Making Plans…

I’m at home for two weeks, and then moving to DC to start my new job/life…it’s such a major transition, and kind of hard to wrap my head around, but I’m getting really excited about all these changes! Characteristically, I’ve been doing a lot of planning and list-making about everything I want to do this year…ranging from rock climbing to learning French!  One thing I’ve been thinking a lot about is cooking and grocery shopping…I’ve managed to collect at least 6 cookbooks in the past several months, and I am very excited about actually getting to use them instead of just drool over them in my dorm room! 

I am also planning to take advantage of the diversity of food available in cities–hopefully without going broke!  Food is an area where I am always tempted to overspend, but I am hoping that I can keep myself in check.  I definitely want to become a regular at the farmer’s markets (fun, cheap, (mostly) organic, and local!).  I also know there will be ethnic grocery stores where I can buy things like tofu, green tea, cornmeal, etc., cheaply.  And, of course, I’ve learned a lot this year from all my cookbook-drooling and blog-stalking about cooking on a budget: bulk foods, dry beans, etc.  

On the other hand, there are some things that I actually do want to spend more (relatively) on.  I’ve heard so much this year about organics, small and/or vegan companies, fair trade, etc.  I’m used to buying the cheap version of lots of products (ie chocolate chips, cosmetics), just because the quality is often fairly similar and I really don’t like spending money!  But I’m trying to think of these products in a different way: not as excessive, selfish purchases, but rather as a type of charity.  I realized that if I am really committed to these causes, I should be willing to spend a little more to support them.  And I know that I won’t feel secure enough this year to give away as much money as I would like, but I think it will be easier for me to spend a little extra here and there.  So I’m going to make myself buy high-quality, fair trade chocolate (which really shouldn’t be that hard!), vegan and eco-friendly toiletries and household products, and vegan/organic/non-corporate versions of processed foods.  

Another resolution I have was inspired by Skinny Bitch.  Their argument against so-called “crap” was really persuasive, so I’m going to try to cut down on caffeine, white flour, processed sugar, chemicals like aspartame, etc.  I gave away the rest of my Orbitz gum (I’m actually embarrassed that I was ever addicted to gum!), and I’ve been trying to drink less caffeine. I don’t like coffee, so black tea is really the only problem.  I usually have tea for breakfast, but the point the authors made was that tea puts your body in a hyper-altert, stressed state, which is not a good way to start the morning.  I’m curious to see whether I’ll feel less stressed without morning tea.  But coming home to sweet tea is not really helping the caffeine kick…I’ve settled with no morning caffeine.  I don’t think the flour or sugar will be terribly hard, either, especially since I’ll be doing most of my own cooking, and I also don’t plan to be super strict about it. 

Anyway, those are some of my plans…we’ll see how they go!  For now, I’m loving being back home in the heat!! And a real kitchen, in which I am cooking all the time.  And planning what fun house things to buy with all my graduation money…it’s kind of like all those times I “played house” as a kid, but now it’s for real!