It occurred to me after writing yesterday's entry that updating the CleanSheets bookstore is only #3 on the list of long-overdue responsibilities I've been avoiding. #1 is the winter issue of a camp newsletter I write, which was supposed to have been done a month ago; #2 is a book review I was supposed to have written for the person who gave me my scholarship, back in July, I think. #2 has fallen victim to my perfectionism again; it's only supposed to be a two-page review, and I have lots more to say about the book in question. #1, I've been just plain avoiding, or forgetting about, partially due to the fact that they want me to come back this summer, and I really don't want to do so, but may end up buckling in, 'cause I could use the money.

Anyway, I at least did a little bit on the bookstore today, and my partner in crime there is swinging into action, so things are starting to get back on track.

See, I don't eat very much. And what I do eat doesn't have very much variety. There are a few foods I like, and I stick to them. For the most part, I live on pizza, peanut-butter sandwiches, and Kellogg's Corn Flakes. There are other things I eat, but that (and junk food) accounts for the overwhelming majority of my food intake.

Now, while I have a New York Times article on my wall listing all of the nutrients in a slice of pizza, and explaining how it is, indeed, possible to live on a diet of nothing but pizza, I am aware of the fact that this is hardly an optimal diet. One of my goals when I moved out of the family home was to gradually diversify my eating habits.

No, it's not that there wasn't much variety in the food available at home; quite the contrary. My parents would've been thrilled if I'd started eating normally years ago. Indeed, much of my early childhood was marked with conflicts over the fact that I refused to eat food that I genuinely hated. Without getting into too many details of said conflicts, let's just add in the fact that I am extremely stubborn by nature, and sort of battened down the hatches years ago.

But I'm on my own, now, and nobody's watching, so I can try eating stuff.

I started with a rather popular kosher soup -- just add hot water to the stuff in the styrofoam cup, wait a couple of minutes, and eat! -- and got about five spoonfuls into it, forcing myself on the last few, before dumping the rest. This pretty much confirmed my opinion of soup in general as being horrid stuff, well worth avoiding.

I'll skip the next couple of attempts at various foods, except to say that I didn't care for them.

On the other hand, over at that Chinese restaurant gig I mentioned a couple of weeks back, I had some vegetables that weren't half bad -- although these little tree-like things -- broccoli, I think? -- were an interesting experience. But not too bad. And it's about time I got some green vegetables into my diet, I figure.

Anyway, the latest experiment was Osem Rice Casserole, Chinese Style. It came as a foil packet, costing $1.89, containing all of the ingredients (rice, noodles, dehydrated cabbage and onion, and misc. other stuff). All I needed to do was put it in a saucepan with some water, and let it cook for a bit, stirring occasionally.

Not having a saucepan, I substituted a frying pan, with a double layer of aluminum foil serving as a cover, but the idea is the same. And it actually wasn't bad; I can't say that it's something I can ever see myself craving, but it's edible, and tastes okay. Works pretty well in pita, also, which is what I used.

I don't think it's actually any healthier than my pizza, though. Okay, looking over the labels, it seems to have less cholesterol -- none, in fact -- and perhaps less sodium, but, on the other hand, less vitamins.

Still, it's another step, I guess. I'll take my victories where I can get 'em.

The only problem is that one 6.3 ounce packet makes far too much of the stuff for one person. Half the pack would be about right. I wonder how well the contents keep once you open the thing?