I have lost my mind

Or that's what some people think (I'm looking at you Katelyn). I have made a challenging decision that will effect* my wallet, my waist line, my social life, and my sanity. Fortunately it will only last one month.

For the month of June, I will not eat out at any restaurant, instead preparing all of my food by hand.

For me, this is madness. I am at my happiest when dinning out with friends, marveling at the unique flavors, and quaffing lustily from pints of sable beer. I get equal delight from poring over a new and exotic menu as I do from ordering a known favorite without consulting the menu, like greeting an old friend. Whether it's swapping a fist of dollar bills for a sack of tacos with the woman high up in a grease truck, or listening, captivated, to the maitre'd orate the specials, I feel comfortable there.

So why make this decision? There are several reasons, really. Primarily, I am soon to be very broke. With graduation meaning the loss of financial aid and no real job prospects, I will quickly run out of money. Observing my current spending habits, I shell out anywhere from one hundred to two hundred dollars a week on food that is not prepared by me. I will save hundreds of dollars by not eating out in June. I see it as a mini stimulus package for surviving the summer. I do worry about the financial hit some of my most frequented restaurants will take, most of which will likely be bankrupt by July.

Too, I have not been cooking nearly as much as would like. It is one of my favorite pastimes, cooking, yet I have hardly put knife to block and pot to flame in the past month or two. Naturally, this plan will force me to be in the kitchen much more, which I look forward to. I will have to think about new recipes and ingredients so that I don't get bored. I am considering exploring the vast number of rice/bean dishes the world has to offer from just about every culture.

Those are the two main reasons for me to take on this challenge. Another, that is not quite as important to me, is the fact that I will probably lose some of these extra pounds I've put on recently. Controlling every bite that enters my mouth will, I believe, dramatically reduce my caloric intake, seeing as I don't commonly cook with the startling levels of butter, cheese, pork fat, and sugar that most restaurants do.

Luckily I still have twenty days of May to enjoy Wong's King, Porque No, Pok Pok, Kenny and Zuke's, Pine State Biscuits, Pho Hung, and all the other places I love before this takes effect.** Wish me luck.


Some pasta I made today


*Please help me, I haven't the slightest clue when to use Affect and when to use Effect.
**Again!


Song of the Day: Street Scene (4 Shazz), St. Germain