Day Three through Day Nine

So, they say with life changing challenges, the temptations are strongest in the first week.

I realized this week, the importance of having supportive people around me during this challenge. I am so happy and blessed to have the support of both of my roommates. I also have been blessed with AMAZING friends who have offered their support, cookbooks, shopping tips, and eagerness to have cooking dates.

This week, I went with a friend to a Bulk Barn for the first time in a long time. I was shocked at how many pre-made meals mixes existed: breads, soups, cakes, etc. that only required water. They came complete with recipe and everything. I’d expect such things in commuter big box supermarkets in downtown Toronto, but I was not expecting this is Scarborough. Though I just bought snacks for a movie, the temptations for these mixes was strong, not for their time-saving capabilities, but I was morbidly fascinated that food can be processed so much that you just add water to complete your meal.

This week, I ate many of the leftovers from the past few days, but on Day Five, I made Chicken Curry.

Chicken Curry

I turned out well. However, I couldn’t find any cream of chicken soup, so I substituted cream of mushroom with onion soup. It wasn’t too bad. The last time I made this dish I didn’t use actual chicken, just the soup, but the seasoned chicken made for a delightful addition to this meal.

The rest of the week, I ate leftovers from my meal, and through poor planning, enjoyed a few meals out with friends.

On Day Eight, I decided to try a recipe from a book my roommate got for Christmas, Good Food for All: The Stop’s First Cookbook. I chose to buy the ingredients for the “Carrot and Lentil Soup” and the “Zucchini Bake”. I planned on making the soup with my roommate Elsie on Monday, but decided to take on the challenge of the Zucchini Bake.

Zucchini Bake

I discovered that grating zucchini is one of the most gratifying things in the world. The pain and toil that comes from grating other items is virtually non-existent. All told the prep for this meal was super quick, roughly 10 minutes. Though not relevant for me at this junction, but this is a super easy meal to make with kids in the mix. Lots of simple tasks for them to help with, quick prep, and lots of time for other things while its baking in the oven. It bakes for roughly 50 minutes.

These two meals were enough to tide me over and offer enough variety for a few days.

Day [gallery] One/Two

The first day of the challenge was also the first day after an intense 5-day conference for work; suffice it to say, I was not up to the challenge of going out, even for groceries.

Thus, the first meal of the challenge was made with what could be scrounged up between myself and my roommate. We had most of what was needed for “Toronto Pad Thai” (image 1).

We made modifications, we tried to include some chicken, but it was a wee bit past its prime, so after attempting to boil it, we decided against using it. We also had no bean sprouts, so we did without. We couldn’t find any peanuts so we substituted cashews. We doubled the recipe so it would last us for a few days, though it may just last us for the weekend.

For day two, I decided to brave the weather. I got bundled up and bought was needed to make “Sweet Potato Hummus” (image 2). It was quite the ordeal, and I saw so many “time-saving” pre-made meals for purchase, but I stuck to my shopping list, and got what I needed and got out quickly. The hummus is slightly chunkier than desired. “The Bullet” failed me, and did not blend the hummus well, likely because it was a fairly solid mixture that didn’t have too much liquid to help in the blending. In the end, I had to go at it with a potato masher, thus the chunkier consistency. It tastes ok though, there’s a nice blend in flavours.

I also made “Buttery Cheesy-Dill Biscuits” (image 3). They were super easy to make, much like their plain counterpart. Turned out well, though slightly mushy in the middle, but that might have been an effect of the cheese. I ate the biscuits with the sweet potato hummus and with some left over “Pear and Squash Soup”. Thoroughly satisfied. These items should tide me over for a few days, but I foresee another cooking fest in the very near future.

2010 Food Challenge

This year, I decided to challenge my spending and consuming patterns around food.

I work two jobs. I have my days, but I do love both of them. However, I am often pressed for time, and often it is my sleeping and eating habits that suffer. One of my jobs is in the Annex, a lovely neighbourhood, one of my favorites in Toronto, yet one in which I could spend A LOT of money on food. So, when I decided not to spend money on food in the Annex, I would bring lunches. Though often when grocery shopping, I’d be enticed by the “time-saving”, preservative-laced, overly-packaged meals. However, when I indulged in these items, I often felt sluggish and not completely satisfied afterward. In response to that, I would start cooking meals, in the tradition of my father, I would make a large or extend the serving of a dish so that it would last me for the week. I really enjoyed the cooking, but often found it difficult to block off the time in the week to cook. Also, there were only some meals that I truly enjoyed eating day after day, the rest I would get bored of quickly and want to buy takeout from the Annex.

But, for the sake of my bank account and stomach, I choose to step into this challenge. For the year of 2010, I will not partake in pre-made meals/food items, in my attempts to maintain a healthier diet and further cultivate my love of cooking. If, for instance, I have a craving for a meal I normally buy frozen or takeout, in order to partake in it, I will need to challenge myself to make the meal from scratch. But, I do realize I don’t live in a box by myself, in fact one of my jobs requires me to meet with people, and often involves a meal, so there are some exceptions to this challenge. The rules and exceptions to this challenge are as follows:

THE RULES

1. No pre-made hot/cold meals found in high-end grocery stores.
2. No frozen meals; single serving or multiple servings. ex. lean cuisine meals, chicken nuggets, etc.
3. No dine-in/take-out restaurant meals for one.
4. Limit dine-in meals for social purposes, instead extend invitations to cook meals together.
5. Limit the use of “time-saving” pre-made products. ex. sauces, salad dressings, etc.

EXCEPTIONS

1. Donor meetings, especially with those who prefer to meet in restaurants/cafes.
2. Home visits with friends, especially when don’t have a planned cooking date.
3. Eating on the road, especially when there are limited or no other options i.e. fast food or not eating.

Furthermore, I will be documenting my yearly challenge here. I will post photos of meals made, links to recipes used, and reviews of meals made.

Welcome to my culinary adventure.