January self-challenge update, real food recipes, homefront updates, and an enchilada blanket

Two of my three January self-challenges are going along swimmingly. So far, line-drying my clothes and not using the dryer is no big deal. Switching to real foods is easy and yummy. But the no-TV challenge? I voluntarily broke that one last night.

It’s not that I wanted to watch anything specific on TV. I didn’t. It’s just that I have realized that after a day of working alone in silence (my preference), I like to turn on the TV in the evening as background noise and as way to separate the night from the day. Pretty kooky, I know, but there it is. And until I live closer to (or have closer to me) a group of friends I can regularly spend time with in the evenings (mine are currently scattered around the country), I spend a lot of time on my own. I don’t mind it, I really don’t; I prefer it, actually. But going several days with no TV made me realize that I use the TV as a “connection” to the rest of the world. Apparently I don’t mind being alone most of the time as long as I can maintain a tenuous connection to the outside world (and it seems the internet is not enough).

I’m allowing myself to turn the thing on at night. I do still mute almost all commercials, though…man those things drive me nuts.

In real food trials, I have to report that a couple of recipes by Ree, The Pioneer Woman, turned out beyond just good–they were insanely good. As in gobble all the food up good. As in wait-what-about-my-food-budget-this-can’t-be-one-meal-only good. And while Ree isn’t a real food advocate or practitioner, her recipes are easily adapted to be so, and then one can just dive right in to the yumminess.

Like her meatballs recipe…I made them twice, within days! Used organic/real ingredients, and omitted a couple of the sauce ingredients since didn’t have them…the results were beyond good, and the reason I had to make them again is that between my roommate and myself, these suckers were gone in two days!

Mmmmm! Man I’m hungry just looking at this.

My roommate made the Simple Hearty White Chili (she cooked a whole chicken, made a bone broth to use as stock, had insanely yummy meat). She ended up with a huge pot-full, and it lasted about two days. *sheepish grin*(You’d think we’d were starving around here. Although actually, we are starved for nutrients, so it does make sense…)

If you’re wanting some new recipes to try, please go try these or anything else on Ree’s site. Her instructions could not be more clear—she photographs every step; seriously, every step. I am so getting her cookbook as soon as I can. (And if you have the time…read her account of how she met her husband. Best romance I’ve read in years.)

Both recipes are nice and warm and filling, perfect for the wonderful winter weather we’ve been having in Florida. Well, I think it’s wonderful, but I know I’m an itty bitty minority around here. This morning we had sleet! Bast has been doing her typical fort & nest building in blankets to stay warm:

Awwwwww.

Speaking of blankets, thanks to the ever-wonderful Vanessa and her post about her colorful blanket-in-progress, I am about ready to finally start my “self-trust” blanket sooner rather than later (maybe even tonight). Why do I call it my self-trust blanket? Well, I was inspired by a quote from a blog, but I can’t remember where I got the quote from, and until I do, I won’t repeat the quote. Actually, I am now calling it my “self-trust enchilada blanket!” The enchilada part is from Vanessa, who described wrapping up “like an enchilada” in her blanket. I love that description so much that I am totally adopting the term.

I decided to make the blanket last January and started getting some deliciously-colorful wool yarn, including some that is handmade & hand-dyed (from Etsy):

Isn’t it gorgeous? The color…

Srsly gorgeous. I get punch-drunk on vivid jewel tones like these.

But those pics are all that there is of the blanket so far, lol. Skeins of pretty yarn. I almost don’t want to use them…they’re sooo pretty!

Sigh.

But I will. I’m gonna just jump in and start making the dern thing, and then be wowed at how pretty it is, and take myself to task for waiting so long.

Of course, I won’t finish it until next winter, but man, I’ll be toasty then! If we get more sleet. Or if I’m living somewhere that gets real winter.

Ok, time to get back to other things. Need to work on more bloggie info & updates & rearranging & whatnots, then out into the cold for a few chores, and then back inside to write, create, and maybe…just maybe…crochet!

I hope you have a lovely Saturday & weekend.