Among the dozens of... interesting questions I was asked, one is actually currently relevant.
Ooh I wanna know what you're doing for Lent because you sent me into the slobberin fits last year when you didn't blog for like 8 months or whatever it was.
Well, Mayberry, I'm glad you asked. First, because the way you asked made me laugh hysterically, and two, because I need to lay down my ground rules.
I'm not giving up the Internet again this year, don't worry. I have an iPhone, for heaven's sake - I think it's physically impossible to have an iPhone and not use the Internet, and I don't feel a need to give it up like I did last year.
Nope, this year, I'm giving up eating out. I have been on a major bender lately - I think that I went to a restaurant every single day last week, and I'm finding myself craving fountain drinks and Chick Fil-A's chicken nuggets and McGriddles and all kinds of other nonsense. I have to break myself of this somehow, because both my wallet and my giant derriere are suffering. I think the detoxifying powers of Lent will do me good. Drew will be joining me this year, which will be a HUGE help.
So here are the rules.
1. No eating at restaurants. Fast food, dine-in, take-out, ANYTHING.
2. No drinking at restaurants. (I'm throwing this one in there because I have a habit of going to Sonic on a semi-daily basis for a Route 44 Sprite Zero with easy ice.)
3. I will accept food bought by other people. (Sometimes my mom likes bringing Popeye's over.) I will not accept food bought by other people on the condition that I will pay them back after Lent. :)
4. Restaurants are allowed on Sundays.
5. No grabbing a sandwich or whatever from the deli at the grocery store or a convenience store.
6. Drew will be given an allowance at work that if he forgets his lunch, he can buy lunch at work. I will be given no such allowance, because I'm never far enough from home that I can't run home and grab a HOT POCKET. (That one's for you, too, Mayberry.)
7. This one's not specifically related, but it's one I'm going to impose on myself. No buying cokes from the checkout lanes at the grocery stores. I would say that 95% of the time when I'm at the grocery store, I will see a Diet Dr. Pepper and jump on that sucker like white on rice. I'm pretty sure that's cost me a considerable amount of money, and that's gotta stop.
So those are the rules. What in the world will I eat?
I have been watching a lot of Ellie Krieger's show on the Food Network, Healthy Eating. Her recipes don't look like they totally suck nor do they look exorbitantly expensive, so I think I'll pick up her book at Borders at some point tomorrow.
I know I'm making the right choice. I considered just dropping fast food, but I figured I'd basically eat at Newk's every single day. God smacked me on the head and was like "stop eating out." Oh yeah.
What about y'all? Any plans for Lent? Ya ain't gotta be Catholic, ya know.
3 days ago
14 comments:
Sweets. I gotta give up sugar. I did it last year and it lasted a good long while but now I am back on the craving it daily wagon and IT MUST STOP.
go you! I haven't thought about it a whole lot. Maybe I should do the eating out thing too. If I don't pick something, I'll feel guilty (I'm a Catholic, guilt is our middle name). ha!
I cook every single day. I can cook better food than we can get in a resteraunt, in our opinions :) I can give you easy peasy recipes & detailed ones too, if you want! You two would love the Crawfish pasta I posted for the MRBA, it's pretty simple, mostly healthy and even little Ace man mike like it, if he likes crawfish & pastas.
I love to cook and hate to spend the money to eat out. haha
Ok so it is not lent, but i think one of my Ramadan tactics could help here. a lot of times I would eat out because I had no time. So during Ramadan, on sundays (four weeks worth) I would do the vast majority of my cooking for the week and then refrigerate (for monday tuesday wednesdaz) or freeze (thursday friday), and put in individual serve tupperwares. Then on Saturday I would cook something from scratch, which we would eat as leftovers on Sunday while I was cookign the week's food.
Ya ain't gotta be Catholic? Okay, I'm giving up pork and shellfish.
haha good luck with THAT!
Wow. That's a good one. Good luck! You know, until I left home for college I never ate out, we lived too far out in the boonies for it to be easy. It's only gotten out of control in the past year or so.
Ellie Kreiger makes great food. You'd also like Rachael Ray's stuff. It's mostly healthy, too. Steer clear of Barefoot Contessa and Paula Denn. (You ain't saving any calories there.)
I've got a fabulous cookbook called Fast and Healthy. If you want to borrow it, feel free!
Saving Dinner is a great web site. Menu plans with the grocery lists. I think there are sample plans on the web site, too. Probably enough different types of sample plans to get you through Lent. :) Healthy easy yummy meals.
Two things. One, I have a cookbook that gives recipes in larger quantities; the idea behind the book is you cook lots of the basics (like Mexican-spiced ground meat), portion it and freeze it. Then, when you want enchiladas, you're halfway there. Not near as big of a deal getting things ready.
Second, my MIL got hooked by the infomercial that sells the GT mini cooker. I rolled my eyes when she walked in with one for us, but, when you want something hot and quick, you can build your own HOT POCKETS and have them ready pretty quickly.
Oh, and what are the rules for "Let's go grab lunch at Newks', I'm buying"?
Doghouse, please see rule #3. ANYTIME.
Ok, first of all if there's anybody having lunch at Newk's, I had BETTER be invited. I'm just sayin'...
Secondly, I really admire you. Hubby and I really need to stop eating out so much.
Thirdly, I'm totally stoked that you answered my question FIRST! HA!
So glad we finally got to meet!
seth and i are copying you!
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