The 40 “recipes” in this book are extremely simple, and basically provide some food for thought. All the rest of the ingredients – all of the flavor, fun, and spices – all of the dreams, and goals, they’re already on your shelf, or better yet – they lie waiting to be discovered.

Bricolage is an under-appreciated word for this approach of making due with what you’ve got on hand. It comes from the French verb bricoler, meaning “fiddle, tinker” and, “to make creative and resourceful use of whatever materials are at hand (regardless of their original purpose)". While planning is important, each day inevitably deals us unexpected surprises, large and small. How well we improvise, adapt, stay flexible, and try entirely new approaches can make all the difference between a stressful disappointing day and an extraordinary one.

How much will following these recipes cost? How much time will you have to spend? How far will you have to travel to pick up any special ingredients? The answer depends: Just how hungry are you?

So, it’s time to get cooking. Get out your calendar and circle 40 days from today. (Just 5 weeks + 5). A lot can happen in 40 days. A lot will happen in the next 40 days, so don’t be distracted by the avalanche of news. The news is almost always always a thin and bitter gruel. So drop the Facebook, CNN, Twitter, eMail, Dancing With Stars, House Hunter, Extreme Couponing routine for a while. They will still be there when (if) you return. You’ve got work to do! The time has come to make your own news. Great and delicious days await!

Jim Walker