Challenge: Soups (Kitchen Bootcamp January)

Whether I’m ready or not, 2011 is here. I haven’t really outlined specific goals or made a list of resolutions for the year… However, if I did, I think that continuing to learn new things, particularly in the kitchen, would be pretty high on my list. Though I enjoy making familiar recipes, it’s the new recipes and techniques that I find to be the most fun.

So, I’m feeling a sense of renewal as we head into the January Kitchen Bootcamp challenge. I’m ready to tackle some new recipes, techniques, and flavors… And, I hope you’ll join me!

Friday Favorites – Christmas Entertaining (Episode 75)

If you’re much like me, you’ve probably rushed around to finish all of your shopping and get the gifts wrapped so that you have next week to focus on food. Granted, I do make a lot of homemade gifts, so I don’t have ALL of my gifts done. But, I would much rather spend the week before Christmas in my kitchen listening to Christmas music while I cook and bake. It sure beats pushing your way through the super-crowded stores looking for last minute gifts! I suppose that it’s also a good time to clean the house if you have guests coming, but we won’t talk much about that.

Since I spent last week introducing you to more cookies than you could ever possibly bake during one holiday season (that’s a challenge… I dare you!), I thought it would good to focus this week’s Friday Favorites post on holiday entertaning! After all, we can’t live on cookies alone (or can we?).

Sweet Potato Soup with Crisp Prosciutto

Are you a leftovers fan? I’m not. Not at all.

There’s just something that happens to leftovers once they enter my refrigerator. They change somehow and become completely inedible to me. It happens with even my favorite foods… They enter the “cold zone” and are never the same.

I don’t like to be wasteful, though… And, I also bad making my husband eat all of the leftovers (though, he doesn’t have the same issues that I have). So, I tend to re-purpose my leftovers. For reasons I can’t understand, when I view leftovers as ingredients instead of just food to be reheated, I have no trouble using them up. It makes no sense, I realize.

Sweet Potato Chili

Lately I’ve been in a bit of a cooking slump. I can think of lots of things that I’d love to bake, but since I cannot live on cake, cookies, and cupcakes alone (don’t I wish!), I’ve been forced to try to fight through my lack of inspiration and cook anyway.

When I’m feeling uninspired, I tend towards pizzas, frittatas, and soups… They are all of my “blank canvas” foods that lend themselves well to whatever’s in the fridge. I’ve found myself making a lot of them lately… Especially soups. The cooler weather that we’ve been having just begs for soup, if you ask me.

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