It's hard to believe 2013 is almost behind us. And with a new year almost inevitably come New Year's resolutions. I'm normally not much for making resolutions--or, if I do, I'm not one to keep them for very long. For 2014, however, I'm actually going to make a few. But they're going to be much more achievable than my usual resolutions, in addition to being somewhat unspecific so they will be a little harder to break. I'm giving them some thought a few days in advance so I'm not stuck on New Year's Eve trying to come up with a list. I think I came up with some pretty good, achievable ones.
1. Start taking Weight Watchers more seriously. I've been taking way too many cheat days and wandering off-program way too much lately. Time to get serious and stop wasting my money.
2. Unless there is inclement weather, start walking for 50 minutes each and every morning. If I have hours and hours to spend each day on Daily Kos and Reddit, I have 50 minutes to devote to my health and wellbeing.
3. Meditate every day. Upon a recommendation, I recently started meditating. I'm a stressed and anxious person, and I thought, hey, couldn't hurt to try. I've been meditating twice every day, and it really does make a difference--much more so than I would have imagined. This will definitely be a thing in 2014.
4. Drink less. I don't need to completely give it up, but perhaps drinking that whole bottle of chardonnay or that whole six-pack of Angry Orchard isn't a thing that should be carried over into the new year. Alcohol isn't exactly very Weight Watchers-compatible, anyway.
5. Let go of my petty grudges and don't take on any new ones. I'm not above keeping a shit list, even on Daily Kos. Life really is too short to hold on to such pettiness. The past is in the past, and it should stay there.
6. Get more involved in Battleground Texas and making Wendy Davis our next governor. Now that comps is behind me, this is much more feasible. I'll start by signing up for the next Battleground Texas event I get a call or an e-mail about.
And, finally...
7. Stop taking things so seriously, including this list of resolutions. Again, life is too short. Most of the things I stress about are really not that important, nor do they deserve the kind of thought I put into them. This one is easier said than done considering my personality, but it's a project to work on in the new year.
Are you going to make any New Year's resolutions? If so, care to share?
And now, follow me below the fold for the recipe...
I got one of my top Christmas wish list items this year from my BF's mom: a crockpot! I don't know how exactly I've been living alone for two and a half years now and have never bothered to go get a crockpot. But, somehow, I never did, and I've managed all this time by cooking on the stovetop.
Well, immediately upon getting home, I was eager to give the crockpot a whirl. It's pretty cold outside, and I've been craving curry lately, so I went hunting for crockpot curry recipes. I finally settled on this one--a sweet and spicy veggie curry. The medley of ingredients--some of which I'd never considered putting together--sounded delightful. And I was right; 10/10, would recommend.
Here's what you'll need:
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
garlic powder, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, ground ginger, curry powder
1 small onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1/3 head cabbage, shredded
½ cup carrots, chopped
1 sweet potato, diced
1 apple, chopped
½ can chick peas, rinsed and drained
2-1/2 cups vegetable broth
To add later:
1/2 can light coconut milk
salt & pepper
I couldn't find a good sweet potato in the supermarket, so I decided to use a yam. It worked just fine.
Coat the crockpot with the olive oil and add the onion. Stir in the spices. I just guessed on the amounts--when in doubt, don't add very much, and you can always adjust later.
Add the rest of the ingredients and try to stir it up as best as you can.
Cover and cook for six hours. By then, it will look like this:
Add the coconut milk and salt and pepper (and add other spices) to taste. Cook for another 15 minutes. Now it's starting to look more like curry...
Eat up! Preferably over basmati rice.
Kitchen Table Kibitzing is a community series for those who wish to share part of the evening around a virtual kitchen table with kossacks who are caring and supportive of one another. So bring your stories, jokes, photos, funny pics, music, and interesting videos, as well as links—including quotations—to diaries, news stories, and books that you think this community would appreciate.
Readers may notice that most who post diaries and comments in this series already know one another to some degree, but newcomers should not feel excluded. We welcome guests at our kitchen table, and hope to make some new friends as well.