Foodies Unite

If you've haven't seen the Julie/Julia movie yet, you need to. I was really impressed with this movie for a few reasons. Like several of the movies I've seen randomly and really fallen in love with, I didn't know that much about it before chancing upon it at the theater with my mom. I've since seen it again with my boyfriend and despite the economics of diminishing marginal utility, I loved it more!

It's no surprise I love food. Perhaps it's why I just could never starve myself to compete in a swimsuit! I love cooking when I have time. Even though this semester I have a great deal on my plate with thesis writing, helping teach two classes, writing a book (I know, exciting!), and applying to PHD programs, I decided to get back into cooking. Last year I lived in an apartment with a very tiny kitchen, but this is the year of upgrades in many ways and my new place has a great kitchen!

This year is a great opportunity to get back into cooking and enjoy the food. ( Fact: I haven't eaten a single wrap since Miss Virginia the end of June.) Watching Meryl Streep's new movie definitely inspired me to continue on with cooking even though I come home exhausted from school and work half the time! I've tried recipes from a variety of different sources, some easier than others, but all have worked! Yes! I'm not a total failure at making food.

My first foray into cooking came when I lived in England for a year. I lived with 8 other women and we visited the dining hall once. That was enough to know that it simply wasn't going to suffice for food. I began cooking using recipezaar.com (great for conversions and shifting to smaller portions, fyi) and recipes from my mom. Let me tell you, it's no fun cooking for one! I made that comment to a male co-worker once and he mistook it as a date invitation. Oops.

In any case, my housemates and I shifted cooking responsibility. It's much easier to cook for six or eight and have everyone chip in a small amount of money for groceries. I also cooked for my roommate a lot because we had similar taste and similar schedules. It was a great experience that pushed me into new territory and forced me to think ahead and eat healthier. England isn't really known for its food, but they have much less preservatives in anything (for example, milk only lasts four days or so) and once your stomach adjusts to that you feel much healthier.

I'm now moving on to breads and desserts in addition to just dinners. I've made some great ready-to-go lunches which are perfect for my schedule this year.

Sick of frozen Lean Cuisines and ordering pizza? Go see Julie/Julia and get some motivation. My new favorite are the betty crocker recipe books at the checkout with easy tear-out recipes. Check them out! We've had great fruit salad, pasta salad, parmesan chicken, and taco casserole from there!

Oh, and one more thing: God bless crock pots! If you don't have one, invest!