A brand new year.

Doesn't that feel great to say? A new year.. a time to pick resolutions, forget a month later why you picked them, and to start over fresh with a new you! I can't even begin to think about how crazy 2009 was. I continued to drive all over the lovely state of Virginia visiting Adam at H-SC, graduated from college, saw many of my dear friends get engaged or married, traveled to the beach with family, and lost our sweet dog, Sugar, a few weeks later. As summer went into full swing, I moved to a new city, celebrated a one-year anniversary with Adam, experienced new things and met new people, finally found a job and then found a BETTER job. As fall came around and winter set in, I enjoyed another season of Gamecock football, lost a dear grandmother, traveled to NYC for the first time, introduced Mom and Dad to DC on their first big visit, went through hard times with friends and enjoyed great times with friends, rang in the New Year with my best friends from college, and, overall, had a life-changing year. It was a rollercoaster, but it was wonderful. I am so thankful and blessed to be surrounded by people who love and care about me, and I hope that those close to me know I feel the same about them. I like to say that I have love in my life, and I have lots of laughter, and I am living it just the way I want.

So, enough with all the serious talk. In keeping with New Year's traditions, I have chosen several resolutions, which I truly hope to continue throughout the year.


In random order.. (drumroll please..)


1. The classic, the cliche -- WORKOUT! See, my friends, this one is serious. I have, for the better part of four years, not worked out. At all. Eww.. are you cringing with disgust? Because I sort of am. From the time I was about three to just after I finished my first semester of college, I danced ballet (or any other type of dance you can imagine) almost every day, of every week of every year in that span of time. That doesn't include the countless rehearsals that went along with performing in a pre-professional ballet company. So, needless to say, my hiney was in SHAPE! After I burned out on the dance thing, I started living life like any normal, burned-out-from-a-hobby-person does; I ate and drank anything I wanted all while having a FANTASTIC time in college. Well, didn't that just catch up with me!!! Ha!! I don't like to say I am fat, because I can still fit into some clothes I have had since sophomore year (and no one should call themselves fat), but I would say that I am a less than ideal body size and shape (in my opinion.)* So, thanks to Mom and Dad, I am now the proud owner of Wii Fit Plus. And it's tight. For sure. I started my routine of working out last night, and I burned a significant number of calories and stayed on that dang thing for TWO HOURS! On accident! It was so fun! My fave is the ski course and slalom. It has multi-player, so anyone around DC, come play with me!! In any case, I will continue to workout as much as possible. I'll keep you updated on how it goes!


2. Eat healthier. This one is not as hard as you think. I am a huge fan of cooking, as you all should know, so using ingredients like veggies and lean meats is not going to be a huge adjustment. I normally use healthy and sometimes organic (when cost permits) choices anyways. I have started to plan menus for myself throughout the week, so when I make larger portions, I save them for lunch the next day. It saves money, time and I don't have to trek out in the cold, DC winter to drool over/splurge on overpriced menu items at Corner Bakery every day**. I have also found that by stretching my dollars and actually using or eating almost everything I buy at the grocery store that sits in my fridge or pantry, in fact, is really easy. Hopefully, I can continue to do this as the year goes on.


3. Blog more. Should I explain more? Honestly, I should be blogging three to four times a week with all that goes on in my life. So that's what I'll do. Three to four times a week.


4. Join volunteer groups and organizations in DC. I know that I am fortunate to have a roof over my head and a steady paycheck coming in, so the least I can do is give some of my time to help others. I hope to start working with the Arlington County Animal Shelter as soon as possible, and hopefully look into joining the Junior League of Washington. I want to say to others, five, ten or twenty years down the road, that I helped those in need. And there's no better time than now to start.


That's all for now. I like to start small, that way I won't be outnumbered by how many goals I have. I think that these are achievable, so I'll keep you updated on my progress. :)


Have a lovely rest of your week! And since this is a cooking blog.. I guess I should mention, I promise to continue to give all sorts of recipes I try full attention on my soon-to-be numerous posts! Pinky-promise, y'all!




*I have a lovely and adoring boyfriend, who will beg to differ with me. He thinks I am pretty. And, he tells me often. Aren't I lucky? :) Not to mention, all I have to do when I feel fat is call home and anyone who answers the phone at Governors Grant Blvd. will tell me I'm nuts. Gotta love 'em.


** OK, so I was a bit harsh. I absolutely love Corner Bakery. Especially the soups and salads. Yum. It's almost like a mix between Panera and Bakers Brothers (for those of you in Columbia, SC). But, let's get real. It's not worth spending $8.05 everyday or potentially getting frostbitten or, worse, getting hit by a crazy cab driver trying to cross the street to Union Station. Smart, right?