“...no one is born a great cook, one learns by doing.”

I can't say hand over heart that I've completed this challenge down to a tee, that every single week I've tried something new. What I can say is that I've put in a pretty magical effort to endeavour to try one new recipe each week and I think I've had a pretty good stab at it! Out of 52 weeks in the last year I would say at least 40 new dishes were tried.

If you click here, you can see all the new recipes that I tried and decided to share. There are some new challenges in my 52 to 52 that are about cooking too. So keep your eyes peeled for more recipe sharing and cooking and baking ideas :)

My Failures :(

It saddens me that I have to do this...but, in wanting to complete the 101 Challenge in just over a year (I couldn't help but start some of the challenges before January 1st once I have made the list!) I have had to resign myself to the fact that some of the challenges will be failures :(

4/101 that I have to claim as failures are a pretty good effort I reckon! Especially considering that at least 2 of these were just out of my hands time and space wise and I will be putting them onto my 52 in 52 List for 2013 - so not failed, just rain checked. It's also taught me a few things about making a list that is challenging, but doable with a full time job and a full time husband and toddler.

Failure #1;

I started this off with a hiss and a roar. Over the whole year I managed to do this with around 5 artists, a few albums, but nothing close to 1 album every week. I've also done a really crap job of learning about the artists. I did try, but with everything else going on, this was impossible.
What I've learnt from the failure of this challenge? Not to set challenges where I'm having to do something out of the ordinary every week. If I do have an 'every week' challenge it will need to be something I'm doing anyway, but in a new and improved way - like cooking dinner, but trying something new each week, a challenge I did complete this year. Woo hoo!

The albums I did manage to do this with were;
Ed Sheeran - +
Paramore - Brand New Eyes
Paramore - Riot
Led Zepplin Greatest Hits
Queens of the Stoneage - Songs for the Deaf
Queens of the Stoneage - Self Titled
Nirvana - Bleach

Failure #2;

This one came down to a space issue and the fact that we're planning on moving house in the next little while. It also came down to cost. Large pots cost heaps! It's still something I would like to do in future., but maybe when we get into our new house. I'll then be able to shape everything around that outdoor space, rather than fit something in that I really made to fit our current place.
What I've learnt from the failure of this challenge? Think about the space I'm working in. Think about what I've got to work with, both money wise and space wise.

Failure #3;

It's really sad that I didn't make this one. It's also completely my fault. I've fallen off the horse so many times I don't even know where it is anymore! I have lost 4kg which is almost half way.

What I've learnt from the failure of this challenge? Not pin everything on a number? I know I want to fit into clothes better and be happier with how I look but I am somewhat - why pin my happiness of this onto a number? A couple of weeks ago I had a few compliments at work about how I was going but I didn't take the compliments well complaining that the numbers on the scales weren't showing the same. I did although notice my clothes were easier to fit into. So had I put more muscle on and taken off some fat? Don't know and really.... don't care. I know if I've been eating well and exercising well and when I haven't been. I don't need to define that with a number.

Failure #4;

This one makes me the saddest I think. I tried to make this happen - twice. Weather did not want to play ball. One of the times I'd even made a whole picnic for the day and got everything ready, only to have the happiness sucked out of us with wind and rain. Booo.

But don't fret! To Waiheke we will go. I thought the January school holidays would be a good time to do this. We'll have some extra money floating around as Leah won't be at daycare for 2 weeks (which means no ripping out of my soul by having to pay them) and we'll have time when we're both off. So it has gone onto my list for next year.

So those are my 4 shameful failures for the year. It's made me a bit wiser I suppose, and for others I just needed to be a bit lenient with my time. They shall be done... and then I will say HAH! to the 101 list. But for now, I bow in defeat.

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.”

Out of all the 101 challenges I think this is the one that has bought me the most satisfaction and the one I have enjoyed the most. Being able to give myself the permission to read, to take the time to sit down and read because it was on my list - excellent.

Here are the books I read;
4 ology books
The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins
Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins
The Land of Painted Caves - Jean M Auel
50 Shades of Grey - EL James
50 Shades Darker  - EL James
50 Shades Freed -  - EL James
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz - Baum L Frank
Bared to You - Silvia Day
Reflected in You - Silvia Day
Storm Born - Richelle Mead
Thorn Queen -  - Richelle Mead
Iron Crowned  - Richelle Mead
Shadow Heir  - Richelle Mead
Fallen - Lauren Kate
Bloodlines: The Golden Lily - Richelle Mead
Adrian's lost chapter (Bloodlines #0.5) - Richelle Mead
Boy - Roald Dahl
The Help - Kathryn Sockett

And I'll probably get through 1 more before the end of the year. Another Richelle Mead book - The first from the Georgina Kincaid series.

Big Backyard

This challenge has been really easy. I've loved it and I will effortlessly continue it in the future.

Monte Cecelia Park
Tapapakanga Beach and Reserve
Botanical Gardens (a reoccurring local)
Children's Garden Papakura
Avocado Orchard

Other great places we've also visited over the last year but I haven't blogged about specifically are...

Clark's Beach(also a reoccurring local)

Children's Garden at the Botanical Gardens

Omana Beach

Cornwall Park

Western Springs

Wynyard Quarter (Park? I dunno)

Black Forest Cake

I was initially very worried about this recipe as it called for baking using the microwave, but it turned out just fine. I was amazed!

Black Forest Cake

The mix of your favourite chocolate cake mixture

750ml cream, whipped

1 punnet of fresh strawberries or other in season berries

Small quantity of liqueur 

1. Prepare the cake mix - make sure you don't over beat.

2. Place sheets of baking paper over three dinner plates. Divide the mixture into three equal portions and put on dinner plates. Cook each portion individually on high in the microwave for 3-4 minutes. Allow them to cool completely.

They will look like this when they come out - amazing huh?

While you're waiting for the cakes to cool it's a good idea to whip the cream... and let your little helper lick the beaters.

Once the layers of cake are cools layer the cakes with cream and berries in between then cover the whole lot in whipped cream and decorate with berries.

The end result. Place a large bowl over the cake and refrigerate overnight. Make sure the bowl foes not touch the cake top.

The end result of my little friend after licking the whipped cream bowl.

2 Delicious Dips

I made some dips to have with sticks of veges the other night. Both were yummy and of course needed sharing.

The first is from the recipe book that I'm using for #18 of my 101 Challenge.

Red Salmon Dip.
1 can of Red Salmon
Sprinkle of Lemon Pepper Seasoning
Sprinkle of Groung Paprika
1 carton of low fat cream cheese
1/2 bunch of chopped chives
Squeeze of lemon juice

Mix all ingredients together well and eat - yum yum.
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The second I got the recipe for after a lovely lady at work bought us in some farewell treats when she left our school. Everyone loved the dip and asked for the recipe.

It's as easy as 1, 2, 3.

Mix together 1 part cream cheese and 2 parts sour cream, a splash of worcestershire sauce and sweet chilli sauce to taste. Add a bit of colby grated cheese and you're done. It's delicious.

It's picnic weather!

....finally, picnic weather!

I thought I'd give this a go seeing the weather has been so nice as of late.

This is as much of the sun setting as we really got.



Miss Independent took lead of the pack.

It was even so hot that the big boy got in the water - this doesn't happen voluntarily much so it was a good sign of things to come during the summer.

This girl had a wonderful time playing on the slide and the swing too!

Here's hoping we're able to do a lot more of this over the next few months.

Friendship Bracelets

This challenge, along with #88 make a paper fortune teller were things from my childhood that I could just never do. But, unlike the paper fortune teller, friendship bracelets were still very, very difficult for me to master.

A kit came through a specials book box we have at work for $20. I thought the thread in the pack alone was worth that so bought it thinking that the circular doo-hickeys in it might actually help me to succeed where I've never been able to before. WRONG! The thing is very hard to understand, even my very logically minded husband couldn't get it.

First attempt at using the wheel fail.

So I have a plan! I've made two very basic bracelets to cross this off my list - the twist and the braid. Even put some fancy little beads in the braided one - I'm so talented! I'm then going to take the pack away with us up north, so on nights when cards and board games are exhausted me, my mum, my sister and my two nieces can see if our combined brain power can figure out this tricky thing. The nieces are the hat trick - these dudes will know things.. I'm sure I've seen them with elaborate friendship bracelets on. I hope, I hope, I hope! Oh well, if nothing else it will be a nice bonding experience - failing together!

Reusable Advent Calendar

Can't get much more reusable than books right? Especially in my household at the moment when we have to read them about 15 times in a row before we're actually done. <3 Gotta love that love of reading. :)

24 under the tree (I'm not crazy, it went up today - wet yuck day, perfect activity!) ready and waiting! I figure it will give Leah lots of practise at unwrapping presents too which is awesome!

"Your greatness is measured by your kindness"

I haven't actually completed this yet, but I will blog about it when I do...and I'm wanting to get things crossed off as consistently as I can at the mo because December 31st is approaching way too fast!

Inspired by this I've created these..

...and I'm planning to tape them to parking meters, toy vending machines etc with a $2 coin attached during the month of December.

Yay Christmas RAK!
xox

Beautiful things...

Over the past couple of days I've spent time with 61 amazing teenagers (and some OK adults, :D) and the beautiful New Zealand outdoors. Lakewood lodge in Rangiriri is the setting, idyllic, and super fun!

I went snap happy and took photos of everything I found beautiful... over two days, not just one. Here are some of them.

You can find more pictures (of the 900 I took in two days!) at our class blog here.