Day 119: February 21, 2011.

Presidents Day means day off from school :)  And thankfully so!  My body's been dragging a little these days...This day off is completely needed and so greatly appreciated!  Since I finished my paper yesterday morning I didn't have any immediate work to be done so I was able to fully enjoy this day off!  The snow this morning was definitely unexpected, but watching it fall from my window and not having to walk in it (except when I ran to the grocery store) made it seem so much more beautiful! :)

For any of you who have been following my Facebook (which is embarrassingly full of daily updates...I really need to start making an effort to break the addiction...I believe it's really become quite bad!  Haha!) or this blog you know I've been finding a lot of enjoyment in learning to cook these days.  I'm not saying I'm good by any means, but seeing as last semester I was the queen of oatmeal, cereal, salads and soups, it's been really nice to know that I'm able to put together real food half decently!  And I'm finding as I go that it's actually so much cheaper to be making my own meals than it would be to be on the meal plan or to be buying lots of frozen dinners (like I did plenty of last semester too!  Also, learning to grocery shop on a budget is a huge lesson that I've been needing t learn...It makes me much more aware of how I'm buying and how I'm preparing my food...Leftovers and freezable leftovers are my new best friends!).  Not to mention I'm feeling a lot healthier and don't have to compromise taste for health seeing as I know exactly what goes into the food I'm making!  For instance, I'm a HUGE granola and cereal junkie.  Like, put a box in front of me and chances of having enough left for even one real bowlful are pretty slim!  The only problem is it's actually very expensive to buy in the store and you just don't know with things like that what's actually going into it!  So I found a recipe, bought the ingredients and went to town this morning, making a big ol' batch of Cinnamon-Vanilla-Honey-Walnut Granola that actually turned out to be very delicious!  Throw in some dried fruit at the end and you've got yourself a winner!

(This is NOT my recipe...I got it at this website and then altered as I found fit! If any of you want to give it a try, check it out here -- file:///Users/Michaela/Desktop/Yummy,%20Healthy%20Granola%20Recipe%20-%20Food.com%20-%20311501.webarchive)

It feels really nice to be feeling more comfortable in the kitchen.  I've always wanted to feel able to make sufficient meals, especially since nutrition is such an important part of my lifestyle (as I think it should be with everyone!  It's AMAZING how much energy a person gets when they take care of their body right!  And yes, that does include the occasional sweet treat! :) That's the best part! Haha!)  The more I explore my culinary options the easier it gets, and this is coming from the girl who used to have to have my little sister cook me eggs because I was so afraid of the stove (and every other kitchen appliance other than the toaster and microwave!)  I love that...Like I said a few posts ago, I love being proven wrong.  I love being surprised with strength or abilities I may have that I'm not aware of simply due to the fact that I'm letting fear get the best of me!  I think we'll find that the less we stress about what could possibly be before even diving in, the more susceptible we'll become to new personal discoveries :)

Tonight, as I enjoy this wonderful Monday night off, stepping outside my comfort zone and just going for it (whatever "it" may be!) makes me happy :)