resolutions

So I was thinking about this off and on yesterday. I usually make some sort of New Year's resolution. Usually something to do with my weight - last year it was to lose x amount of pounds. I don't even remember exactly, that's how important it was to me to keep my resolution. I do still want to lose some weight. I have lost about 15 pounds over the last year (and probably gained back 2-3 over Christmas!), and I still want to lose another 10-15, but I'm not really that concerned. I really think, more than anything, I should resolve to be healthier. Weight Watchers has helped me lose some weight that I was struggling to lose, but I haven't really broken my bad habits. For one thing, I really need to sleep more. I know this. Five hours of sleep is not enough night after night. And I need to drink more water. Probably I should drink less soda, but I don't think that will happen right now, so I'm going to shoot for drinking more water and maybe it will balance out. I also need way more exercise, but I will not beat myself up if I can't make it to the gym. I think I've been there once in the past two months, and as I was on my way home, feeling really inspired to get to the gym at least twice more that week, Hayden's school called to say he had thrown up at lunch. So.... If I can't get to the gym, I will find some other way to be active. I think what it really comes down to is taking better care of myself. I get so caught up in taking care of the rest of my family that I am last on the list and just sort of drop off when I run out of time. So that's my resolution for this year.

I also had an idea for a little (maybe not so little) project for myself. Like I need another project, right? Anyway, I have been reading Julie and Julia, which is about this girl in New York City who decided to make every recipe in Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child in one year. I am so inspired by it that I have decided to do my own little experiment. I have to come up with some rules for myself still, but here's the general idea: Having married into a Vietnamese family, I have really wanted to learn how to cook all the wonderful things that my husband's mother and grandmother serve on a regular basis. Sound easy enough, right? Just get all the family recipes and go to town. Here's the catch: they don't write down any recipes at all! And each family has their own take on each dish. So... since I can't be with Quoc's mom on a daily basis and measure everything that she puts into her food, I am going on a quest to create my own Vietnamese family cookbook by researching recipes and ingredients and testing testing testing until I get the ultimate recipe. I am not trying to duplicate what my husband's mother does. She has this thing where she can SMELL something and know whether it needs more salt or sugar or whatever. I don't have that. But I do know what I like, so this will be my take on all the dishes - sort of like Tyler's Ultimate, only Scarlett's Ultimate Vietnamese. I'm sure this will come up in my blog, as I have lots of Vietnamese friends that I will need to invite over to be guinea pigs. And maybe a few adventurous American friends as well. Any volunteers?