Undercover Hippie Files: New Years Resolution Edition

Whew, just a few hours later and I feel so much better. For the first time since last Wednesday, I felt good all day and we got all the luggage put away as well as all the Christmas decor. Our home is back in order and it feels amazing. I am actually even ready to get back to work tomorrow... I know, it's crazy!

Tonight Craig and I are going to watch a movie but I will probably sneak some quality time with photoshop in there too so I might have some to share soon. Until then, here's another UHF.

I'm not normally a big new years resolution maker but this year for some reason, I'm all about it. I've tried to keep them specific and reachable.

• Be adventurous with my veggies. I, like most people probably do, sometimes get stuck in food ruts. I have worked to consistently add at least one or two meals each month to our "favorites" collection to avoid total food boredom but they use basically the same ingredients - onions, celery, and carrots. Always with the onions, celery and carrots. Sometimes peas or corn but mostly onions, celery and carrots. Soups, bean casseroles, stir fries all full of onions, celery and carrots. There is nothing wrong with those vegetables, they are healthy, cheap and almost always available so they make a good standard. But I want to experiment more. What about leeks, kale, squashes, turnips? Don't they deserve a chance too? I have decided they do. Luckily, Craig got a cookbook for Christmas that has several recipes using interesting vegetables in them so I have a place to start.
  

• Don't get discouraged by failure. This one isn't too specific but I can easily tell when it is happening. And in the end, it only stops me from trying things which is silly because, what the worst that can happen? I have streaks on my mirror? My hair doesn't get feel clean and I have to wash it that night? Cooking is what I hate gambling with most because it means a loss of time, but I really have to get over that. Yes, maybe we won't like those weird veggies but in reality, there is almost nothing Craig won't eat. He might ask me not to make something again, but he will always eat it once. I'm more picky but I can always eat a pb&j.
  

• Be able to let it go. Sometimes, things just don't work. I'm working on being okay with that. I found a great recipe for granola bars...except that half the time I make it, they don't work. When they do, they taste great and lack preservatives and contain no high fructose corn syrup - basically make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. When they don't, they just don't. And I can't figure out what is changing. So I have to let go of making them for our lunches every week and continue to rely on the good ol' Quaker kind, trying a batch of the homemade ones every once in a while just for kicks. Other times, like in my next resolution, I just need to take a break for a while before trying something again so I don't stress myself out.
  

• Try again with probiotics. After what I like to call the "fall of fermented food failure," I think I am ready to try again. I'll be talking more about that in an upcoming UHC. And if it doesn't work, remember resolutions 2 and 3.
  

• Drink more tea. I mean that two ways. The first is obvious, I want to drink more tea. Craig and I attended a tea party when we were at my folks at which I rediscovered tea (yes, you read that right and yes, I do have pictures). I don't normally do caffeine (except the itsy bitsy amount in chocolate but that hardly counts, right?) but when I was there a picked up a kind that is caffeine free and has some health benefits. The second reason is more methaphorical, I want to sit down and take the time to drink a cup of tea and relax. And that is just what I am going to do right now. Goodbye.