Call them what you will: resolutions, goals, plans. Here’s what on tap for 2010.
Cook and eat more consciously. After reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma and watching Food, Inc., Nick and I have decided to make this a priority for 2010. During the first week of the new year, we chose seasonal broccoli, parsnips, and lemons over imported strawberries and tomatoes. We inspected our meat and hoped for a day when its origin will be listed on its label. This year we plan to visit more farmers’ markets, to find a local sustainable farm to support, and to fully report our progress at The Culinary Couple.
Develop our own recipes. Armed with How to Cook Everything and The Flavor Bible, we want to create our own concoctions. At first this will mean modifications to tried and true recipes, and I’m positive there will be mistakes and miscalculations. But we’re determined. Again, you can check up on us over at The Culinary Couple.
Move all of our belongings under one roof. This one is trickier than it sounds. Currently the following are stacked in my parents’ basement: kitchen electrics and gadgets, bath towels and bed sheets, Calphalon cookware and Noritake dishes, a nearly new queen size bed, a kitchen table, a desk, a microwave, and much more. And, oh, how I dream of a garage to store our bikes and golf bags and camping equipment. Of course, in order to accomplish this goal, we first need to determine the location of our that “one roof.”
Get comfortable with my Rebel XTI. I’m off to a good start. We bought two new lenses in December: 50mm f/1.8 and 55-250mm f/4.5, and I’ve been using more of my manual settings and less of my automatic flash. By 2011 I’ll be ready for Project 365.
Send more cards. And this means keeping better track of birthdays, anniversaries, and other celebrations. Yes, emails and Facebook messages and tweets are nice, but don’t you love just love to receive cards and handwritten notes in your tangible mailbox?
Run a marathon. I have my sights set on Seattle’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon on June 26th. I figure this goal will be easier to attain if it includes live music at every mile marker and salmon and microbrews at the finish line. Here’s hoping that finances and, more importantly, my physical capability allow me to do this.
I also want to give back. To be more productive. To be more present. These are ongoing.
And I want to wear a dirndl while drinking a liter of beer in a Hofbräuhaus in Germany this October. Prost!
Beer in Germany sounds like a wonderful thing! I’m excited to hear more about your cooking adventures. Lord, knows you have way more skills than I do.
All sounds really good… In case you need help with finding a Dirndl, let me know. We will definitely figure something out since I am closer to the sources. 🙂
What great goals!
I got the Flavor Bible for Christmas, too. It’s such a cool book! Love it already.
You should definitely check out the 100 mile diet. There is a website and might even be a book. Its a challenge to see if you can only eat food that only comes from 100 miles of your home.