projects progress (update 3)

March 22nd-28th.

>Mission: 50x50.

#15-Try 50 new recipes. Well, after very little progress on this goal during those first few months, I seem to be coming on like gangbusters lately. Of course, that's because I have extra incentive--as this also helps me make progress on my Mission: Recipe Reorganization. Anyway, this past week moved me six spots closer to finishing this particular goal. I tried Fantasia Bars (a recipe I might not have kept except that Annie went absolutely wild over them), Hot Pepper Rice (okay, but not worth keeping), Chili Relleno Pie (Rich and I both absolutely loved this one!), Spinach Cheese Swirls (another okay, but not worth keeping), Ravioli Casserole (another keeper--Annie really loved this one, and even Max asked for seconds), and a new recipe for Veggie Chili (Rich usually makes our chili, and does an amazing job at it, I might add. But I thought I'd go ahead and give this simple recipe a shot just for the heck of it. The verdict--okay. But I'm going to do a fair bit of tweaking when I try it again.)

#17-Make 50 different kinds of soup. Sheesh, finally just getting the first one checked off here. And poor Rich--I put this one on my 50x50 list just for him. Oh well, I definitely made him happy yesterday. I actually could have used this as a new recipe as well, but I decided not to double up on these "cooking" ones.

Quick Minestrone Soup

2 medium carrots, chopped
1 cup chopped cabbage
1 celery ribbed, sliced
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsps vegetable oil
3 cups water
1 can (14.5 oz.) petite diced tomatoes, undrained
3 vegetable bouillon cubes
1 cup torn fresh spinach
2/3 cup cooked pasta, cooked
1/4 tsp pepper

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, saute the carrots, cabbage, celery, onion, and garlic in the oil for 5 minutes.

Add water, tomatoes, and bouillon. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes (until veggies are tender).

Stir in spinach, pasta, and pepper. Heat through.

Okay, you can't really tell from this picture, but he really loved it! Good thing, since I made a double batch (half for him to have for lunches this week and half that I froze for another time).
















#39-Read 50 classics. Which, of course, is rather subjective. And since it's my list, I get to decide if it's a classic, right? Well, in my opinion, if We by Yevgeny Zamyatin isn't a classic, it should be. So I'm counting it. :)

#48-Find 50 new bands that I like enough to download something by them. I've got Ana to thank for this one. Again. :D Yep, she posted a song by Amanda Applewood on her tumblr, and I immediately went and downloaded three songs by her.

>Mission: Declutter.

The library is still moving along at a slow but steady pace. The reason this is taking so long is because I'm trying to catalog all my books (and all the books belonging to other family members that I want to read) on Library Thing as I go. (If I ever get all my books catalogued, then I can finally start keeping track of my progress, or lack thereof, in Mission: Tackle the TBR Pile.)

These are the shelves that have been conquered this time around:

Unfortunately, only four books were purged from that set of shelves beneath the window. And that other set of shelves--none. But only a few of those books are mine, so at least I'm not left feeling guilty about it.















The only other "room" I worked on this past week was my scrapbook area. And while I know I'm making progress in there, it's really hard to quantify at this point. I'm telling you, it's a complete, unmitigated disaster. I can't even use it at this point.

While I am making these "projects progress" posts for my own amusement and motivation, it is a more than a little embarrassing to know that others could see the state of that "room." :P Hopefully, there will be "after" pictures soon.

>Mission: Conquer the Unfinished Craft Projects

I asked Max to "model" with the bag I finally finished crocheting for Annie's birthday. He was quite a little sport in agreeing to do so, but I'm fairly sure that Annie will be using it as something other than a feed bag. :P















>Mission: Recipe Reorganization.

Not a lot of progress here. I did *start* going through this large collection of cooking magazines and tearing out recipes, but I only got through 11 of them.

>Mission: Create the Home I Dream Of

One of my goals on this list is to gradually replace our everyday dishes with pieces picked up from thrift stores. We've had our dishes for over 20 years now, and while I still like their plain simple style, they really have seen better days. Very few pieces remain that aren't chipped. And all of them are stained where the glaze has worn away so it's a tad embarrassing serving guests food on them. Believe me, they look even worse in person.

I didn't really want to buy a new set of dishes though. And I wasn't confident that I could find an entire set of dishes that I liked at a thrift store. But! I bet I can find several individual dishes that I like at the thrift stores. And that's what I've set out to do--just make a big old mix and match collection. Tied together with color (my kitchen is mostly red and white, with splashes of other bright colors) and bold-ish design. Anyway, I had found two plates a few weeks ago, and this past weekend I found two bowls.

Yeah, most people might think that's a really stupid idea, but it's this family that's going to have to look at them, right? :P









Hmmmm...when I put it all together in a post like this, it makes it look like I accomplished a lot. Even though I really didn't. :D