All posts by BudgetEpicurean

Breakfast, Eggs, Vegan, Vegetarian

Breakfast Burritos for the Busy

Leave a comment

 

I always say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. However I also understand mornings can be the busiest time of the day. This is why I have become quite talented at whipping up fast, hot, filling breakfasts in under 30 minutes. Sometimes, I even make several breakfasts I can leave in the fridge or freezer, then reheat and run out the door.

If you have a few minutes to spare in the AM or some time on Sunday to get ahead for the week, this a perfect idea to make filling your belly in the mornings easy. I made two, but you can scale this to whatever size you want.
.
Ingredients:
2 tortillas
2 eggs, scrambled
1/4 cup cooked beans (I used canned kidney)
1/2 cup veggie (sliced zucchini featured here)
2 slices cheddar cheese

Step 1: In a sprayed or non-stick skillet, cook the veggies (I’ve used peppers, onion, cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, squash, carrots…). Add the beans just to heat them, then pour in the beaten eggs. 

Step 2: Cook the eggs until fully done. Sprinkle on some salt or other seasonings if you like.


Step 3: Heat the tortilla for 10-15 seconds in the microwave, then add the cheese and half the egg mixture. Fold both ends of the tortilla in, then roll it up. I ate one that morning and saved the other for the next day. 

Please do get creative, you could add refried beans, black beans, spinach, sriracha… the possibilities are endless so you never get bored. These are also a quite affordable source of some major protein.

What’s your favorite wrap combination?
Healthy, Side dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Simple sauteed power greens

Leave a comment
.
One of the things I like best about growing up is changing tastes. When I was little, I had an on-off relationships with most vegetables, notably mushrooms. I loved them one week, and hated them the next. With growing up comes changing ideas of what tastes good, and I love it. I can be more creative, try different ingredients and recipes, and cook things that are good for me at which I would have turned up my nose years ago.
.
One of those things is kale. Since I worked on a CSA farm and tried Kale Chips for the first time, I have been looking for more ways to use this power green more often. One excellent option is in soup, like the Olive Garden copycat of Zuppa Toscana I made. Delicious and packed with healthy ingredients.
.
So as I had recently purchased more kale at Sprouts Farmers Market, along with some golden beets and fresh garlic heads, I decided to try another kale classic: Italian Sauteed Greens. I’m sure this is yet another popular side dish with a long and debated over past. But basically it’s garlic and olive oil with various greens sauteed lightly, and usually a tangy dressing like vinegar or lemon juice added. Also it is sometimes spicy, but since I’m a wuss I did not add hot peppers or hot pepper flakes. Feel free to if you love heartburn.
.
Ingredients:
1 bunch kale, cut into small strips
1 bunch beet leaves, in small strips
3-4 cloves garlic, diced
2 tbsp good quality olive oil
1/4 cup sour liquid (I used banana pepper liquid and 3 tbsp lemon juice, you can also use any type of vinegar)
Sprinkle of sea salt
3-4 banana pepper or hot pepper rings

Step 1: Dice up your garlic into bits. You can use a garlic press or chopper if you want.

Step 2: Saute the garlic in 2 tbsp olive oil 4-5 minutes, you should be able to smell it.

Step 3: Cut the greens into thin strips. Add to the pan, and cover tightly. Let it steam in the garlic oil for 10-15 minutes, or until fully wilted.

These greens were so vibrant and lovely even before cooking! All that heart-healthy nutrient-packed deliciousness…

Step 4: Add your sour notes, lemon juice and banana peppers. Stir, cover, and saute another 5-10 minutes.

Banana pepper rings are a new love of mine. I put them on tuna sandwiches, on pizza, into my greens… they’re awesome. And lemon juice is a necessity for life.

Step 5: Once wilted and everything is combined, move to plate and garnish as you like.

I added a little sprinkle of fresh Parmesan cheese and some sea salt. It was the most perfect balance, and the tart juices took away a lot of the harsh bitterness most people don’t like about greens.

These greens were tangy and delicious, and if you enjoy spicy food would go great with some hot peppers.  I also had some cottage cheese on the side, to complete a whole, light lunch. It’s filling without feeling stuffed, and ridiculously good for you.

Mmmmmm…

What’s your favorite way to cook greens?
Fish, Healthy, Vegetarian

Tropical Shrimp Tacos

Leave a comment

Since the weather has been chilly and snowy, I’m feeling the urge for all things tropical. Dreams of sunshine, beaches, pineapples, little umbrella drinks, and fresh produce keep me going through the seemingly endless winter months. Pineapple is one of my favorite fruits and always makes me think tropical, so I decided to make something with a pineapple marinade. A quick check of the freezer showed me I had a bag of shrimp, so shrimp tacos it is. Toppings included my perfect refried beans and the marinade was nearly the same as the perfect pancake syrup, with a few additions.


Ingredients:
1 pound shrimp
Tropical Shrimp Marinade (below)
Toppings of your choice: rice, beans, coleslaw, onions, peppers, fruit compote, avocados, salsa, ranch, go crazy!

Tropical Shrimp Marinade:
Juice of 1 lime
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup honey
4 tbsp fish sauce (or soy sauce)
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 can of pineapple chunks plus juice
Squirt of sriracha

Step 1: Mix all your ingredients in a small bowl.

If you don’t have a garlic press (like me) you can just use a fork to smash the garlic.

Give the marinade a whisk to incorporate the honey and Sriracha and mix everything together. (PS, you can save the marinade to use it one more time. I put a pair of pork chops in for the next day, and they were also delightful! Served over some extra rice I made. Efficiency.)

Step 2: Peel off the tails and let the shrimp marinate overnight or during the day, at least 4-6 hours.

Step 3: In a frying pan, cook the shrimp over medium heat on one side until it begins to get brown and crispy. Flip and cook another 5-10 minutes.

You want that gorgeous color and crunchy covering. I stir fried bell peppers, onions, corn, and the rest of the can of pineapple chunks to go with the shrimp. I also made some plain rice, and my Perfect Refried Beans to round out the meal.

Layer all your toppings in, and enjoy! I loved the sweetness of the pineapple, and the shrimp don’t have a fishy taste at all. If I had cabbage I would have made coleslaw and a chipotle ranch sauce, but I guess I’ll save that for another time.

 
What’s your favorite thing to do with shrimp?
Uncategorized

Triple chocolate espresso brownies

Leave a comment
Here’s a decadent dessert that’s sure to satisfy. And it only takes 30 minutes! Triple Chocolate Espresso Brownies. With dark chocolate, milk chocolate, cocoa powder, coffee liquor and a shot of espresso, this complex depth of flavor will wow your taste buds. Make them for yourself, take some to the office, surprise your girlfriend or boyfriend. Warm and topped with ice cream and caramel, these things are to die for. I didn’t even bother icing them.

Ingredients:
8 oz dark chocolate
8 oz milk chocolate
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 shot Patron cafe
1 shot espresso
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tbsp butter
Handful large marshmallows

Step 1: Melt the chocolate. You should probably use a double boiler, but I didn’t bother I just microwaved in 30 second bursts.

Step 2: Add the coffee liquor and coffee to the melted chocolate.

Step 3: Add the vanilla, and stir in the eggs.

Step 4: Mix in the butter and flour, a little at a time, until it has a thick but liquid consistency.

Step 5: Spray an oven-safe pan and lay the marshmallows on the bottom. Pour the batter over them. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out of the center clean.


These were cakey and had such an amazing chocolatey taste with just that hint of coffee. I put some chocolate cherry ice cream over them while hot. O.M.G.

What’s your favorite brownie topping?

Crock pot, Healthy, Informative, Slow cooker, Soups

Soups for the Super Bowl

Leave a comment

 

Happy Super Bowl Sunday, world! 
Today the Denver Broncos meet the Seattle Seahawks at MetLife stadium in New Jersey, far from either team’s hometown. And in case you missed it, yes, both teams are from state which have recently legalized marijuanna. However, the game is not being played in a state which has that legalized, so fans beware. Also, I’ve never heard it being accused of enhancing performance in sports, so anyone who thinks that is unfair clearly doesn’t know its effects.

Photo from the Up & Under Pub website
 

Regardless of who you are rooting for, you are likely either at home with a huge buffet of finger foods, or going to a pub/bar with copious amounts of burgers, chicken wings, beer, and french fries. And, may I say, I am jealous. Since I will be home, working on a midterm exam for my neuroscience course. Nonetheless, as a Denver transplant, I think I’m legally obligated to say, Go Broncos! 
.
Once the game is over, and the dreaded Monday rolls back around, all the office gossip will be who caught what pass, how many touchdowns were scored, and which commercials were the funniest/best/worst. And it’s likely many will have a bar food/beer/ buffet hangover.

The Big News!

Not to worry, just in time for the Super Bowl I’ve rolled out my first ever e-cookbook, and this one’s on the house! Seven Souper Soups, packed with recipes like my spicy Mexican-inspired Chicken Tortilla, the classic winter Butternut Squash Soup, hearty yet healthy Sausage and Kale, thick & creamy Baked Potato and more! Including a bonus Peach dessert soup, and cover drawing by Mike over at WebDonuts comics.

So if you would like a copy of 7 Souper Soups for your very own, I’ve added it to my Google Docs and made it public for anyone to view and comment on: 

You can also email me at BudgetEpicurean (at) gmail.com and I will send you the PDF as an attachment. I hope you enjoy these favorite recipes of mine and share with family & friends. Enjoy today’s festivities, and keep coming back for more! There are several projects in the works, so keep an eye out.
Breakfast, Dips and Sauces

Pineapple Pancake Syrup

Leave a comment
.
While maple syrup is delightful, sometimes you feel a little bolder at breakfast time. When I get bored or simply want something unexpected, I make up my own syrups. Since I had a huge amount of leftover pineapple upside down cake and sweet potato pancakes from breakfast at Snooze in Denver (which could be a huge post in its own right, seriously GO THERE, it’s amazing), I decided to make a pineapple-y syrup to go with them. This would be a great syrup to make and have breakfast in bed for Valentine’s Day (or the Saturday following).
.
Ingredients:
1/2 can pineapple chunks
1/4 cup pineapple juice from can
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup orange juice

Step 1: Put all ingredients into a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then simmer 5-20 minutes, until it thickens to your liking.

These were the sweet potato pancakes, so those got extra love: melted marshmallows!

Step 2: Pour over pancakes. Stuff yourself silly, and smile. I bet this would taste great over my Perfect Pancakes too.



What’s your favorite way to top pancakes?

 

Holidays, Informative

Valentine’s Day: History, love and misery

3 Comments

 

As I’m sure you’re aware from the deluge of pink and red and hearts, that happy love-struck day known as Valentine’s Day is near. For some this means a romantic getaway for two, for some this is just another dinner and a movie with nicer clothes, for some this means getting a sitter for the kids for the first time all year, for some this means a night of eating ice cream and crying, and for some this means absolutely nothing other than the fact that it’s a Friday. None of these reactions are right or wrong, and don’t let anybody tell you differently. So why is it called “Valentine’s Day” and not something simple like “Love Day”?

Saint Valentine

Saint Valentine is the man for whom this sappy holiday has been named, but ironically he both did and did not lead a very romantic life. He lived in a time when society was very lax on relationship rules, polygamy was kind of the norm, but of course the Catholic church didn’t like that one bit. They were pretty convinced that to have any ‘relations’ it should be within the bounds of a marriage, and a marriage was between one man and one woman, period. Unfortunately there was this emperor guy, Claudius, who persecuted the Church at the time, and did not allow people to marry within the church. Well, mister Valentine was like a secret cupid, and for those couples who wanted to be married within the rules of Catholicism, he would marry them. 

As these things often go, Valentine was caught and throw in prison, where he was tortured for contradicting the Emperor. But being such a nice guy, he kept helping people even in prison. There are stories of him praying for a man’s blind daughter and healing her, the father was so astonished he converted to Catholicism. Then, in 269 AD, Valentine was sentenced to a three part execution: a beating, stoning, and finally beheading. All because he wanted to unite young couples in love. Under the doctrine of the currently not-in-fashion church beliefs. However, he left his legacy by reportedly writing a letter to that man’s no longer blind daughter before his death, and signed it “from your Valentine” (Source: CBN). It should be noted that some sources argue whether this legend of St. Valentine is based on one or two separate people (Source: Catholic.org). His official feast day is of course, February 14.

For more on the history of Valentine’s Day, see this Huffington Post article, and History.com.

How to survive VDay financially

Now, this year, Valentine’s Day happens to fall on a Friday. It also just happens to be President’s Day weekend, meaning the following Monday is a holiday. This is a total jackpot if you want to plan a long weekend with your sweetie. However, it also means that there will be more people traveling, and places which cater to Hallmark holidays such as this are jacking up prices like mad. Hotels, gas stations, restaurants, you name it. Not to mention cards and candy for your kids’ classroom, flowers for the wife, dinner, wine, chocolates, and lingerie, and so much pressure. All this spending just as taxes are around the corner and starting to weigh on your mind. How do you survive this without burning a hole in your wallet?

1. Celebrate on your own terms

Just because some Catholic guy got beheaded in Rome a long time ago doesn’t mean you need to recognize his sainthood with an over-priced steak. Besides, calendars have undergone a few make-overs since then, so our February 14th isn’t even the same. The Wall Street Journal has an article by Brett Arands wherein he calls for a VDay revolution. He makes the splendid point that even by a simple comparison of hotels one week later versus on the big weekend, you can save 25% or more if you simply choose a different day to celebrate. Pick any day you want and shower your sweetie with love. It will probably be even more special, because then you will be the only couple with excessive PDA instead of everyone in the building.

2. Have an at-home date night

Much like a stay-cation, home date nights are a fantastic way to still break your routine and spend quality time together without breaking the bank. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination. Get cooking or baking, have a movie/Netflix marathon, or play some games together. You could have a nice dinner ready when your special someone gets home from work, like my Male & Female Style Pizza or make my homemade pizza dough from my Vegetarian Pepper Pizza (and top as you wish). Bonus points for making it into a heart shape.

Here are the Top 10 Stay-Home Date Ideas from AskMen, and the Top 50 Date-Night Ideas from Redbook.

3. Get away for cheap

If you are really feeling the cabin fever and want to get out of the house, or take advantage of the extra time off, try getting away but not to your typical hotel. Camping is always a great budget option, and you could look into traveling further south for warmer climates if you’ve been stuck inside during recent snowstorms. House sitting/swapping is also an option if you’re feeling adventurous. Here’s a good article on 10 things you need to know about home swapping from USA Today.


Now that you have tons of ideas, get to planning, or even better plan nothing at all. This totally applies if you’re single too. Take yourself on a date, go see a movie, make something fancy for dinner, have your own personal wine tasting. If you don’t have a “partner” or “significant other”, spend the time to shower yourself with love. After all, if you don’t love yourself then you can’t rightfully love someone else. In fact even if you DO have a partner you should show yourself a little love. No matter what you decide to do, enjoy yourself and anyone else you’re with, make happy memories, and be safe.


What’s your favorite romantic date idea?

 

Finances, Healthy, Less than 5, Vegan, Vegetarian

Perfect refried beans – low-fat, high protein!

Leave a comment

Refried beans, known as frijoles refritos, are a staple in Mexican and Mex-inspired cuisine. It translates into “well-fried beans”, which is an accurate description. Most often pinto beans are used, though sometimes pink or red kidney beans can be used as well.

The beans are fully cooked, and any water or broth is drained from them. Then they are mashed well, and put into a frying pan to be cooked again over low heat. Refried beans tend to be made with bacon grease and/or lard and/or bacon added, which sure boosts the flavor, but also may boost your hip size.

It’s super simple to make your own at home with only three ingredients, and no added fat.

Ingredients:

  • 1 can pinto beans, drained (use no added sodium kinds if you can find it. you can also make your own from dried)
  • 2-3 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp cumin

Step 1: Drain the beans. Rinse them as well if not low-sodium to remove some excess sodium. 

*Side note: bean cooking water is apparently awesome for watering gardens
or house plants. So if you cook beans from raw, keep that in mind!

 Step 2: Pour the beans into a frying pan. Add about 1/4 cup water, and cook on low until the water bubbles and beans are heated through. Mash with a fork or potato mashed until mostly soft and creamy. 

Step 3: Add bay leaves and cumin. You can also add salt and pepper if you like. Mix well, continue to cook on low heat for 10 minutes to an hour. Add more water periodically if they seem to dry out too much. Enjoy as a side dish, on tacos or burritos, or with eggs at breakfast.


Think Geek has more in-depth info on how they are prepared and when to eat them, Food Timeline has a neat comparison of various historical accounts of what refried beans are and when they originated, and Wikipedia covers why the mistranslation into “refried” is wrong on two counts.

What is your favorite way to cook beans?

Finances

How to make & stick to a budget

5 Comments

How to make a budget


Part of any healthy financial plan, a budget is a critical tool to help you find out and control where your money is coming from and more importantly where it is going. Many people cringe as soon as they hear the word “budget” because they think that means never having fun ever again, which is simply untrue. The beauty of a budget is that YOU are in charge of it. You call all the shots, from what categories there are to the amounts allocated to each. And they can be amended as your life situation changes to allow for schooling, a raise, a job loss, a move, a marriage, a baby, a divorce, etc. 

So how does one go about creating a budget? 

Your first step should be sitting down with a pen and piece of paper, or a Word or Excel document, and writing down every single thing on which you spend money on a daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly basis. Include housing (rent/mortgage/taxes), transportation (bus pass/gas/parking), food (groceries/dining out/coffee shops), and entertainment (movies/books/games/hobbies/vacations), as well as any other special categories you might need (children’s activities/debt repayment/investments). 

Your next step is to either: a. keep track for a month to see what level of spending is in each category, b. use an online tracker such as Mint.com to track spending, or c. estimate the amount spent each month. This is your total spending. Now estimate or calculate your income each month. This can include paychecks, investment dividends, interest on savings, gifts from relatives, inheritance, side jobs, etc. This is your total income.

Your goal: Make the difference between your income and your spending as large & positive as possible

This is the “spending gap”, as covered in several great articles (Minding The Gap & The Gap Matters More Than Anything) by Trent from The Simple Dollar. You can increase your gap by either spending less or earning more, or ideally doing both. The larger your gap, the more room you have to pay down debt, invest, and sock away savings, and the less stressed you will be. 

Let’s look at an example:

In the scenario on the left, the person in question makes about $54,000 a year (take-home of $4,500 a month) plus some extra from interest (assuming there are investments). The smart thing to do would be to re-invest that interest each month, thus adding to the principal amount invested and increasing the amount of interest. 

Anywho, that adds up to $4,750 coming in each month. This person also appears to have a rather nice home and car, as well as a lively social life, causing spending to total $2,450 per month. Even at this spending level, this person’s “gap” is a healthy $2,300 per month. They could use this to pay off debt like cards or loans, save for retirement, pad an emergency fund, or take a nice vacation.

On the other hand, the person on the right makes about $26,400 per year, and has no income other than their paycheck, which is $2,200 per month. While they have a lower housing payment, they have the same social and entertainment level as the person with a higher income, leading to a tiny “gap” of only $50 per month. 

The best way to approach this, with the intention of increasing the gap, is to consciously choose a number smaller than the current spending level. If you then hold yourself to those smaller numbers, you will naturally see your spending gap widen in your favor. 

If, for example, the person on the right were to move to a smaller housing situation or obtain a roommate, drive a smaller or older car, save money on groceries and eating out, decrease shopping and eliminate unnecessary spending like going out to the movies, the gap can widen to as much as $1,150 per month! That can become a nice savings account to eventually full-out buy a nicer car, a house of their own, make a job transition, or whatever dreams are yet to be fulfilled.

How to stick to a budget


Once you decide on the amount you want to spend per month on a certain category, now all you have to do is hold yourself to it. Easy right? Not so much when you’re new to budgeting. Or really at any point in your life. You see, we all have a tendency to get used to whatever lifestyle we currently lead. Our “wants” will always greatly outnumber our “needs”, and that leads to lifestyle inflation. That means when your income increases, you can fulfill more wants, so you expect a nicer lifestyle. Investopedia explains how this keeps us in the “rat race”, working just to pay the bills. 

This more expensive lifestyle then becomes the new normal. Inexpensive or free activities aren’t as appealing because it seems “beneath” you since you have such a nice way of living. Unfortunately things happen which may decrease your income, but will not decrease your expectations. It is also more difficult to save and get ahead financially. The Simple Dollar also has a great article about Avoiding Lifestyle Inflation.

There are several ways you can avoid the temptation of lifestyle inflation. 

  1. If you get a raise, pretend you didn’t by putting that money straight into a savings or retirement account. If you don’t know it’s there, you can’t spend it.
  2. Do NOT take on unnecessary debt. Just because you make enough doesn’t justify a huge loan for the newest car out there or a bigger house or more credit cards or whatever.
  3. Forget about the Joneses. What other people have doesn’t matter, there will always be people with more money and things than you. Focus on your life, your relationships, and the things that bring you joy.
  4. Continue finding free and inexpensive activities that fulfill you. Teach, tutor, volunteer, read, or go for walks. Enjoy the simple things in life.

For more ideas see YahooFinance, GetRichSlowly, or FabandFru. 

The single best tip I can give you on sticking to a budget is to automate as much as possible. If 10% of your paycheck goes straight to a savings account minutes after it is deposited, you don’t have a chance to spend it at the mall. If you have accounts set up for grocery spending or entertainment and put only the amount you want to spend, then you can only spend as much as is in the account. This takes a lot of the work out of budgeting, and makes you accountable. Just be sure to keep an eye on amounts and balances every month.

How to save money


Another problem people have with budgeting is not being able to “find” any extra money to cover the bills, savings, investments, as well as social fun. A lot of people view being frugal as the same thing as being cheap or miserly. This is not necessarily the case. You can still have a vibrant social life and enjoy leisure activities without spending large amounts of money every month. And many easy tips that save you money over the long haul don’t even make a noticeable impact on your daily life. 

You don’t have to go to the extremes of making your own laundry soap, living with a 55 degree home in the winter and 85 in the summer, or eating wild flowers to supplement your diet if you don’t want to. There are boatloads of frugal money-saving tips, and of course each one will not work for every person. You need to evaluate each tip according to your needs and lifestyle, try a few out, and keep only the ones that work for you. 

My favorite way to save money is on food of course. I combine many different techniques to keep my grocery bill as low as possible. For starters, I very rarely eat out. Nearly every breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack is made by me in my home. This saves me a TON of money yearly. Say I got lunch at work each day, for an average of $8 per day. $8 x 5 days per week x 48 weeks per year = $1,920! Nearly $2,000. That’s 2 1/2 months of rent for me, or 7 1/2 months of car payment, or 10 months of groceries. By making my own meals, I save that amount and put it towards savings, retirement, and other goals. 

I shop what’s on sale at the store, I stock on up frequently used items if there’s a good deal, I buy in bulk when I can, I pay attention to “per unit” prices, etc. I also take the bus to work in warmer months (I’m a student and we get a free bus pass, saving me $50/month in parking fees and gas), I insulated my apartment windows so the heating bill is lower, I buy clothes at Goodwill and consignment stores, and so on. 

For more great tips on daily money saving strategies:

America Saves – 54 Ways to Save Money
Daily Finance – 5 Tips for Frugal Living That Won’t Leave You Feeling Miserable
How Stuff Works – 5 No-Brainer Money-Saving Tips Everyone Forgets
Learnvest – 9 Frugal-Living Tips from the Great Depression
Little House Living – Frugal Tips
Living Frugal Tips website and Savings category
The Simple Dollar – Little Steps: 100 Great Tips for Saving Money for Those Just Getting Started
US News – 8 Painless Ways to Save Money
zenhabits – The Cheapskate Guide: 50 Tips for Frugal Living

What’s your favorite frugal tip?
Uncategorized

What’s in a name?

Leave a comment

So we are already 3/4 of the way through January. As we all tackle the new year with our various resolutions to lose half our body weight, workout 20 hours a day, sleep twice as much while being four times as productive, cut out everything but lettuce and carrots from our diet, or never drive a car, throw out a recyclable thing, buy from a chain, or fart ever again, I’ve decided not to decide. Never a huge proponent of ‘resolutions’, mostly for the fact that they rarely stick, I will simply continue with my year-round practice of setting goals and working towards them. Daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, and long-term. If you’re interested, you can see some fun figures on resolutions at Statistic Brain and get some suggestions to make goals you really will stick to at Psychology Today.

Photo from Mahfooz’ Exposition blog on WordPress

Since the name & style change for this blog only happened two months ago, I’ve already reached some personal goals, and have several more set for this year. I have increased readership by about 10-fold, my blog joined a cool network of amazing world-wide food bloggers called The Daily Meal (which you should totally check out!), formatted and outlined an e-cookbook, created and begun contributing to a Twitter & Facebook presence (@BudgetEpicurean –Tweet or follow me!- and the Facebook group Culinary Content), and automated and increased postings to three times per week (which may change depending on my course load this semester…). That’s pretty exciting for two month’s time. In the upcoming year, I have several personal and blog-related goals:

  1. Continue to keep up with 3x weekly postings with varied and high quality information and recipes
  2. Experiment with different types of food, ethnic foods, recipe substitutions, ‘health-ifying’ things, etc.
  3. Finish writing the bulk of the recipes for the e-cookbook as well as finishing the index by the end of March

On a personal note:

  1. Go to the gym a minimum of 3x per week, whether to run, yoga, or strength train. Failing that, yoga or weights at home
  2. Try to fit at least one more serving of veggies in per day than usual
  3. Drink a minimum of 1 32 oz bottle of water per day (I’m terrible at remembering to drink water. Some days I get home at 7 and realize the only liquid I’ve had all day is a cup of coffee and the milk in my cereal that morning. It doesn’t help that I work in a lab where food/drinks aren’t allowed)
  4. Sock away 5% to savings and 5% to an investment account each month no matter what
  5. Get involved with a charity & volunteer at least one hour once a month
  6. Make time for at least 1 hour a week for myself, and 1 hour per day of distraction-less couple time

You’ll notice that most of those goals involve something specific. Rather than “workout more” I tell myself I must work out three times per week. If I make three days in a row, great for me. If I go Monday and then forget until Friday, guess what I’m doing over the weekend? Also “drink more water” is hard to follow through on. Filling one 32 oz bottle in the morning and making sure it’s empty by the time I go to bed is manageable. 

As the name of this post implies, I’ve been thinking that the name for this blog is the Budget Epicurean. As such I shall be occasionally posting about things other than food, mainly frugality and budgeting. Stay tuned for my next post, which will be all about how to create and stick to a budget!


What’s your #1 resolution this year? (Week, month, decade…)