New Years Thoughts

Well here we are in a new year again. Some thoughts as to what I want to have happen in my life:

-- get back to sourdough bread regularly. I managed I think 3 weeks as the max for making bread regularly. I just need to DO IT. And having bread on hand will ensure that I eat the products I make (like jams) and always have food around, so we stop eating out quite so much.

-- in addition to always having and using the ketchup that I made, I'd like to try making mustard regularly. here's a few more recipes to try. The ketchup really is quite good (I want to try this ketchup too) and I was making excuses to use it! I was using it in place of tomato paste in soups and sauces, etc. I love love LOVE mustard, and my fave has left my local co-op. So, why not attempt my own? It should be fun.

-- yet again, I would like to do UPick this year and can my bounty. Maybe this'll be the year that comes true!

-- I will buy in bulk grains, beans and dried fruits. I will also USE them at least once a week.

-- Maybe this'll be the year that Mister and I get into eating yogurt regularly. Or perhaps make cheese. Let's strive to make one milk-related project this year. Or I could pull a Tigress move and make a year's worth of butter.

-- I will figure out what to do with that back yard. Mister and I need to kill that trumpet vine for good and re-lay the brick. So 2012 will be the year we set up the backyard.

-- I won't kill myself over the wedding planning. So help me gods, if there is anything uncompleted a week before the party, it's going unfinished.

-- Get back into foraging. So far I've managed one per year. Two years ago it was grapes, last year it was chives. Let's aim for TWO items!

And to round it all off, let's look at last year's goals.

-- sort through jewelry box: nope

-- make my own bread: sorta, see above goal

-- more seasonal scavenging: not really, see above goal

-- get a cat: not yet, but Mister has finally come around :-P

-- look into chickens: Mister is still anti-chicken

-- have all gifts be handmade: eh, not too shabby

-- make more liqueurs/cordials: I started making one, and still haven't finished. Whoops!

-- learn to use spices: surprisingly, yes!

-- involve friends in the food process: I meant "can with friends" so not really

-- do UPick often: failure

-- put up more food: yes!

-- keep the budget down: eh... nope

-- eat out of the pantry: yes and no

-- store 6 months of food: nope

-- garden this year: yes, but it was not a success overall

Stored/Made Food Overall:

-- several #s of frozen rhubarb
-- 1 small bag of frozen blueberries
-- 1 jar chive blossom vinegar
-- 2 jars of spiced fig vinegar
-- 2 8-oz jars of blueberry peach jam
-- 10 8-oz jars of applesauce, 1 qt-jar of applesauce
-- 3 8-oz jars of ketchup
-- 1 jar apple cider syrup
-- 1 half-pint jar of berries in syrup
-- 1 jar candied ginger vinegar
-- venison from my dad