Time to start over
Yep, that’s right. It’s New Year’s day around here. So, it’s Time to start over. Just like we do every year. Time to make some great plans and stick to them, just like you did last year. Come on. Let’s be realistic. We aren’t going to do all these great things are we? You know why that is? It’s because we never pick the right day to start the year. Any day can be the beginning of a new year. But, we all bought into the Gregorian calendar. So, January first is the beginning of the year, despite it falling 11 days after solstice. Wouldn’t it make sense for the year to begin on that day, the shortest day of the year?
Or, we could pick one of the equinoxes for the official start of the year. The Jewish New Year starts in September with Rosh Hashanah. The Chinese New Year is January 22. Citizens of Bali celebrate Nyepi on March 22. Iranians also celebrate march 21 and 22 with Nowruz. But, these dates are different every year. Because they overlay on the Gregorian calendar. Since their dates comes from different calendars, every year is different. So, we see that New Year’s day is pretty Capricious at best. So, starting when days are equal or long or short makes more sense.
Table of Contents
Do we have time to start over?
Time is a construct that none can escape. But, how it is measured is another of those things that those who write history get to decide. Somehow a second is a second, a minute, a minute, a year, a year. We can thank early Egyptians for the system of time we know. With the invention of the sundial we were able to measure the length of days and intervals between positions of the sun. The Druids and other Mysterious groups were doing this long before that, though. Just look at Stonehenge and other standing stones. They were like giant sun dials. But, when Christianity took over the civilized world, they imposed their own system of measuring time. So, we were left with the calendar and watches we have today. They based the calendars on their own landmarks.
So, it’s only on the Christian calendar that Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492. The Hebrew calendar would put that somewhere around 5252. And, he made landfall in October. But, that could have been a different month altogether. And, why stop at religious based calendars? Star trek is famous for starting each show with the captain’s log entry made on such and such a “star date”. While the show is fiction, the concept of a “star date” is not. In fact, astronomers use what is called the Julian Calendar, which dates back to 4713 BC.
Why not start over all together?
The fact that we have AD and BC is testament to the capriciousness of calendars and time Keeping. Someone decided Jesus would be the start of our time system. And, Christian politics won over the world. That’s all it is: Politics. We could start our own time system today if we wanted to. And, anything that happened Yesterday would be BOCTS (Before Only Cumin Time System). And, anything moving forward would be AT (Actual Time). We can use a logical base for Time. It could be binary or base 10. Who got to decide 12 would be the basis of our time system? 12 months, each with varying numbers of days? A 12 hour time period, broken into 60 minute hours, and 60 second minutes?
Wouldn’t it be easier to calculate and keep track of things in base 10? 10 days per period, 10 hours in a day, 10 minutes in an hour?10 seconds per minute? The original inventors of the modern calendar wanted to use Base 10. December comes from the Latin root Decem, meaning 10. It was originally the 10th month. September, October, and November also show the progression (7, 8, and 9). Somewhere along the way, a couple extra months were added to make the math of the calendar work to correspond to the solar year. But, the effort was there. Ironically, a science based calendar based on a religious event was altered by politicians adding references to other Religions. The first 8 Months are named after Roman gods.
January and February didn’t even exist
That’s right, They were added to the calendar to create a more consistent tracking of the sun. And, now, we’re stuck with them as time markers for eternity (or at least millennia). But, wouldn’t it be nice if these 2 months didn’t exist? For those of us living in New England and other colder climates, to not deal with sub zero temperatures and all that white stuff would be a treat. But, alas, temperature fluctuations aren’t dependent upon man-made concepts of time. It’s nature itself. Which brings us back to our original question, Why not start over again? maybe we could start the year with the vernal equinox, since it is when things begin to grow and flourish?
Alas, this entire argument is destined to go nowhere. If we want to change the clocks and calendars, we would need a grassroots effort. You tell two friends, and they tell two friends, and so on and so on. To garner consensus and actually implement the change would take years (Gregorian and solar). So, despite holding out hope, we will capitulate to the Roman Catholic system out of expediency. Besides, I just got my new weekly planner. It would be a pain and expense to get another with different time periods. Plus, we’d have to reset our clocks. And, we know how much DST throws off everybody.
So, We’ll work with the System
But, we don’t have to like it. For good or bad, or just confusion, the calendar and time system is what it is. So, let’s do what we can in our own world to improve our own situations. I’s time to start over incrementally. Even though, we work within the box of 24 hour days, 28 to 31 day months, and 12 month years. We can do a bit of a reset. And, for the sake of ease, Let’s follow convention, and start on day 1 of the Year. But, remember, if you abandon your “resolutions, you can always pick another day. Whichever day you pick, that will be the day to start measuring progress from. Your life can have its own calendar. Maybe It can be BTD vs ATD (Before This Day vs After This Day).
An abandoned resolution doesn’t have to mean failure. Often, the problem is, we make multiple resolutions. Then, we find that even with 24 hour days, we don’t have the time to dedicate to all of them. So, perhaps we make a bunch of suggestions; but, focus on one or two major themes like live more purposefully. Or, one that we, at Only Cumin, think you should definitely focus on: Cook more. Think about it. You go to a restaurant to have expertly prepared food and experience the ambiance. But, what is ambiance? It’s the vibe of the location. What is a better vibe than the comfort of your own home? And, with our help, you can make expertly prepared food at home. So, there it is: Your best resolution: Cook at home more. Let’s do this.
Cooking time is the best Time to start over
So, let’s start right now. Because, there’s no time like the present. Don’t worry. We’ll start out easy. While you can get complicated with ingredients and methods, Most cooking doesn’t require an advanced degree. believe it or not, common sense goes a long way. For instance, if you drop a knife, don’t try to catch it. Another brilliant gem of information: Assume a pan on the stove is hot, use a potholder or towel when picking up things on a stove. We have a number of posts dedicated to some basic culinary concepts and what equipment and ingredients to keep on hand. Check them out.
If you have a stove, some pans, and access to food products in a place like a supermarket, you’re well on your way to cooking restaurant quality food for a fraction of the price. remember, restaurants have to pay the person cooking your food, the servers, and host of other support people in addition to the cost of the building, its upkeep, and utilities. Plus they need to make a profit. All of that is worked into the price of your food. The ingredients, generally, cost about 25 to 40% of the price you pay. So, get ready to save some dough, and increase your skills. Remember, the cooks in the restaurant had to start somewhere. It’s repetition that builds expertise. So, the more you cook, the better you get.
Keep it Simple Stupid
This is what we call the KISS method (keep it simple stupid). If you try and over-complicate things, you are just asking for trouble. So, we start with simple concepts like the definition of a meal: A protein (Beef, chicken, fish, or high protein vegetable), Starch (potato, rice, grain), and vegetables (not ketchup, despite the Reagan administration classifying it as a vegetable). This touches all the bases of the food pyramid, providing proper nutrition, as well as variety in taste, texture, and proper digestion.
The beauty of picturing a plate like this, is that you can create a different meal every day by simply changing one or more of the 3 elements of the plate. So, Monday you have Lentils, Sweet Potato, and Spinach. Tuesday: Chicken, Rice, and Broccoli, and so on and so on. You can even do some one pot cooking or make things like Pizzas and sandwiches that incorporate the 3 food groups: Protein, starch, vegetable.
And, yes, Salads count too. To avoid spending a lot of extra money and to not have a ton of different things in your fridge, freezer, and pantry, try using some of the same ingredients with different preparations. But, don’t feel like you have to make souffles or complicated dishes to promote variety. After some time in the kitchen you can challenge yourself if you want. But, every passion starts with a KISS (Keep it simple stupid).
So, let’s start with that KISS:
A few easy cooking methods are the basis of most cuisine. Let’s start with 3 basics: Saute, Bake, and Steam or Boil.
Baking is the easiest (Not baking like making cakes, but cooking in an oven). To avoid confusion on that end, let’s all it roasting. Roasting is the cooking of food inside an oven. You can roast, all the ingredients of your balance meal. It doesn’t have to be a 10 pound prime rib. You can roast Chicken, Fish, Beef, pork, potatoes, vegetables, and more. Sometimes, I’ll just coat meat, potatoes and vegetables in oil, season them, separately, and throw them in a hot oven. In less than a half hour you’ve got dinner with minimal effort.
Sauteing requires a little more hands on and attention to detail. You heat oil or butter in a pan over high heat, and put in your ingredients. Cook them a bit on all sides, turn or toss them as needed. It can be a faster cooking method, but, you have to be there, tending the pan throughout the process.
Boiling and steaming are pretty similar. It is the application of wet heat. You don’t need a special electric or gas steamer. You can take a pot, put a strainer over that, and cover it to hold in the steam. While both methods are wet heat, Steaming is a healthier option since you can boil out some of the nutrients in food by dropping in boiling water. But, you can boil without cooking the crap out of things to. Like vegetables, you just want to get it in and out of the boiling water quickly. If your asparagus starts to turn yellow or brown, you’re overdoing it.
Using these three cooking methods you can cook like a professional, and provide variety for your family.
Well, since it’s new years, time to start over:
It’s time to start cooking. Here are a few simple recipes to start the year off right and show you how easy it can be to have truly tasty and nutritious meals without breaking the bank. Just remember you’re just looking for a kiss. And, if you make a mistake, don’t panic and say it’s time to start over. Just go with the flow and create a happy mistake. With these recipes, the only mistakes are over or under cooking. If you overcook, you can chop things up and make a hash. If you under-cook, just cook more. “nuf said.
Cajun Spiced Chicken Breast with Brandied Apple Relish
Ingredients
- 4 Each 6 ounce Boneless skinless Chicken Breasts
- 4 to 8 Tbsp Cajun Seasoning
- 1/2 Cup Diced Sweet Onion
- 1 tsp Fine Diced Fresh Ginger
- 2 Cup 3/4 inch Diced Fresh apple, skin on, seeds and core removed.
- 4 Oz Brandy, cognac, or whiskey
- 1 Ounce Honey or agave syrup
- 1 3 inch Cinnamon Stick
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- oil for cooking
Instructions
- Dredge Chicken breasts in Cajun seasoning to coat evenly. Refrigerate for 1 or more hours so the seasoning can penetrate the meat.
- Cut the apples, onion, and ginger
- Heat a little oil in a saute pan over high heat. Add in the cinnamon stick, onion and ginger. Stir as needed and cook until lightly caramelized. Add in the apples and allow them to brown a bit. Stir and allow to brown some more. Add the brandy and either flame the pan to burn off the alcohol or cook down until it has evaporated. The liquid should reduce by about 1/2. Add the honey or agave, and cook until the liquid coats the apples well, and there is still some liquid. Set aside.
- Heat a Saute pan over high heat. Put in a light coating of oil. Heat until it is almost smoking. Add in the chicken breasts. Cook on one side until nicely browned. Turn it over and cook the other side. Depending on the thickness of the chicken breast, it should take about 4 to 6 minutes per side. If it is getting too dark, turn down the heat a bit, and continue cooking. You can test doneness by inserting a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken. You want a temperature of 165 degrees. Or you can press it with your finger. It should be firm to the touch with little to no give.Serve the breasts topped with the relish immediately.
Notes
Honey Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 to 2 Lb Peeled Sweet Potato, Cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces
- water to cover by 1 to 2 inches
- 1/4 Lb Butter or butter substitute
- 1/4 Cup Honey
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Peel and Cut sweet Potatoes, Place in water with a little salt. Put on a stove over high heat. Bring to a boil. Boil until the potatoes become soft enough to mash.
- Drain the water off well. Mash the potatoes with a hand masher or in a mixer with whip attachment. Try to get out all lumps. Add in the butter a little bit at a time until it melts in. Stir in the honey, and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
Orange Roasted Brussl Sprouts
Ingredients
- 1 to 1 1/2 Lb Brussel Sprouts
- 1/2 Cup Orange Juice
- olive oil for cooking
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use Convection oven if you have one.
- Trim the stems of the brussel sprouts if needed, and cut them all in 1/2, lengthwise. Toss them in a bowl with oil, salt, and pepper. Spread them out on a Sheet pan sprayed with pan spray. Pop in a preheated 400 degree oven. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the orange juice and continue cooking another 5 minutes or so until the juice evaporates to be about 1/2 the amount. Remove from heat when they are cooked through, but not too soft. Stir to coat well with the orange reduction. Serve hot.
Vegan Cajun Lentils
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Diced Fresh Onion
- 1 tsp Chopped Fresh garlic
- 1 Tbsp Cajun Seasoning
- 1 Cup Diced Fresh Tomato
- 2 Cups Green French Lentils (may substitute whatever lentils you can get)
- 6 Cup vegetable Broth or water
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- olive oil for cooking
- 2 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Scallions
Instructions
- Heat a little olive oil in a pot over high heat. add in the onions and garlic and saute until translucent, stirring as needed. add in the lentils and cajun seasoning, stir until well coated. Add broth or water and bring to a boil. Taper off to a simmer, and stir well to prevent sticking. Cook down until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Add in the tomatoes, stir well, and continue cooking about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper, then fold in chopped scallions and serve hot.