Simply Me project udpate: 3 months in.

I started this blog in August, as a way to keep me accountable and motivated to cook all the recipes in Simply in Season by August 2010. This cookbook focuses on local, in-season ingredients, and also includes essays and articles on issues related to food. So how am I doing, and what have I learned?

Autumn was a bit problematic, because I’m allergic to cranberries. I had some great guest bloggers, though, so I was able to review all 4 of the Bread & Breakfast recipes. The one I did make, Nutty Pumpkin Bread, was so good that I made it several times to bring to parties, to give to our neighbor who mowed our lawn, etc. I made all 8 soups, of which my favorite (and DH’s) was definitely the Hearty Broccoli Soup. Of the salads, I’ve made 3 of the 4 (one was cranberry) and my favorite was the Venison Broccoli Pasta Salad, which I made into a main dish. I have made 10 of the 11 Main Dishes, and the hands-down favorite was the Red Lentil Coconut Curry. Of the desserts, one was a cranberry dish. There were also two persimmon recipes, and I was unable to find local persimmons (drat living in Michigan!). I did find a possible source for next year, though. So of the remaining 7, I made 5 so far. I’d have to say the Grape Pie was something I didn’t expect to like but loved. Finally, of the extras, I have only made 1 of 5. I won’t be able to make the Country-Style Sweet Relish because the great Northern blight killed most of the tomatoes in our area. But I should be able to finish the others.

Overall, I have made 61 recipes and have 237 to go.

I’m fairly confident that I’ll be able to finish the project, although the persimmons might be later than the deadline since they aren’t available until November.

When I mentioned to DH how I feel like I’ve improved my cooking skills, his response was “you used to cook? Well, you were good at ordering pizza.” Ha ha.

I have lost 15 pounds on what I call the “CSA diet,” and our budget is definitely leaner as well. It’s much cheaper to make meals at home, even when buying organic. Speaking of which, I was motivated to find a winter CSA and hope to sign up shortly.

I haven’t felt deprived at all, and have enjoyed learning how to cook. I feel more confident in the kitchen. Before, I would look at a long list of ingredients or see that there were a couple of steps and skip right over that recipe. Now, I just dive right in.

Finally, I’ve been surprised at how many different recipes you can make from relatively few ingredients. I can’t believe how many butternut squash recipes I’ve made, for example, yet each one was unique.

I’m looking forward to the rest of the challenge, and appreciate all your comments and encouragement. It gives me joy to have found an online community, of sorts, to share ideas with and to be accountable with.