Granted, I have a few excuses up my sleeve: I hate to cook, I suck at cooking, I am exhausted when I get home, I love to eat out, blah blah. They're all lame.
On the last day of January, I declared that I would not eat out a single time in the month of February--for breakfast, lunch or dinner. No coffees in the Starbuck's drive-thru, no sporadic "let's go get ice cream!" after dinner runs, no ordering or eating out of any kind. You get it. The reasons?
Other than the fact that my reliance on restaurant food is a nauseating habit--wasteful and far too indulgent--it causes other gross things to happen, like:
- I eat meals that are far too large, with far too many calories.
- I spend way too much money on food laden with who knows what as the main and secondary ingredients--money that could be used for charitable purposes. Or clothes. Or saving. Or clothes. I'm going back to that.
- I feel guilty hearing stepson say "What are we ordering for dinner?" instead of "What's for dinner?"
So I've done pretty damn good...until now. Husband was the first to break. He bought a slice of pizza one day. I've eaten out during a couple of days at a conference (give me a break on that one, I really couldn't help but do it), a lunch date with a friend when I seriously forgot to bring the picnic food from home, a professional development luncheon, and that's about it.
Last weekend the craving for Mexican food crept over me like a gorgeous stranger singing Peter Gabriel. I had to do it. I didn't have to do much convincing to get the boys over to Pablano's for a linner (lunch + dinner), and that seemed to herald the end of the restaurant strike. Yesterday I picked up dinner for my friend who needed a little cheering up, and of course, I brought some home for the fam.
Five minutes ago, I got this call from Husband:
"Okay, I'm finally on the way home. Since we ah, um broke the, you know...Want me to pick up Chinese?"
I'm still blaming it all on the Mexican food.
13 comments:
Hahaha! You can't resist the calling from the outside world. :-)
I suck in the kitchen too. Honestly, I can't cook, as in I really don't know how to cook. Good thing, we have a household assistant to take care of the cooking so I am forever under her spell.
Have a fabulous Chinese dinner! xoxo
When the pizza guy was able to call Hubby by name we decided it was time to scale back too. We didn't go cold turkey and we're doing ok.
I can get into the rut of eating out all the time too. It's so fun and I always rationalize being I live alone. LOL.
Going out for Chinese/Thai is my favorite!
I was planning to take you all out for a meal or two when I get down there, but I don't want to add to your guilt or your weight. Looks like we'd better scratch the trip to the Thai place and schedule a nice long hike in the preserve instead, one that doesn't pass by any refreshment stands.
But we can go Thai if you really, really, really insist. ;>)
Well, Gropington, I think a 25 or so day stretch is pretty honourable. You could try restricting eating out to Saturday night and a week night. I have a recipe for pizza dough on my facebook notes. It's very easy. that could be fun for the D-man, rolling, kneading and tossing pizza dough.
You could also try recipes that rely on "assembling" rather than "cooking".
you let gorgeous singing strangers crawl all over you?
I usually cook during the week and go oout some on the weekends. I gave myself a challenge to cook on the weekends, but have blown it a few times. At least, we're doing better than we used to, however it doesn't reflect on my body or the scales...so hum is it worth it? I guess we save money. BTW, don't hate me after todays post. The whole time I was writing this story down I was thinking Gropious is going to hate me for posting this...just to let you know the subject is deeper than the incident if that makes any sense or makes it right...just don't hate me!
LOL!! So how many days did you still manage to go eat out free? :)
And a linner? Never heard anyoen say that before... "Dunch" sounds fun to me too haha
I need to follow your example. Last night, I was trying to balance my checkbook, which was more out of control than your take out habit and I was so very shocked by how many entries were labeled "Panera." I've got to stop, but it will have to be tomorrow. I just got back from lunch :)
Gropey, do you not have a "follow" button? I was looking over my Google reader and saw to my surprise that I am not following you. I tried to remedy that, but I can't find the follow button. Am I going blind?
Here's another perspective on dining out. We actually don't go out so much.
We went out to eat last night - a bit of a celebration dinner, and here's what happened:
1) First choice restaurant is NO LONGER THERE. I guess it closed some time ago. We didn't know. OK.
2) 2nd choice restaurant has a puddle of vomit, I kid you not, on the rug in front of the door. I stepped in it. Wearing my pretty, sexy Carlos Santana stilleto heels. OMG. couldn't stay there, I was so creeped out.
3) 3rd choice - everything was fine here except the guy in the booth right behind us kept clearing his throat loudly the entire time. I was still grossed out from restaurant #2, so perhaps I was just a little hypersensitive about this. But seriously, take a drink of water for goodness sakes!
Eating at home this weekend seems like the right choice, at least for me.
Life in the land of the absurd! Gotta love it.
Mexican food definitely destroys you with all of those carbs! Yummy carbs but dang the cheese and beans .. that will get you and chinese? Get ready for more bloatation nation stories hehehehe
@Leah, that sounds heavenly! I was never made to cook.
@Michael, I'm missing your restaurant reviews even though I live on the other side of the country.
@PLRH, ahhh, pizza. Could eat it every day.
@suzicate, I will always be fond of you and your blog!!!
@cynthia...thanks for mentioning that! I moved the follow info to the top of my blog.
@mitzi, you always have good ideas.
@poindexter, puke and all, you have me laughing!!
@Julia, yes! Until I caved, the few meals I did eat were part of the program...unpaid for, so to speak.
@paul, yes those damn carbs will DESTROY!!!!
@ken, we can all have dinner anytime!
Post a Comment