Area 6: Food glorious food!

Despite the fact that I absolutely love food, I have to say that I absolutely hate cooking. Well... actually maybe I don't HATE cooking, I just have no patience for it. I leave the house at 7am, I get back home at about 7pm (at the earliest), and by that point I'm not really in the mood for waiting an hour for things to cook and then having to deal with all the pots and pans that follow (ok, so Jon normally does that bit, but as I said, I'm not in the mood).

My kind of evening generally consists of putting some kind of frozen object in the oven, collapsing on the sofa and waiting 30 mins (max!) until I have a lovely, (albeit processed and fattening) plate of chips and pizza or something to that effect. (I have a good metabolism btw).

Anyway, I'm getting old(er!) and not too sure how long I can keep this up before it catches up with me so 2009 will also be the year for eating proper food. Not always, admittedly, because sometimes it's just not possible - especially when Jon works late. But I do miss proper, home-cooked, meals, even with a few vegetables thrown in here and there.

In the last fortnight I have cooked two (what I would call) 'proper' meals. Bangers and Mash was the first and came about ebcause we had left-over potatoes that needed eating. And then, for the first time in my life, I cooked Pasta Bake. Now I know it sounds silly, but this was a real achievement for me - I even found that I had the exact right sized dish to cook it in! And I did it all on my own. :0)

Yes, it was as delicious as it looks! Now I'm not saying that these 'proper' meals are the healthiest in the world. But it's a tiny step away from ready meals and processed tins. So give me SOME credit!

The only problem is, when we eat out. I am a fussy eater. Name a restaurant and I will be able to tell you my exact order for that particular establishment. Ok so....

Wagamamas: Chicken Katsu Curry (I believe that's a number 73?!)
Nandos: Lemon & Herb Chicken Fillet Burger with Cheese (no pineapple), chips and coleslaw.
Pizza Hut: Chicken Supreme, deep pan pizza with garlic bread and potato skins.
Any kind of Indian: Chicken Korma and pilau rice......

And so on. Hmmm I like chicken don't I?

Anyway, the point is I am not very adventurous. And if there's a burger on the menu, I'll order it because I hate making decisions. On Friday we went out for a friends birthday and there was a variety of burgers on offer (I hate decisions!) But I was semi-adventurous and ordered a chilli burger:
Looks good doesn't it?! Anyway, the point is, it's really difficult to eat healthily when we eat out. Because I find ceasar salads boring, monotonous, and not very filling.

But 2009 is the year for me to choose healthier options on the menu, cook more 'proper' dinners and generally cut out as much junk as possible.

Goals:

• Eat more fruit throughout the day, and stop being fussy about buying chopped apples in a bag. It's cheaper to buy whole apples and cut them up!
• Include vegetables in meals instead of frozen chips.
• Cook proper dinners at least once a week.
• If eating out, be a bit more adventurous and choose a healthier option.
• Stop feeling like you've missed out when the meal doesn't come with chips.
• Don't order something and then pine for what Jon has until he swaps with you!