1. Cook a curry dish that does not suck- this is being held up entirely by the fact that I have no idea how to approach this, and because my first attempt blew up in my face, and tasted like feet, I’m a little gun-shy.

2.    Do the couch to 5k again- I was really cranking on this for about 2 weeks. Then I started to develop really terrible pains in my arches and heels with my toes almost always going around mile 2. Everyone I talked to said it was a shoe problem. So I’m going to talk to a specialty running store this weekend.

3. Read 6 books that are “just for fun” (1/6) - I read the Hunger Games, a book recommended to me by a multitude of my students. I have to admit it was one of the most engaging books I’ve read in a long time- though the only way I can describe it is “imagine if the book Brave New World somehow mated with the less smutty parts of Twilight and the movie Gladiator.” I read those 275 pages in 48 hours, though it helped that my students were testing.  I tried to start the second in that same series and it just isn’t taking as quickly. I find it really repetitive.

4. Learn to make my own pie crust – that isn’t tough or chewy - I’m really hoping to achieve this one when the summer fruit starts coming out, maybe even at home this summer so I’ll have a review panel around.
  
5.    Cook pad thai - I managed to find rice noodles but every recipe I can find calls for fish sauce and coconut milk. Neither of which I can lay hands on currently.
  
6.    Knit 5 items to donate (0/5) - No progress
  
7.    Try a new bread recipe- Last week we had a snow day and I made two loaves of bread. I used the recipe found on the internet. It was really easy, and really tasty. I baked cheese into the crust of the second loaf.
   
8.    Host a dinner party with at least 5 attendees- I think this is slated for this summer.  

9.    Lose 10 lbs- I’ve gained 2 lbs. Winter is rough.
    
10.    Go to bed before 11 for three weeks straight- I can usually get like 5 or 6 days in a row, then a weekend comes, and breaks the streak.
    
11.    Learn to eat pomegranate - If I could find a pomegranate, I would.
   
12.    Give up soda for a month- My record so far is three weeks, but it hasn’t fully taken yet.
 
13.    knit something that requires colorwork
    
14.    bake a lava cake
   
15.    Find 15 new recipes to mix in to “the usual rotation” (1/15)- I added a really tasty “Baked Potato Soup”. I used this recipe but lightened it up with every trick in the book- halving the butter, excluding the sour cream except the dollop on top, using turkey bacon, halving the cheese, and using skim milk.
   
16.    add 100 new squares to my sock blanket (7/100)
   
17.    Watch all 100 of the American Film Institute's 100 greatest movies of all time (2/100)
   
18.    Send 20 letters (0/20)  - I’m sucking it up on this one.
   
19.    Complete my "facebook 5" surprise projects (.5/5)
   
20.    Use mouthwash every night for 3 weeks straight - like everything else, I get on the wagon for about 5 days, then weekend comes and shoves me right back off.   

21.    Blog at least 24 times. (3/24)
   
22.    Visit a state I've never been to before. - I’m torn about where this should be, and very open to suggestions. We’ve decided officially that in order to “count a state” I have to have stayed there and seen at least part of the community. So staying over-night on the way down to mission trips doesn’t count, but spending the night in Orange City, IA does.
   
23.    Deep clean the flat at least 6 times- this should include mopping and washing the covers on the furniture (1/6) - Yay snow days! check out my tupperware cupboard.
   

 or my linen closet..

24.    Save up for a DSLR camera. ($300/$800)






So that's how things are in the end of February!

A look back at the baked goods of February

 Drew's Birthday Cake- Drew is the Spanish teacher at the High School. Last year we celebrated his 16th birthday, so it only made sense that this year we do the big 1-7

 I tried my hand at different flavors of truffles- the above are vanilla almond with pink food coloring for the holiday. They were coated in dark chocolate.

 These ones were double fudge they're coated in red candy drops and drizzled with dark chocolate.

 And here they are mixed together... cute hey?

 I also tried my hand cut out cookies with royal icing- they were shiny but not neat.

And that's a look back at all of the goodies of February.

Every year...

Every year there's a rotation of mood that happens mid February.


When September rolls around- I feel like this:

By the time February hits, this is more the case-

I'm in the low point. It'll get better- it always does.