Digital Wilderness

On the way home from work Tuesday, I stopped off at Meijer to pick up several things – a mixing bowl, a metal whisk, kosher salt and EVOO to name a few. Then I went to the library and checked out Alton Brown’s Gear For Your Kitchen and placed a request for Good Eats: The Early Years.

Yes, readers, you read that right. Your eyes are not deceiving you. It’s finally happening – the cooking bug has bit.

Those of you who have known me for some time know that I’m not a fan of cooking. At all. In the early years after college, pizza rolls and Twister were a staple in my fridge. Lunches consisted of fast food, frozen entrees and Hot Pockets. Dinners were of pizza and cereal. It didn’t seem to be the most efficient use of time to “slave” in the kitchen to prepare an elaborate meal with multiple portions for only one person, especially after a long day at work when all I wanted to do was grab a quick bite to eat and enjoy a relaxing evening doing anything else.

Those days on the bachelor diet are now behind me, though. I’ve learned to make much wiser and healthier choices about what to eat in more recent years. When I recovered from a nasty run-in with a Hot Pocket a couple years ago, I’ve tried to avoid eating as many processed foods. After being diagnosed with diabetes last year, I’ve had to pay more attention to the labels, and consequently, what’s in the food I eat, which has been quite the eye opener. Ignorance was bliss, but I can no longer be ignorant and it’s been an awakening learning what actually is, and isn’t, in the food I eat.

Still, I wasn’t moved to cook more. Instead, I just made smarter decisions about the quick and easy meals I bought at the store. I have cooked for others (namely Kristy!) on occasion, but still reverted back to old habits when it was just me at meal time. Back in 2007, I set a goal to learn how to make a signature dish. That was met with minimal success. The motivation to cook just wasn’t sticking.

However, earlier this year I watched Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution and the desire to cook and eat healthier started getting stronger. Then, I watched Food, Inc. and, as happens with most people, was disgusted with what I saw. With this in mind, I’ve been making a concerted effort to cook dinner at least 2 nights a week, with leftovers to take to work.

Over the past couple months, I’ve been making chicken enchiladas (thanks Kristy!), pork chops and seasoned green beans (thanks Lori!) and french toast (thanks Alton Brown!) to name a few. I’m looking forward to more healthy and tasty meals to come, and all the benefits that will come with it! Do you have a favorite recipe? Share in the comments!