Days 24-25: Add a dab of excitement…

It’s not that my life is boring, persay, it’s more that it can be rather seriously lackluster at times, which is normal, I know. However, as I mentioned in a previous post, I tend to get very stir crazy and can go a bit mad if there isn’t something exciting on the horizon. Although I have plenty to be excited about in a few months [my trip to Italy] and this year [My wedding!] there are still gaps of dullness that drag me down. Sadly, I’m also on a tight budget [due to the two exciting things I just mentioned] so I need some low-budget, free ideas to add some pizzazz to those boring days and weekends. So below, you will find some ideas on how I plan to spice up my life. I’m open to suggestions and more ideas, so leave a comment or drop an email if you know of any! It took me two days to compile this list, but I”m excited!

Learn to cook

I’m not a horrible cook, but I’m not great either. So what better way to spice up my life than to add some zest to my meals? Before I sought help from a professional [a cooking class] I wanted to try to teach myself the culinary arts. [Obviously with a little help from my hubby-to-be].  Now learning to cook is not a one, or even two, day thing, but is something that I can do when I’m feeling bored with my life. 

So how do you teach yourself to work? Well with help from Food & Wine magazine, it’s rather easy! If you want to add some spice to your life [AND your dishes!] top chefs [like Tom Callichio] would read cookbooks, cover to cover. If you don’t have the time for that, try following a few simple pieces of advice I’ve picked up from friends, family members and colleagues who have mastered their kitchen.

1. Commit to cooking everyday. Whether it be something small like scrambled eggs or something larger like a roast chicken, find time to be in the kitchen everyday. You can’t learn if you don’t practice!

2.  Find a technique cook book, that not only gives recipes, but helps beginners [like me, who barely know the difference between a tsp and a tbsp!] Some good suggestions are Tips and Techniques to Cooking Like a Pro, Anthony Bourdain’s Less Halles Cookbook and Betty Crocker Cookbook.

3.  Focus on fresh ingredients. The best dishes are made with the best ingredients and the best cooks only use fresh food. So follow in their footsteps and try to use fresh fruits, produce, meats and breads in your recipes.

 

Sign up for a fun, reoccurring dance class

I am  an embarrassment when it comes to dancing. My skills rival that of Carlton, but not nearly as cool. I’m a klutz and uncoordinated, which make dancing something to dread.   So to overcome my fear of dancing and lose some weight at the same time, I decided to sign up for dance classes.

Now, finding dance classes for serious beginnings was a bit tough, but I found a great resource local to DC! Joy of Motion Dance Center in Bethesda caters to the worst of the worst [me] to near perfect dancers. I signed up for the Intro to Hip Hop dance classes. The price is a bit steep [$85 for 5 weeks] but I think the benefits totally outweight the cost. You can burn up to 500 calories per hour doing hip hop dances and dancing will add some spice to my social life!

 These tasks should add some excitement to my life, and if I start to get bored again, you better believe I’ll feature another post with more fun, easy ways to add a bit of fun and spice to your everyday!

~ by therealnutritionist on May 24, 2010.