Hello 2010

Right now I am with Darryl, our laptops side-by-side, sitting at the kitchen counter at Reesa's house with the whirl of the new Cuisinart ice cream maker my parents gave Darryl for Christmas in the background. Last night he made spearmint ice cream, tonight we are having cookies n' cream. Either one combined with the from-scratch dark chocolate brownies I made yesterday could possibly be the answer to world peace.

So. Happy New Year once again! We had a blast ringing in the new year with old friends at the Carmona's (and at the neighbor's across the street) in Corona. I think this is the first time one of our friends has thrown a new year's party and it was a huge success. Rockband, lasagna, sparkling cider, a bonfire, loud salsa and techno music, and illegal fireworks make for a fun party any day.

Every year I make a mental list of goals and dreams for the new year. This year is pretty much the same as always: spend less, save more, work out, eat better, cut back on Starbucks. I guess they are all kind of interrelated. This year though, is serious business. I have a rough estimate of how much I really, seriously, need to save up for the wedding by this time next year to avoid mountains of wedding debt. Also, now that I actually have my dress, and since I'm fairly certain I've already gained at least a couple of pounds since I bought it, some kind of self-control should probably begin to take place in terms of food and espresso drinks. Working out would probably also be a good idea. I'm still working out the specifics on how I'm going to approach these things in a more effective and realistic way than I have tried in the past. Perhaps bringing up a need for more self-discipline in my prayer circle. Then again, that's one of those things you should really be careful about asking for.

My biggest issue is that in theory going grocery shopping and cooking instead of eating out everyday should save money, and be healthier than restaurant food, especially fast food. However, I tend to be kind of picky when it comes to buying ingredients with which to cook or bake things since if I tend to not think as much about what goes into restaurant food as much as what I'm consciously allowing into my own culinary creations. If I'm going to get meat or poultry, it's going to be organic or at least antibiotic/pesticide free, which can often cost a great deal more than conventional meat, for example. Also, it's harder than you might think to buy a week's worth of groceries for one person and have just the right amount of things without perishible items going bad and still having enough of a variety of things to eat every day. When Darry was living on his own, he could survive on peanut butter, whole wheat bread, instant oatmeal or cream of wheat, protein shakes, bottled water, baby carrots, and bananas. Of course we would still end up eating somewhere for dinner almost every weeknight. During our 3 day attempt at the South Beach Diet, we had to buy groceries for us to share, which was quite the task because of both budgetary and dietary considerations; part of the reason it only lasted 3 days. I know that it should be a fairly simple task to plan out meals for the week, make a list, and stick to it, but it always seems like I end up spending way more than I would just getting my southwest chicken salad from McDonald's for lunch at work (or Flamebroiler, or Subway, etc.). However, healthwise, I know cooking more often would be best for my heart function and blood glucose levels, and obviously when Darryl and I get married, I hope that we will eat at home as much as possible (especially if I get at least half of the stuff on our registry). So. I'm working on it. If I can make this work for myself my hope is that it'll be much easier when I'm shopping and cooking for two. Or maybe I'll just save my grocery money for baking more things.

Speaking of which, Darryl's ice cream is done, and it kicks store-bought cookies n' cream in the butt.