Ten months ago, I moved into my first "solo" apartment; no roommates, no family - just me. I have to admit, I was unsure at first if I would like it. I've always had people around me, whether they were my sisters, cousins, or college roommates, I've never lived with fewer than 4 other people. Suddenly, coming home at night to an empty house that looked exactly the way I left it in the morning was a bit strange. Stranger still, and a bit unexpected, was the conundrum of what to make for dinner. How do you cook for one?
After weeks of cooking too much food, throwing half of it away, and having a fridge full of leftovers I would never get to, I started to just give in and order food or cook instant meals (or the less commonly known "crap-in-a-box"). I found it a whole lot easier and there's no dishes to wash!
Concurrent with my new-found zest for pizza, cheesesteaks and General Gao chicken, I found that when living alone there's also nobody there to encourage you to do anything but sit on the couch and watch TV. Within my first month in the new apartment, my nightly routine evolved to 1) get home, 2) order dinner, 3) channel surf while eating dinner, 4) go to bed. For those of you familiar with the human metabolic system, this translates to a very unhealthy me.
Which brings me to my New Year's Resolution this year. I'm whipping myself back into shape. I'm going to make the effort to actually make myself a healthy meal at night. Baked chicken breast and green beans will be replacing my "usual" down at Vinnie's House of Cholesterol. I'm going to make time in my day to get out and get some exercise - maybe I'll find some community sports I can join or at least start jogging in the morning again. I'm going to look good for my wedding (and honeymoon) in June.
Which means I have 5 more days to finish all this leftover pie from Christmas.
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Comments: 23
good luck!
Good luck in 2007!!
I know what you mean about it being easier to grab take out on the way home. The recipes that I make all take under 45 minutes to prepare and cook and most less than that, but the biggest challenge for me is to plan ahead and have the ingredients on hand. So I recommend that you keep some ingredients for quick and healthy meals in your fridge, so that you won't be tempted to pick up dinner rather than cook because you're too tired to go to the grocery store. You could also try halfing recipes, so there won't be as many leftovers. And paper plates save time.
You'll have to post a picture of yourself eating something healthier too :)
By the way, Congratulations on the upcoming wedding!
Congrats on your recent nuptuals!