I was worried that my resolve to not spend money would be shaken this morning as I drove down the highway to drop my husband off at work. My mind wrestled with the fact that I was conveniently downtown on a Saturday morning and dropping him just around the corner from my favorite donut shop in Chicago, just minutes before it was to open. I quickly reminded myself that though I am not on a restrictive diet – I am restricting my spending and determined to see my intentions through. I dropped him off and headed home to put away the Christmas decorations and get thoughts of those donuts out of my head.
After my morning workout, I set out to find something to eat in my fridge or pantry. I glanced in the direction of some sweet potatoes that I bought a few weeks ago and knew that their shelf life was nearing their end, so I decided to make something familiar with them. Knowing that I woke up wanting something sweet – a sweet potato was a great compromise. I’ve also been craving caramelized onions and I still had a bag of onions on hand, so I found a recipe that incorporated those as well. Caramelizing onions is a slow process, one that I often lack the patience for, but today I managed to keep myself busy with podcasts and chats with friends while I waited for them to get to their sweetest state. I tossed both with some sauteed kale and a balsamic reduction and I was ready to feast. I added some avocado and a hard boiled egg to balance out the carbs and make the meal as well rounded as possible. Again, I’m still feeling called to stay away from meat but I am not sure I will ever be able to give up eggs.
After lunch, I made a huge batch of overnight oats for the week. For dinner, I had some leftover potato soup that I topped with some pecorino that has been living in my fridge for the last month.
This is going to be an interesting experience. Two days in and i’m fantasizing about eating anything but what is in my house. I want to order food or go to the grocery store and buy some tortilla chips and salsa. I keep looking at the things in my fridge and pantry and wondering how I am going to eat soup for the next three, four, five days without getting bored. There are other options, but once the food is prepared, it needs to be consumed.
I reminded myself a few times today that this is something I am doing because I want to learn to challenge myself and learn how to live within my means. If the end is me learning to not use food as a way to soothe feelings, soothe boredom, soothe anxiety, etc. – that would be an okay benefit as well.
LORI IN THE SKY 