Saturday, July 11, 2009

Random...

Okay so I planted the herbs. They grew. In fact they are huge. Now what?
I am guessing there is some process to harvesting them. I know I should use them for cooking. Hmmm cooking, there is a good idea; we have been doing so little lately. Let’s face it we are lazy. Because we don’t do prep work, like say taking something out of the freezer to thaw the night before, we end up after work with no plan, a frozen hunk of chicken thighs and too hungry mean peoples. So we end up ordering in or running out and grabbing something. Which in the long run has to cost a lot more money, plus we end up throwing out a load of food every week. AND it is not as good for us. I would really like to change this behaviour. I think it can be done. I think that we both need to learn a little more self discipline, me especially since I often think that Gil is just going along to stop my bitchy hungry whinging. And the truth is I always feel better, happier, and healthier when we are eating at home. AND I actually enjoying being in the kitchen which is something I never thought I would say. I have a ton of recipes book marked on the computer that I am dying to try, really at the end of the day it is just a matter of motivation, why is that part so hard?
Why does living a healthy life seem so much like work to me? I mean it is not like this means I can never have a nice meal out, nor does it mean I can never have a glass of pop or some chips, it just means these things need to be done in moderation. Actually the pop thing is going pretty good. I am pleased on the account. We are both drinking a LOT more water. One of the 18 litre bottles for the cooler is averaging two weeks. That is 9 litres a week between the two of us or roughly 1.3 litres a day each, not counting what we drink out and about. Yay us! Actually back to the herbs for a moment I have read about people who make their own flavoured water by adding herbs to it, I might try that. With the mint, not the chives, ‘cause that just sounds gross.
Okay so what I need is a plan of action that doesn’t make my inner spoiled princess stomp her feet until she takes over. A plan that means we are using the groceries we buy but not waiting until 7:30 to eat when everyone has gotten cranky and mean. This is going to HAVE to include some meal planning. Flying by the seat of your pants is fun but usually where things tend to go awry. It also means I have to set aside some time each evening, half an hour or so where I do meal prep for the next day. LOTS of things can be done in advance. Things can be defrosted, chopped, boiled... you get the picture. Heck I have a great slow cooker, I really should be using that more.
Of course another part of this whole plan need to be having a clean kitchen to work in. A dirty kitchen is a huge deterrent and a convenient excuse for not getting down to business. In order to have a nice clean kitchen I have to stop fluttering and really start FLYing again (www.flylady.net) I was doing good for a long time but as so often happens with me I fell off and could not/would not pick myself up again. I don’t know why. It is such a good system and I am SOOOOOO happy when my house is clean. And I don’t mean pass a white glove test clean, I just mean things put away, not tripping over things, not embarrassed when people come over, not hunting for my underwear at 5:30am clean. And it is so easy when I follow the FLYlady. I know I will never live in a Martha Stewart house, that is just not me, and I probably wouldn’t want to, you would have to walk around on egg shells being careful not to disturb anything, but I would like a little Martha, a lot of FLYlady and a dose of Rachel Ray thrown in there. I think if I can find the right routine I can do this. Nix that if I can find the right routine and not get thrown off at the first bump. Because that is my real problem. I will be chugging along working a routine like a champ but when something disruptive comes along, like a cold or a new job or a house guest... ZAP! Bye bye routine. And then I just ... well I just don’t get back up. Who knows why?! Because god knows I am happier and easier to live with when I am on a routine, a schedule . Bumps come along, I have to learn to roll with them. That goes for my whole darn life. If you asked my loving husband what upsets me the very most he would tell you “the plan changing” then he would probably shudder and weep a lone tear. Because folks, the plan changes ALL THE TIME!!! Which means on a very regular basis I am totally thrown and don’t deal well. And poor Gil is often the focus of my frustration when that happens. It is so unfair to him. I know I am never going to be totally laid back and cool, I am just not made that way. I look at my eldest brother and I know that it is something that I must come by naturally because he hates it when the plan changes too. Of course he deals with it so much better. I need to take lessons from him. Geesh, talk about things I never thought I would say. I should point out at this point that this is also a man whose house is ALWAYS spotless. Always. I mean it. It is kind of sickening. Hey has stopped just shy of covering his furniture with plastic. (can you say OCD?) Yup I wish I could be more like him in lots of ways.
So where do I start? Well today I go back to the baby steps that the FLYlady taught me. That is best place to go back to. Also when the vegetable fairy comes I am going to harangue my awesome husband into making a meal plan with me. I can do this. I just need to take one baby step at a time. Wish me luck!

Geesh who thought wondering what to do with my herbs would lead here? Gotta love my train of thought. Have a great day.

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