Friday 4 June 2010

My Words Don't Travel Far They Tangle In My Hair And Tend To Go Nowhere They Grow Right Back Inside Right Past My Brain And Eyes Into My Stomach Juice

My May resolutions (to embrace meal planning, drink no pop, eat no fast food, and spend no money on prepared coffee) were a huge failure. May was such a bitch that I ignored my resolutions and just tried to get through the month without completely losing my mind. It turns out that my survival mode includes a lot of french fries and $4 coffee shop lattes. Mid month it became very easy to ignore my resolutions because I had already failed so spectacularly. Why bother trying to salvage my resolutions when french fries are so tasty and prepared coffee is so easy? I'm not proud of my defeatist attitude but it is what it is. May is over and June is set to be my bitch.

June is going to be the month of meal planning. Shawn is going to become more involved in our kitchen (totally against his will, I should point out) and I am going to focus on learning new ways to prepare healthy food. To keep the momentum going, I am resolving to learn two new recipes per week. They don't need to be elaborate or fancy - just two new ways of preparing healthy food. This week I made this spinach and it was glorious.*

I'm excited about this month's resolution. The farmers' markets have started opening and local, fresh produce is becoming available. It's my favourite time of year (just wait til the local strawberries are available - you won't be able to shut me up.)


* Spinach is on my list of food that tastes like dirt (spinach, beets, mangoes, walnuts - don't ask me why, they just all taste like dirt to me) so it was extremely bizarre to be eating it and actually enjoying the taste. The only change to the recipe I made was to add a finely diced red onion to the hot oil and let it brown up nicely before adding the garlic. I don't have the patience for cleaning spinach and I have an aversion to grit in my food, so I used the baby spinach that comes in a box (says that lady who was just gushing about farmers' markets and connecting to local food.) You'll feel like you're using a lot of spinach (I used the whole box) but it renders down significantly as it cooks and you're left with a tiny, fragrant pile of bliss that you'll want to keep all for yourself but you can't because the whole kitchen smells of garlic and lemon and loveliness and your husband will be all "you have to share! What's yours is mine and what's mine is yours. It's called marriage!" and you will shoot him the stink eye but he will ignore it. And then he will eat half of your lovely spinach and you will store the "what's yours is mine and what's mine is yours" argument away in the spiteful part of your brain for the next time he is eating chocolate.

13 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. Woah, that seems like a pretty hefty list of resolutions for one month. Good for you, for attempting - because I can tell you the 'not purchasing coffee' one alone would be all I could handle for a month.

    I see you share my affinity for cheese? Because I have a spinach, cheese bake breakfast thingy recipe that is healthy too. Cheese and spinach are always a cheery combo!

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  3. I am TOTALLY making that recipe tomorrow night. YUM.

    Here's to a great June!

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  4. Oh I've learned to absolutely love spinach!! I have a few spinachy delicious recipes I can send your way if you like. I've also found variations of spinach salads (with nuts, feta cheese, mushrooms, strawberries...) are infinitely more tasty than boring old lettuce salads.

    Your June is going to go AWESOMELY and think of how accomplished you'll feel in 4 weeks time :)

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  5. I'm pushing away the sweets more, that's my resolution. My job made me put on 5 lbs and it angers me. So... salads and less fatty/sugary stuff. I figure it's a good resolution when I'm NOT pmsing. when I am, everything goes out the window.
    Hunger? Terrible!
    Though I love the famers markets and all the fresh loveliness that makes it easier to eat healthy in the summer.
    I'm with ya, cheering you on and trying it myself!

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  6. We used to make a similar spinach recipe, only we'd add pinenuts at the end. Mighty tasty for the girl who also hates washing spinach and has an aversion to grit in her food!

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  7. I really like spinach. LOOOOOOVE spinach salads, especially with raspberry balsamic vinaigrette (just through the three together and blend).

    Speaking of food that tastes like dirt...My step-mom made me eat beets the other night. And since we're all about the blogs in this house right now (my dad just started one, the cutie), she told me I should start blogging "stuff my parents make me eat". Maybe I will. (The beets were actually ok-ish. We coated them with butter, wrapped them in tin foil, and threw them on the bbq for 40 minutes).

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  8. I actually like foods that have that earthy, dirty flavor. If that makes me weird, so be it. :-) I'll have to try that spinach recipe! I usually just steam mine and add a little butter, or some balsamic vinegar. But the red onion addition sounds divine.

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  9. i am a recent spinach convert, and that's my favorite easy way to make it - immediate, delicious side to any meal (if, for example, your boyfriend is making dinner, which means he has only cooked meat? you can pick up a box o' spinach on the way over and have a side to go with your meat in under 5 minutes.)

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  10. You NEEDED those things to get you through May. Seriously. No guilt for those.

    June sounds like it's going to be super healthy and delicious! And full of lessons about marriage. He is so definitely going to have to go halfsies on any chocolate.

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  11. You don't like mangoes?! Who doesn't like mangoes?! What's wrong with you?!

    Also, I totally gave up my diet and exercise while we were moving. Now I'm desperately trying to make up for lost time. Have heart, we all fall off once in a while!

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  12. Spinach that's been cooked is amazing!! I did that for the first time last month, but I was shocked by how much it reduces down. That sounds like something I need to try.

    And I can't wait to hear how much you've accomplished in the next few weeks- I'm sure it'll be an amazing feeling =)

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  13. Spinach is one of my favorites. Oh, and you've got me all excited for the start of our farmer's market. Luke is kind of famous there. People love to rub up on him and give him doggy biscotti. True story.

    OX!

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