Happy New Years!

Another year over, with lots to look back on and reflect.

We've had a busy year in our family, with multiple files of pictures to show for it. We've spent time with friends, laughed and loved, and had sadness. We've made tough decisions and some major changes. We've set goals, some we succeeded with, others we failed.

Probably just like everyone else.

This year I have a few goals in mind, a few resolutions. Seeing as I am no longer a short walk to the grocery store (or even a short drive actually,) I hope to be more proactive in my meal planning (which will show up this weekend for the following week), and more organized in my shopping.

I want to continue with last years goal to make more from my cookbooks, some of which are still in boxes, along with my good dishes (with plans for them to come out today.)

I want to try to build up some savings, and reduce some of my spending. Circumstances resulted in my stopping my cash budget, but now is a good time to go back to it.

I have a mental list of things I want to make this year, a few carried over from last year: Naan bread, marshmallow fondant, pho soup....

With change and goals in mind, I put out this question - what resolutions did you make last year and how well did you do with them? To start everyone off, I will list a few of my past resolutions and the results of them:

Resolution: No french fries. I resolved this several years back when I looked at my diet and realized that while fries are bad enough (even the kind you bake at home in your oven), it was worse for me because my dip of choice was mayonnaise.
Results: This year I allowed myself to try sweet potato fries at a restaurant (homemade sweet potato fries where I toss the wedges lightly in oil with salt and pepper have always been allowed by me), and those have been the only fries I have eaten in years. Still won't eat regular fries, so successful.

Resolution: Eat breakfast every morning. By this I mean something breakfasty - not left over birthday cake. Try to start the day out right with a good foundation.
Results: Pretty good. There have been the occasional time when I skipped breakfast, but no cake was eaten in its place.

Including this cake.


Resolution: Make two new recipes a week, either from a cookbook or from the internet.
Results: I was doing very well at this until about September-October, when life suddenly became much busier and had to be much cleaner. Then it had to be packed.
However, since we've moved, there has been on average one new recipe a day, so I think I've made up for things. I want to continue with this.

Leave me a comment, or treat this like a meme, but tell me what your past resolutions were, and how you did at them, and maybe share a resolution for this year.

As with last year, I see changes in the year ahead. For All Things Edible, there will be a few: more postings, more recipes, and some product reviews that don't necessarily have anything to do with eating. And coming soon, my own little blog event!

So don't go far!


Cream Herbed Potatoes
from The Pioneer Woman Cooks (with my changes in italics)

4 to 5 russet potatoes (I used 4, hand sliced)
1 stick (1/4 pound) butter (sorry PW, I only used half a stick!)
1 medium onion, finely diced
8 ounces cream cheese (I used light, it has more tang)
3/4 cup heavy cream (I didn't measure this but suspect I only used about 1/3 cup
1 cup whole milk (half & half works, too) (again, didn't measure, used 1% until it looked good)
1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley (didn't have any)
1 teaspoon finely chopped chives (I increased this, since my kids love chives)
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped sage (didn't have any)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Slice potatoes very thinly.
Add butter to a large skillet over medium low heat, When melted, add diced onion. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add cream cheese to the pan and stir to melt.
Pour in cream and milk, stirring to combine.
Season with plenty of salt and pepper, then add chopped herbs.
Place potatoes in a buttered baking dish. Pour contents of skillet over the top.
Top with Parmesan cheese and bake for 45 minutes, or until bubby and…bubby. Allow potatoes to sit 15 minutes before serving.