New Year, New Goals

So, I'm not really one for New Year Resolutions. I'm more of a fan of the Mid-Year or Quarterly Resolutions. But, this year, I actually have a resolution that I want, and think I can, keep.
For awhile now I've wanted to get healthier. I've tried running, working out, cutting out coffee, eliminating certain foods, and eating my last meal before six (or seven, or eight, or midnight). But, all of these efforts, despite my best intentions, have not been successful. After some thought, I think I've found something I can stick to. Homecooking. My new year resolution and/or goal is to cook more of my food at home using as many healthy and organic options as possible. I'm excited about this goal for several reasons.

1) I love to cook. And, with my new six inch Wusthof chef's knife and Le Creuset baking dishes that I got for Christmas (not to mention some sweet paring knives, a new kettle and a bounty of tea towels), I'm feeling the itch even more.

2) I like grocery shopping. I like finding things I've never tried before or that are in season. I love seeing new things on the shelf and thinking about how I'm going to incorporate them into a dish.

3) There are probably 8,887,862,482 recipes out there that I want to try and haven't.

4) Organic, healthy foods taste better.

5) I'm tired of eating out.

6) I'm tired of being tired and feeling run down, which I know are directly related to eating unhealthy foods and then losing sleep, energy and focus in the process.

7) I'm excited to find new ways of making favorite foods in a healthier way.

8) I want to expand my food and cooking horizons. I've always been known as a "good eater" and will consume just about anything you put in front of me, but I don't make interesting foods at home for myself. I will have them when I'm out or at someones house, but I feel like I don't really own the food experience till I tackle it in my own kitchen.

So, even though the new year isn't here just yet, I've already taken on this challenge. Today I made a creamy corn bake and beef stroganoff. Both recipes came from the Clean Eating magazine. The corn back was easy. A garlic and milk sauce on the stove, corn, spinach and scallions. Throw in an eggwhite and some baking soda. Bake for 25 minutes.



That's one of my new baking dishes! I'm not sure what is more beautiful, a corn bake or a Le Creuset baking dish.

This is the other dish I made today. Easy as well. Noodles. Sauce-oil and garlic, beef broth, sour cream, seasoning (salt, pepper, mustard, soy sauce, parsley). Meat with shallots and mushrooms. Combine and enjoy!

So, I will keep you posted on where my cooking adventures take me next. Send any good recipes my way!