Resolute

So far, I'm sticking to my New Year's Resolution of trying new recipes...

...well, sort of.  We had lasagna on Wednesday. I've made lasagna before, but since it's not in my regular rotation (I make it once or twice a year, if even that) I'm counting it as a new recipe. It was delicious, easier to make than I remembered, and a nice change of pace for dinner.

But, I do need to branch out to truly new recipes, and I've been pouring over my cookbooks.  This is the stack on the family room end table that I peruse whenever I have a spare moment.  The tabs sticking out are marking the recipes I want to try:

And here's another shelf of cookbooks in the office:

This shelf is baking cookbooks only:

Of course, I have more cooking/baking books that don't fit on those shelves just laying around the house.  I want to go through all of them, try the recipes that sound good, and get rid of any that don't have something I can use. 

In addition to the usual cookbooks, I have years of back issues of magazines with valuable recipes.  Below are my office shelves dedicated to Martha Stewart publications (plus the Complete Chicken Cookbook which won't fit on the other cookbook shelf).  Some of the Martha Stewart books deal with crafts, organization and business, but I own a few cookbooks from her and I've kept every issue of Martha Stewart Living from 2005 on.  I've also kept every issue I've ever received of Everyday Food, which now amounts to a sizable collection of those. I need to go through each of these again and find recipes and meals that will work for my family. 

As if this weren't enough cookbooks and magazines, I also have 10+ years worth of Taste of Home back issues, as well as 10+ special Taste of Home publications (hardback books, recipe collections, etc.).  There's also two years of back issues of Better Homes and Gardens, and several binders worth of recipes, tips and ideas I've clipped from magazines over the last 14+ years. 

With all material for new dinner and meal ideas, I might need to change my resolution from trying two new dinner recipes a month to trying a new recipe twice a day.  And working out more. That, or investing in several new pairs of sweat pants. 

I'm leaning towards new sweat pants.

Manda Monday: I hereby resolve...

Happy 2012!

I'm back with my New Year's resolutions.  Last year, I resolved to make all bread and cakes from scratch. I can proudly report that for the most part, I did just that. 99% of all cakes were made from scratch, and the cakes that started with a box mix were doctored up with so many extra ingredients that they might as well have been from scratch.  As for the bread, I'd say about 70% of it was homemade.  My bread machine isn't the best, but I am trying to make it work.  From this experience, I know I will never (unless it is a Sock It To Me cake) go back to box cake mixes, and I'll continue to make bread from scratch as often as I can.

And while it wasn't a resolution for 2011, I did become a gardener, so I feel really good about that. 

For 2012, I have a few resolutions:

1. Try a new dinner recipe twice a month.  My dinner menu repertoire has gotten extremely boring. There are only 30 or so meals I make, and most of those are dependent on the weather: crock pot meals in the winter, grilled meals in the summer.  Right now, each dinner suggestion makes me say "But we just had that!"  Not cool.  Over the next few days, I'll be pouring over my 50+ cookbooks and marking recipes to try. And I'll be sure to share the winners with you.

2.  Make more crafts!  I have a ton of craft supplies and projects I want to tackle (scrapbooks, card-making, photo albums, etc.) but I have been very short on time.  This year, I'd like to carve two hours out of my weekly schedule to do something crafty.  It doesn't have to be a masterpiece, but it does need to get my creative juices flowing.  All I've crafted recently are my Christmas card books, and I really want (and need!) to do more.

3. Become more frugal.  While I am big on clipping coupons, frugal entertainments options and more, I need to educate myself on making wise investments and saving for retirement.  Also, I have two small children who are geniuses and bound for MIT, and I need to start saving now for their college education. And space camp.  And music lessons.  And archery class.  These things add up, and I want to be prepared financially. Though emotionally, I don't want my babies to grow up and leave me, ever.  Sniffle. 

What are your resolutions?  And just to be clear, I think it's totally fine to say "I resolve to brush my teeth every day" even if you are already doing that and you just need a resolution that easily accomplished to boost your self-esteem.  Totally acceptable.  Because you know what?  "Brushing my teeth every day" is my hidden resolution #4.  Just so you know.