2011 Goals

So obviously my 2012 goal is to watch every episode of Roseanne in order. But by 2011 goal was 2 part: To learn to do a hand stand, and to use every kitchen gadget I had.

For the handstand, I'm pretty good: I can kick up to a handstand against a wall easily, and I can balance on just my hands for a couple of seconds without tipping. I'm still working to increase the time I can spend balancing, but I'm pretty happy with it.

For my kitchen appliances, I made a list at the beggining of 2011 of all of the tools I was going to use, and crossed each one off. Here is the list, and my attempt at remembering what I did with all of them:

1. Deep Fryer - Used this on Christmas Eve to make tempura. It was delicious.
2. Rice Cooker - Used this several times during the year to make...rice.
3. Fondue Pot - This was one of the last things ones I crossed off my list just before 2012. I had to really plan to use it. So I made an Italian Fonduta with Roasted Red Peppers (Rachael Ray's recipe) and fed the hubs and housemates.
4. Pasta Maker - Used this for Vasily's birthday to roll out chocolate for a super fancy Bon Appetit Chocolate cake recipe
5. Creme Brulee Torch - Used for actual creme brulee, pumpkin creme brulee, and on brown sugar on baked oatmeal and bananas. Yum.
6. Bread Machine - Made bread. I think 2 weeks in a row, thought how easy and amazing it was, and then never used it again.
7. Immersion Blender - Made a soup with leeks and chard from the garden
8. Coffee Pot - Made a flourless chocolate cake that called for strong coffee, and made a cup. I don't drink coffee, so this usually only comes out when my mom visits, but I don't think she used it this year. I made the flourless cake recipe for Matt & Tina's baby shower, but used decaf coffee since pregnant ladies aren't supposed to be caffinated.
9. Waffle Iron - This was another one I really had to plan for. I made brinner for Jim and I and found a Rachel Ray recipe for Sour Cream and Chive waffles.
10. Food Processor - Used this many times over the year. For varies recipes, and to just chop up stuff.
11. George Forman Grill - Pulled this out to grill a hot dog. I also had to really plan to use this. I think between my outdoor grill, and indoor grill pan, the only time I'd really ever use a George was if for some reason I didn't have access to either of these things. It's a really good dorm room tool, but in real life, I think it may have a new home soon.
12. Kitchen Aid - I love my kitchen aid! I made whipped cream in it several times, and mixed a few baking recipes.
13. Kitchen Aid Food Grinder Attachment - This was the last one for me to use. Because really, how often do I need to grind my own food? We had a bunch of Omaha steaks that had defrosted and needed to be eaten, so I made my own ground beef, and made meatballs. (Also a Rachael Ray recipe). The bits were really hard to clean, and when I pulled them out of the dishwasher found that the dishwasher had successfully cooked the stuck on meat. Eww.
14. Kitchen Aid Fruit/Veggie Strainer - Decided to make an Alton Brown creamsicle drink recipe, and juiced a few oranges. Not very creative, but it crossed it off the list.
15. Juicer - Don't remember what I juiced. Probably fruit, as the idea of veggie juice is weird.
16. Ice Cream Maker - Ice Cream! I love homemade icecream! Made several flavors.
17. Crock Pot - At some party we had weenies in sauce in the crock pot for a party. For New Years, we also made really tasty Miso soup, and left it in the crock pot to stay warm.
18. Blender - This was another one I had to really consciously figure out what to do with. You'd think it's a common one, but I don't really make smoothies or milkshakes, and everything else works better in a food processor. I made the creamsicle drink after juicing the above oranges.
19. Hand Mixer - Box cake mix.
20. Salad Spinner - I spun salad. Several times. whirrr.

So there you have it. I love kitchen toys, but it surprised me how much of an effort I really had to make to use them. I really went a whole year without spontaneously needing a smoothie or homemade waffles, and had to plan to make them.

Note: I tried to find links to many of the recipes I used, but some of the recipes that are in cookbooks aren't on the internet. Apparently this is why it is good that I have a sizable collection of cookbooks.