this is the personal blog of brandon quintana.

I started cooking more the past couple of months and I have a few reasons for doing it.  The biggest reason is I live in the middle of nowhere.  The closest store or restaurant is a 10-15 minute drive so I’ve been stocking up on groceries and trying to eat more meals here at home.  The second reason is I think it’s healthier.  I’m able to control my diet easier.  For the most part I try not to eat pork and beef.  I’ve been doing this for quite a while now, but like I’ve said in earlier posts I’m not always that strict on diet.  I’ve heard some people cook because they enjoy it.  I’m not one of those people.  I don’t mind it, but I don’t really get any enjoyment out of it.  I used to cook back in college with my friends Ann and Michaela, and I enjoyed it, but I think it was more the aspect of hanging out with friends as opposed to the cooking part.

One thing that has allowed me to cook more is that I don’t work as many hours.  Over the last couple of years I’ve been putting in about 12-15 hours a day more or less and there really wasn’t much time for other things.  It was much easier to pick something up and keep working to get things done.  I was wasting time preparing meals when I could be being productive and earning money.  I think things in my life have changed.  My lifestyle is a lot slower.  I find myself playing with my pets and watching TV instead of going out all the time.  I’m also working less hours.  I reached certain goals I was looking for when I started the company and I think I’m at a point where I need more balance.

So this leads me to spending more time doing other things like cooking.  I’m not a chef and I just cook basic meals.  I can prepare chicken or fish with wild rice and veggies almost daily.  It’s pretty quick and easy to do.  If there’s time I’ll look something up on Food Network when the same type of meals get old.

I don’t think eating at home is saving me money though.  I buy a lot of organic food and seafood that can add up quick.  Also the time I’m not working I’m not making money either.  When you’re making food for one eating out can be more cost effective at times.  If you are making food for the masses that’s quite a bit different.

One thing I don’t really care for is the cleanup.  I’m a pretty clean person when it comes to the way I live, but I don’t need excess mess.

I think now I’m pretty balanced as far as eating out and cooking is concerned.  A little bit of both seem to be working out well for me.  We’ll see what happens.