Goodbye 2013...

            Here I am, back at my apartment and ringing in the New Year by cooking up some chili and cornbread and marathoning Netflix! I also discovered my resolutions list from last year and figured I should make some for the upcoming year.

            Surprisingly, I did pretty well with my goals for 2013. Some, like “consistently running an 8 minute mile” were a complete failure. Others, like “read 5 books for pleasure” I vastly over exceeded. I vowed to continue eating a vegetarian diet—check. I said I would pass the GRE—also check. I resolved to get hired for my current job—another obvious check.

            For 2014 I want to continue eating vegetarian, which should be pretty easy since I’ll be cooking from Moosewood for most of the year. Which brings me to resolution number two, which is to finish this project. One of my past resolutions was to be more money conscious and stick to a budget. This is something I definitely want to continue; because budgeting is something I’m still struggling with. I never overspend or struggle to get by. But I tend to blow my paycheck on clothes or items that I throw or give away in just a few months. I need to be a more deliberate and careful spender. Other resolutions would be to successfully graduate from college, find a summer job, get my teacher’s license, watch more documentaries, and read 10 new books.

            The chili and cornbread were absolutely delicious and very filling. Moosewood has you use kidney beans, but since it’s New Year’s Eve, I used black-eyed peas too. It’s a Southern tradition to eat black-eyed peas on New Year’s to ensure you’ll have a good year and good luck. Usually you eat them in a stew called Hoppin’ John, but that includes ham. Unfortunately, Moosewood has zero recipes with black-eyed peas, so I improvised. In addition to the beans and peas, the chili is packed with protein from bulgur, which is a wheat whole grain that you can use like quinoa or couscous. But it’s particularly good for vegetarian chili because it has a similar to consistency to ground beef. Usually I’m not a fan of meat substitutes, but bulgur is more like a texture match rather than a flavor match. Also, a little goes a long way.

            The cornbread was basically the same recipe as I made all the way back on Day 1, except without cheese. Technically you’re not meant to add frozen corn, but I had some leftover and I liked it so much the last time. It was just as fluffy and sweet as before, and so perfectly paired with chili.

            2013 has been good to me and I’m looking forward to next year being just as fantastic! Happy New Year!