Words Unspoken|Today is where your book begins, the rest is still unwritten.

I’m a fan of trying new things. I like adventure and the thrill of finding something new that I enjoy. New movies, new television shows, new games… But most of all, new foods and recipes. I love to cook, which is no surprise, but when I discover a new recipe to make that passes not only my taste-testing, but Matt’s as well, I love it even more.

The past two nights have been a huge hit. Tonight and two nights ago (yes, leftover ingredients so we had it twice this week!) we had penne pasta with marinara sauce, Mediterranean salad, a grilled chicken thigh with the marinara on top and some cheese and baked crusty bread with homemade (Matt-made!) garlic butter. What a fantastic meal it was! Filling (especially with all the salad), not too unhealthy (yes, it could be better, but it’s better than a pizza or a burger!) and delicious. Last night was what I keep referring to as Lazy Fajitas. I sautéed some peppers and onions in a bit of extra virgin olive oil and some Tex-Mex seasoning, grilled a couple chicken thighs with cumin and chili powder on top and we put them on top of warmed tortillas with a bit of sour cream, some cheese and some mild salsa. One fajita kept me full for hours!

For me, individual food finds are just as good as a whole meal. I went to Matt’s sister Jane’s house a few weeks ago to watch UFC (yes, you can stop laughing now) and just hang out, and she decided to put a little tray of snacks out - fresh crusty bread, honey garlic pepperoni, pickles, and two things that I hadn’t ever tried before: Havarti and Pâté. I didn’t mind the pâté at all, but I knew Matt wouldn’t go for it. However, I decided to try the Havarti thing here and it stuck! I’ve stuffed chicken with it, or when I feel like snacking I toss it on a plate with some pickles, pepperoni, Kalamata olives and fresh bread and snack away.

Not all of my food adventures turn out well. I tried replacing the pasta in my mock pierogi (recipe to come sometime later, probably) with wheat pasta and it was the most foul tasting cardboard I’d ever had! I tried sundried tomatoes about a week ago for the first time, and I have to admit I wasn’t a fan of those, either. But I guess if you never try something, you’ll never find new things to love, right?

What are your favourite foods? Especially the strange ones that not everyone would have in their home or usual routine!

So, I had a Smirnoff tonight left over from a few weeks ago. Not enough to get me drunk or reasonably tipsy but there is a buzz going on. Of course, you’d think I’d had the Smirnoff before I burned my finger on the stove. Yes, that’s right. The funniest part? I burned it making comfort food. Tomato soup and grilled cheese. Went to cut my sandwich and managed to hit my finger on the burner. Fantastic, huh? It’s got a little line across it now. The cat was snuggling it. I think she knew it hurt.

I think I may do some grocery shopping tomorrow. Maybe. Maybe not. Depends on how lazy I feel.

I’m starting to appreciate things in my life a lot more. I appreciate Matt so much right now. It’d be hard not to, with him being so fantastic and always right here when I need him. I appreciate Mew Mew, because, well, she’s the thing that makes me smile the most during the day. I appreciate all the work I’m putting in to losing weight, and how I’m seeing such progress now. I’m starting to finally get out of my own way, and I love it. I spend time doing more than playing World of Warcraft, though I still love it, and I’m starting to like myself more. Which is good, because it’s been apparent that people won’t like me until I like me!

Anyway, I dunno. I’m just starting to force myself to see things in a new light. Would you believe I even answered a “private name, private number” phone call today? Me, who is terrified of the telephone. Not that I’ll be doing that any more often than I need to, because usually it’s telemarketers anyway, but still. Yay, me, and yay, progress!