A Pan-ny Christmas.

Did you have a nice Christmas? Mine was pretty good. I am proud to say that aside from a few gifts I purchased, I didn't buy anything new for Christmas this year. No new decorations, ornaments, wrapping paper, candles, etc. I have some pretty rigid financial goals for 2012 that I'm trying to get a jump on now (paying off medical bills from 2010), so this was a very frugal Christmas. Being frugal is actually quite fun. It challenges my creative side and me feel really proud of what I am able to accomplish on a small budget.

This year, I asked for gift cards to TJ Maxx. I've been diligently saving gift cards over the course of almost a year. With the gift cards I received at Christmas, I was finally able to buy my dream pan set; pans I've been wanting for a long time. These beauties carry a hefty price, even at TJ Maxx, but cost close to double that if I were to get them at Macy's or another department store. As you can see from one of the price stickers, these pans are re-DEE-culously expensive. Which is why I've been saving my gift cards. I don't have a lot of extra dough laying around to spend on pans.

Since becoming both a T1 diabetic and a celiac in 2010, cooking has become a BIG part of my life. I cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner, every day. There's little to no eating out for this girl.

So why Le Creuset pans? Well, all the bad press that nonstick pans are getting really creeps me out; the chemicals they give off and make people/pets sick if cooked at a high temperatures. I decided I wanted better-quality pans. I tried my hand at a cast iron pan, and haven't given up on it exactly, but still have issues with everything sticking like crazy to it (sorry Diabetic Camper; I tried, I swear). And not to mention, I still swear that my nonstick pan usage is what killed my two birds, Mozart and Mona, in 2005. I guess there is no way to prove it, but I highly suspect it. I have an old dog now; she's got health issues; lots. And so do I. So, since I sometimes feel I have little control over many other factors in my life, choosing which pans I want to cook out of is one that I DO.

Maybe this is TMI, but I don't socialize as much as I used to. Maybe it's the feeling self-conscious about my illnesses, specifically the dietary restrictions that make eating outside of the house more of a chore than an enjoyment. And also the fact that instead of being asked how my job is going or how other important things in my life are going, I'm usually only asked about how my diseases are doing. It's like nobody sees anything else about me anymore; not my accomplishments, my talents, my personality, my quirks. Not even the traits that I used to be known for. So I find a lot of enjoyment in staying home and cooking awesome meals. Even if I am the only one who ever tastes it.

Who knows, maybe my new pans will give me some incentive to cook up some good chow and invite people over to eat with me. I'd say that's a good possibility.