I don’t usually make New Year Resolutions.  I am usually too busy doing laundry.

I save my “New Year Resolutions” for our anniversary, which is in June.  Somehow it is easier to start something new when the weather is warm and I am not homeschooling.  Besides, they are often resolutions made after a dinner with The Hunni–resolutions we both share, goals we are in agreement about.  Usually, I have a personal resolution I add at the same time.  About five years ago, I resolved that I wanted to become a better cook.  I was stuck in a rut and dreading every meal.  After one full year of just resolving and wishing I would become a better cook, I finally realized that I actually had to DO something about it.

This lead to cooking adventures both wonderful and dismal.  As my goal was “to be done with daily dinner drudgery”, I started asking for recipes whenever I was served something delicious.  I started reading cookbooks.  I started buying different ingredients, and I started making homemade bread more than once a year.  (Actually, the Hunni took over the whole homemade bread routine, and continues to be the Chief Baker around here.)

I now actually enjoy cooking.  I enjoy baking, and I enjoy grocery shopping.  I love to talk about food with anyone who will listen.  I have always enjoyed eating out, but now I also enjoy “trying to make it at home.”

The result of this Anniversary Resolution is that I succeeded.  And success can be measured in the fact that my “skinny jeans” now fit my arms instead of my legs.

Something has to be done, so I am Resolving this New Years to try and lose some weight.  I can only stick to a plan if it

1. Does not make me have to wake up an hour earlier.
2. Does not mess with my morning coffee.

So when I heard about the Whole Food Diet, I thought I would investigate further.  The basic premise behind the Whole Food Diet is that if you bite into a fresh apple, you eat one and then are full.  However, if you slice up the apple, it is easy to consume two without even thinking.  Now if you make that apple into applesauce and add sugar and cinnamon, 3-4 apples (plus the sugar) are eaten without any effort.  But if you make that apple in apple pie, and have a slice or three, you have now gulped down 4 – 5 apples (plus crust, sugar, etc. . .)

There are more benefits to eating a whole apple.  Many fruits and vegetables have many of their vitamins in their peelings.  By eating the apple (polish washed off of course) peel, I am not only gaining vitamins, but fiber as well.

This Whole Food Diet will make my life easier, I think.  I no longer will have to peel the carrots for the salad or pot roast.  I can easily munch on apples, celery, and carrots.  I will get all the fiber and vitamins I need.  I shall OVERCOME this winter.

Whole foods mean whole grains.  After detailed reading, I came away with this basic premise, “Brown and crunchy = good.  White and delicious = bad.”  Easy enough.

So here I am in January 2012, and I promise to stick to whole foods and eat more brown foods.

So yes, I had my BROWN coffee with WHOLE milk.  I promise I will stick with real 100% cream (instead of that 1/2 and 1/2 stuff).  And I promise I will eat the WHOLE cookie–getting the fiber from the crusty outer layer.

And there you have the WHOLE enchilada.

–rebecca

P.S.  This post is based on a very funny conversation I had with Lily this past summer.  Thanks for a WHOLE lot-a-fun.  Thanks for inspiring my cooking, and being a great aunt to my kiddos.