Days 1 & 2 - A New Year

I am staring 2011 with a simple resolution: to cook more.

Knowing this was my goal and that I was going to start a blog about it I knew I had to cook something on January 1st.  I think my first dish illustrates why this resolution is necessary:  I made macaroni and cheese.  To do this the way I want to I should have started the dish with a roux and made a homemade sauce.  Instead we decided to mix macaroni noodles from the cupboard with a box of Kraft Dinner.  When it came time to make the sauce we followed the directions on the box with a little extra milk and butter then shredded half a block of real cheddar cheese into the pot.  There may have been a cheese slice or two thrown in for good measure.

The problem is I live my life between two cities and don't always have things on hand to make a meal.  Usually when it comes time to eat we're so hungry we often decide to go out or order in.  We're not as bad in the summer when we have the garden going but the winter is particularly bad.  The situation is not good for the wallet or the waistline and now we have a summer wedding to plan for!  

Here's what I'm going to try and do:  365 recipes in 365 days.  That doesn't mean I'll cook every single meal I eat but the goal is that the vast majority of them will be made from scratch or be made up of leftover homemade meals.

I'm sure I'm not the only one with a shelf full of recipe books gathering dust on the kitchen shelf.  Or a rack full of magazines kept because of a tasty looking recipe inside.  It's time to dust them off and pull them out.  I will share the recipes with you as I go along!  I'll tell you how challenging (or not) they are and share pictures of the finished product.  

I have posted a photo of day one's dinner.   At the very least we should get points for the beer selection.  On the left a Simeon Jones amber ale by Picaroons, a craft brewer out of Fredericton, New Brunswick.  On the right a pale ale from Saranac a brewing company in Utica, New York.

Here's a link to a recipe for real homemade mac and cheese:  http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/homemade-mac-and-cheese/Detail.aspx

As for day two ...  I started the day by making breakfast sandwiches at home.  Fried eggs, toasted english muffins and a slice of cheese.  Not the most incredible start but we didn't get them from a drive thru window so it's something.

I'll aim for something better on day three.

Wish me luck!  And feel free to send any of your favourite recipes and tips my way!