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Ha, so, the post I made before my new-year post was actually a post of goal-ish type things, so let's look back and see how I did:
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
So one of the things I've been doing lately is 8760 Hours. It's basically a REALLY INTENSIVE version of your New Year's resolutions, but taking like... a day or two (or several weeks, if you're me and don't always actually go work on it when you say you're going to) to sort out. In the end, you have about 14-20 things that you' like to accomplish during the year, of which you pick 3-5 to really focus on (with expansion potential if you achieve the first set).
So my goals for the year (which I'm really counting as the current half-year, so I'll re-do this in December) are as follows:
( Under a cut for those who don't care )
So that's the five that I thought were most important to me. Other stuff on the list includes reducing meat consumption (those of you also on FB saw the results of that; I'm going to try but I'm not putting a concerted effort into it yet, the eating out thing is more important), improve earnings (I want to get to a regular $3600/mo pre-HST and income tax deductions, or about $2700 actual "my" money), write 500 words/day, see friends more frequently, have potlucks more frequently (see previous point), volunteer, get myself more organized/less prone to getting out of bed at the crack of noon, and meditate 20min/day.
So my goals for the year (which I'm really counting as the current half-year, so I'll re-do this in December) are as follows:
( Under a cut for those who don't care )
So that's the five that I thought were most important to me. Other stuff on the list includes reducing meat consumption (those of you also on FB saw the results of that; I'm going to try but I'm not putting a concerted effort into it yet, the eating out thing is more important), improve earnings (I want to get to a regular $3600/mo pre-HST and income tax deductions, or about $2700 actual "my" money), write 500 words/day, see friends more frequently, have potlucks more frequently (see previous point), volunteer, get myself more organized/less prone to getting out of bed at the crack of noon, and meditate 20min/day.
I've been thinking a lot about food, lately, and my relationships with it and my associations with it.
I mean, admittedly, mostly I've been thinking about making food. A lot of food. At one point this last week I wanted to make a four-course meal, plus dessert, and I DID make fake clotted cream and lemon curd and scones. Because I can't do something half-assedly.
I'll let you in on a non-secret: I am really fucking lazy. I am so fucking lazy that I will not make myself a sandwich to take to school, because the Subway is just up the street and only costs... $8 a pop (remember, I am an unemployed student). This causes my grandmother no small amount of consternation. (I don't eat there EVERY day, but often enough.)
Food has always been my #1 cost, unless someone else was paying for it (see also: Patrick's family feeding my ass almost all the way through university).
Part of the reason is, I never really learned how to cook. I can follow a recipe as well as the next person (usually - Patrick makes fun of me for sometimes adding too much liquid to things and winding up with mush when baking) but I'm not really experienced with spices or cooking methods. And I don't like stuff "plain" (or cold, a lot of the time).
The other thing is that in the land of picky eaters, my picky thing is grains. I'm not a fan of rice, pasta, bread; even potatoes are nice but not strictly necessary. This makes food planning difficult, because those "bulky" items that you eat as filler? Yeah, I don't really eat those. If it's sweet, that's a whole other story, but not really my thing as a savory dish.
And yet food is like this huge integral part of my (paternal) family's life. Dinner at Nonna's is a very important thing and there are specific days of the year that we kind of expect to go over and feast. (Christmas, birthdays, maybe Easter.) My cousin on that side does cakes. Her sister's partner also does food (I think maybe was a caterer at some point?). My aunt and Nonna are incredible cooks. My dad too. And his cousins - I can't imagine them NOT being good at cooking. Food is so tied up in, well, our cultural identity...
Except I grew up in an English/Canadian house. My maternal grandmother did Sunday roast beef dinner, and trifle on special occasions, but according to my mother, that was pretty much it. (I gather her dad did most of the cooking otherwise.) My stepfather's mother (the grandmother I live with)... let's say it's very meat and potatoes. It's an extremely heavy meat-and-carbs diet with very little greenery.
As for my family, I don't remember anyone ever doing a lot of cooking, except for our nannies. (Yeah, I had nannies. At first, my great-aunt and my grandmother, then actual live-in hired help. Until I was, hm, maybe 10?) But anything my parents made generally came from a box or from a restaurant.
I joke about how I make a terrible Italian. I don't like olives and pasta and bread are not high points for me. The truth is, though, that I feel like there's this whole food culture that I just do not get. Like everyone else [in my family] was raised knowing how to cook or bake, and I've kind of been left to my own devices to figure it out.
And because they have the basics, they can do the complicated! But I don't, but in an effort to prove myself while simultaneously learning, I have to do Big Stuff (four-course meal for a basic dinner). Not only do I have to do Big Stuff, it has to be food snobbery big stuff. Nothing as crass as mashed potatoes and steak. That is, as they say, Too Easy. If it's mashed potatoes and steak, it had better have ten steps to it and involve no fewer than seven ingredients. Each. (You may laugh, but I'm not kidding.)
And if I can't do that? Well, I'll just eat out. (To be honest, the one costs nearly the same as the other because I have to put in ALL THE EFFORT [clean *all* the things].)
Yeah, it's messed up. I'm.... working on it. But there is a reason my Bed Bath and Beyond wishlist is $12,000. Let me show you my unrealistic expectations.
I mean, admittedly, mostly I've been thinking about making food. A lot of food. At one point this last week I wanted to make a four-course meal, plus dessert, and I DID make fake clotted cream and lemon curd and scones. Because I can't do something half-assedly.
I'll let you in on a non-secret: I am really fucking lazy. I am so fucking lazy that I will not make myself a sandwich to take to school, because the Subway is just up the street and only costs... $8 a pop (remember, I am an unemployed student). This causes my grandmother no small amount of consternation. (I don't eat there EVERY day, but often enough.)
Food has always been my #1 cost, unless someone else was paying for it (see also: Patrick's family feeding my ass almost all the way through university).
Part of the reason is, I never really learned how to cook. I can follow a recipe as well as the next person (usually - Patrick makes fun of me for sometimes adding too much liquid to things and winding up with mush when baking) but I'm not really experienced with spices or cooking methods. And I don't like stuff "plain" (or cold, a lot of the time).
The other thing is that in the land of picky eaters, my picky thing is grains. I'm not a fan of rice, pasta, bread; even potatoes are nice but not strictly necessary. This makes food planning difficult, because those "bulky" items that you eat as filler? Yeah, I don't really eat those. If it's sweet, that's a whole other story, but not really my thing as a savory dish.
And yet food is like this huge integral part of my (paternal) family's life. Dinner at Nonna's is a very important thing and there are specific days of the year that we kind of expect to go over and feast. (Christmas, birthdays, maybe Easter.) My cousin on that side does cakes. Her sister's partner also does food (I think maybe was a caterer at some point?). My aunt and Nonna are incredible cooks. My dad too. And his cousins - I can't imagine them NOT being good at cooking. Food is so tied up in, well, our cultural identity...
Except I grew up in an English/Canadian house. My maternal grandmother did Sunday roast beef dinner, and trifle on special occasions, but according to my mother, that was pretty much it. (I gather her dad did most of the cooking otherwise.) My stepfather's mother (the grandmother I live with)... let's say it's very meat and potatoes. It's an extremely heavy meat-and-carbs diet with very little greenery.
As for my family, I don't remember anyone ever doing a lot of cooking, except for our nannies. (Yeah, I had nannies. At first, my great-aunt and my grandmother, then actual live-in hired help. Until I was, hm, maybe 10?) But anything my parents made generally came from a box or from a restaurant.
I joke about how I make a terrible Italian. I don't like olives and pasta and bread are not high points for me. The truth is, though, that I feel like there's this whole food culture that I just do not get. Like everyone else [in my family] was raised knowing how to cook or bake, and I've kind of been left to my own devices to figure it out.
And because they have the basics, they can do the complicated! But I don't, but in an effort to prove myself while simultaneously learning, I have to do Big Stuff (four-course meal for a basic dinner). Not only do I have to do Big Stuff, it has to be food snobbery big stuff. Nothing as crass as mashed potatoes and steak. That is, as they say, Too Easy. If it's mashed potatoes and steak, it had better have ten steps to it and involve no fewer than seven ingredients. Each. (You may laugh, but I'm not kidding.)
And if I can't do that? Well, I'll just eat out. (To be honest, the one costs nearly the same as the other because I have to put in ALL THE EFFORT [clean *all* the things].)
Yeah, it's messed up. I'm.... working on it. But there is a reason my Bed Bath and Beyond wishlist is $12,000. Let me show you my unrealistic expectations.
Is it... really possible for a meal and/or clothes to add three pounds to your weight on the scale?
Because, um.
I do not want to weigh 110 pounds.
Because, um.
I do not want to weigh 110 pounds.
Yum. (+101/1001 Update)
Jan. 24th, 2009 01:51 pmSo these crepes are actually quite surprisingly good. (I did all-purpose flour crepes, though. Fuck whole wheat. Also added a little sugar. And used cottage cheese instead of ricotta.)
Sadly, they are not Meagan-friendly. Any lactose-intolerant/vegan folks out there who have a good substitute for the ol' curds and whey?
Also:
61. Get a massage.
Meagan and I went to the Millcroft for her birthday/Christmas present. I got a massage and it was totally awesome. :D *loves Meagan*
Full list of goals here.
Sadly, they are not Meagan-friendly. Any lactose-intolerant/vegan folks out there who have a good substitute for the ol' curds and whey?
Also:
61. Get a massage.
Meagan and I went to the Millcroft for her birthday/Christmas present. I got a massage and it was totally awesome. :D *loves Meagan*
Full list of goals here.
101 in 1001 Days: 26/101
Oct. 15th, 2008 10:42 pmI have passed the one-quarter mark already!
Okay, so most of my things left are 1) expensive or 2) time-intensive, but nonetheless... 25.74% of the way there!!
80. Try everything on Bombay Bhel's menu at least once.
Have I mentioned that I love Bombay Bhel? Have I also mentioned that YOU SHOULD GO THERE. RIGHT NOW!
Best appetizer: Dahi poori.
Best tandoor item: Chicken leg.
Best meat item: Butter chicken.
Best vegetarian item: Vegetarian thali.
Best bread: Aloo paratha.
Best drink: Mango lassi.
Best dessert: Gulab jamun, OF COURSE.
DO IT! NOW!
16. Write a short story.
I did! I even submitted it somewhere. No, you can't read it yet (unless you can...)
83. Take an LCBO food course.
Oh god, so full. So worth it. So tired now.
-Manicotti with Tuttobene 2006
-Penne alla vodka with a 2007 Riesling
-Spaghetti al carbonara
-Timballo (eggplant + ziti baked dish) with some Spanish red I can't remember the name of
-Gelato with limoncello
Oh, the carbs. Oh, the cheese. Oh, the delicious. *dies*
Full list of goals here.
Okay, so most of my things left are 1) expensive or 2) time-intensive, but nonetheless... 25.74% of the way there!!
80. Try everything on Bombay Bhel's menu at least once.
Have I mentioned that I love Bombay Bhel? Have I also mentioned that YOU SHOULD GO THERE. RIGHT NOW!
Best appetizer: Dahi poori.
Best tandoor item: Chicken leg.
Best meat item: Butter chicken.
Best vegetarian item: Vegetarian thali.
Best bread: Aloo paratha.
Best drink: Mango lassi.
Best dessert: Gulab jamun, OF COURSE.
DO IT! NOW!
16. Write a short story.
I did! I even submitted it somewhere. No, you can't read it yet (unless you can...)
83. Take an LCBO food course.
Oh god, so full. So worth it. So tired now.
-Manicotti with Tuttobene 2006
-Penne alla vodka with a 2007 Riesling
-Spaghetti al carbonara
-Timballo (eggplant + ziti baked dish) with some Spanish red I can't remember the name of
-Gelato with limoncello
Oh, the carbs. Oh, the cheese. Oh, the delicious. *dies*
Full list of goals here.
Foodie Lists
Aug. 20th, 2008 12:09 pmThe Omnivore's Hundred is a list of foods the gastronome Andrew Wheeler thinks everyone should try at least once.
The rules of the meme:
Bold those you have tried.
Strikethrough those you wouldn't eat on a bet.
Italicize any item you'll never eat again.
Asterisk any items you'd be interested in trying but have not yet.
Under line anything you don't know what it is.
( Things to make you hungry, after the cut! )
Clearly I have a goal to aspire to. :P
The rules of the meme:
Bold those you have tried.
Strikethrough those you wouldn't eat on a bet.
Italicize any item you'll never eat again.
Asterisk any items you'd be interested in trying but have not yet.
Under line anything you don't know what it is.
( Things to make you hungry, after the cut! )
Clearly I have a goal to aspire to. :P
101 in 1001 Days: 16/101
Aug. 4th, 2008 01:50 am050. Finish watching season 2 of CSI.
Ayep.
Man, do I love Grissom. :D
( 079. Try 5 new restaurants. )
Full list here.
Ayep.
Man, do I love Grissom. :D
( 079. Try 5 new restaurants. )
Full list here.
Random meme ganked from ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
harukami
Random meme time! Name a character from a fandom I'm in/have been in/original thing you know I've done, I'll say how I feel about 'em.
...
Non-meme stuff:
Sister and I made tempura today. It turned out pretty well, although towards the end the oil was like "KILL JOO!" and I said "ow!". No burns, but I keep feeling bits of tempura batter coming off my skin. Made rice to go with it, which turned out a bit salty but otherwise OK. Was WAY more effort than it was worth, but it was tasty.
Also made scones, which have not been griddled yet, but which I will cook tomorrow morning for breakfast. Wish me luck with that. I want scones ;_; Tasty tasty.
Going to karaoke with Sean et al. tonight. A bunch of people I haven't seen in about a bajillion years (where bajillion is about three or so, for most of them). Looking forward to it. Hoping I don't smell like a deep fryer from the oil. Also hoping that the deep bone-tiredness (from making the tempura) goes away in time to enjoy it fully. Therefore, Coca-Cola. Woot.
harukamiRandom meme time! Name a character from a fandom I'm in/have been in/original thing you know I've done, I'll say how I feel about 'em.
...
Non-meme stuff:
Sister and I made tempura today. It turned out pretty well, although towards the end the oil was like "KILL JOO!" and I said "ow!". No burns, but I keep feeling bits of tempura batter coming off my skin. Made rice to go with it, which turned out a bit salty but otherwise OK. Was WAY more effort than it was worth, but it was tasty.
Also made scones, which have not been griddled yet, but which I will cook tomorrow morning for breakfast. Wish me luck with that. I want scones ;_; Tasty tasty.
Going to karaoke with Sean et al. tonight. A bunch of people I haven't seen in about a bajillion years (where bajillion is about three or so, for most of them). Looking forward to it. Hoping I don't smell like a deep fryer from the oil. Also hoping that the deep bone-tiredness (from making the tempura) goes away in time to enjoy it fully. Therefore, Coca-Cola. Woot.
