Due to the break from classes today, I had some time to ponder my progress on 2011’s resolutions. Here we are, just two weeks into the new year, and I’ve already learned some valuable lessons in the realm of health and well-being.

1. The Ellie Project. I’ve been cranking out the Ellie recipes over the past two weeks. (If you’ve missed a few, they’re all archived on The Ellie Project page). Thus far, I am delighted with this endeavor—already, I have gained so much. In this small amount of time, my experience with different ingredients (goat cheese! watercress!) and dishes (granola! peanut soup!) has expanded considerably. Plus, I felt an additional sense of accomplishment when Ellie herself sent me an e-mail about the project.

2. Half-Marathon Training. This resolution is the one that has taught me so much in the past two weeks. As I mentioned recently, I’ve been sidelined due to a mild hip injury. I haven’t run since January 7th, missing out on more than a week’s worth of training runs. I know that one week out of fourteen won’t completely de-rail my training, but in the interest of my health, I think it’s best if I put my half-marathon plans on hold. My personality is such that if I have a goal in mind, I’ll ignore any bodily pain in order to achieve it, thereby deteriorating my health even further. Ironically, I think the healthier thing for me to do right now is not to run. Once my hip fully heals, I’ll enter into the racing scene again with some shorter distances. Plus, as Seth said, “organic chemistry is a marathon in itself.”

3. Skincare. I am proud to say that I have worn sunscreen every day this year and maintained my (simple) skincare routine. Anyone interested in a skincare post in the future?

4. Diet Soda. Again, I am rocking this resolution. Diet soda-free for 17 days!

5. Volunteer. I am making progress on this one, as I’ve identified some good resources for finding volunteer opportunities.

6. Margot Fund. Fail. Due to having time off over the past two weeks, I’ve been doing more shopping than is typical for me (i.e., not saving money). I gotta keep my eyes on the prize puppy.

How are you progressing on your resolutions?

After all that pondering, I got hungry.

I kicked off the week with yet another Ellie recipe, Cherry Vanilla Oatmeal.

My tweaks:

-I used fresh cherries rather than dried.

-I substituted soymilk for nonfat milk.

-I added cinnamon to the mix, mainly just so I could use my spiffy new spice rack.

-I topped it off with toasted walnuts to round out the meal with a touch of fat.

The flavor of this dish was deliciously creamy. It was refreshing to depart from my usual oat bran-almond milk-banana combination, although I still prefer oat bran to oatmeal—anyone else? There’s no nutritional reason for my preference, I just like the texture!

Anyway, I’d recommend this recipe to oatmeal-lovers and oatmeal newbies alike.

This recipe is available from FoodNetwork.com: Cherry Vanilla Oatmeal

For lunch, I made a B-Hut favorite, a Greek Salad with cottage cheese. I improvised a lovely dressing from tahini, lemon juice, and salt.

Apparently, my creative juices were flowing this evening, as dinner brought the birth of a new recipe from my kitchen, Garden-Pinto Burgers. I found as many colorful veggies as I could, slapped them together with some pinto beans, and made a burger. Details to come!

Alright, I am off to savor these last few hours of the long weekend. Ciao!

Filed under: Meals