So Much to Do, So Little Time: Goals for the New Year

Is it just me or does a year go by way too fast these days?  It's almost Feb.!!  Well, 2011 was a good start. I didn't accomplish everything I intended but it was a crazy year.  I think 2012 will be busier and hopefully more productive and happier.  So, what's in store....

1. I AM going to learn how to can and pickle, dammit!
2. No question, I am going to have a garden.  I have BIG plans for the garden and my plans may be too big for my breeches but I am quite determined to have a crop of ANYTHING to pickle or can.
3. Cooking and Food:  I'm big on cooking and I think this year, I'm determined to learn traditional methods for making Korean ingredients like Korean red pepper flakes, pepper paste, possibly Korean miso, which is much stronger than the Japanese variety. 
4. I'm going to keep making my dream wardrobe one item at a time. :-)

So there!!  If other things happen like beer brewing or maybe RVA will allow chickens (doubt it but one can hope) and I get my chickens then I'm totally open to it in 2012.  But the gardening and canning is a must this year. 

I have to say, I am off to a good start, I have all my seeds now.  Just yesterday, I received my last shipment of veggie and flower seeds from Seed Savers Exchange!  And again, the boyfriend laughed at how excited I was. But I am totally excited about the prospects of growing my own food.

I'm particularly excited about growing watermelon.  I'm not big on eating watermelon but I think it's because I generally don't like the flavor of the conventional watermelons sold in grocery stores. I'm hoping an heirloom variety will taste much better and get me to like watermelons again. The variety I bought has orange flesh!! ORANGE! I've never seen an orange fleshed watermelon and can't wait to grow one. 

I've also organized my seeds and put them into two piles according to whether I need to start them indoors or direct sow.  Am I nutz?  I admit I am way excited about this gardening business but I just want to be prepared.  I also have a bag of toilet paper roll tubes, empty milk cartons, empty and cleaned yogurt tubs and butter tubs for the seed starting process.... ok, I guess I am nutz.

My Korean peppers are almost done drying!!  I originally had them hanging in the kitchen but I think it was too humid from constant cooking. The peppers were also hung over a heating vent.  Anyway, 2 of my peppers molded so I threw them out and then I moved them into my sewing studio where the rest have dried quite nicely. Can't wait to grind them and use them in my cooking!

 

I hope for good things in 2012 and wish the same to all of you! I'm gonna do a little stretching now to get ready for my 2012. :-) 

PEACE!