Wery Weggie Wednesday.....Ah - Ah - Ah...

What?! It was the first title to come to my head...

I have had a birthday. I am now twenty - *cough*murmur*eight*cough*. I sit here, another year older, and think about what I have (and have not) accomplished. I am proud of my culinary accomplishments. My family and I are eating all sorts of vegetables. Some weeks we have two or three meatless meals instead of just one. Our meat consumption has drastically decreased. I'm not looking to cut out meat altogether; I believe there is a place for it in our diet. Just not nearly as much as we have been accustomed to eating. Of course, our diet change has come partly out of my determination to change it and partly out of necessity. In case you haven't noticed, groceries have gotten more expensive. Meat is no longer cheap! So, I look for ways to use less of it in my usual dishes, or to just cut it out altogether. My hand has had to pull more tightly on the purse strings this year, and while I now buy organic cow's milk (my children despise almond milk so I have given up that battle) and also participate in a CSA, my grocery costs have remained the same or less because of cutting back on meat. My digestion has improved drastically. Apparently, my belly does not particularly care for meat. So I feel better now than I did this time last year.

Some of the things I have not accomplished this past year?...

I was taken aback recently when a friend (albeit jokingly) said, "you guys only eat fast food like what...5 times a year? You're super mom". This was said as she was munching on fries I envied so much. I was also told earlier this year that someone was "intimidated" by me. ME! I do not see myself as intimidating for sure. This made me take a step back and try to look at myself like an outsider looking in. Yes, I make everything from scratch...mostly. Because I love to create in the kitchen, and I have developed a passion for feeding my family real food. It all started though, from necessity. It's just cheaper to buy ingredients to make something yourself than to pay for the prepackaged version. Not to mention, the ingredients can usually make something else. I didn't have a choice but to make everything from scratch and stop eating out so often. Supermom I am not. So do I like seeming to come across to some that way? I don't think so...

I still have not found a form of physical exercise that I am excited about. People make suggestions and I make excuses. I think, in my 29th year, it's time to stop making excuses and develop some enthusiasm for physical exertion. I have had multiple people suggest I might enjoy cycling. For now, though, I think I should just try and make use of that gym membership I paid for. I still have not planted a garden. I so wanted one this year. If I could actually get things to grow and produce I'd be so excited. I might would lose weight with all the work that comes with gardening too. But another spring has passed. I wonder what can be planted this late in the year?

My birthday was Monday. I got up all gung-ho and ready to make a veggie lasagna. Our CSA box had zucchini, squash and basil. I knew instantly this meant veggie lasagna. So, I got it all together, but was surprised with dinner out for my birthday. The lasagna went in the fridge until yesterday evening. I had just enough time to get it out of the oven before I had to leave for a Tupperware party. Yes. They still do those.. The family ate the lasagna last night, but I didn't get to taste it until today at lunch. (Hence the catchy title..)

So here I am. Sitting one year older, with heartburn thanks to my tomato sauce, pondering all the changes that have been made and still feeling they are not quite enough...