Change.
Isn't that what life is?
Changing directions, changing course, changing lanes.
I resist change. It panics me. It drives me to the brink of sanity. It takes time and effort and preparation for me to change.
I like order. I like routine. I like my life as it is, thank you very much.
So what now?
I'm changing course. As you can see from the date of my last entry, I haven't written a blog in a while. It isn't that I haven't been cooking. (Though I haven't cooked much.) It's more that I've been changing.
I started an intense 14-week certification class at the beginning of January. It takes up a lot of my free time. It takes up a lot of my evenings. It takes up all of Sunday, my cooking day. I figure, I hope, it will be worth it in the end.
You see, I want a job. A good job. A good-paying job. I want a job that will enable me to live where I want and how I want. I want a paycheck that will enable me to feed myself and the pup. I do not want to rely on anyone else for the rest of my life. Ever. I want to know that I can be self-supporting, no matter what life throws at me.
And unfortunately, in today's economy, a liberal arts degree in English is not the way to achieve that goal.
So I rummaged through my skill-set, did some research, wrote everything out, along with my goals - short and long-term, and found a path that will work. If I work it.
So I'm working it.
In the past two weeks, I have realized that this is also going to require a change in my cooking habits. I cannot afford the time it takes to prepare, eat, and clean up a meal after work anymore. And while Fruity Pebbles are a good dinner once in a while, they are not for every night. I want/need to go to yoga three days a week. That is another time-consuming, but important element. What's a girl to do?
Crock pot! I am changing my direction to the crock pot.
I have a very nice crock pot. It sits so far up in the pantry I cannot reach it on my own. I also received a crock pot cookbook for Christmas (it's as if someone knew this day would come...). Last week, I asked my roommate to get it off the shelf. I made my first meal, chicken and dumplings. And it was good! There was only about a half hour prep work, and I plugged it in, and like magic, I had a meal ready for me when I got home!
I read through my crock pot cookbook and some sites last week. I found some good recipes. I found myself noticing that a lot of ingredients are standard in the crock pot. Cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, etc. Veggies. Also, you need meat. Chicken, beef, ham. I went to the grocery last week and spent some money. I bought these standards. I will be able to eat good and well for a couple weeks. The reality is, as much as I spent, I will certainly save money in the long run cooking this way! I am pretty good at responsible shopping. This is just a different angle on the whole thing.
This is all very exciting! I am changing. I am still sane. I have resisted only a little. I know what I am doing is good for me and my future. These things keep me motivated.
If you have any good, interesting recipes for the crock pot, please send them my way. I am excited for this new time in my life and grateful to have the resources to accomplish my goals.
