Cook. Craft. Enjoy.

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

All week the buzz at work has been how weird our weather has been so far this year (and season).  While we usually get between 45 and 50 inches of snow a "winter", so far we've gotten only 10 - and 9 of those happened 3 days before Halloween.  This weekend we're supposed to get rain/snow mix as the temperatures plummet into the 20s for our high, but they're not expecting much accumulation.  I don't mind snow but I'm glad this weekend might not include heavy dumpings of it on us since Adrienne has several places she has to be and I'm her chauffeur.

What one thing this does mean, though, is that we can grill a little more often than we normally would during winter.  We have only a charcoal grill and I can't really imagine grilling once (if?) we get tons of snow on the ground, but this week in our quest to eat a little healthier we had grilled chicken twice.

PPN: Tuna Pasta Salad

This doesn't look like the base of your normal tuna pasta salad, does it.  Lucky for me, this is exactly what I created earlier this week when I set out making a healthy, filling lunch.

I am awful about making food for myself.  Someone wants me to make them something?  Wonderful!  99% of the time I'm happy to oblige.  Eggs or pancakes for breakfast?  No problem unless they're just for me.  Lunch I'd rather throw a piece of turkey and cheese on some bread and call it done than go to anything more elaborate.  Unless, of course, I'm cooking for someone else.

I have.to.stop.this.  I have to realize that what I put in my mouth is worth just as much as what I want to feed someone else.  So one of my resolution goals this week was be nicer to me.  Take the time to make what I want to eat even if that involves cleaning up a little afterwards.

I told you I'm also trying to get more vegetables into my diet and this salad goes along perfectly.  Add that I needed a post for this week's Presto Pasta Night (hosted by 6-time hoster Helen at Fuss Free Flavours, and as you know created by the lovely Ruth at Once Upon a Feast) and voila, a tuna pasta creation.

Roasted Dinner

I know this won't surprise you, but one of my "resolutions" for this year is to get back to eating healthy and get down to a healthy weight.  I'm taking these goals a little at a time and committing myself to doing the best I can.  That means I won't be perfect, but I will slowly retrain myself how to eat right again.

One of the things I have gotten bad about is getting enough fruits and vegetables in my diet.  I still remember clearly someone saying that if you focus on getting in 6 servings of vegetables and at least 2 servings of fruit the rest of your day will go okay because you won't have those "I'm so hungry" moments.  The past couple of days have shown me that there's a lot of truth in that statement.

PPN: Chicken Casserole

It amazes me just how many ways you can create pasta dishes.  Case in point, this week is number 245 for Presto Pasta Night - and hosted by its lovely creator Ruth over at Once Upon A Feast.

5 wonderful years she's been doing this - I give her a lot of credit! - and it's still going strong.  I love to see what creations everyone comes up with every week.  Another reason to look forward to Fridays.  :)

Split Pea Soup

I'm wondering what Mother Nature has in store for us for this winter.  Most of December was very mild - even up in the 50s during parts of it.  New Years Day was in the 40s - nice enough you needed just a light jacket.

By the way, I love this shot.  Since I just sent Travis back off to college yesterday
it makes me both sad that he's gone but glad that I got to spend so much time
with him.  No one said that your kids growing up was easy, huh.

Happy 2012!

2011 was a long year for me as I know it was for a lot of people.  Some good, some bad, some awful; I'm very glad to see it go and have a whole 366 days ahead of us to make the most of life.  Getting things back on track isn't always easy, but it's definitely worth it in the end.  I'm not one for resolutions (too easy to feel like a failure if it doesn't happen), but over the next week I hope to share some of my goals for this new year.

One of the things I've done for years is change my desktop wallpaper every month.  For the last year or so I've been using wallpaper from Smashing Magazine.  The website is an online magazine for web designers and I always find an interesting article or two in addition to the beautiful wallpaper they post once a month.  This month, this is the one I was first on this list (here's the link) and the quote that was centered says "Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending." It was designed by Lina Itskovitch and totally sums up how I feel about this year.  I hope we all make the most of what this year has to offer and enjoy good health and happiness.