~A Bitter Swallow~

So, I grabbed a book from the library the other day that passed through my hands at the check-in station. It's called Taste of Home's "Everyday Light Meals". In an attempt to occupy my daughter during my son's karate class, as well as maybe find dinners to make that she'd actually eat, I had her go through and write down everything that looked appealing to her. I may as well just had her earmark the entire book. She wrote down tons of foods that struck her fancy, and that's saying allot for this picky little eater.

I just may have to go buy the book.

Now I have a long list of items to stock my pantry with, and I am pleased to see that many of the recipies call for similar ingredients, so I do not have to constantly run to the store in order to make each day's meals. I will be able to come home after a busy day, and whip something up with the ingredients on hand. That's super handy! (Please pardon the pun... though it made me giggle inside.)

I'm actually pretty excited to make some of this stuff, and double kudos to the fact that it's light on the calories and thereby my waistline!

Tonight: Pizza from Pizza Hut!

And I'm sure the Devil frolicks in mine often. Especially when I'm screwing around on the computer. But I've picked up some reading material (yet, here I still am on the computer) with ideas of changing some of that idleness, while pursuing things I've always wanted.

I've picked up a couple of books on learning Latin. Old-school, dead Latin. I've always wanted to learn it. Languages we speak today are always evolving and changing, with words picking up more and more meaning. Latin is what it is. Not to mention, our language is highly comprised of Latin derivatives, and when you know those base words, it's easier to decipher what a particular word might mean.

Oh, and I just think it's cool.

But learning a new language by reading a book is painful. Even when you have the "For Dummies" version. I'm a bigger dummy than they take me for. They are using words in there, that are supposedly in English, that I don't understand. Words for figuring out the configuration of Latin speech- how they put all their parts together. Their sentence structure is not the same as ours.

I looked into that Rosetta Stone program. It's suppose to be a great program. And it better be, for that cost. There is no way I can afford anything like that right now. So, book scouring it is (that being.. the book scouring my brain). At least I should have some of the basics down (and hopefully the correct pronunciation) by the time I can get to the Cd's.

The other thing I've been reading into (and it's much easier on my brain) is eating better. Not just low-fat, etc.. but actually reading up on things like how different foods affect your blood sugar, and what that does to your body. I'm not diabetic, but have noticed the way I feel after eating. And the things it says makes perfect sense. So, I'm reading into how to alter my diet. Not go on a diet, or make drastic changes that will never last in the long run. But maybe substituting some Grape Nuts instead of corn flakes, or starting my day instead with oatmeal and fruit. Using whole grain pasta instead of white pasta. The hardest will be losing my white rice. How I love white rice. But maybe I can add some veggies along with my chicken, to cut down on the amount of actual rice that is in there. That kind of thing.

To do this, I have to be able to go into my kitchen and actually prepare food, as well. Not just cooking, but learning how to open my fridge or my cupboards and find meals (such as breakfast or lunch) that I can whip together out of what I find in there. This is my biggest challenge in the kitchen. Trying to make a meal out of the randomness I see. I don't look in there and see items I can combine into something yummy. Instead, I see different individual things. My mind doesn't yet make the connection between them all. So, time to completely clear out my fridge and my cupboards, take at least a mental inventory of everything I have on hand, and somehow organize everything in this little amount of cupboard space I have, so that I can see it clearly when I go looking. Maybe a hard-copy inventory will have to be kept for awhile. Just until I get the hang of it.

I got some cookbook recommendations from a coworker friend of mine who also loves to cook. I found one at the library, and brought it home (yet to look through it though, other than a quick browse through. That is for later today). I plan to go through not only it, but the others I have on hand, and maybe peruse through the Goodwill and like stores for other good ones. I need to find good, staple recipes to keep on hand. Those old go-to stand-by recipes for those nights I don't want to think about what to cook, as well as those that are good bases for making other meals. Also to find those items I can make batches of, and throw into the freezer for later days.

So, Latin and cooking. This aught to be interesting. I can see myself in the kitchen, wooden spoon in hand, trying my hand at Latin pronunciation while mixing up a bowl of... well, something. I'll need to get an apron to protect myself from the imminent spills while trying to lean over and look at the book. Wish me luck!