I absolutely love when the weather turns cold. I spent most of the weekend running both my dryer and my oven in a futile attempt to delay turning on my heat. I had to finally cave Saturday evening, but the effort was worth it! All my laundry is done, and my house is full of baked goods and roasted vegetables. Sounds like a win to me.
(Also, in an attempt to find an awesome winter photo for this post, this one below was one of the first that showed up in my search. And nothing can possibly beat a chipmunk in a knitted hat, so I decided to roll with it. Isn’t it cute??)
I had Friday off, so I made delicious Turkey Chili in my crock-pot (slow cooker for all you East Coasters). It’s one of my favorite fall/winter meals because it’s so warming, and it freezes really well.
On Saturday, I baked brownies and cookies for a fundraiser later this week. And of course ate plenty of the batter… but I used whole wheat flour in both, so that makes it a health food, right??
Today, I roasted veggies for the week ahead. This is my new favorite way to cook hearty vegetables. It’s no fuss, so I don’t have to stand over the stove, and they’re all done and ready to go, so they don’t slowly get sad in my fridge or on my counter because I’m too stressed and tired to deal with them mid-week. I’m almost done, and I have sweet potato “home fries,” acorn squash, and Brussels sprouts. Yum! And I’ll put them in individual containers so I can pull them out for meals. This means I’m eating healthy, less stressed, and not spending money on take-out last minute out of laziness. Also, on a complete tangent, have you seen how Brussels sprouts grow?! It’s such a cool plant! For your viewing pleasure:
I also experimented with a new recipe—making my own Parmesan crackers. I haven’t fully mastered it yet; I think I need to roll the dough a little thinner. But it was a pretty delicious first attempt, if not as crunchy as I would have liked. They taste like classy Ritz crackers, and they’re definitely healthier. These used whole wheat flour too (I have a bag of it I’m trying to use up).
Other than slaving over the oven, every day this long weekend, I took my dog out for a nice long walk and a trip to the dog park. My cheeks were pretty numb by the end, but it was worth it. It was great to get outside in the sun. It’s amazing how nice a good walk feels, and I always end up laughing at least some when my dog goofs off at the dog park. If you don’t laugh at your dog multiple times a day, you’re probably doing it wrong.
The big piece of this weekend worth mentioning is how much these activities fit into my three goals. Obviously if I’m cooking at home and making healthy foods, that ties into my goals of being healthier. Not spending money dining out helps with finances. But more importantly, all of these activities (including doing laundry!) fall into the category of “self care.” I’m taking care of myself, and when I do that, I end up happier. I’m amazed by how much a clean apartment and time outside can help with my mental health, even when I don’t realize it needs a boost. For a long time, my go-to when I was feeling down was to spend money on things that I thought would help, and I’m trying hard to shift that mindset.
Any other suggestions for ways I can get into the winter mentality and celebrate the cold (while hopefully also warming up my house)? Please share!