ok, one new year's resolution

[alonewiththemoon]

I will cook more often. I really enjoy cooking, and I definitely enjoy having tasty food and leftovers around. Cooking from scratch is cheaper, it's healthier, and it tastes better. My mom gave me a fine herb gift pack from Penzy's so I'm feeling all inspired. On New Year's Day, I made some marinated salmon fillets that were melt-in-your-mouth tender, and today I made a very hearty and satisfying Spanish vegetable stew (the menestra recipe from Moosewood Cooks at Home, a trusty cookbook if there ever was one. Very different from the old Moosewood.). Despite random substitutions (the grocery store had no red peppers, so I used orange, no fresh mushrooms, so I used canned, and I forgot to buy Spanish olives, so I used my Greek sister-in-law's home-cured olives, but I'm sure that only added to the dish in a positive way), the stew came out scrumptious. So there's positive reinforcement for my resolution.

I also want to watch many more belly dance DVDs, but I don't think I even need to make a resolution about that one. I spent this evening watching Dina live in LA in 2004 (helpfully specified as "A.D." on the DVD cover, just in case there was any confusion) and I am just enraptured by that woman. I giggled, I cried, I grinned beatifically watching her. Someday I will see her in person! (for those who were at my house for the afternoon of dance DVDs, yes, she was the one in the balloon-skin silver dress that wanted to creep up to her waist. but honestly, look past all the crazy costuming--and hey, the costuming just shows that she is not afraid to be an original, and that's something we should all admire--and she can dance to break your heart, and then patch it right up again with her smile.)

I'm so fired up for a new year of dancing...

Comments

[jasonlizard.livejournal.com]

d00d! I made a roast chicken last night that rocked. Seriously, pick up some herb de provence. If you can't find it, I'll spot you some to get you hooked. It'd the bomb for everything.

[alonewiththemoon]

I've got some, it came with the Penzy's box :-)

[sittingstill.livejournal.com]

Penzey's rocks. It's up there with art supply stores as far as being a fantasyland of creative possibilities. ^_^ Plus every time I go in there I overhear someone who's been a catalog customer and is thrilled to visit an actual store. My buddy from TN who came up last summer nearly made me take her there!