Friday, December 31, 2010

What’s Cookin’ in 2011?

New Year’s Resolutions. Do the mere words make you cringe? This New Year’s Eve, those three words are making my mouth water!
For some time now conversations about our eating habits have floated around the EE. Ryan and Rylee are blessedly flexible when it comes to food. I cook fearlessly for the most part, so they never know what will be on the table! Now is as good a time as any to make some changes for the better. Shamelessly using this blog to hold ourselves accountable also seems like a good idea!
I thought to begin this journey by noting a few items we really need to work on and adding to it as we go along:
Less Reliance on Salt – I need to revamp recipes to utilize flavor rich base ingredients and condiments. Fresh herbs at the end of cooking time give a strong burst of flavor. A great example is cilantro, which I dearly love! Spice mixtures are invaluable and underused in my opinion. Curry powder & Creole seasoning are your friend so long as you watch for sodium content.
Raw & Fresh – We need a lot more raw foods in our diet. Rylee is famous for turning down cookies for either carrot sticks or grapes! That is the example we need to follow. Fresh fruits & veggies may mean going to the store once every week, but that seems a small price to pay. Everyone at the EE enjoys a good salad, perhaps starting out with a goal of having Salad Night once a week is reasonable.
Moderately Meatless – As proud supporters of People for the Eating of Tasty Animals, it is unlikely that the day will come when the EE kitchen is entirely meat free. At least, not by choice; sometimes it happens just because a few too many days have elapsed between shopping trips! However, our diets have become overwhelmed with too much animal protein and cutting back on portions is a widely held advisement. Ideally, my goal would be to have 2 vegetarian or vegan meals per week for each mealtime (i.e., 2 breakfasts, 2 dinners, 2 suppers).
So, what are your New Year’s Resolutions? More selfishly, do you have suggestions for the denizens of the EE as we embark on a healthier lifestyle? Leave a comment so we can all grow together!
Happy New Year 2011!

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