Wrapping Up 2011

Around the end-ish of each year I like to go back over the goals that I set for myself the previous year, before setting new goals for the year ahead. 2011 did not quite go as planned, but by no means would I consider it a failure. It was an interesting one.


1. Do things that terrify, embarrass, startle, and otherwise freak me out. 
I'd consider this the biggest success of all time. I ended a relationship that had been my absolute rock and place of consistency and security for three years. I moved into a place on my own for the first time in my life. I asked for a bigger raise at work (and got it!), I swam with a whale shark (briefly, in six foot seas and open water, and mildly panicked the entire time). Ultimately- I completely restructured my life, stopped shying away from the unfamiliar, and learned to start trusting my own gut more than ever before. It is not the journey that I had intended for myself by any means, but it has been the most significant.

2. Learn more about the joys of yeast and fermentation.
I'd call this questionable. While I started working with sourdough fairly early on in the year- in coming to terms with my gluten intolerance as well as moving into an apartment with the most inconsistent temperature range (ever!) I really let this one slip aside. Bread baking may not be a consistent thing for me, but my love for kombucha, kimchee, and all other things vinegary and mildly terrifying has not faded. 2012 might just be the perfect year for strange fermented things.


3. Go places, take classes, and make things.
2011 was: a gyotaku class in Portland, a four-week mushroom identification class through The Puget Sound Mycological Society, a very successful mushroom hunting trip, the best cupcakes I've ever made, two types of homemade cereal (granola, and amaranth). I also took swim lessons, made recipe after recipe of mediocre gluten free cookies, and spent a whole lot of time tromping around in the woods and mud.

4. Run a full marathon and start training for a triathlon.
Hah! Oops. While I did run my second half marathon (and cut 15 minutes off my previous time!) life really got in the way of any other training. An injury in October led to me having to wear this lovely thing for three weeks, and my foot still isn't fully healed. I'm signed up for my third half marathon this coming March, and will again aim to run my first full marathon in the next year.

5. Go somewhere I've never been before.
Success! Chimacum & Point No Point, Canon Beach, Whidby Island, Guemes Island (favorite!), Port Townsend, Crystal Mountain, and most wonderfully of all- La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico!


Did 2011 throw any surprises your way?

That Week I Spent Eating Popsicles and Swimming with Whale Sharks

Oh, hi! Did I mention that I went to Mexico? Maybe? I flew down to La Paz, Baja California Sur the day before Thanksgiving with my brother and his lady. My mom and her partner are currently in the midst of a big crazy amazing adventure and we headed down to spend the week with them. We spent a tremendous amount of time talking to birds/stray cats/dogs, sitting in the sun, and eating the best popsicles of my life. We snorkeled with whale sharks(!!!), found a lagoon with wild horses, lived off of fresh avocados, and generally had a really miserable time.

Truly, it was dreadful.

Photos 6, 7, 15, 16, 17 were taken by my mom. Check my Flickr in the very near future for the rest of my photos!

On My Boot

Well, this happened.

I did something weird to my foot while running, and then I kept running on it. And did something else weird. So now I can't run for three weeks. Or really walk very well. My two new nicknames are "Hobbles" and "Skippy". Very endearing.

I'm trying to decide if I want to spend the next three weeks of semi-hibernation baking, reading, or contemplating adopting every single cat on the Paws website. If you have any suggestions for amazing recipes, books, or fuzzy things please share! I can handle about two days of sitting still before I start getting crazy. Watch out!

Fancy Camping

Tiny & New

Oh, hey. That's my new kitchen! It's about the size of my old bathroom, has incredibly strange lighting, and about ten square inches of counter space. But so far only wonderful things have come out of it. I made broccoli and feta pesto over gluten free pasta for dinner tonight. I have a peach and creme fraiche pie in the oven right now. My refrigerator is full of pickling cucumbers, friends are coming over for a tiny vegan feast on Friday, and I've somehow found room to store my stand mixer, ice cream maker, and canning pots. There is absolutely nothing for me to complain about.

These past three months have been the most transitional, chaotic, and challenging months that I've had in years. I'm finally settled into my new tiny home, loving what life is handing me, and working my butt off to keep myself moving forward. A lot of the things that keep me going on a day to day basis fell aside, and I can't even begin to describe how great it feels to be getting my hands dirty and making awesome messes again.

Fishermans Terminal

Link Love, and A Little Life Explaining

Okay, it's official. I have been trying to avoid making a dreaded "sorry I haven't been posting much" post- but I think I finally have to do it. So, you guys. I'm sorry I haven't been posting much. Believe me when I say that I think about it all the time. I miss my blog (weird, maybe) and I miss sitting down and writing out real posts and taking the time to edit photos and get excited about new upcoming adventures and projects. There is a lot (!) going on in my life right now- so much of it is so awesome- it's been a summer full of non-stop adventures so far. But it means that I'm not home much, and not really spending much time sitting down to think. I also totally scrapped my marathon training and feel kind of awful about it. So, it's not you. It's me. And I really do promise that I'm going to get better about posting- because I miss it more than I can explain without sounding like I'm talking about a past lover. Which is weird. So, for the sake of not being weird- let's just start here- with some of my favorite things that some of my favorite people have been doing.

- I will never get tired of Smitten Kitchen recipes. Ever. Flatbreads with Honey, Thyme, and Sea Salt sound like something that should only be served with fresh fromage blanc and local honey. That sounds like dinner tomorrow night.

- I have never made rice pudding. I really want to make it, though. I really want to make Risotto Rice Pudding with Brown Sugar and Vanilla from Joy the Baker. Like really, really badly. Really.

- Food In Jars has a seriously great recipe for Refrigerator Dill Pickles which are really great if you're intimidated by the full-blown canning process. These guys aren't intended to be shelf stable, so you don't need to worry about breaking jars or giving your friends botulism.

- Is it cheating to say that my favorite blog right now is my mamas? Her and my step-dad left just over three weeks ago and their years-long sailing trip! Check out their adventures as they cruise out of Alaska and down to Mexico (for now). They'll be stopping through Seattle in August, and I get to spend a week in La Paz with them come November!

- Excuse my language- but holy shit. Do you know what those are? No? Didn't think so. Those are Cinnamon Sugar Radish Chips from Pinch of Yum and my mind nearly exploded when I first saw them. I still haven't quite wrapped my mind around these- but I know that I need to make and eat them very, very soon.


What have you been doing and loving lately?

Good

"If I am not good to myself, how can I expect anyone else to be good to me?"

- Maya Angelou

New Goals for the New Year: 2011

u-pick

I recently went back over my goals for 2010 and wanted to give myself a little bit of time to come up with some goals for 2011.  I prefer goals over resolutions, as they give me some direction and focus without being so dramatic.  It's no big deal if I sway in another direction halfway through the year, or if I focus on one more than any other.  The New Year coincides with my birthday, and so it really is the perfect time for me to plot out a little structure and direction.


1. Do things that terrify, embarrass, startle, and otherwise freak me out.  I can be both terribly shy and terribly calculated at times, and it doesn't really seem to do me any favors.  I'd like to get past this and be able to feel more free in my actions.  I told my entire yoga class on Wednesday night that I call myself "baby girl" in my head when I'm running as to be nicer to myself (rather than cussing myself out).  I then turned bright red and promptly shoved my water bottle in my face after I blurted it out.  It was tiny and silly, but kind of awesome.  I need more of that in my life.

2. Learn more about the joys of yeast and fermentation.  The end of 2010 had me falling in love with kimchee, falling off the kombucha homebrewing wagon, getting tired of store bought yogurt, acquiring a stand mixer with a bread hook attachment, and becoming fascinated with yeast as carbonation.  I'd also love to try my hand at making vinegar and working with sourdough, and I really think it might be time to dust off our homebrew kit and get down to making beer.

3. Go places, take classes, and make things.  Now that I'm equipped with a tiny car, a bright pink fishing pole, and a membership with the Puget Sound Mycological Society- I am unstoppable!  Well, getting there.  I've also signed up to take a gyotaku class next month in Portland, I just started a 6 week ashtanga yoga series, I'm starting swim lessons in March, and I'm really excited about the classes offered at ASUW Experimental College.  Non-stop!

 yarn heart

4. Run a full marathon and start training for a triathlon.  I ran my first half marathon in November, and my second one is coming up in March.  I've really fallen in love with running, and the fact that running a full marathon sounds insane and impossible just makes me want to do it more.  The tri training will be dependent on how well my swim lessons go!

5. Go somewhere I've never been before.  This is a bit like #3, and I'm kind of sort of cheating on this one- as I already know that I'll be spending Thanksgiving in Mexico this year (hi Mom!), but ideally I'd like to make this a semi-regular thing.  I like the idea of trying restaurants in towns I've never been to.  Adventures in the name of food!

shi shi

Have you made any goals or resolutions for 2011?

Link Love!

I never find it surprising that so many people are looking to change their eating once December wraps up.  I have an early January birthday and so the rich foods and sugar binges still carry on a bit further.  All I've wanted to eat the past few days have been light, simple foods that are lovely and quick to make.

 

- Earlier this week I made a soup that was a combination of Chicken Soup with Jasmine Rice and Ginger from Serious Eats, and Miso Soup with Rice & A Poached Egg from The Kitchn.  Mine was a miso broth with garlic and ginger, served over rice and topped with a poached egg and some leftover sockeye salmon.  Served with a huge salad- it was perfect.

- When I did a cleanse last year- almond butter was one of my staples.  To be honest- I really don't like the stuff available commercaially- but this simple recipe for Homemade Maple Almond Butter from Food In Jars is another beast entirely.

- Perfect Little Ginger Cakes from Tales of a Food Forager are just that.  Perfect.  While theirs is a recipe made for the summer months- the lightness of them makes it ideal for simplified eating.  I love ginger sweets, but right now the last thing I want is a dense molasses cake.  These are made with honey and fresh ginger and would serve up beautifully with frozen summer berries or jam.  Scroll down about halfway for the recipe.

- While these Individual Buttermilk Spoonbreads from Herbivoracious sound quite rich on their own- I can't imagine a more perfect compliment to a pot of simple vegetarian chili. 

- If you're still craving homebaked sweets, but don't have the energy to venture into the kitchen (it also helps if you live in Seattle)- There is always The Piecycle.  Via Go Means Go:

"It’s simple.  You text your order to 425.923.6655 and it gets delivered to your door Friday and Saturday from 6pm-3am.  It doesn’t cost much, especially when you consider that these are homemade pies.  $3 gets you a slice or $20 buys you a whole pie."

Amazing.

A Good Calendar

I love, love, love a good calendar.  One of my most favorite things about the New Year is new calendars!  Here are some of my favorites from Etsy:

Adventures 2011 Calendar by Sally Harless (Sadly Harmless)

2011 Letterpress Calendar BOATS by 1canoe2

Eat More Veg 2011 Calendar by Laurie Coyle Designs

2011 Mini Magnetic Calendar by Graphic Grain

2011 Calendar Mint on Ivory by Valarie Jar

2011 Illustrated Calendar by sloeginfizz

Do you hang up a new calendar each year?