Pre-New Year's Resolution Part 2

#40: Make meal plans every week
#41: Try a new recipe at least twice a month
#44: Make (or order in) one vegetarian meal per week
#45: Make fish at least once a month

Along with my workout kick, I'm also trying to cook more (both dinners and lunches for J and I), both as a means to save money AND be healthier! So far, it's been pretty great!

I've tried a bunch of new recipes from EatingWell and they've been a hit:
Chicken Paprikash
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Honey Soy Salmon

I've also made a delicious Turkey Chili recipe for lunch this week from the Food Network.

Long Awaited Progress Report

ENTERTAINMENT

#4: Watch all of AFI's 100 best movies of all time
We watched another best movie last week - #2: Casablanca!



This movie gets me excited - if no other reason than the incredible script - when watching it, you are bombarded with so many famous quotes. Also, it's a love story, complete with triangle, that can be argued over. It's not simple, it's not contrived, and there isn't the stereotypical happy ending. Per the discussion in When Harry Met Sally:

Harry: He wants her to leave. That's why he puts her on the plane.
Sally: I don't think she wants to stay.
Harry: Of course she wants to stay. Wouldn't you rather be with Humphrey Bogart than the other guy?
Sally: I don't want to spend the rest of my life in Casablanca married to a man who runs a bar. That probably sounds very snobbish to you, but I don't.
Harry: You'd rather be in a passionless marriage -
Sally: - and be the First Lady of Czechoslovakia -
Harry: - than live with the man... you've had the greatest sex of your life with, just because he owns a bar and that is all he does.
Sally: Yes, and so would any woman in her right mind. Women are very practical. Even Ingrid Bergman, which is why she gets on the plane at the end of the movie.

Here are some links to Casablanca reviews:
http://www.filmsite.org/casa.html
http://www.reelviews.net/movies/c/casablanca.html
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19960915/REVIEWS08/401010308/1023

Happily, Justin liked this movie better than Citizen Kane, not surprisingly since it has a much simpler, enjoyable storyline. It still wasn't his cup of tea, but I think we'll get him with our next movie, which we'll be watching this week hopefully - The Godfather!

FOOD WINE
#11: Try a new restaurant every month
I've actually already been to 3 new restaurants this month!
Lilli and Loo - an Asian restaurant on the Upper East, featuring a gluten free menu. I got the Pad Thai and it was deeeeelish!
Suspenders Bar & Restaurant - fun place down in FiDi with a surprisingly awesome looking menu, it was hard to choose! I ended up getting a Steak Sandwich with Goat Cheese, Roasted Onions, and Balsamic Syrup. Yum!! Plus, every Thursday and Friday they give out roses to all the ladies ;)
Maxwell's - a bar and restaurant in Hoboken, NJ. Also with loads of yummy looking dishes, including an extensive daily specials menu. I got a burger with jack cheese, sauteed onions and roasted peppers. Super mmm.

COOKING
#40: Make meal plans every week
#41: Try a new recipe at least twice a month
#45: Make fish at least once a month
New recipes since my last post include: Jam Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting (which was also featured on my friend's website CupcakeRankings.com), Curried Couscous Salad (my lunch for the week), Chicken and Veggies Cooked in a Foil Packet, Cucumber Chicken, and my first fish dish in awhile, Lemon Sole with Veggies - a recipe of my dad's. I still have to add those last 3 to the blog - will do soon!

ORGANIZATION
#49: Scrapbook all my saved up stuff
Amazingly, after getting started on this scrapbooking project and letting it sit on the coffee table for a week or so after I ran out of scotch tape, I went back to it last week while cleaning up the apartment. I've officially scrapbooked all of my saved up stuff through the end of 2008! I can't decide if I should consider this completed, or if it's not completed until I start scrapbooking all 2009 goodies I've accumulated until now. Or if it's never really completed since I'll always have more to add...what a conundrum!

SOCIAL
#85: Host 4 game nights a year
#87: Go dancing at least 3 times a year
Last Friday night was our first game night in MONTHS!!! So happy to see the old gang, tho would have loved it if we had a classic board game night as in the past, where we go through 4-5 different games in a night! This time though, we got to try out group Rock Band for the first time, which was very fun. In fact, I will post a picture of our band to commemorate the occasion.


Lawrence, Rachel, Myself, and Mike

As for the dancing, on Saturday night, we went to a friend's birthday at The Delancey.

HOME
#95: Buy flowers once a month
I didn't have to buy flowers this month - our intern at work gave us all flowers on her last day! Not only was it a really sweet gesture, but it brightened up the office for the next week! Here's a pic of mine:

Progress Report: #14, #40, #41, #44, #72, #90

#14: Go to brunch once every 2 months (not just at the diner) (1/16)

This one was unintentionally easy this month...we went to Brunch for Mother's Day with my family! We went to City Crab on 19th and Park, where I had the Eggs Copenhagen (like Eggs Benedict but with Smoked Salmon instead of the Canadian Ham) and a Pear Cosmo. Mmm!

#40: Make meal plans every week (2/143)
#41: Try a new recipe at least twice a month (4/66+)
#44: Make (or order in) one vegetarian meal per week (2/143)
#90: Keep blog updated and always have a picture for recipes

These 4 pretty much go hand-in-hand (in-hand-in-hand).

While last weeks meal plan was intricate and well thought-out, since I was out of town this past weekend for my 5th Year college reunion and came back late on Sunday night, with a cold to boot, this week's meal plan was much more haphazard. Lunches this week have consisted of sandwiches (which are actually pretty yummers) of salami, pepper jack, lettuce, sweet pickles and mustard. Dinners this week were Italian Order-In (Eggplant Rollatini mmm) which was large enough for two dinners and Cheesesteaks before the concert last night. Tonight will be the only cooking night and the menu is simple steak (marinated in lime juice) and baked sweet plantains, which have become a staple at our place recently.

As for new recipes, over the past 2 weeks I've tried:
Steak Tacos (which also produced follow-up lunch Steak Salad)
Aromatic Noodles With Lime Peanut Sauce
Chicken Parmesan
Falafel Pitas with Cucumber-Yogurt Dressing

And, obviously, have added those to the blog, check to #90! I still have to update the food porn. As for #44, last week I made Falafel Pitas for dinner and this week's big V-card goes to Eggplant Rollatini. All-in-all, my Cooking 101 list is moving along stronger than any other section! (Gee, I wonder why!)

I'll close out this lengthy progress report with:
#72: Visit all 4 boroughs (3/4)

This 101 thing is managing to fly by, though I fully intend to visit boroughs more than once. Now, the Bronx is unfair, my parents live there, afterall. I visited just last week to get my hair done! Queens was also easy peasy, with the Mets Game being located there (and with all the other games I have planned, I will be a repeat Queens visitor for sure! Brooklyn was a new one for me for a nighttime locale, but I was able to check this one off thanks to my friend Sheryl's birthday earlier this month, located at the very fun Radegast Hall & Beer Garden.

Progress Report: #40, #47, #90

#40: Make meal plans every week (1/143)

Yesterday, I was bored enough at work that I started looking up recipes for next week's meal plan...which is much easier than my usual routine of trying to think up what to do on Sunday morning between when I roll out of bed and we head out for Brunch!

Week of May 11th
Lunches for the Week: Noodles with Lime Peanut Sauce
Dinner1: Chicken Parm
Dinner2: Falafel Pitas

Expect the recipes up on CareBear's Kitchen next week, in compliance with #90 Keep blog updated and always have a picture for recipes!!

Speaking of #90, last night I went through all the Attempted Food Porn pics I've taken over the past few months, some of which needed to be added to their respective recipes on the blog, and some of whose recipes had never been added...so I did that too! I also added new pictures of dishes I've made again (such as my Curried Chicken Salad and Tuna White Bean Salad)

New recipes/pictures:
Steak Salad
Steak Tacos
Cuban Sloppy Joes & Baked Plantains (picture added)
Chocolate Caramel Matzo (picture added)
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Gruyere Fondue with Carmelized Onions
Pear Raspberry Pie
Baked Shells with Winter Squash

#47 Upgrade my recipe binder (put everything online?)

Last night I started to look up some info on computer cookbook/recipe software for #47 on my list. Justin noted that I could be frugal and just organize it myself on my computer, but these programs just look so cool! They come with their own recipes, but you can also input your own. They can give you nutritional info for your recipes, which is handy, and you can search the recipes by the ingredients you have. Not to mention, that I'm an easy sell when it comes to purchasing a new toy... Now the question...which toy to buy?!