. This whole using a budget thing makes me think about every purchase and dammit I’m kind of mad at myself for spending $30 on dinner. That blows a huge portion of the money budgeted for eating out for the month. It’s not that far in the past that I would go out to eat many times each week and think nothing of spending $100 or more on dinner for two. If I did that now, it might have to be a special occasion.

Second: I don’t really like eating in restaurants anymore. Sure, I’m happy to have a sandwich or some soup just about anywhere. And yes, I work in a restaurant…but I eat substantially less food there these days. I’m tired of it. Actual cooked restaurant food doesn’t appeal to me much these days. Yes, I did eat fried food tonight (which I do eat very little of these days) so that’s part of it.

Less than a year ago, I didn’t think this way…look at how far I’ve come. No longer do I enjoy eating too much food that isn’t at all good for me. No longer do I want to spend money on food in a restaurant. So much for an evening out.

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