GOAL #1 : PROGRESS IN THE KITCHEN

A little update on my original goal - learn to cook.

First of all, do normal people just read recipes and then ... make them?! Because all that happens when I look at a recipe is to panic because none of that stuff is in my fridge and then panic more because half the words sound like surgical procedures. And then order in. I figured if I was actually going to tackle one of these so-called recipes, I was going to have to watch someone else take them on. Sooooo ...

I splurged on the classes ... and then it took awhile to splurge on groceries to make what I learned in said classes. But last night, like an Oprah aha moment, I just did it. (jesus, I have to stop talking about Oprah) Did what you ask? Came home from work and without complaining, cooked us some non-frozen dinner. I think BF was just as confused as I was ... alright, so it took googling "how to roast peppers" to follow through - but the recipes are starting to make sense. Or at the very least, not send me into deep breathing exercises.

Tonight is NIGHT TWO of full dinner cooked with real, fresh food. They were by no means gourmet ... but then again, neither is the fake

chana masala that I could have defrosted.

Surprise of the night: I cut strawberries for desert and then remembered that in my hip vegan cooking class, I learned how to make chocolate ganache. Yes, yes ... I realize this looks

like I just dipped strawberries in chocolate. Which I kind of did. But I boiled almond milk to make that dip, dammit.

(half way through writing this, BF screamed "help! come in here!" ... he had poured boiling water into a plastic bottle so as to take outside. I don't feel so bad right now. Actually, I'm smirking.)