01-10

What did you do for New Year’s Eve? Did you make last-minute plans that turned out excellently, like we did?

We’d thought and thought about where to go to ring in the new year, and by the time we came up with a plan, the venue was sold out! A few other options (think keg parties, trashy and noisy bars) just didn’t appeal to us much.

We considered a short getaway, but my three-day weekend was interrupted by being called into work Wednesday night because two co-workers had their heads cracked open this week and we were short-staffed. It sounds callous to mention such a trivial event in my life in the same sentence as someone falling and going to the hospital only to have an emergency Pacemaker operation and another getting in a serious car wreck that broke bones and shook him up thoroughly, but that’s the facts, folks. I feel terrible for them and their families, especially this time of year.

It was back to square one, and on Dec. 30, at about 11:30 at night, I had the brilliant idea to check whether the Italian cafe just down the street from me had anything going on for the evening. We ended up with a 9 p.m. reservation for two at Asti Trattoria.

My favorite neighborhood intersection.

We’d been to the restaurant once before, for a casual, exceptionally good lunch, but this experience was on a different level altogether. Everything that went into my mouth was stunning.

We arrived at 8:30 and stood in the crowded bar area with glasses of Cantina Terlano 2007 Pinot Noir, which was so good we got a bottle to go with dinner.

Vino por el año nuevo

We were seated under a sky of multicolored balloons, and our waiter was quirky (his navy dress shirt was covered with pictures of Irish setters) but service was exceptionally prompt, and we were overwhelmed by the time we got to the main course. We had to take dessert to go!

In case anyone is interested, here’s my vegetarian feast to close out 2009. Far and away my best meal of the year:

White Asparagus Soup
Parmesan & White Truffle Crema

Red & Yellow Beet Carpaccio
Fennel, Black Olives & Orange Vinaigrette
Ricotta Bruschetta

Asparagus Risotto
Prosecco, Meyer Lemon Oil & Scallions

Wild Mushroom & Cipolline Onion Ragu
Anson Mills Polenta & Black Truffle Mascarpone

Chocolate Truffle Tart
Vanilla Balsamic Gelato & Brandied Cherries

Unfortunately, I was not feeling exactly wonderful by the time the clock struck 12 — I just couldn’t handle that much incredibly rich food and a good amount of wine. OK, I was actually asleep when 2010 was born.

But dessert was lovely on New Year’s Day, less the incredibly strong reduced vinegar they used as a sauce. Perhaps if we’d had it served at the proper temperature, it would have worked better.

So now it’s back to reality, back to the grind, back to the same old schedule. But with one twist: We’re doing the Power 90 program (think precursor to that  P90X thing advertised in annoying infomercials) to get super-buff (ha!) in three months or less!

I’m quite excited to begin. I’ve printed up a 90-day planner and the exercises I’m supposed to do, and I’ll get started first thing tomorrow on my first full cardio routine. Wish us luck!

Good eating to you, wherever you are

We had a tasty and joyful Christmas morning after a rather upsetting Christmas Eve at the Jaime house.

First the not so great: We had 40 mph winds on the 24th, all day, and a guy opening his truck door in a busy parking lot opened it straight into my new car’s rear driver’s side quarterpanel, causing a decent dent. Luckily he was very cooperative about getting me his insurance information, and even though it was late afternoon on a holiday, I got an appointment with Geico (his insurer) to fix it first thing Monday. (Oh, did I mention I got myself a 2009 barely used Mazda 3 for Christmas?)

My new car, pre-dent

Later that night, after getting off work exceptionally early (a happy, rare occasion), we decided to rent a movie then visit the local pizza parlor. When we left the restaurant, my key wouldn’t go into the ignition. Flat out would not enter the key chamber. There was a piece of metal blocking the keyhole that we could not get to budge. I threw a little buyer’s remorse temper tantrum (OK, a big one — two car issues in one day in a car I’ve owned just a week will do that to me!) and decided to leave the car there overnight and try again in the morning with a clearer head. My mom mentioned in the morning that she’s experienced a similar issue and that “jiggling the steering wheel” fixed it. Well, lo and behold, apparently my car will not allow a key into the ignition until the wheel is locked in place. Once it was, the key slipped in and we drove the three short blocks back home.

A purple 16GB 5th generation iPod nano: It 's cute, and it even takes video!

In the morning, the two of us exchanged gifts. My purchases went over as well or better than I expected, and I got some great things — a stereo, iPod nano and armband, and some cute workout clothes. Added to the clothes and accessories, kitchen goodies and other fun things I got when we visited home, I’d say that the receiving part of my holiday season went over exceptionally well.  Thank you, everybody!

Holiday dinner: pesto gnocchi, Rust Ridge Zinfandel and a mixed vegetable antipasto bake

I know what you really want to know is what we ate for Christmas, though. I made a cinnamon crumb cake for breakfast (and the office potluck), and went semi-Italian for an easy, late lunch.

Antipasto bake

• 1 package extra firm tofu, drained and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 large carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 small can peeled, diced tomatoes, drained (or about 2 fresh Romas, diced)
• 1 can butter beans or cannelini/great northern/white beans, drained and rinsed (or about 2 cups cooked fresh white beans of your choice)
• 1 cup fresh button mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2- 2 cups pickled antipasto items of your choice (I used garlic, cherry peppers, artichoke, mushrooms, red bells (pimientos), and a few spoonfuls of bruschetta spreads available at my grocer’s antipasto bar. I would also recommend olives, pickled pearl onions, feta or banana peppers.)
• Olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar
• Basil
• Black pepper
• Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated

1. Prepare vegetables and tofu in roughly evenly sized pieces. Dice any large antipasto items. Toss together so vegetables and tofu are coated in oil/brine from pickled vegetables.
2. Add oil and vinegar to taste so all items are thoroughly moistened and coated.
3. Season with basil and pepper (given the brine content of the antipasto, you shouldn’t need salt).
4. Let sit at least 6 hours, up to 24, to marinate. Toss every 6-8 hours to stir up flavors.
5. Preheat oven to 300. Spread in a thin layer in a shallow pan (I used a 9×13 glass dish). Sprinkle cheese on top.
6. Bake at least 1 hour, until tofu begins to brown. Serve and sprinkle with additional cheese.

Notes: This dish can be quite spicy, pungent or mild, depending on your choice of additives — my choice to add plenty of chopped garlic cloves and spicy red peppers gave it a serious kick. I would have added olives if my fellow eater were a fan, but I don’t think I missed out by not including them.

I liked adding the tofu because it gave some body to the dish and added protein, but you could easily substitute potatoes, chicken or additional beans for bulk. Play around with the base ingredients and the pickled ones and see what you come up with. I can’t wait to try this dish again. I’ve always looked at the antipasto bar and wondered what I could do with all those pretty ingredients, and this is a great way to stretch some moderately expensive and highly flavorful food normally served as ho-hum appetizers.

This is a truly mouth-watering entree, and it’s even vegan as long as you skip the cheese!

Gnocchi, up close

Pesto gnocchi

• 1 lb. package premade vacuum-sealed potato gnocchi
• 2-4 Tbsp. premade organic basil pesto (the only ingredients in my H-E-B spread are ground basil, garlic, olive oil and Parmesan) sauce
• About 1/2 tsp fresh black pepper, 2 allspice berries and 1/4 tsp. coriander pods
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1-2 Tbsp. fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1. Cook gnocchi according to package directions.
2. While gnocchi is cooking, grind spices and half of pine nuts and combine with pesto to taste. Add about 1 Tbsp. cheese.
3. Toss cooked gnocchi in sauce. Serve topped with additional cheese and pine nuts.

Note: I know this recipe isn’t very original, but I wanted to share it because of my decision to add allspice and coriander, which gave it a Christmassy punch and didn’t complicate the dish too much. Also, it was remarkably easy (and easily made vegan)!

(And someone says this meal is “just like something Giada would make on ‘Everyday Italian,’ ” which made me feel terrific!)

Merry Christmas!

A merry early holiday

We briefly visited my family this week for the requisite early Christmas and belated Hanukkah festivities. I got some time in with all my lovely immediate relatives over a couple days.

Everyone seemed quite happy with their gifts (thank you, everyone, for my awesome presents!) and the festivities, though I’m sad of course that I won’t be there tomorrow on the real Christmas day — there’s nothing quite like my siblings on Christmas morning!

A few of  my favorite photos of the annual gingerbread house decorating party:

Before a dozen small children (and a couple of big ones) arrived on the candy-filled scene. Sister, her boyfriend, his sister, brother and mom.

Us with my beautiful little house.

My house. That's a tulip garden on one side and a patio with little Tootsie Roll furniture and coconut dishes on the other side.

His house, complete with boat dock, bay windows, and covered patio

This pretty much summarizes our last 21 years, I think.

Unfortunately I’ll be working all week, but we’ll have our own little celebration tomorrow, too. And a couple of cats were happy as can be about our return to Austin.

Somebody was eager for us to return.

Beginning to look a little like Christmas

The extent of my festivities.

I’ve finished all my holiday shopping, as of yesterday, and now I’m just getting antsy for a couple days off so I can see family and do a little socializing and giving.

If you’re one of the people on my gift list, let me just say that I’m really proud of the shopping I’ve done this year, and even if you don’t like what I’m giving you, perhaps you can take joy out of the fact that it was so fun for me to buy.

I know it stresses some people out, looking for gifts and spending money, but for whatever reason, it’s much more fun and easier for me to gather up things for my loved ones than it is to do more selfish purchasing. About the only holiday-related stress I’ve had this year was a trip to the post office on the busiest shipping day of the year (0ops!), but even that was much more pleasant than in previous years, now that I’ve found a smaller neighborhood post office to visit.

Speaking of postal service, does anyone know if I can issue a complaint to them for delivering my mail to my neighbors EVERY DAY? I didn’t realize it was going on for the first two months I lived here, as I’d get things addressed to me once in a while, but even with my vigilant checking of the neighbors’ box the past two weeks, I found out today that I was ‘delinquent’ on my electric bill — which I never even received! It’s squared away now, but I about had a heart attack earlier today when I got a shut-off notice. I’ve already left a giant note on my box asking the mail carrier to please, please deliver my mail to my box and not the other one, but I’m not sure if it will be effective.

Thanks for your help!

I got a new haircut and went shopping for you.

I’m disappointed that I haven’t been blogging regularly lately, but I’ve been busy doing other silly things with my time.

Today’s silly things included wrapping my brother’s Christmas present when it arrived in the mail and getting a new haircut.

Wanna see?

No, brother, you cannot see your present. I meant my haircut:

I love buying Christmas/Hanukkah presents for people, and I’ve been making the rounds of the local art fairs/bazaars to try to find unique gifts, but as most people I know don’t really want that sort of stuff, it’s more like teasing myself than it is actual shopping, as I’m trying not to buy things for myself this time of year.

I did cave in and buy three cute ribbed knit sweaters on Victoria’s Secret for $33, including a “free” scarf that is quite cute, and if you want them, too, I suggest going to their site before Dec. 21 and ordering them (use the promo codes “3for30″ “scarf09″ and “vssave20″). They fit nicely and seem to be of good quality for the price, if you’re just looking for some basic cotton sweaters for fall/winter.

I’m not telling what I’ve gotten anyone else, though! (:

More later, I swear.

Post-Thanksgiving recipe roundup

Our Thanksgiving this year was a very laid-back affair, just three people and very little fuss (there was not even a table to eat at, actually). But I managed to cook a few things that got rave reviews from the other two eaters.

The smash hit in my book was my ginger cranberry sauce, mainly because I hadn’t made it before and was highly impressed by how it turned out, given how easy it was to make.

Ginger cranberry sauce

• 12 oz. bag fresh cranberries
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup minced crystallized (a.k.a. candied) ginger

1. Wash cranberries.
2. Place all ingredients in a pot on high heat.
3. When the water starts to boil, reduce heat and let simmer for about 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. All berries should be popped at this point. Once they are, reduce heat and cook, stirring often, until sauce is fairly thick, but not quite jelled, another 3-5 minutes.
5. Transfer cooled sauce to the refrigerator. It will continue to thicken as it cools.

Notes: Make a day ahead of  time — saves you time on the day of when you’ve got lots to do, and it tastes better when all the flavors have had a chance to mingle. Also, you may need to add more water, as the recipes I found elsewhere suggested 1 cup, but I found that 3/4 cup worked just fine.

Way too many garlic-chive mashed potatoes

• 5 lbs. baking potatoes
• 1/2-2/3 cup unsalted butter, plus 1 Tbsp.
• 2/3-1 cup light sour cream
• 2 Tbsp. fresh chives, diced
• 5-6 small cloves garlic, minced
• Milk or milk alternative
• Fresh black pepper
• Salt

1. Put large pot of water on high heat to boil.
2. Peel and chop potatoes into cubes (I do about 2-inch cubes) and add to water. Once water reaches a boil, let cook 10-15 minutes (bigger chunks take longer) or until potatoes are soft.
3. While potatoes are cooking, melt 1 T. of butter in a small pan on medium heat. Add garlic and cook until softened.
4. Drain water from potatoes. Return to pot or large bowl.
5. Season to taste with chives, garlic, pepper and salt. Add butter and sour cream in 1/3 cup increments, mixing with a hand mixer, until the perfect, rich taste is achieved. Add milk to reach desired texture.

Notes: I broke three potato peelers peeling massive spuds for this dish. Buy a nice peeler. Also, I do potatoes a little different every time. If I’m using pretty red potatoes, sometimes I don’t bother to peel them at all, whereas I don’t like gritty brown skins lumping up my mash, so these got very thoroughly skinned. And all my liquid/dairy measurements are approximate, as I just keep adding until it feels right — sometimes it’s closer to chunky, sometimes more like the texture of mustard. And I love lots of garlic (five cloves barely hit the register for me with these), but it might not be your favorite.

It makes enough to serve three hungry people, give one of them leftovers for days, and serve a couple dozen people at an office potluck besides, so re-proportion accordingly if you don’t want a month’s worth of potatoes.

Cornbread-bean Tex-Mex casserole

• 1 package Pioneer corn muffin mix (it’s lard-free, Jiffy isn’t), plus egg and milk
• 1 can pinto beans, rinsed
• 1 can black beans, rinsed
• 1 can tomatoes and green chiles (Ro-Tel, if you prefer), drained
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1/2 poblano pepper, diced
• 3/4 cup shredded cheese (try Monterrey jack)
• Vegetable oil
• Optional: corn, avocado, sour cream, salsa

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Prepare cornbread mix according to package directions.
3. Soften pepper and onion in oil in a pan over medium heat.
4. Spread 1/2 the cornbread mix in the bottom of a lightly greased 9×9 pan.
5. Lightly mash the beans with a fork. Season as desired — I like chili powder and cumin. Spread in a layer over the cornbread batter.
6. Layer Ro-Tel, peppers and onions and other vegetables, if desired.
7. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the cheese.
8. Mix remaining cheese into remaining cornbread batter. Spread over the top of the casserole in an even layer.
9. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until top is golden-brown.
10. Serve with red salsa and sour cream on the side (or try baking them into the dish, if you like).

Notes: I added avocado, but it unfortunately was under-ripe, and I had to pick out all the pieces as I ate (though the other person who tried it didn’t even notice). Make sure your avocado is fully ripened if you do add it. Consider mixing fresh or thawed frozen corn into the cornbread batter or as a layer.

I know this dish is a mishmash of convenience foods (though you could always substitute fresh ingredients if you had the time) and odd flavors, but it seems very Thanksgiving-y to me, full of many of my favorite New World flavors (think back to the stuff we’re told the Pilgrims planted) and vegetarian to boot! It’s very filling and hearty, too, which we know those hard-working folks liked.

I also made an apple pie, but if you’re in my family, chances are good you know exactly how to make it, and if you’re not, I’d be happy to send the recipe along. I did make my own crust for the first time. I modified a recipe from the Land O Lakes butter Web site, which was designed for a two-crust pie, but as our pie uses a crumble topping (and I missed the part of the directions where it suggested dividing the recipe), I used it all. Divide yours in two if you like a thinner crust.

It turned out grand, so here you go:

Tender pie crust

• 2 cups flour
• 2/3 cup butter
• 4-6 Tbsp. water
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of sugar

1. Get your flour and butter out of the freezer. You do keep them in your freezer, don’t you? Not only does it prevent bugs from hatching in your flour, which stays fresh longer, it keeps the ingredients at the right temperature for crust-making.
2. Put flour, salt and sugar in a bowl. Shave butter sticks into the mixture using the big holes on your cheese grater. Don’t have a cheese grater? Cut the butter into slivers and add. It’s easier to do all this if your butter is frozen. You definitely don’t want it to start melting on you.
3. Mix it up. Use your hands. Add water by the tablespoon until the dough can be shaped into a uniform ball, but don’t add too much — if you do and it starts to get sticky, add more flour.
4. Refrigerate it for a half-hour or so if you have the time. After that, or if you don’t have the time to waste, commence with the rolling — on a floured surface with a floured pin. Roll it until it’s an evenly thick layer 2 1/2 inches larger than your pie pan.
5. Lay it flat against the sides/bottom of the pan, prick it with a fork, do whatever fancy edge-thing you do to your edges, fill it with your filling, and voilá! Pie!

OK, I’m a glutton

I know I’m dieting. I’m doing a great job, actually, considering it’s only been three days (:. But when an invitation to join some of my favorite food-loving folks for a morning, stretching into an afternoon, of giant, decadent doughnuts from Austin’s newest trailer sensation came my way, I decided to partake.

All told, I had what amounted to one puffy doughnut worth of bits and pieces, so it wasn’t as extravagant an expedition as it could have been. But these doughnuts are the very definition of extravagance (see thisiswhyyourefat.com for more examples), and even one probably accounts for a day’s worth of calories for most folks.

Anyway, I’ve already written about my experience in the form of a Yelp review, so I’ll just repost that text. A little context: The site has a Review of the Day feature, which, much like it sounds, highlights one quality review per city per day with a coveted spot on the homepage. A great lady and friend had her review of the Gourdough’s doughnut trailer spotlighted on Thursday, prompting her to schedule a meet-up for anyone whose interest was piqued by her outrageous paean to the place.

Image of the Dirty Berry doughnut (yes, there's a big, fluffy dougnut under all that) courtesy of our group's intrepid photographer (and fabulous food blogger at foodieisthenewforty.blogspot.com). Click on the picture for her take on our gastronomic feat.

When these people meet up at 10 a.m., anything’s possible. In this case, it was more than two hours of laughs, caffeine, sugar, funny puppies, sunshine and a couple bottles of Prosecco among a dozen or so friends, new and old.

Anyway, onto the review, as posted immediately after said gorging:

Ain’t no party like a doughnut party, trust me.
And I now can truly say there is nothing like a Yelp doughnut party to wake a woman up on a Saturday morning!

We are an ambitious bunch, and thus we could not go gently into this grand adventure. Doughnuts galore, doughnuts aplenty, doughnuts for everybody. If you like fried dough, this place is for you — and our celebration would have been for you, if you’d shown up (you couldn’t ask for a better group to enjoy doughnuts with!).

My report card for the doughnuts our sizable group shared:

Mama’s Cake (chocolate and cake batter): sweet, great texture, a classic to share five ways — the cake batter is RICH; Stars: 4

Dirty Berry (chocolate and strawberries): Good, a bit cloying, would make a terrific dessert or a terrible breakfast; I could see it on the dessert menu at one of those upscale comfort food joints; Stars: 3 1/2 (hey, it’s my review and in my reviews, we give 1/2 stars)

Slow Burn (cream cheese frosting and habanero jelly): Great mix of sweet and spicy for a clever Austiny treat; I’d probably pick regular cream cheese over the cream cheese frosting if this were my creation and/or I weren’t sampling a bevy of treats at once, but it definitely doesn’t detract from the experience much; Stars: 4 1/2

Naughty & Nice (cinnamon-sugar with honey butter): This is a NICE doughnut for classic doughnut lovers, reminds me of those rare childhood doughnut Sundays when we’d get a dozen from the nearest shop and the cinnamon ones were the best — but this is better; the honey butter makes me feel a little excessively decadent, though; Stars: 5

Peach pie (I believe that’s the name — it seems to be a limited time offering — has peaches and crumbly topping): Impressive take on the common peach pie/cobbler concept — better than the common cobbler, even; a bit too heavy overall, but might make a great treat for a day when you’re skipping dinner; Stars: 4

Margaritaville: (key lime goo with green sprinkles): the most artificial-tasting doughnut to me — while they’re all decadent, the green sprinkles and the gooiness were just too much — though it gets props for not being overwhelmingly sweet; Stars: 2 1/2

Pecan cinnamon roll (cream cheese frosting, brown sugar cinnamon glaze and pecan bits): This creation was made up by Yelper Carl F. and Total Woman in association with the Gourdough’s chef, and I truly think it ought to be on the regular menu, despite its super-sweetness — the flavors just work so well together; Stars: 4 1/2

The meat eaters had the Mother Clucker (fried chicken and honey butter); Flying Pig (bacon-maple) and Gobble Gobble (a Thanksgiving thing with turkey, cranberries, mashed potatoes and gravy). Meat on a doughnut? Seriously? Too much for me, but everyone who partook enjoyed themselves.

Gobble Gobble: This may be the only time you see meat on my blog, but this pile of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberries and doughnut blew my mind. (Again, thanks to foodieisthenewforty.blogspot.com)

Oh, AND we had Champagne (actually deliciously fruity Prosecco out of plastic cups), which in my opinion went especially well with the chocolatey creations. It’s not exactly on the Gourdough’s menu, but an ingenious Yelper definitely put the icing on the proverbial doughnut with that contribution!

Will I be back? I do not want to say yes, but I have a feeling I’ll find myself drifting this way sooner than my expanding belly would like!

Vegan Butternut-Mushroom Soup

Recipe time again! I whipped up this stuff relatively quickly between this afternoon’s workout and my departure for the office. It’s extremely rich for such a simple, dairy-free soup, and it turns out the color of a deep, brown gravy.

Vegan Butternut Squash and Mushroom Soup

• 1 butternut squash
• About 4 oz. (half a package) mini bella mushrooms (or the shroom of your choice)
• Low-sodium vegetable broth
• Plain, low-fat soy milk
• Black pepper
• Optional:
  • Nutmeg
  • Cinnamon
  • Balsamic vinegar
  • Honey

1. Scoop out seeds, peel and cube the squash. (Note: Peeling a butternut squash was enough to drive me crazy. Be patient.)
2. Put in a microwave-safe bowl with a layer of broth in the bottom, cover and microwave it for about eight minutes or until very tender.
3. While that’s cooking, put mushrooms in a blender and cover with broth. Puree.
4. Add pepper and other seasonings, as desired, and squash to blender.
5. Add 1/2 soy milk and 1/2 broth to cover solids. Puree.
6. Continue to thin out soup using half broth, half soy until it reaches your desired texture.

Notes: The vinegar may sound a bit out of place, but I was in a hurry and decided it was a bit too monotonous, flavor-wise, without it. I added slightly more than I meant to, and I corrected with the honey, which did the trick while adding a bit of interesting flavor, too. I think this soup is best pretty thick, but perhaps that’s because I was using soy milk and low-salt broth instead of cow’s milk or cream, which probably would have made a much richer soup.

Other possible additions for future versions of this recipe: Onion (I was way too pressed for time by the time I realized I’d omitted it) or leek; ginger; paprika; allspice; a mushroom-based broth; Parmesan or other cheese on top; potatoes to stretch it out and give it more substance; and multiple mushroom varieties instead of just one.

Growing the wallet, trimming the fat

It’s funny how when I’m at my happiest, I let certain other things go. Namely, my exercise routine and my healthy diet.

I’ve been enjoying myself thoroughly lately, and I just haven’t had enough time to make the gym a regular part of my routine. And while I’d like to double or triple my physical activity, that’s something I’ll have to work on working on. One thing I can do, and plan to do now, not later, is modify my diet.

We’ve been going out to eat far too much, and I could blame restaurants for serving unhealthy food, but the truth is, it’s still my decision to order it and to eat as large a portion as I do. And as anyone who knows me can tell you, I love thinking about food, writing about it and, of course, eating it. The experience of dining is a simple joy for me.

Now, don’t get me wrong: I’m not totally warped in my body image; I know I’m not overweight. But I also know I’m not being as healthy as I can be, and that in itself is bringing me down.

I also know that I can’t be counted on to follow someone else’s prescription for a fad diet, particularly because the majority of them are not designed for vegetarians (think meat-centric low-carb diets) or people with my schedule (when’s the last time you heard that the secret to weight loss was simply not eating after 8 or 9 at night? I had dinner at 10 tonight.).

So I’ve come up with a list of what should be obvious rules that I believe will work for me. I know that I like healthy food; I’ve just been taking the easy route lately, and I know that writing things out is one of the best ways to hold myself accountable.

The goal isn’t to lose X pounds* or any other obvious benchmark. I just want to feel healthier, and vague promises (“I swear, I’m going to work out tomorrow!”) aren’t working.

So here’s my diet plan, which I am carrying around on a notecard from here on out.

The Rules

• No dessert
• No sweet drinks (artificial sweetener OK in moderation)
• Nothing fried (no chips!)
• Limit of one serving of the following per day (one total, not one of each):
  • Baked goods
  • Cheese
  • Packaged snack food
• Also: One treat allowed once a week if rules are followed. Be fair with yourself.

I’m a little reluctant to post this, but I know me and I know I’ll be stricter with myself if I know someone else is looking. I don’t expect to get back to cooking all my meals at home immediately, but I will do better no matter where or what I’m eating.

As a final component, my plan also includes writing down everything I eat**. Back when I was looking into Ayurveda, it was a really good way to keep myself on track, as long as I was dedicated to it. I’ve tossed out most of the rest of the Ayurvedic ideas (Do you know how to eat for your type/dosha(s)?), but the idea of what you eat affecting everything from your disposition to your most minor of health issues still rings true to me.

*(I’m at about 12 more than I’d like, but that’s neither here nor there.)

** I ate a couple almonds while I wrote this.

Economics, my way

I’ve said it before: Economics was far and away the toughest subject for me in school. I am reluctant to blame it all on my teacher, but as I have edited my fair share of complex business articles (and then some), I feel that I probably could have grasped the concepts more easily if they’d been presented in a different manner. Additionally, I’d consider myself fairly good with my own money, which has to show some sort of fiscal sense, right?

Well, personal finance isn’t exactly macroeconomic theory, but as it seems to be the most important money matter in my life at the moment, that’s what we’re going to talk about.

I’m proud to report that I did a little analysis of my accounts this week. As my bank keeps individual transaction records for some odd amount of time — in this case I analyzed 4/21/09-11/5/09 — I was able to take a mid- to long-term view of my spending habits. Since the way I spend money has changed substantially in the last few years, I feel that this is was a good period to reflect upon.

In the approximately 6.5 months that I looked at, I had a few big expenses: a move (think deposit and other incidentals),  an international vacation, a local vacation and more spending on luxury items (clothes, food) than I’d let myself do previously.

Still, I managed to save approximately 22 percent of my income in the period. I had no idea I was doing so well with my saving efforts.

It’s not made a big impact, but my decision in August to transition to a higher-interest-yielding savings account and to switch from an ordinary checking account to one that yields a minimal monthly interest has also been beneficial,  in terms of a few extra bucks in my accounts every month and a little extra self-confidence when it comes to organizing my financial life.

Also on the small but important impact front: I get teased sometimes for my spendthrift ways when it comes to small purchases, but I think it works out in my favor in the end. To draw from recent events, I was at Target on Saturday and a certain someone was getting, well, I don’t want to say annoyed, but definitely puzzled about my dallying over the decision of what car air freshener to buy. In my defense, I’ve got a sensitive lil nose, and most of the debate was over which scent would drive me the least crazy while covering up the stink of the upholstery cleaner I can’t seem to get out of the seats. But I’d narrowed it down to scents priced at $1.99, $2.39, $2.59 and $2.99. That’s a whole dollar range!

Technically, I could afford to buy two of them and see which one bugged me least and toss the other. And in fact, my increasingly confused shopping companion did toss the $2.39 and $2.59 options into our cart and say he’d be happy to take the less-stinky option off my hands. But I couldn’t stand to ‘waste’ approximately $2.50, so there I stood, rooted in the aisle, until I finally decided to go with cucumber melon ($2.39) rather than fresh laundry ($2.59). Logic: Covering up cleanser with something meant to smell like soap probably won’t work — also, cheaper!

Now, I know that’s not the best example, especially because I now hate the toxic headiness of the cucumber melon gel air freshener that fills my lungs every time I enter my car, but it does show that I’m willing to take the extra time to avoid spending even a few extra pennies. Even though a certain (wise) fellow shopper suggested that if I were to compare the monetary value of my time with the small savings I garner from comparison shopping, I might not find that it was ‘worth’ my time, I’ve discovered that I actually enjoy bargain-seeking. And if the classic adage that penny saved is a penny earned was true before, it’s more like a penny saved is one-and-one-thousandth of a penny earned given my interest-bearing accounts these days.

Anyway,  now that I’ve regaled you with the exciting details of my frugality, it’s time to shift gears entirely. I’ve decided that I’d really like to use a chunk of that money I’ve got squirreled away for one big and exciting purchase — a car! I’m looking for a quality, efficient and nice-looking 4-door sedan. I haven’t made the decision of whether I’d like a new or used vehicle, but ideally it’d be nothing older than 2006.

The cars I’m looking at right now:

2010 Mazda 3 iSport: $17,055

2010 Subraru Impreza 2.5i: $18,495

2010 Honda Fit: $15,700

And now, the survey: