Yesterday I wrote my goodbyes to 2011 in part 1. Today I am anticipating what 2012 will hold.

We kicked 2012 off with a wonderful brunch with a few friends. I love brunch and would love to see this become a tradition. I’m not much for going out and getting crazy on NYE, especially now that I have three little ones to care for. So hosting a cozy brunch was the winning ticket.

Here are some of my goals for 2012:

Be a better menu planner -we ate out FAR too much the last half of 2011. I saw someone say she wants to go out for dinner because she wants to (for fun) instead of have to (lack of ingredients for dinner), this is exactly how I feel. Going out for/ordering dinner needs to return to being a special treat NOT a default.

Be active -I want to run a marathon some day but short term goal is to run some 5Ks and hopefully 10Ks this year. That means I need to start putting one foot in front of the other everyday.

Quiet time for Mom -as sleep deprived as I am I think I am going to start getting up a little earlier than rest of the family, so I can have time to myself. Just a quiet 30 minutes to sit, pray, reflect, read, write, whatever it may be, at the beginning of the day might just be what I need to recharge my soul.

Garden -I want to have a nice garden this year.

Be more feminine -I’m not sure what this means. I bought a great pair of high heels and I realized that I don’t really have anything to wear them with. I don’t want to fall into that stay at home mom yoga pants rut. I’m not a beauty queen nor do I intend on looking like I am competing for a crown. I just want to look nice, and lady like -feminine.

Entertain -I love hosting gatherings and I hope to do more dinner parties this year. Coupled with this is I want to be more organized so that I can entertain on a drop of a hat without worrying about piles of stuff (mainly laundry) sitting around my house.

Kitchen remodel -This may not be so much a goal as a hope. We’ve talked about the possibility of remodeling our kitchen in the spring, I hope it becomes a reality. I’ve been cooking off a range that has 1 large burner and 3 small burners and a teeny tiny oven. A full size oven would be so great!

Baby food chef extraordinaire -Kasper will be eating solid food soon and I want it to be food I’ve cooked. My sister did this with her youngest child so I have an expert living close by.

Learn how to use my camera -We have a nice camera with a new lens and flash, and I have no clue how to use it.

Food goals -Simply it would be bread baking (especially sour dough), cheese making, beer brewing, and canning.

What are your goals for 2012? 

Many of you may have plans to attend or host a New Year’s Eve party or a New Year’s Day brunch. Here are some recipes from my archives that may inspire you. I hope you all have a happy and healthy 2010. Thank you for reading, I enjoy your comments and feedback so keep it coming.

See you in twenty-ten!

Jamie

NEW YEAR’S EVE IDEAS:

Boneless Chicken Wings

Olive Penguins

Date and Cheddar Cheeseball

Homemade Irish Cream

NEW YEAR’S DAY BRUNCH IDEAS:

The Best Cinnamon Rolls Ever

Gluten Free Sticky Rolls

Marbled Chocolate Banana Cake

Breakfast Cups

Egg Bake or Breakfast Casserole