Seat by the window, please.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

The MOWOSP (Month Without Spending)

This is happening.

THE GOAL:

Save. Save. Save.

Sustain, and possibly enhance a healthy-ish lifestyle.

Find clever ways to cut spending.

Stick with it! While money is important, the commitment is even more so.

THE RULES:

Does this need mentioning? Dining out, drinking out, or any unneeded spending—of any kind—is out of the picture.

Vital exemptions to The MOWOSP: Food, water, and shelter. (But very limited, indeed.)

Water, gas, and electric will be staying. (I have an obligation to the utility companies as well as a roommate who'd dislike dining in the dark.)

Shelter- You get the idea.

Food is a bit trickier. Previous MOWOSPers seem to have stockpiled food in a spending rampage prior to go-time. (Which sounds a bit like an addict's binge week before rehab, right?) And again, my personal goal is to do this MOWOSP in a healthy fashion, so keeping fresh ingredients is a must.

Food rations for week #1 are already in my fridge, and I'll take out a small amount of cash to use for the remaining 3 weeks.

Transportation- Necessary for making-money purposes, one tank of gasoline will be rationed for the month. (Which hurts just thinking about.)

Miscellaneous: Doctor's appointments ($10 per visit) and my gym membership ($28 for the month) are things I've pegged as necessities. While that last one is usually the first to be kicked off a budget, I'm keeping it around for a few reasons. Firstly, it actually COSTS money to cancel; and secondly, swimming, which unlike running or a team sport, is particularly hard to do on the street. To add a bang to my buck, I'll be able to take advantage of their other activities like volleyball and old-lady water aerobics.

Exciting.

Alright.

GO.

Up next:

Dinner—Sponsored By The Samples On Toothpicks At Kroger.

Stay tuned.

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

It's Almost Time! #ClimberDinner

There may be a few chilly days ahead but today was in the high 60s and low 70s—perfect for patio eating. We dusted off the cobwebs and let my itty bitty charcoal grill get an early taste of summer.

For dinner: Seasoned Chicken topped with onions and served with a Summery Strawberry Poppyseed and Meyer Lemon Salad (OMG.) And much like the current weather confusion, it countered to Allison's delightfully cozy soups— Hearty Pea, and Corn Chowder. The later of which I managed to procure leftovers of, before being sucked down by climbers.

Finishing off our smaller-but-mighty spread was garlic bread, pita chips, and hummus courtesy of Bao and #ClimberDinner newbie, Chelsea.

We. were. stuffed. And then came the cake.

See you next Wednesday.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Sample Night! #Climberdinner

It's what happens when a bunch of hungry climbers meet a few gals who like to cook.

And tonight was our biggest night yet. Starting with 4 people last year, we've now grown to 10.

Let's get to the good stuff.
---- The Menu----
My cheese and veggie bites (pictured below) & Chicken with Lemon Caper Sauce.

Amir & Lisa's yummy quesadillas and a Finger Food Night rule-breaker, salad. Criminal, but still delicious.

Jeff's Pigs-in-a-blanket made with kielbasa instead of Oscar Meyer. We approve.

Allison's falafel, which come to think of it, I didn't get to try.

Kendra's pita chips with the best homemade hummus ever.

Chrissy & Matthew's tofu and edamame bites.

Bao's crunchy pie pastries and ice cream.

Jennifer's star of the night, wine. Bao managed to knock over two glasses in one night with his crutches and bum foot.

And that's all the food. A fellow Columbus climber also joined us, Karen. She and four of us are busy planning a climbing trip to Spain (and now France) in June.

I love these guys. (And I think I need a bigger house.)

P.S. A little background. Starting in November of last year, and just about every Wednesday after that, my climbing friends have come over to our house for dinner, dessert, and a little friendly debate. There is ALWAYS some argument going —whether it's the plausibility of a detachable bicycle car or the impending assimilation of the Amish culture. (Yeah, we're cool.)

Monday, February 20, 2012

"Looks A Bit Like Brains"

That's what she (my vegetarian roommate) said.

Following a recipe from Pinterest, I whipped up a batch of sausage rolls which so happen to be one of my all-time favorite foods. (And some say Brits don't have good taste! They're wrong wrong wrong.)

Here's the recipe: http://bit.ly/yjCuQZ