The Diet Solution Program: 31 Recipes

31 Recipes

Posted by Lorrie in Food, Recipes on January 31, 2012 | 8 responses

For Floyd Imagination Month (FloCoIMo) I decided that my creative project would be baking and cooking 31 recipes. I chose this because it felt easy in a month that started with me wanting to do absolutely nothing. I would already be cooking and frankly, I knew it would be more realistic than signing up for a month of watercolor or illustrations. I also wanted to challenge myself to try new recipes, get in the kitchen more and eat out less. It's the end of the month and I've only eaten out seven times, which is pretty decent considering a normal month for us would be around 12 times. I also wanted to cut out convenience foods and cook more from scratch.

I can say that I loved every single one of these dishes and the experience of making them. Food is a nice way to track memories and events in a month. I can remember an impromptu dinner with one of Josh's friends. Lazy Sunday mornings with pancakes and jam. Recipes followed from a homemade cookbook given to me at Christmas. The cookies that I learned not to eat all of in one sitting. The nourished feeling I had after eating black lentil soup. Understanding the role of grated and very cold butter in the best biscuits ever. Josh's favorite being the spicy bang bang shrimp and making them four other times. I remember his late-night trip out to get nappa cabbage because they just aren't the same without it. Reconfirming that apple pie needs sour cream to be amazing. Knowing that chick peas and lettuce can make a decent dinner. And most of all, taking the time to care for myself and my husband. Knowing, each night when I cleared off the table, turned off the TV, and put plates down, that I was creating much more than a new recipe.

Loads and loads of dishes later, I've got one day left in the month and only one recipe left. What should I make?