And so it begins...

It's the middle of winter here in Northeastern PA and it's just plain cold. That being said, when you are looking for something to do, there are two primary options: drink or eat.

A few months ago I had this idea to fight the winter blues and avoid packing on those winter pounds. I can't say that I'm going to stop drinking, because quite frankly, that isn't going to happen. However, I have decided to challenge myself and switch things up for the entire month of February. I know, I know. February just happens to be the shortest month...but it also happens to be the best month to do my experiment.

I must give a quick shout out to my friend and former co-worker, Karen, who told me I should blog about this experiment. In all reality, it will be fun to share my experience and hopefully keep me on track.

So here it goes...the rules.

1. No eating out for 1 month (February 1-28, 2011)
2. All meals must be made from scratch (not including leftovers)
3. Cannot purchase, nor eat, anything pre-made or prepared (not including beverages or basic ingredients for my recipes. Ex: tofu, peanut butter, mustard, etc.)
4. Must use fresh ingredients if available (if not, canned ingredients may be purchased)
5. Must make everything without the use of recipes (recipes from memory must be altered in some way to make "original")
6. May not use any meat or dairy in any meal

Now for the purpose:
1. For the challenge and fight the winter blues
2. To compare grocery/eating out costs from January to February
3. To create healthy, new original recipes
4. To show how exciting and tasty a vegan diet can be

So...there it is. I think it is going to be very challenging, but I'm ready for it. I have enjoyed cooking and eating vegan since I switched in October 2008. However, the past few months have not been so good as far as eating habits go. I think this will be a good jump start into not eating out so much and watching what I put into my body.

I'll post my recipes, share my thoughts and put lots of pictures of the journey. I'm currently getting ready for Tuesday's start because I will be enjoying my last night of freedom tomorrow night having a very special dinner! :)

Until next time.