I am going to try something new. It may fly and it may fail tremendously, but how do you know unless you try. I want to invite you to come over and cook with me.

I’ve always been one to say that I am more of a baker than a cook, and while that kinda holds true, I am even more so also falling in love with cooking as well as baking.

Always being a lover of food, I used to really enjoy heading to all the great establishments and unknown diamonds in the rough in the valley. It was a great way to sample new cuisine, get to see the valley, and hang out with some amazing friends all at the same time.

While I still enjoy that a lot, I’ve really found a new love for cooking and baking at home since I’ve been back. I think this is partially attributed to some of my new goals, which include not eating out as much due to the cost and occasionally the terrible food I crave occasionally. I mean, as a Wisconsinite, it’s hard to refuse cheese, and a lot of restaurants equate cheese to artery clogging caloric content!!

Furthermore, one of the things I looked forward to most upon coming home was being able to make when I want, when I wanted it and not having a limited supply of food options to choose from. While I enjoy restaurants greatly still, and food, I’ve found a great relaxation and enjoyment out of preparing dishes, even if they are just for myself.

I’m by no means an expert chef… seriously. I seem to be able to make some great dishes though with basic ingredients I stock up on in my pantry and my refrigerator. The one shown up top is what I made the first chance I had to cook after I got home. This morning I made myself some three cheese and spinach eggs. Delicious!! They were great to enjoy while on my patio listening to the birds and enjoying the calm of the day.

I know a lot of people who just don’t think they can cook fantastic dishes like they can enjoy at a restaurant at home. I want to challenge that thought. Anyone can make some great dishes at home. All that’s needed is some basic creativity, an occasional starter recipe to run with, your creativity, and optimism.

Therefore, I wasn’t kidding with what I said above. I want to invite you to cook and bake with me, whether you already love to cook and want to cook with another avid fan, or whether you don’t believe you hold the capability to make anything mouth watering, I challenge you to come over for an evening or afternoon of cooking. Maybe you can teach me a few things too! Food is better when it’s shared. Let’s share!

Please Note: Not to be rude, but I will have to know who you are before I will cook with you Safety first!

I have internet access. I’ve been eating some things worth writing about.. yet I haven’t had a yelp review since the end of October. This is because, the chow halls I’ve been to can’t really be added as establishments. So, I’ve decided to write my own yelp review of my dining experiences so far. This will be a collective of all the dining halls I’ve been to.

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I would have to rate my overall experience with the dining facilities a 3.5. Not bad considering I am in the middle of nowhere. Maybe it’s the lack of options that makes me so optimistic, but I think otherwise. It’s amazing how you can make things work and find fabulous meals in unthinkable places.

Before we get to the food, here are my likes:

** Remembrance - It’s amazing to me how many people go in and out of this facility every day and the breakfast cooks have my egg order down pat. I automatically have the same thing started for me well before I’m at the front of the line unless I ask. Saves time and makes me awesome.

** TV in the second seating area allows some time to just relax and not focus on where you are or what you are doing. I’ve gotten to watch football, cheesy MTV shows, and even catch a couple episodes of Law & Order and part of one of my favorite movies, The Sweetest Thing.

** Plenty of options.. there are usually at least four different types of lines so you have somewhat of a variety of food to choose from. Additionally the hot sandwich line is open 24/7 That comes in handy when you have a long day and cannot make it out of work during chow hall hours.

** Cleanliness - The facility stays pretty clean and staff are always there to clean tables after use and before new customers sit down for a meal.

What are some of my non-food dislikes?

** The line - depending on when you decide to head to a meal you could be waiting 20 minutes before you sit down to eat.. waiting in line to get in.. waiting in line to get food.. waiting to find a seat.. all of this frustrates me

** Not all places have eggs made exactly to order - I have been to facilities where made to order means you can have an omelet, scrambled, or fried eggs with the yolks broken. Sorry kids, no over easy everywhere you go, and I wouldn’t even try to ask for poached.

** Not all choices are equal– this place definitely has its bad days where you have to stick with something plain and basic like a sandwich and a salad… on a day where you didn’t want something so plain at all.

** Ice cream everywhere you look — This is not what I needed for my #SexyBitchOps. Not only is there an ice cream bar most lunch and dinners with tons of baskin robbins ice cream and a toppings bar… but when that doesn’t occur there is a cooler with sherbet bars and these irresistible chocolate caramel bars… dammit!

And now… onto some of my most memorable dishes:

** Curry and Nan - I look forward to curry night every week. It used to be predictable and now it’s not so predictable. I happened to run into it tonight and it made the rest of my day complete. The curry definitely isn’t as spicy as I’d like but it has a decent amount of heat. It’s very authentic as well. I typically get the beef curry on top of steamed rice with some nan and it fills me up for the rest of the day.

** Egg White Omelet - I recently fell in love with the egg white omelet. I add a little bit of mushroom and that’s it. Garnish with some salt and pepper (eggs are really bland here) and it’s good to go. All I need to add with it is some fresh fruit like grapes or pineapple and it’s a healthy and filling start to the day. I am thinking about having this more often when I get home and being creative and adding some broccoli or asparagus to the mix.

** Eggs with Mushrooms - When I don’t have the omelet I get two eggs fried with mushrooms. They are still a little bland and salt/pepper is needed but they are always well cooked (even though presentation varies by cook).

** Salad - The salad options definitely leave things to be desired but overall aren’t too bad. My typical salad is romaine lettuce (all they offer) with chow mein noodles, bean sprouts and either mushrooms or a bit of bacon. I use Caesar dressing.

** Hot Sandwich Bar - Sometimes there is nothing like the hot sandwich bar. This happens to be the place I discovered one of the craziest and best combination ever: cinnamon raisin bagel with pastrami, provolone, pickles, and lettuce. Many different bread and sandwich items to choose from and they can even be toasted if desired.

** Lobster Tail - Yep. You got that right. Occasionally we get lobster tail and consdiering where I’m at… it’s a nice and healthy delicacy to have.

** Quesadillas - One time I had quesadillas to order (this is rare). Chicken, beef and cheese? Delish and filling.

Well that concludes my yelp review of the dining facilities. Hope you enjoyed!

I successfully completed another item on my 30 before 30 yesterday - I went to dinner by myself. The goal was to go somewhere that was nice and had great ambiance that people would go to on a date. Nozomi hit it on the dot with ambiance, but there was almost no one there. I might give this one another go if I have time.

Here is my review on Yelp of Nozomi for all those interested. If you ever head to Carlsbad or drive past it on the way to LA or San Diego, you need to stop there. It’s well worth it, even if you’re by yourself.

For the past 6 weeks, I’ve been trying to figure out what works as far as helping me lose weight and what doesn’t food wise, amount wise, and timing wise. I’ve been doing fairly well, considering all the road blocks that have been thrown in my way during this process. Seems that nothing ever comes easily for me. I always have to work for what I want.

My progress has been slow. It was suggested that I switch my carbs from fruits and veggies to just veggies. I can typically do this for my main meals. I absolutely love steamed vegetables. However, when I’m at work or out and about and need those snacks I can eat on the go, I can’t have steamed veggies. I’ve been trying to eat raw broccoli, peppers, and other things for a week or so now and I just can’t do it. I love vegetables, but the only ones I like raw are pickles and carrots. Broccoli is one of my favorites but I cannot eat it raw. It tastes like paper to me.

I have to have my fruit. Then I realized I was starting to fall into that trap I don’t want to fall into and told myself I never would. There definitely is something to be said for eating healthy and being conscious of what you are having. However, I’ve never been one of those diet people as far as saying I will never have a piece of bread or a cup of ice cream again. I can’t do it. Every once in awhile I want it. Every once in awhile I think it’s okay. I think it should be okay to go out to an amazing dinner and just consciously watch the portions and types of food you are having. And related to that, I have to have my fruit. I love grapes and pineapple and grapefruit and cherries and nectarines. I am just going to have to try something that works taking those into consideration or deal with the fact that it will happen more slowly. I’ve learned to be okay with that.