Resolution, Schmesolution

I'm not big on New Year's Resolutions.

Some people live by them, and I'm here to support you in your endeavors. For me, though, New Year's Resolutions tend to be unrealistic, self-defeating disingenuous goals. Sometimes, we even make goals just for the sake of having a goal to spout off when asked, "What is your New Year's Resolution?"

As for me, there are no resolutions this year.

Blah, I know.

BUT, I do have some things I am excited to incorporate into my life. I feel that looking at New Year's in this light helps to make any changes you want to make manegable. I'm not committing to SOME BIG THING, which can intimidate us from the goal right off the bat. I just want to add fruit to my life. And no greater time to start than the present!

So, I wanted to share some of the things I am excited about adding to my life this year. My goal in doing so is to experience fullness, enrichment and joy. It is inevitable that these incorporations will affect my blogging. When I am excited, I blog about it. Some of the new life areas will be a fun addition to my weekly posts (and we can hopefully grow and be excited together)!

Things Steph Is Excited About In 2010

1) Locally Sourced Food/Sustainable Eating/Eating in Season. It's hard to seperate these ideas, so I had to clump them together. Had you asked me a year or 2 ago about this topic, I'd most likely have no idea what you were talking about. But as we grow more in love with our town, have a growing family and an increased involvement in the West Chester Grower's Market, I can't help but become more committed to this cause. I will be the first to admit I know little about farming, "going green," "organic living," or however you'd like to label this idea. But it's becoming more important to me. And that needs to be reflected in my life. I'm not sure how or what it will look like, but I hope you'll follow me as I chronicle the journey!

2) Starting a Garden. This pairs well with #1. But now that we have the means (ie: land/space) to grow a garden, I want to make it happen this year. For the past 2 years, Hubby and I have employed some patio/flower pot gardening techniques. Some have been fruitful. Others have gone to the dogs (or deer. Or squirrels. Either way, they got the veggies before we did. Jerks). We have a great base for a gardening space, and now it is just a matter or ordering the seeds! Actually, that's only the beginning. We have some garden planning/building/lay out to consider and work on. Then it's a matter of getting the seeds ready, the soil ready, planting...then hoping for the best. I'll share with you my adventures as a first time gardener!

3) Starting a Compost Pile. I'm still researching how to go about this, as it is not as easy as throwing away all of your edible trash into a pile. But composting is a great habit to get into, as it is healthier for the earth AND gives you great soil for gardening (see #2)!

4) Reducing My Meat Consumption. I'm not talking anything drastic, like going vegetarian (but props to you out there who are!). As I've researched #'s 1-3, I can't deny the information I've found about the ovewhelming demand our society has for meat/poultry, and how reducing it in your diet is better for your health. Still researching this, but our family goal is to try 1 Meatless Meal per week. A great movement that is encouraging people with this very idea is Meatless Mondays. Check it out. Let me know if you're up for the challenge - but I WILL post more Meatless Recipes!

5) Read More. I don't read enough. I'd like to read more. I enjoyed having the opportunity to review 2 cookbooks recently - so I hope to expand that to more genres of literature and share with you my thoughts on what I read!

6) Creating Recipes From Scratch. I love the pursuit of new recipes, as you may know if you read this blog. I will continue pursuing new and exciting recipes this year (so don't stop sending them to me!), but I want to challenge myself to be more in tune with the cooking process. I want to understand what flavors and ingredients go well together. So, I will be experimenting more, and attempting some creations sans recipes. Wish me luck. If any turn out, I will share the concoction with you!

7) Staying Active. I'd like to be more physically active than I was last year. I will be honest (and not ashamed): It was difficult for me to jump right back into a rigorous fitness lifestyle after having Little Chica. Some women have bodies (and energy levels) that bounce back immediately after giving birth, looking like they'd never carried a child in that flat tummy of theirs. Between the demands of a baby, less opportunities to go to the gym (or, having a child who really didn't like being left in the babysitting area), lack of energy, and sheer laziness, I was overall not as active as I'd like to have been. Toward the end of 2009, I picked up the pace a bit, and was happy with the results. This "goal" is not about the look of my body, but rather, the HEALTH of my body. I want to increase my energy, stamina, and overall healthiness. If I have ANY "goal" in 2010, it is to compete in a formal race. Not a marathon. Maybe more along the lines of a 5K. And we'll work on up from there :)

As I read what I've written, I realize it may sound like I've gone off the deep end. Images of long hair, chanting and entering a hippy commune might come to mind. This is not the case. The things you read above have just become more important to me, and I want that to be reflected in my life. I do not have any set goals or criteria to "assess my progress." I may not blog about each idea weekly, or even monthly. On the other hand, some things I might blog about daily! Regardless, as each activity impacts my life, I will share my stories with you.

*What "Things" do you want to add to your life in 2010? *

I'd be really interested to hear all about it!

Would you consider leaving a comment with YOUR list?

As you do, my hope is that more and more people add their list - and we can become encouraged by what others are striving for this year (or perhaps you'll even find someone who is interested in the same thing, and you can go on the journey together!)

Happy New Year!

Tasty Treat Thursday: New Years Edition

What is New Years Eve without Tasty Treats?

Tonight, we'll be enjoying a few appetizers and drinks. I thought I'd share with you what I'll be having, in case you need some inspiration (or you're scrambling to pull something together for a party). Each of these treats comes together in a snap, with ingredients you most likely have on hand (or can easily pick up at the store).

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Drinks

Pomegranate Martini (from a previous post)

• 1 oz. vodka
• 1/2 oz. orange liqueur (Cointreau is the suggestion)
• 3 oz. pomegranate juice

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shake 1/4 filled with chopped ice. Shake and strain into a glass. Serve with a squeeze of lemon.

Nigella Lawson's Pomegranate Martini

• 2 Parts Vodka
• 1 Part Pomegranate Juice (or pomegranate liqueur
• 1/2 part Grenadine

Combine in shaker with ice. *Note - "part" can be translated to either "ounce" or "cup" depending on how many you are serving.

Shake together and chill

Appetizers

Vegetable Dip in a Bread Bowl

• · 1 C. Sour Cream
• 1 C. Mayonnaise
• · 1 pkg Knorrs Vegetable Soup Mix
• · 1 5-oz can of water chestnuts, chopped fine
• · 1 bunch of scallions, chopped fine
• · 10 oz of spinach: cooked, drained and chopped
• · 1 8 oz block of cream cheese
• · 1 loaf of round dark bread (pumpernickel - check out Big Sky Bread Co for some great multigrain and dark breads. They even offer freezer bags, so you can keep the bread in the freezer until Thanksgiving!)

Squeeze spinach to remove excess moisture. Combine all ingredients through cream cheese. Hollow out the bread, making a bowl. Take the cut out pieces and cut into cubes for eating the dip. Chill. Shortly before serving, fill the bread bowl with dip. Place bread cubes around the bowl. Leftovers keep very well in fridge!

Goat Cheese With Red Pepper Jelly

It's as simple as it sounds. Place a log of Chevre goat cheese onto a serving plate. Spoon Red Pepper Jelly over the cheese. Serve with crackers

Fresh Mexican Dip

• 2 Blocks Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 can Refried Beans
• 1 can Sliced Black Olives
• 1-2 cups Salsa
• 1-2 cups Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
• 1/2 cup Diced Onion
• 1/2 cup Diced Red Pepper

On a serving platter, spread cream cheese so it covers entire bottom. Layer each of the next ingredients through Cheese. Sprinkle Onion and Red Pepper over top.

Serve with Tortilla Chips.

Asparagus Roll-Ups

• 1 block of cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons of fresh chvies
• 8 slices of bacon cooked and crumbed/cut up
• parmesan cheese
• butter
• 16 asparagus stalks
• 16 slices of bread from a loaf (Jess used Wheat Bread)

Put asaparagus onto skillet with water for 6-8 minutes.
Mix cream cheese, chives, bacon into a bowl.
Use a rolling pin and flatten the bread completely. Remove crusts.
Spread cream cheese mixture onto bread.
Top with asapragus (if too big, cut in half, and but both pieces onto the bread), and roll up.
Melt butter and drizzle over asparagus roll-ups. Finish by sprinkling with parmesan cheese.
Bake at 400ø for 12 minutes until crisp/golden.

Desserts

Mexican Brownies (from an earlier post)

• 1 box brownie mix (with ingredients listed on the box - varies with each mix)
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp of cayenne -OR- chipotle pepper powder

1) Empty dry brownie mix into a bowl. Add cinnamon and pepper to mix.

2) Add remaining wet ingredients, according to brownie mix box (eggs? oil? water? butter? Each box is different).

3) Bake according to package directions.

Butterscotch Chow Mein Jumbles (from an earlier post)

• 1 package of Butterscotch Morsels
• 1 can/package of Chow Mein Noodles

1) Melt butterscotch morsels over a double-boiler

2) In a bowl, combine melted morsels and chow mein noodles.

3) Cover a cookie sheet with wax paper. Drop chow mein mixture by large spoonfuls into small jumbles (about 2-3 TBS per jumble).

4) Refrigerate until jumbles are hardened.

Melissa's Cosmo Truffles (from an earlier post)

• 16 oreos
• 1 package cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Cofectioners sugar (for dusting)

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1. Crush oreos (in a plastic bag or food processor). Combine with cream cheese.
2. Using a tablespoon, form the cream cheese mixture into balls. Place on wax paper on a tray. Cover with plastic wrap & put in fridge/freezer for about an hour or until solid.
3. Put chocolate chips in microwave for 1 minute, then stir. Heat them in microwave for another 30 seconds, stir again.
4. Using a fork or toothpick, dip cream cheese/oreo balls into the melted chocolate. Dust with sugar
5. Put in fridge/freezer for another hour or until chocolate is set.

Jen's Cannoli Dip (from an earlier post)

• 150z - 16oz Ricotta Cheese (part skim ok)
• 8 oz Cool Whip
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 1/2 cup Confectioners Sugar
• 1 - 1 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (Jen says she does the WHOLE BAG! YEAHHHHH!)
• 1 pk. 8" Flour Tortilla
• Cinnamon
• Sugar (Sugar in the Raw works BEST, but neccessary)

Mix ingredients 1-5 together. That was easy - you have your Cannoli Dip!

Cut tortillas into 8 triangles. Place tortilla wedges on a baking sheet. Sprinkle or spray the tortilla wedges with water. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Bake @ 400* until crispy (4-6 mins). NOTE: Keep a close eye on them - they burn QUICKLY!

Remove Tortilla Wedges from oven and cool on paper towels.

Serve with the Cannoli Dip!

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Hope you all have a great New Years Eve, whether you are partying it up at a fancy party, or chilling at home in your PJ's :) You can guess which of the 2 I'll be doing...

Hoping to share my thoughts on some New Years Resolution stuff tomorrow, so check back!