Why, hello there...long time no see! I know, It’s been a while since I did one of these, and a lot of things have happened in the world since my last blog post. The holidays have come and gone, we’ve elected a new president, and we are well into a new year. Consequently, lots has happened with me personally as well. Life has been busy, but not necessarily in a bad way. There's also been a recent development with the blog, so continue reading as I unveil a little surprise for all you Fiscally Fit Foodies!

It’s 5pm and you’re heading home from work after a long day. You’re starting to get hungry as you sit in traffic and glance over at a fellow traffic-endurer who is working on obliterating a fast food feast and throwing empty wrappers into the ever-growing pile in his back seat. Now you’re tempted to grab something on the way home so that you can plop down on the couch immediately and watch TV until exhaustion sets in and you eventually pass out. Or maybe you call up your spouse and tell them you’re eating out tonight. Eating out is okay if you do it once in a while. We all deserve to treat ourselves occasionally.

Let’s be honest though. What percentage of the time do you opt for the eating out over the eating in? Probably more often than you’d like to admit. Convenience? Sure, it’s convenient...but at what cost? What are they actually putting in your food when you eat out? Even if it’s “healthy,” chances are you have no idea. Let’s discuss the implications of your decision.

My phone rings and it’s my friend, Michael. He is on his way home from Dallas and has stopped to peruse some peaches that are being sold roadside by a farmer. Suddenly this song came to mind (it's a song, so keep that in mind before you click this at work). Anyhow, he says they’re gigantic and asks if I’d be so inclined to help him and his girlfriend preserve “a few peaches” in whatever way I thought was best (he was referring to making peach preserves and canning them, basically). Little did I know that a literal crate full of these gargantuan fruits were headed my way. He wasn’t wrong about them being gems though...take a look at these beauties:

You’ve watched all my knife sharpening videos and knife skills videos and you’ve got everything prepared for cooking, right? Now it’s all a matter of finding the best vessel to cook everything in. So what type of cookware should you use? Well, it’s not as simple as grabbing the first pan you find in the cabinet...unless of course you only have one pan in your cabinet. There are so many types available these days: stainless steel, aluminum, copper, cast iron, non-stick (which the surface is comprised of...the primary make-up is one of the other metals), and many more. All of this can be confusing to the uninitiated, so what’s the best way to choose what you should have on hand?

What you’ll need in the way of cookware depends largely on what you use your cookware for and what it is that you plan on cooking most often. Eggs and pancakes, meat and vegetables, stews and stocks? Also consider the cook top you’re using. Gas? Induction? Electric? It makes a difference. Flat-bottomed pans are necessary for a smooth top range, and if you have induction burners, it won’t work with all types of metal. Still a little confused? It’s hard to blame you, so let’s break it down a bit more.

Every workout should start and end the same way...with 3-5 minutes of glorious stretching. When you’re young, it’s not uncommon to feel a little invincible. You know, like stretching is a waste of time. Even if you do “stretch,” it’s a half-hearted attempt at touching your toes or holding your arm across your chest (I’m certainly not knocking this, as it is a great stretch and wonderful for post-workout).

As you get older, you begin to figure out that stretching offers some great benefits. It helps to maximize your athletic performance, aids in range of motion and flexibility, and decreases the likelihood of injury. Concluding your workout with another 3-5 minutes of stretches will help your muscles to cool down properly, reduce muscle tension which may have built up during your workout, and assist in recovery.

Ah yes, Tom Yum...anything with the word “yum” in the name has to be good, right? This unique soup that originated in Thailand has become popular in Singapore, Malaysia, and many other countries as well. With good reason, as its distinct spicy and sour qualities and heavy usage of aromatics such as lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and galangal (in the ginger root family) offer an intoxicating fragrance and a punch of flavor that all starts with a simple broth or stock.

You were wondering when the “Fit” aspect of Fiscally Fit Foodie would come into play, weren’t you? Well, here is your first installment, AND you get a video (keep reading, it’s down there somewhere)...with music...and don’t act like you’re not impressed. While the fitness posts may not be as prolific as the recipe and food posts, they should be just as informative for those of you who are interested in a well-rounded, healthy lifestyle.

Picture the following scenario: you’re sitting at home, watching TV on the couch, and all of a sudden you get the feeling that you’re not maximizing your potential...you’re feeling slightly lazy, unproductive, and maybe even have a passing thought that a workout might be a good idea. Hey, it could happen. The problem is that your gym is closed or it is 10-15 minutes away from your house and it’d be inconvenient to go or maybe you don’t have a gym membership at all. One of the great things about push-ups is that you don’t need a gym to do them and they don’t cost you a thing except a little hard work. You aren’t opposed to that, are you? Great – let’s get started then!

It's grilling season! Just so happens my buddy was on his way home from a fishing trip and called me up to let me know he had some fish collars for me. Not going to lie, I was pretty excited! You may be wondering what a fish collar is, why I was excited, and what it even looks like. Behold the redfish collar in all its glory...

Close your eyes for a moment and imagine the glorious smells that fill your home when you cook with aromatics. Don’t you wish you could capture that aroma in a concentrated form? En papillote (in parchment paper) cooking is a technique not often used by home cooks, but it is one of the easiest ways to create deep, complex flavor and achieve this blast of smell-good. This method of cooking simultaneously steams and roasts the contents within a convenient parchment paper pouch, trapping most of the magnificent aroma that normally escapes and disperses into the air as it wafts through your home. By the time it’s done cooking, that aroma is locked, loaded, and waiting for you to slice the pouch open and breathe it all in with a big smile on your face. Hungry yet? No? Check out this picture of the finished product...

Yep, that’s what I thought. Let’s get started then!

Hey, Everyone!

Thought for the day: a dull knife is a dangerous knife. If it’s not sharp enough to pierce whatever it is you’re cutting, it may slip off the side and cut you instead. There will be several blog posts in the next week or two that cover basic knife skills (with videos, recipes, and pictures included), but I could not in good conscience provide this information without first touching upon the great importance of using a properly sharpened knife.

You’re probably asking yourself questions such as: “There are so many sharpening options out there, so how do I choose one? What is the best way to sharpen a knife, prolong its life, and maintain that wicked sharp edge? How often should a knife blade be sharpened? How do I know if the blade is sharp? How much is this going to cost me? Would Crocodile Dundee think my knife is worthy of being called a knife?” Don’t worry, I’ve got the answers (and a couple helpful videos and links) to all those questions and more below.