Me vs. The Grocery Store (part 1)

It’s been a while since I’ve posted, but examining the fast food wrappers in the back of my car has made me rethink my lifestyle. I’m living alone and eating on the run. And lately that means that i’m eating really badly. I think I’ve actually become afraid to shop for real food. It seems like everything I buy either expires before I can use it or becomes the only thing I eat for the next 9 meals. And then when I go to cook, there’s nothing in the fridge so it’s more frozen fish sticks or the burger place du jour.

The Big Mac cartons stop here! I’m going to the grocery store in a few minutes and I’m going to buy real food! This plan initially inspired panic, but after a night of reflection, I’ve come up with a plan.

Here’s my approach:

1. Omelet’s are your friends: I borrowed this one from the food network’s feature on tables for one, but I think it’s good advice. Everything is good in an omelet. I’ve recently found an omelet base I really like (the trick is to make them thin and over high heat almost like a crepe) so everything I buy must pass the “can it be in an omelet?” test.

2. Pay more to buy less- I’m paying more to get the small containers. I’m going for a bag of pre-washed lettuce instead of a whole head because there is no way I’ll ever eat a whole head of lettuce by myself- unless there’s a dare involved and a you tube video in the works. I suspect this will increase my bill today, but hopefully lead to less being thrown out tomorrow.

3. Shop gourmet- In general, I like old school, family style cooking- casseroles, pasta, soups etc. But a pot of home made soup would last 8.2 years at my current rate of left-over consumption. Today, I’m going to the store looking for the gourmet tapenades and sauces I usually pass up. I’m hoping that a little sun dried tomato, roasted red pepper, goat cheese, mango vinaigrette something-or-other will 1) keep well and 2) make a lot of otherwise boring food enticing. I’m hoping that whatever I find goes with grilled chicken one night, on a salad the next and on a sandwich on day three. I’m most suspicious of this part of the plan, but I’m hoping the grocery store (which in my neighborhood is huge!) can inspire me.

One more confession- I’ve become dependent on meal in a box style kits–usually with pasta or rice. I’m skipping those too tonight. When I say I’m going to cook, I don’t mean I’m going to stir a mysterious powder into a half cup of milk.

I’ll post an update on how this ends up in a few days. But in the mean time, does anyone else have other suggestions? Can I eat in and still avoid a life of ramen and peanut butter and jelly?

Y: Yoga

While Kyle prefers doing yoga from the comfort of his own apartment, I sometimes like to venture out to a studio. Something about the energy of others and the roaming teacher inspires me to work harder. Like most urban areas these days, Brooklyn has more than it’s fair share of places to practice.

Technically my favorite New York yoga studio is in Manhattan. I love the sunny atmosphere, the free lemon sandwich cookies, and the cheaper, 1 hour classes at Laughing Lotus. However, sometimes commuting all the way to 19th Street is just too much effort. What’s the point of yoga if the stressful, crowded subway ride back home cancels out that warm relaxed feeling?

W: Walking Brooklyn

When I attended Book Expo America this past spring with Michelle, I picked up an advance copy of Adrienne Onofri’s Walking Brooklyn (Wilderness Press, 2007) with the intention of making it the “W” of my Brooklyn alphabet. I was not disappointed. The small book (perfect for carrying in your bag) details 30 different Brooklyn neighborhood walks. Kyle and I often take off on our own circuitous routes through Bed-Stuy or Prospect Heights, but with this book, you actually have a friendly tour guide by your side. Each walk includes maps and bullet points of historical, cultural, and architectural information. For example, Onofri explains what’s up with Farrell’s, the old-time bar near my Windsor Terrace apartment that my roommates and I always wonder about:

“Farrell’s is said to be one of the first bars opened in Brooklyn after Prohibition was repealed. Cops, firefighters, and neighborhood loyalists love Farrell’s, which was featured in a scene with Helen Hunt and Shirley Knight in the Oscar-winning flick As Good As It Gets” (92).

My Yoga Instructor could Beat Up Your Yoga Instructor

Yeah, that’s right. I said it. If my yoga instructor were ever really mad at your yoga instructor, your yoga instructor would totally be in a world of hurt.

Because, as you’ve probably guessed, my yoga instructor is three time world champion prowrestler Diamond Dallas Page (DDP, for short).