I have seen 30 things to do before I 30 lists around for a while… I am not close to need that list. But I do want to keep myself challenged in the kitchen. So I have decided to make a 12 cooking/baking list for 2012. I am hoping this will give me some challenges as well as help me stay motivated through my pregnancy and new baby times.

1. Bagels- I have wanted to do this forever!!

2. Tortillas- I love mexican might as well try to start from scratch.

3. Seafood- Make some kind of seafood that I actually cooked and actually liked.

4. Pot Roast- My Mom made these growing up and I loved them. But I have been less then happy with ours always tough, tastes off and just not right. I WILL find the right recipe.

5. Fondant Cake- I have never tried and really want too.

6. Homemade Marshmallows- I love marshmallows and how can they not be better homemade?

7. Macaroons- For some reason these really intimate me, time to get over the fear like I did yeast!

8. Homemade Dressing- Not that it’s difficult just easier to purchase but need to try.

9. Gelato- I feel like I got ice cream down, next to try gelato.

10. 1 Recipe a Month from a Cookbook- It’s too easy to search online and forget about the tons of cookbooks you have, one recipe a month out of a cookbook.

11. Sourdough Bread- My husbands favorite bread hands down is sourdough, I really want to attempt from scratch

12. Pasta- I have the attachments and tried once and failed, this year I WILL get right!

So these are my goals for 2012, if you have awesome recipes for any please share. I will update a few times through the year.

My brother invited us over for dinner about a year ago, when I asked what he was making he said Jambalaya. This shocked me as he doesn’t cook. We got there I discovered it was out of a box, add water and sausage and thats that. Adam and I both really enjoyed it, it was our first time ever having it. Since then I too have made it out of a box. When I saw this recipe I knew I had to make it. Then upon looking at pictures I discovered there are two kinds of Jambalaya. I turned to my friend Amy at The Nifty Foodie who told me that there is Creole vs. Cajun. Creole has tomatoes thus making it red (what I had been making from the box) and this cajun one.

This was simple to make, but made a lot… And I felt it lacked flavor. I think this was because we had all set our-self up for the Creole kind being thats what have had in the past. I will be making this again trying to find a creole recipe and someday hope to make a trip to NOLA to try each kind for myself.

Jambalaya (From: Cooking With Christen)

• 2.5 lbs boneless pork shoulder (we used boneless pork ribs) cut into 1.5″ chunks
• 1 lb. smoked sausage, sliced
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 3/4 cup green onion, diced
• 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
• 4 cups long grain rice
• 8 cups water (for rice)
• 3 tbsp Kitchen Bouquet
• Seasoning (salt, red pepper, garlic powder, onion powder)
• water (for meat)

In a 5-6 quart heavy bottom pot (cast iron is best), heat up vegetable oil.  Season pork to taste and brown thoroughly.  Add a little water if it starts to stick.

Once browned, remove to a bowl and add sausage to the pot to get brown.  Once done, add vegetables and cook until tender.  Add pork back and stir to combine.  Add enough water to cover and simmer until almost all of the liquid has evaporated.

Add 8 cups water and season to taste, making sure it is a little on the salty side for the rice.  Add the Kitchen Bouquet to darken the gravy.  When the liquid starts to boil, add rice, parsley and onion tops.  Keep stirring until most liquid is absorbed, then turn the fire to low and cover for 20 minutes.  DO NOT OPEN!!  This is crucial.

After 20 minutes, remove lid and stir to fluff.  Put lid back on for 10 more minutes.  Do not open!

After 10 more minutes, open lid, fluff and serve.

I have been planning menus but haven’t been sharing them. I decided to start posting them again. Since getting pregnant we have been re-visiting a lot of favorites, but I realize some of you have never made those recipes. This week we have some newbies making an appearance.

Monday: Open faced turkey sandwiches and other turkey leftovers

Tuesday: Turkey pot pie

Wednesday: Spinach and bacon stuffed Pork Chops

Thursday: BBQ Chicken, Pineapple quesadillas

Friday: Buffalo Chicken Pizza (roughly following this)

Saturday: Ravioli Pesto Lasagna with salad

Sunday: Dinner out as were headed to some holiday fun downtown

My little cupcake and myself would like to wish you a very happy and safe Halloween.

I was making smoothies daily for breakfast, but I started running out of fruit and then the temps got colder and I stopped all together. But I have been wanting to get back into them as they really helped me get fruit into my system. When I got this offer from Yoplait to try the chocolate banana smoothie they had came out with I was really excited. Unfortunately our store did have that flavor when I went so I opted for strawberry banana, but I will be going back for that one sooner then later!

As much as it’s easy enough to make my own this is really nice, grab the bag, the blender and milk. Blend poor into 2 glasses and your good to go. Each package has 2 servings. I ended up half about a 1/2 of serving while my daughter had the rest. She is a smoothie LOVER!

So thanks to Yoplait and My Blog Spark I am giving away a little gift pack so you yourself can try the chocolate banana smoothie.

Included is a neck pillow, coupon for free smoothie, Yoplait smoothie glass and straw and a lavender eye cover.  To enter simply leave a comment with your favorite out of the normal thing to add to your smoothies. Limited one entry per person.
Entry open until Wednesday 5th 9am Central time, a winner will be announced on the 5th and they have 48 hours after the announcement post to get in contact with me to get the prize package mailed to them.

**“Disclosure: The Yoplait^® VIP Coupon, information, and giveaway have been provided by Yoplait through MyBlogSpark.”

Sorry it took me a bit to get to this, but we have a winner.

Here are your random numbers:
Amanda @ fake ginger August 8, 2011 at 4:02 pm
My favorite breakfast food is oatmeal with cereal coming in a close second.
Timestamp: 2011-08-11 17:57:08 UTC

Amanda please e-mail me at adamswife06(at)gmail(dot)com, you have 48 hours to get in contact with me before I will choose another winner.

I have chosen a Sams club winner, if you are not the winner stay-tune for a another giveaway later this week.

**If I do not hear from the winner within 48 hours I will choose a new winner. Thank you.

Here are your random numbers:

15 Julie August 1, 2011 at 2:55 pm
Diapers. I’ve got 2 in diapers now so we go through a lot of them.
Timestamp: 2011-08-03 18:20:36 UTC

Julie please e-mail me at adamswife06(at)gmail(dot)com

I made my first trip to the farmers market for the year and bought 5 things of basil with intents to make pesto. I made pesto last year trying to sub something for basil and it wasn’t good at all. My husband and brother still pick on me about it.

I had trouble finding a “perfect” pesto recipe as everything was little of this little of that, and basically that is what it is. But I like exacts. This pesto was better but still didn’t taste like the store bought, it tasted more “herby” and I am not sure how to get around that issue. But my mother in law and husband thought it was excellent.

Pesto (Inspired From: Internet)

• 3 cups of basil leaves, washed and dried
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1/4 c. grated parmesan
• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 1/4 c. nuts of choice
• salt and pepper to taste

Place basil in food processor and olive oil.

Add garlic, parmesan and nuts. Puree until smooth add rest of oil as needed.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Wow a savory recipe around here is unheard of lately. I have been feel very very uninspired in the kitchen as of late and have been sticking with old favorites, or grilling. Hopefully soon I will get my mojo back and post some savory recipes. But ofcourse sweet recipes are my favorite so I’m not complaining!

I love love Mexican, hands down no question my favorite food. Pasta is a very close second but mexican num. I wanted to make something Mexican this week but wasn’t sure what, I had a few beef roasts in the freezer I wanted to use up. So I came across this recipe and knew it would be perfect.

These tacos were really good. I don’t normally like shredded tacos but these were really good. I might just use the next couple roasts for the same thing.

Slowcooker Shredded Beef (Adapted From: Ellys Say Opa)

• 1 (2 lb.) boneless beef roast
• Veggie oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 sm. can beef broth
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 1.5 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. oregano

Pour oil into large skillet. Turn on medium heat. Coat both sides of roast with salt and pepper. Once pan is hot add beef and sear every side. Put into crockpot.

Add onion to the pan and cook about 2 minutes then add garlic and tomato paste. Once mixed together add broth and seasonings into pan, making sure to get the bits off the botton of the pan. Pour over roast in crockpot.

Cook on low for 8-10 hours.  Shred with a fork. Add back into juice and cook until ready to eat.