I basked in the glory of not being required to bake anything on a schedule for about two weeks, and then I got bored. What can I say? I like to set goals.
The key is to find goals that push without demanding too much. I need enough structure to keep me accountable, but not so much that I feel resentful. I hope I’ve found that balance.
What I’ve decided to do is choose 24 dishes – 12 cooked and 12 baked – that have been marinating in the back of my brain for too long. These are recipes that I thought “YES!!! I want to make that, and as soon as possible”, when I first saw them, but then something has gotten in the way, time and again, sometimes for years. How many times am I going to think to myself that I should try making a dish at home before I just finally do it?
Not all of the recipes are difficult. Not all of them are even new to me; I’ve made versions of some of these dishes before, but haven’t found a recipe I think is The One. In some cases, I have specific recipes chosen; in others, only an ingredient or flavor.
I’ve assigned the dishes to months so I pace myself. (I’m not much of a procrastinator in projects like this; I would do the opposite and stress myself out by trying to finish them all by March.) And sometime, anytime, during that month, I’ll blog about those two recipes.
And that’s it. Two recipes per month, chosen by me, of dishes I’ve always wanted to make. How hard can this be?
Here’s the schedule:
January – asian lettuce wraps and black bean avocado brownies
February – ranch dressing and peanut butter butterscotch fudgy crisp rice sandwich bars
March – mozzarella and whole wheat chocolate chip cookies
April – dolmades and gougeres
May – mustard and focaccia
June – barbecued ribs and gelato
July – paella and honey ice cream
August – general tso’s chicken and creamsicle whoopie pies
September – tomato mozzarella tart with basil crust and pop-tarts
October – quinoa fritters and macarons
November – meatloaf and something chai-flavored
December – something with miso and gingerbread cookies
Oh, I should do this. Lately I haven’t made a new recipe in months. I need to get started. Thanks for reminding me!
fitzie
Sounds like you are setting yourself up for success. Good luck
Quinoa fritters are so good but mine never stay together — I hope you find something that works well! Also, honey ice cream sounds wonderful!
This is a great idea! And now that you’ve written it down, you won’t forget what you planned on making each month, which is what I always do. Good luck!
Love your list! Especially January and February 🙂
I think it’s a great idea to set this up for yourself! I too like a little bit of structure to keep me focused, but not too much to make hate it! Can’t wait for these posts!
I’m excited to see how the peanut butter butterscotch fudgy crisp rice sandwich bars work out. Could they wound any more delicious?
Great idea about 2 new recipes per month… and dust off the cookbooks at the same time!
This sounds like a great idea. I have so many recipes “to-try” as well.
What a great list – can’t wait to see you making each of these things. I’ve been wanting to make black bean and avocado brownies for a long time as well.
I love your list! Some of the resolution lists I’ve seen people set for themselves are so enormous, they might as way say “Facilitate World Peace” for all the success they’ll achieve. Yours is infinitely doable, and lucky us, we get to watch!