Pumpkin is not just for baking!  Lisa and I had so much fun with our sweet pumpkin treats that we decided to embark on a week of savory pumpkin-based foods.  Check back every day this week for another helping of meal ideas where pumpkin is the star.

It’s fall and seasonal pumpkin favorites are everywhere:  coffee, creamer, doughnuts, beer, hard cider, baked goods, bath and body products…the list goes on and on.  I love the changing seasons and pumpkin in any form ranks high in my list of fall necessities.  You’ll find that at Domestic Pursuits, we just can’t get enough pumpkin!  We’ve been baking up a storm and are looking forward to sharing our creations.  Check back every day this week for another helping of sweet pumpkin treats.

Well, I did it!  I finished all the items on my list the day before I turned 31!  Yes, I know, I haven’t blogged about them all yet – mostly because I would have had to put up 7 postings in one day which just seemed silly.  But, I did cook all the items on my list.  Look for a smattering of posts over the next few days as I finish blogging about all of my items.  Special thanks to my family for eating all of my experiments, and my fabulous husband who just got me a new super-awesome camera lens to help make my photography even better (see above photo!).

Lessons learned: It turns out, is rather hard to figure out in August what you want to eat all year long.  But, it did feel pretty awesome to finish them all.   Also I’m pretty sure I gained about 10 lbs over the past 2 weeks eating all of it.  My next few posts will be decidedly healthier, so I don’t have to buy a whole new wardrobe!

Lisa has inspired me.In recent days she has been scrambling to complete her 30-While-30 list. With less than a week to go, I think she’s going to make it! Just yesterday, I was treated to two of her lovely creations!

Now, as I mentioned last month, I am nowhere near completing my list. And I’ve been 31 for nearly a month. I really enjoyed the things that I made or at least attempted. Scones are now my go-to tea time snack and I’ve found that I far prefer homemade tomato sauce to the store-bought variety.

I truly want to complete my list, as it contains a wish-list of things I want to try out. I need to get back in the kitchen and this list will serve as a good inspiration. Even though I am no longer 30, I’m going to finish this list by the end of 2011. I was 30 during this year, and well, I keep forgetting my new age.

If you’re interested in what I’ve done so far, there are updates below.

30 Things to Make While I’m 30

1. English muffins
2. Focaccia bread – Tried. I blame my yeast. This was a failure.
3. Pita bread
4. Whole wheat bread
5. Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
6. Berry pie/cobbler
7. Cheesecake
8. Chocolate Mint Fudge – Tried at Christmas using an Alton Brown recipe. Candy thermometer and all, this resulted in a miserable failure.
9. Chocolate mousse – Made multiple times. Need to blog.
10. Gelato
11. Gingerbread
12. Homemade fondant
13. Lemon meringue pie
14. Scones
15. Shortbread – Need to blog.
16. Sugar cookies with royal icing – Tried at Christmas. I’m not cut out for this level of decorating!
17. Pumpkin Ice Cream
18. Pad thai
19. Homemade ravioli
20. Homemade pasta
21. Tomato sauce (from scratch) – Made multiple times. Need to blog.
22. Crepes
23. Carnitas
24. Fish
25. Meatballs – Made multiple times. Need to blog.
26. Barbacoa
27. Pork loin
28. Limoncello
29. Vanilla extract
30. Hummus

I’ve been baking quite a bit lately, but I haven’t gone through nearly as much work as it may appear.  I’ll let you in on a little secret:  I mixed the dough for the Doubly Chocolate Cookies and the Fresh Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies at the end of December.  Seriously.  If you peruse my freezer, you’ll find frozen balls of dough, a handful of baked cookies and well-wrapped brownies (also already baked) alongside the standard bags of frozen vegetables and frozen meats one expects to find in the freezer.

Why do I do this?  My motives are mixed: 1)  Freezing desserts, both baked and unbaked, assists greatly in portion control.  Let’s face it, a plate of cookies sitting on the counter is going to get consumed in short order and 2) Sometimes you want a cookie or two just out of the oven, but you don’t want to go through all the trouble to make the dough and clean up.  This is fantastic when you just have to have cookies and tea at 9:30 on a Wednesday night.

If you want to freeze dough, portion it out onto a cookie sheet and pop it in the freezer for 30-60 minutes to allow the dough to firm up.  You can place them close together, because they’re not going to spread.  I like to line my cookie sheet with foil or wax paper to make clean up easier.  One the dough balls are firm, pack them in a freezer bag, squeeze out as much air as possible and seal.  The dough will stay fresh for a few months – I’ve gone up to three months with no problems.  When you want a few cookies, heat the oven according to the original recipe instructions, place the frozen dough on a cookie sheet and pop it in the oven.  There’s no need to thaw – just bake for 1-2 minutes longer and enjoy!

I don’t know about you, but I love the month of January.  The days get a little longer, the spring planting catalogs begin to fill my mailbox, and weekend advertisements focus on getting in shape and more organized.  I find myself making promises and resolutions to cook more, organize better, and worry less.

Unfortunately, by the third week of January or so, I find myself overwhelmed with potential projects and new recipes to try. The siren song of the local chain restaurant calls to me far too often on weekday nights. So what’s a food-loving lady with limited time to do at 7 pm on a Tuesday?

Worry not. In the next few weeks, Domestic Pursuits will present to you the absolute essentials for your pantry, parties, and cookware to help you flambe the winter doldrums without breaking the bank. We’re thrifty ladies who love good food, good wine, and good value. Are you with us?

First, good news in the photography front – you will notice an improvement in my photography (hopefully) as I got a digital SLR for my birthday!  Also, I too have come up with a list of 30 things to make while I’m 30.  By next August 22 – you should see me making:

1. Crumpets
2. Chocolate Croissants
3. Pulled pork
4. Hot fudge sauce
5. Salt Ice Cream
6. Crème Brulee
7. Ceviche
8. Braised Beef Canneloni
9. Gnocchi
10. Clam Chowder
11. French Meat Pie
12. Boston Cream Pie
13. Fish Tacos
14. Baked Oatmeal
15. Galette
16. Beer Pancakes
17. Eggs Benedict
18. Focaccia
19. Black & White Cookies
20. Cinnamon Bun French Toast
21. Homemade Sausage
22. Sangria
23. Sauerbraten
24. Beef Wellington
25. Homemade Mayonnaise
26. Spanikopita
27. Italian Wedding Soup
28. Jam / Preserves
29. Coq au Vin
30. Bisque

Sadly, bacon-infused vodka did not make the list.  For now, off to celebrate with more cake.  Stay tuned for the cooking adventures!

At 12:13 this morning, I started the third decade of my life.  Yes, today I turned the big 3-0.

A handful of bloggers that I follow have compiled lists of cooking tasks that they want to complete during or before their 30th year.  With my birthday fast approaching, I assembled a list 30 things that I want to make in the coming  year.

It seems like a fun way to set some goals and finally work on some dishes I’ve been meaning to make for ages.  I’ll get to stretch myself and work outside my comfort zone, trying new techniques and working with new foods (see 24 – I’m an avowed fish-hater).  Along the way, I’ll document my progress on this blog and share my victories and defeats… although hopefully there will be far more of the former.

If any of my readers have tried and true recipe suggestions for any of the items on my list, please feel free to send them my way – my contact information is listed in the left side bar.

Wish me luck!

30 Things to Make While I’m 30

1. English muffins
2. Focaccia bread
3. Pita bread
4. Whole wheat bread
5. Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
6. Berry pie/cobbler
7. Cheesecake
8. Chocolate Mint Fudge
9. Chocolate mousse
10. Gelato
11. Gingerbread
12. Homemade fondant
13. Lemon meringue pie
14. Scones
15. Shortbread
16. Sugar cookies with royal icing
17. Pumpkin Ice Cream
18. Pad thai
19. Homemade ravioli
20. Homemade pasta
21. Tomato sauce (from scratch)
22. Crepes
23. Carnitas
24. Fish
25. Meatballs
26. Barbacoa
27. Pork loin
28. Limoncello
29. Vanilla extract
30. Hummus

As a fairly new homeowner, this spring has been my first real chance to delve into the world of gardening and landscaping.   While I don’t know if I’ve inherited my mother’s green thumb yet, she did leave me her lovely green gardening hat and a plethora of gardening tools– which is more than enough to get started.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing with you some of my experiences with my first perennial gardens and highlighting some “Must Haves” for your flower beds.  One of the many beauties of a perennial garden is that these plants will bloom year after year with a little care and maintenance. Please keep in mind that I’ll be sharing plants hardy in my hardiness region (5).  Perhaps my first nugget of planting wisdom is to check out what Plant Zone you live in– just about any gardening manual or plant catalog will have a color-coded map indicating this.  While it’s not a foolproof system, it’s a pretty good starting point for your garden.  So go check out what the hardiness zone is in your region, and stay tuned!

Kathleen has quite a green thumb; her yard hosts a wide variety of annuals, perennials, as well as a raised-bed garden (so jealous!).  She’s also an excellent, creative cook and a home brewer.  I’m looking forward to hearing more about her garden and trying out her recipes!