Friday 12 August 2011

I Think I Have A Problem

I might be a hoarder.

Well, not THAT kind of hoarder.

I collect recipes.  I don't have an official count, but my Allrecipes Recipe Box has just over ONE THOUSAND recipes.  Yep, 1000.  And with a quick glance into my Recipes folder in my E-mail, I believe there's a couple hundred more in there.  And that doesn't count the recipes from the Kraftfoods website that I have saved.  But I think there's only like fifty recipes in that one.  "Only".

And, just to make life interesting, my pants are tight.  So, every day when I look at my favorite blogs and cooking sites, I can honestly feel my pants getting TIGHTER. 

And when I see a really cool recipe that I want to try (Mint Julep Cupcakes, Shirley Temple Cupcakes, Mudslide Cupcakes - and that was just from yesterday), I copy, paste, and note the site where I found the recipe.  Then I e-mail it to myself.

At least everything's digital.  I love the information age.  But I like to think that if this was NOT the information age, I'm sure I would come up with some kind of organizational system that would help keep my sanity intact and everything in one place.  Although, probably I wouldn't have access to super-cool recipes like Mint Julep Cupcakes.

I will admit that I have several versions of the same recipe saved - so, my official recipe count might be a little off.  Like, for example, Faux Hostess Cupcakes.  I probably have 5 or 6 different recipes.  I have no idea if they're ALL different.  But what if I like one more than the other?  Or one PART of one recipe more than another?  Like, what if I like the ganache from one recipe, but not from the other 5?  Or what if I like the cream filling from one better than the others?  You see my problem.  So it's completely reasonable that I would NEED 5 or 6 recipes.

The thing I'm worried about is - I have probably over 1200 recipes I would like to try at some point!  Even if I tried something different EVERY DAY it would take me over THREE YEARS to get through everything!  That's craziness. 

And, honestly, I don't have the time to try something new every day.  Maybe a few times a week.  Maybe. 
And then I remembered - "hey, I'm only 31 (ugh).  I have LOADS of time!". 

Yesterday, I amassed an amazing 27 recipes.  Yep.  27.  That's a whole MONTH of cooking and baking every day!  But finding 27 recipes doesn't happen every day, mind you.

So maybe I don't have loads of time.  Probably I will die of old age before I get every recipe sampled.  Gosh, isn't that a thought. 

(And isn't it kinda sad that thinking about leaving RECIPES behind untasted makes me kinda sad?  I may be the strangest person I know.)

What to do, what to do?
I'm in the process of concocting some kind of plan.  A project.  A challenge if you will.  Right now it's just tickling the back of my eyes.  Like a sneeze. 

I am going to commit blasphemy here.  I am hoping for ONE MORNING - only one - of inclimate weather on my days off in which I can sit down and do some figuring and number crunching.  I know what you're thinking.  Why on earth would you wish for poor weather when a Canadian summer is as short as it is???  But really - one morning and I think I could work out a plan, get organized, and be ready for when the summer is over.  (Cause - let's face it, it's gonna happen.)

And then I would have to get back to soaking up the sun for all that it's worth and ignore my newborn project - because it's August 12th and I swear I can smell Fall sneaking closer.  It's probably around that corner.  Don't look at it.  It'll only make it worse.

I'll get back to you on my idea on how I'm going to start tackling my recipe problem.  Once it's sneezed out of my head anyway.

This is the Cane Girl - signing off.

Friday 5 August 2011

Why Are My Pants Tight?!?!

Oh, Right. 

Darn you cookies, cakes, cupcakes, luscious dinners, chips, cheese & crackers, and squares!!!!

Wait.  Come back!  I didn't mean it.  I still love you.

But we need to break up for a while. 

Not for a long while - because, well, all I do is think about you.  Even when I'm supposed to be working.  But - my pants are tight.
(on a side note: the title of this entry might be the most perfect blog name ever.  I'm thinking about changing.  Probably.  Maybe.)

And with a holiday coming up - I need to shift my focus.  I really want to think about how to make meat and salads exciting and pretty.  Cause really?  Meat isn't always pretty.  But I don't think it's the meat's fault.  I mean - it came off a dead thing. 

But I need to be as excited about, say, a hamburger patty or a chicken breast as I would be about a cupcake.  Or a cookie.  Or chips.  mmmmmmm.....  chiiiiiips.

D'OH!!!!

A few weeks ago I set myself up with a goal in mind.  But I ALREADY know that I'm totally not going to make it - I haven't been so diligent.  And I only have five weeks left.

The Cane Girl exercising self-control with food?  Unheard of.  Unconscionable.  Unbelievable.

But.  I gotta try. 

Cause my pants are tight.

Some of you may scoff at me - but I do the Low Carb "thing".  It really does work.  And I feel better when I cut out all the starchy carbs.

Although I miss rice.  And potatoes.

And I have considered cutting off my own arm in exchange for a Junior Bacon Cheeseburger, while in the midst of a "Carb Battle".  I can't even drive past that place without drooling. 

I wish I found "regular" food more exciting.  When I see a perfect cupcake on a blog and it looks totally delicious, I seriously have heart palpitations.

And I have done "regular" food with passion and interest, but only because I knew I would soon be doing what I really wanted to do (bake) at some point....  So doing "regular" food was kind of like a warm up to the fun stuff.

I will paste on my plastic smile, say "I WANT to be cooking this!!  It's so exciting!  And delicious!  Who needs a midnight snack of chips or cupcakes or cookies ANYWAY?  Baking is boring."

Wish me luck - because since I've come home it's been an epic fail.  I like to think that at home I have so much more control over what I'm eating as compared to when I'm at work.  But it seems like whenever I'm trying to do something it's always "oh Heather - come over for dinner cause it's someone's birthday" "oh Heather, let's go for lunch" "oh Heather, let's go to the movies and eat inappropriate amounts of popcorn".

Not that I mind, because it's quality time with people I love - I get stalemated because I think "well, this day is in the toilet - let's try again tomorrow.  Oh - you want to feed me?  I guess the day after tomorrow will have to do".  Blech.

A bumpy road?  Literally - yeah.

This is the Cane Girl in tight pants - signing off.