Here’s A Thought: Healthy Meals, Happy Life

March 5, 2015January 28, 2021 / Ally Bean / 36 Comments

• I found an interesting infographic, from Cooks Smart, that talks about meal planning and the ways in which it can help a family live a better life.

It struck a chord with me because I’ve cooked more this winter than in the past three years combined. For reasons related to good health, boredom and a husband who’ll eat [without complaint] whatever I dream up, I’ve gone back into the kitchen.

And I’m loving it.

I grew up around parents and aunts who enjoyed making meals. Healthy meals. Fancy meals. Fast meals. Exotic meals. But meals created by using real ingredients and following recipes, written or oral, passed down through the family.

There was a sense of history associated with those shared recipes. Back then we connected through food.

• • •

• However today I hesitate to even mention that I like to cook, here or in real life. Many women who I know see it as passé or pointless.

Most of the women really.

Better to eat a Lean Cuisine “like a normal person” one of them told me. Why waste time cooking?

Another told me she cooks on holidays only. That way she can use her fancy plates and silverware and glassware. Everyday [thankless] cooking is not for her, she said.

But I like the stress free everyday sort of cooking that I do. I follow some recipes [more or less]. Or I wing it to see what happens when I throw some ingredients together.

Either way, I believe, that with the right attitude cooking is creative fun that leads to healthy meals– and, maybe even, a happier life.

[Image sources here and here.]

Of Writing Prompts & Morning Walks

March 2, 2015January 28, 2021 / Ally Bean / 14 Comments

Here’s a fact about me: I read my horoscope once in a while, but not for the reasons that you might imagine.

No, I read my horoscope to get writing prompts.

On the days when I read my daily horoscope, I save the ones that I think will challenge me to think about my life in a new way. Then on a future day when I cannot think of what to say, I peruse my horoscopes and use one as a way to start writing.

• • •

To wit, here’s a horoscope from who knows when that got me thinking over the weekend.

Use your energy wisely to work with the natural currents instead of trying to control them. It’s not your job to eliminate the clouds; the sky will clear on its own.

• • •

What did I get thinking? I decided that even though I’ve almost always been a morning blogger, I’m going to change my posting schedule to the afternoon for the month of March.

You see, I’d like to use my energy in a different way. I want to go for a walk outside each day, and mornings around here have the least amount of vehicle traffic. [No sidewalks here.]

• • •

So instead of plopping down in front of my computer, typing my morning away– I’m going to be propelling myself out the front door, trudging my morning away.

Which means that you, my gentle readers, will just have to wait until I’m done being healthy each morning, and [hopefully] regain enough energy thereafter to sit down and ~~pursue my passion for flapdoodle and twaddle~~ write my blog posts.

Guess we’ll see how this all works out together, won’t we?

Mild Winter Weather Distracts Sincere Blogger From Her To-Do List

January 21, 2015August 29, 2018 / Ally Bean / 21 Comments

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• • •

I HAD PLANS for this week. Big plans. I was going to be all about updating this blog. Making it prettier. Revising my pages. Getting back into the blogging groove.

Admirable goals.

BUT WE’VE HAD unseasonably warm winter weather this week. I’m talking snow-free days in the 50s with lots of sunshine.

This is unheard of around here.

AND I’VE FOUND it impossible to sit still in our home office staring at a computer screen when I can be outside… in January… wearing a lightweight jacket… and goofing off wherever I want to be.

I’m sure that you understand.

SO I’VE DECIDED that instead of missing out on what is right before my nose, I’m going to put my To-Do List in my desk drawer where it can rest until I get back to it. Which will be next week, presumably, when winter, inevitably, returns.

My 2015: The Year Of The Recluse

January 15, 2015May 6, 2021 / Ally Bean / 26 Comments

Looking at the calendar today it occurs to me that I have been remiss in not sharing with you, my gentle readers, my ~~resolutions~~ ~~revolutions~~ ~~one word~~ ~~goals~~ ~~dreams~~ ~~aspirations~~ ~~vague ideas~~ simple plan for the new year, 2015.

Clearly I need to get more scoot in my get-along.

[The preceding phrase is one that I don’t normally use, but I heard a football color commentator use it when talking about some player doing something, so I decided to add it to my folksy phrases repertoire.]

[Yes, I have an actual list of folksy phrases that I started about 10 years ago. I recently rediscovered it when I took it upon myself to sort through the stuff in my desk. Trust me, I will be referring to said list often now that I have found it.]

So here is what I’ve decided that this year will be all about for me. I’m going to be a recluse, defined thusly as: “a person who lives a solitary life and tends to avoid other people.”

Not exactly anti-social, but non-social. ‘Ya know?

And sometime throughout the year I might even explain why I’ve come to this decision. But for today all I’m going to say is that I’m comfortable with the idea of spending more time by myself while pursuing my particular interests– like finding & using folksy phrases! 😉