Still going well on this one and certainly better than I did in 2013. I've got a good mix in here of 'classic' Classics and more modern "are they really Classics?" Classics.
I guess I've relaxed my rules a little bit as the years have gone on with this not really resolution. Before I wouldn't have read anything that didn't have Penguin Classics written on it anywhere but now I'll whack it in there if it's just a well known one. I don't know if Murder on the Orient Express can count as a Classic - but it's famous so I've added it in.
I do enjoy this challenge but I think that next year there may be a modification...
2. Eat 1 vegetarian meal per week
I am trying guys, I really swear I am. I think the trouble here is just lack of inspiration. Every vegetarian recipe that I look at just makes me go....bleh. At the moment of posting we are 35/36 weeks into the year and I have completed 30 veggie meals.
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There was a point where I thought this was going to be much worse so I'm feeling ok about it.
Please please please feel free to hit me up with your veggie recipes. Just as long as they don't involve carrots, sweet potato or anything in that ilk - The Person isn't a fan and I'm not up for making massive meals just for myself. I've also found that the vegetarian meals that I tend to like the look of also seem to involve outrageous amounts of cheese.
Spinach & Mushroom lasagne
Another thing I've found is that it is wicked hard to photograph veggie meals in a way that makes them look good and not like random piles of veggie mush.
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3. Do 1 interesting thing each month
January - Trip to London including getting to see Chloe
February - Trip to Leicester to meet up with Janet
March - America baby!
April - FA Cup Semi-Final at Wembley to see Hull City beat Sheffield United
May - Trip to the London Pet Show (where I totally met Chris Packham!) and a rainy Bank Holiday outing to a reservoir
June - Picnic at the Castle with The Person and a trip up to see North Yorkshire and see Heather that I still haven't blogged about yet.
July - The Color Run in Manchester at the Etihad Stadium and a VERY exciting trip that I haven't had a chance to blog about yet.
August - Well. I did nothing. But that's because I spent most of it laid up with sciatica. But one quiet month is ok by me.
4. Save up to buy a car
This one is going well. We should have a car by the end of October - squee!
5. Finish my Tetris blanket
Not a Tetris Blanket
It's just neeeeeeeever going to happen is it? I don't feel too bad about it, it's not like I've been sitting on my behind doing knack all. I've crocheted 23 animals this year and I've managed to make another blanket (which I still need to blog about). I don't think that's bad going. But next year I'm definitely going to become a bit more selfish.
6. Learn something new
Still working on this one...
7. Sell something at a craft fair
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I don't think this one is going to happen (see Point 5). What I need to do is take time out to build up stock before I can think about craft fairs. Definitely one to think about next year though - I'm going to have a little practice at Christmas time with crocheting a job lot of pieces up. What I really need to think about is what I might need as stock.
8. Beat my 10k time
Oh dear. Oh very dear dear. The Hull 10k was awful and terrible but I really pulled myself up by my bootstraps to get a shift on. I secretly signed up to another 10k at the end of August and my training was going really really well. I managed 6km running without stopping and was feeling so so confident. And then - hello sciatica. I was barely able to walk, let alone run, for all of August so the 10km went un-run and now I have nothing to sign up for as we're entering the winter months.
More to the point, being unable to run has meant I've got out of the habit of running and now I haven't run in over a month and can't find the motivation to start again...
Next year though. I need to beat those Hull 10k demons!
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4 more months to go!
(Last update here)
While I don't have any links on me to hand, I know there's a lot of vegetarian curry recipes out there that might be of interest to you - I know lots revolve around onions, tomatoes to zucchinis and potato as a base and go from there. Plus with all the spices you can play with you can get some great flavors going. I keep meaning to try some veggie curries myself.
ReplyDeletejohn Wyndham was the subject of my extended essay for English A Level. I discussed the theme of deviance in children in Chocky, The Chrysalids and The Midwich Cuckoos.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see to your blankets.
Oh amazing! I'm really liking his books - got a steady supply of them as my sister has a box set of them so I've been steadily working my way through them. Read The Chrysalids last year and The Midwich Cuckoos is on my bedside table waiting to be read!
DeleteI was going to suggest curries too! Also mexican - all kinds of beanz! Seems like you're doing well on the veggie front, avoiding meat substitutes makes it much harder to get variety.
ReplyDeleteResolutions are good for focusing, even the ones you know you won't achieve are setting sights for the following year, knowing better how you can alter in order to tick it off.
Good work.
Your spinach and mushroom lasagne looks delicious to me! I find Italian/pasta based meals easiest, and how about frittatas?
ReplyDeleteAre you allowing yourself veggie mince? If so, cottage pie is easy. I also love toad in the hole using veggie sausages.
Yeah I am allowing Quorn stuff in. Normal vegetarians do so I'm not restricting myself that much! Funnily enough though, I've only used it once so far - every other recipe has been purely vegetable based or been chickpea heavy!
DeleteMy fave veggie meal is a bean and pepper chilli from BBC Good Food - don't know if it's your kind of thing but it's so easy, cheap to make and it actually fills me up which a lot of veggie meals don't. I like mine with a big dollop of chutney on the side too! - http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2536654/bean-and-pepper-chilli
ReplyDeleteAmazing! Consider it saved!
DeleteI will give some thought to veggie recipes, we (obviously!) have loads but none spring to mind immediately. Don't know if it counts because of the mince, but soya mince chilli with loads of beans (black beans, kidney beans and adzuki beans are my fave combo) and some peppers chucked in is a staple in our house.
ReplyDeleteAlso, am quite honoured that a trip to visit me counts as something interesting :)
I lived with a vegetarian for a year at university, and she had a copy of The Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen, which I loved so much I bought my own copy when she moved out! The Arabian Squash Casserole is particularly good (and no carrots in sight!).
ReplyDeleteOh cool thanks for the heads up - I'll have a look at that one. Hurrah for no carrots but I don't know if I can sneak Squash by the boyfriend - we're sweet potato-less as well - maybe he has a vendetta against orange things?!
DeleteDo you like curry? I have some awesome veggie curry recipes. I also switch up meat mince with Quorn mince, to make an easy cheat veggie meal!
ReplyDeleteAs for the Hull 10k... Let me know the date and I'd happily run with you :)
Curry me up a treat - I love it!
DeleteYeah I need to do the Quorn thing more often. I've only done 1 meal out of all of those which is Quorn based. I think I'm making it too difficult for myself!
Hull 10k is 14th June 2015 - I'm game if you are!!
I love Murder on the Orient Express! Veggie recipes are tough, I like Portobello mushrooms with cheese melted on the top but I don't think that counts as a recipe! ;)
ReplyDeleteMaria xxx
Hey all those things are vegetarian so I'm counting it!
DeleteI made a Mexican inspired veggie lasagne made with mini fajitas, easy and tasty and not a huge amount of cheese. I'll tweet you the link.
ReplyDeleteYou're doing really well with these, I kinda forgot about mine some time back in March... }
I'm all about soup tbh, you can hide just about anything in a soup and not notice - I am so shit at meal planning and actually remembering to eat anything, that soup is pretty good for me. I guess it's not really meal for most people though.
ReplyDeleteI still think you're doing well making resolutions at all, TBH, never mind keeping them! Anyway, those veggie recipes... Last night I tried making dal for the first time and it's surprisingly easy. Especially if you cheat and use a blender (my friend who is both Indian and an amazing cook says that is perfectly acceptable). I followed the Felicity Cloake recipe from the Guardian. So that's worth a try. And now the weather's cooling down again I recommend root veg in the hole. Super tasty.
ReplyDelete