Whoa, it's 2010!

The beginning of 2010 has caused me to review the things I said I would do in 2009. A refresher:

1. Send more cards/letters to people. I have already sent my first birthday card of the year!

2. Start a cooking blog. Still trying to think of a name (for the last six months or so, actually). All I've come up with is 'Food and Thought'. Travis likes 'The Bitchin' Kitchen", but I'm just not as enthusiastic about that one as he is. If you'd like, he'd be glad to go into more detail about all the ways this is awesome, just let him know.

3. Use Alton Brown's "Food + Heat = Cooking" as sort of a cooking class.

4. Organize my kitchen more efficiently, and possibly get rid of some of the crap I don't use (to be replaced with even awesomer crap! Ha!)

I have actually done some of these things! I sent more cards and letters, I communicated more with people through Facebook, and I feel much more in touch with the world. It's nice to keep in touch with old friends, and I'm most happy about keeping this particular resolution.

I also starting the cooking blog! Obviously, as that's the blog I'm posting on right now.

The Alton Brown thing.. I didn't even start. I was pretty focused on the Paula Deen cookbook and, in the latter part of the year, the Iron Chef Blogger Challenge. I may still try this year, but I'm also focusing on cooking with the ingredients in my pantry so they don't go bad. It's seriously crammed full of stuff.

But, I did start organizing the kitchen some. I got rid of a few things, but I'm in the middle of a 60-day test to see what I actually use. The idea is to clean off a shelf or a cabinet or something in your kitchen, then for 60 days put everything you've used on that shelf. Anything that is left, get rid of (sell, give away, whatever). There is an exception for big stuff (like my ice cream maker) that you then have to commit to using every 6 months if you want to keep it. I'm almost a month in, and it's made me open my eyes already to things that have been sitting in my kitchen for years without really being touched.

All in all, I think I'm doing pretty well. I don't plan on making any new resolutions, but there are some things I want to be mindful of. I will continue to stay in touch with people and not isolate myself. I'll try to be calm and not get so stressed out or anxious. And I'll definitely keep cooking!