The thought of waiting until the weekend to do something about the pile of boxes in my bedroom and "living room" makes me more than just a little crazy, though, so I'll be brief (didn't I say that last night, before yammering on?) tonight.
I made Salsa Rice and Red Beans from Vegan on the Cheap for dinner tonight:
It looks a little different from the last time I made it because I used Basmati rice in hopes of speeding up the cooking process and having more free time tonight to be productive. It's 11:25pm. Clearly, that worked.
Anyway, I really like this recipe. It's easy, it lends itself well to variation, which makes me happy when I want to be a little creative but still follow loose guidelines. I like being familiar enough with a recipe that I can just kind of glance at it amid the chopping and sauteing and happy stinking up the kitchen. No fire alarms tonight, though, thank heavens!
Sometimes I think about cooking for a living and I wonder if that would take the joy out of it. The things I like about cooking are things that would make for a rewarding occupation: I love the gently guided creative process, I love that there is always a tangible result for your efforts, and I get great joy from nourishing the body of the person who eats my foods. Even if it's just me, it makes me happy to know that I have created this nourishing thing (that also tastes good) that I am eating to sustain myself. When I make oatmeal with fruit and nuts for breakfast, I sometimes wonder if that will be the most fulfilling moment of my day.
Maybe that's why I've stopped making it on weekdays.
No, it's actually a time concern. I already spend too much time getting ready for work, traveling to work, etc. to get up even earlier just so I have enough time to make oatmeal.
Okay, time to move some stuff. Nothing throws off your getting-ready-for-another-stimulating-day-at-work zen like trying not to trip over myriad boxes and bags. If I accomplish nothing else tonight, I want to clear the mess in the bedroom. Maybe tomorrow I'll get to the stuff that has consumed my couch and, well, the entire cozy living area.
I have *got* to get my Vegan on the Cheap cookbook out and make more from it. I made a couple recipes, then got distracted by some other shiny object I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteha ha, GV - shiny things distract me, too! That cookbook is so full of great stuff, though, and has probably saved me well over $100 since I bought it. There's also that sense of accomplishment from the DIY section at the beginning of the book. Happy cooking!
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