January Haul + Onion Dip

Since it's a new year and this blog has made me much more aware of my purchases, I've decided to calculate how much I really spend each month on clothing and accessories. Below are snapshots of my January purchases and I will continue with these summaries from now on, most likely posting them two months afterwards since indecisiveness and returns take time. I know the day will come soon when I have to cut back on my spending so why not start early by being more selective with what I end up buying? From doing this, I can already pick out some items I regret buying when listed next to how much the item costs. I'm hoping this will make me more conscious and selective going forward when I'm shopping. I've tried budgeting websites such as Mint.com but it didn't stick so for now, I'll just be using my trusty spreadsheet.

I've been cooking dinner every night for the past two weeks for A and I after coming home from a long day of work and it's really made me realize how lucky I was to come home to a home-cooked meal. I'm getting the hang of it and am now more efficient in the kitchen but really, coming up with a menu for what to cook every night was much harder than I thought it would be. The one good thing is that we've been eating much more healthily since I started cooking. I was looking for a healthy dip to make to go with the pretzels I brought to work as a snack and I found this great Onion Dip that's really tasty and healthy from Mind Over Munch (Alyssia was one of my substitute teaches in kickboxing class):

Onion Dip

Ingredients:

¾ cup diced onion

½ teaspoon olive oil

½ teaspoon garlic

1 cup Greek yogurt

¼ teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon pepper

⅛ teaspoon garlic powder

⅛ teaspoon onion powder

Directions:

In a skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil and add onions. Cook for 1–2 minutes before adding garlic. Continue to cook about 5 minutes, until onions are cooked and tender. Set aside.

Combine all remaining ingredients, including cooked onions, in a bowl.

Chill.

Serves 12.

Nutrition:

per serving (2 Tbsp): 18 calories | 2g carbs | 0g fat | 2g protein

Leaving you with the fortune cookie quote, "You are smart, for you do things smartly."