growing creativity in the kitchen

Tonight I had some fresh mushrooms and fresh spinach in the fridge, so I chopped them up and sauteed them to mix into scrambled eggs. I also added Feta and a blend of shredded cheese. It was a tasty, fresh, simple dinner.

Before this year, I would have said I only had a handful of basic go-to meals I knew how to cook, and most of those weren't what I would now consider healthy. But I think my creativity and skill base for cooking is gradually expanding. It's kind of cool, even though I don't really consider myself a great cook yet. And I'm still not sure what I'd be good at cooking for a dinner party, even a casual one. I would want it to be something I'm confident making and that most people would like. Maybe stir fry with brown rice?

I'm still more or less following phase 2 of the South Beach Diet for guidelines of what I eat, and that's allowing me to maintain my weight loss within a pound or two. Although I do occasionally make more exceptions than I had been at first. Yesterday I had a Jimmy John's sandwich on white bread and chips for lunch. I don't make everything from scratch, and I do still have pizza sometimes (usually thin crust). But, overall, I think my habits have changed and I know how to eat things with more nutrients and higher fiber. I'm learning and relearning how to think about food and make menu choices that are both healthy and enjoyable. And it's not even that hard.