One of the things I have been realizing lately is that I have a number of cooking tips that I have learned over the years, that make all aspects related to cooking easier, from shopping to actually cooking I know so much about food that it just comes naturally to me to do things a certain way. If you are just starting out, or have just not paid attention, these tips can help you feel more aware and informed and make better decisions that will help you. My first tip is more of a shopping tip than a cooking tip. When buying food, food that is in its more natural state will last longer. For instance tomatoes on the vine will ripen slower then tomatoes that are disconnected. If you buy a single banana it will ripen much quicker than those that are connected like those seen above. Chopped fruit will spoil quicker than if you leave it whole. I find this useful in my purchasing fruit because rather than buy two tomatoes separate, I buy a small bunch on the vine and know they will keep for longer.
0 Comments
As you probably know if you have been following my blog, I have moved quite a bit. Three major moves in the past 6 years. I have realized with each move the hardest part is starting to feel at home in a new place. For me there are a number of components involved in starting over, finding a physical residence, setting up a home, finding local haunts, and eventually finding my people.
Each time we have moved it has been a different experience, we have moved at different times of the year and to different states. One of the things I have tried to do as I start over is to get my habits down. I am a person of routine. I like to have a rhythm in my life. We start by arranging furniture. We then rearrange before doing anything else so as to have the most amount of space as possible. Next we get to unpacking, pretty much as much as soon as possible. Once the house is unpacked, in a thoughtful way, each item is given a new home. From there, our home is basically done, we may need to buy a few things, but in general the home is done. This takes for granted all the stuff that is done ahead of time disconnecting and connecting utilities, and forwarding mail. We then work on the governmental notifications acquiring new licenses. From there we move onto weekly routines, finding a grocery store to shop at each week, finding a library, getting a library card, and a dry cleaners as well. Once those basics are down we move onto actually finding community. For us, this typically starts with exploring the neighborhood through weekly date nights. I like to have tried and true restaurants to take people who visit and when starting over I find I have to start again on that front, especially because usually the places we like best are local haunts. Simultaneously as we go about that we also start looking for a church. This takes quite a bit of time because finding a group that is a good fit cannot be just assumed. Also religion takes different forms based on where you are in the country. For us some of those differences are acceptable and some are not for us. Just for reference, in our current move we are still trying to find local restaurants, we only have two that we like, and we have not yet found a church. After those consistent forms of community, we start to branch out. In the past this has taken the form of dance classes, gym memberships, yoga studios, choirs, volunteer opportunities, and the like. Some of these we come to naturally, singing in our church choir for instance, some like taking a dance class require more intentionality. Some of this is simply being a tourist in your own town, some are specific events. I find that a good mix of both will help you feel at home in a new place. One of my personal habits in this way is to not try it all at once. All the opportunities may seem exciting, but for me personally I know sometimes it is just overwhelming. I pick an activity or two and test them out, if they are not for me then I let it go, if I appreciate it then I continue to stick with it and add if I feel I have mental space and time. I try to leave enough free time that I can just hang around the house and be my natural homebody self, but not all the time. If your interests are different from mine here are a list of activities and places to engage I have considered over the years:
If you have any other suggestions, please leave them below. I would love to encourage others. Starting over can be tough, but in time just like I will find my place so will you. |
About MeI'm Sarah; a wife, traveler, foodie, and adventurer. Archives
October 2019
Categories
All
|