30 Dishes Before 30

I was reading several recipe blogs today, checking off lots of yummy things I could try to cook. While surfing the many delicious options available, I came across one blogger who was coming up with 30 dishes to make before she turns 30. I thought it was a great idea. And so I'm stealing it. In the next 8.5 months, my goal is to make 30 new dishes.

I've started a list today. The only rules I've made for myself is that the dishes have to be things I haven't made before. They also have to be homemade. And, finally they have to be shared and checked off on Myriad Musings so I am held accountable.

I've come up with a list of 48 potential items so far. I'd love more ideas for what one of my dishes could be. Some are main dishes, some are desserts, some are appetizers or side dishes. But, before I turn 30, I'll make 30 of these items. I welcome suggestions from any category.

Are you up for dinner on me? Send me a note, we'll make a dinner date. Because trying 30 new dishes before 30 requires dinner parties.

(Disclaimer: I don't plan to host 30 dinner parties. Some of these dishes may be made outside of a party setting. And my guess is that the parties I do host will include more than one of the dishes that are in my goal list.)

Dish List:

30 recipes to make before i turn 30- starting point

1. roast a turkey
2. pot roast
3. loaf of bread
4. homemade tomato soup
5. souffle
6. lemon meringue pie
7. real hollandaise sauce
8. chcolate mousse
9. crem brulee
10. homemade jam
11. shepherd's pie
12. pineapple upsidedown cake
13. homemade hummus
14. homemade naan bread (to go with an indian dinner)
15. Jucy Lucy burger (homemade)
16. chicken cordonblue (homemade)
17. Coq Au Vin (stew)
18. Bananas foster
19. Baked Alaskan
20. risotto
21. homemade key lime pie
22. minestrone soup
23. arleth's swedish rye bread
24. biscotti
25. homemade donuts
26. gazpacho (homemade)
27. homemade lemon curd
28. homemade nachos with the works
29. crab cakes
30. monkey bread
31. french onion soup
32. tiramisu
33. goulash
34. aioli
35. ravioli (homemade)
36. fondue
37. sangria
38. beef wellington
39. homemade marshmallows
40. homemade sausage
41. pork carnitas
42. calamari
43. egg rolls
44. pot stickers
45. sherbert
46. peanut brittle
47. fudge (successfully)
48. tamales

Feed My Starving Children

Today I spent a couple hours volunteering for Feed My Starving Children with my friend Mary.

It was a great opportunity to give back and for a small amount of my time, along with the time of several others, make a big impact for a lot of very hungry kids in Haiti.

Here's a bit about the organization from their website:

Feed My Starving Children is a non-profit Christian organization committed to feeding God’s starving children hungry in body and spirit. The approach is simple: children and adults hand-pack meals formulated specially for starving children, and we ship the meals to nearly 70 countries around the world.

It's pretty amazing how a small bag with about four ingredients, chicken stock, vegetables, soy and rice, can help impoverished, malnourished children receive a healthy, nutritional meals they need.

One of the great joys of the volunteering was that I got to do it with a group of kids. That's part of what makes volunteering with Feed My Starving Children great-- it's a way that kids can volunteer and make a big impact, too.

I could really say a lot of great things about this organization, but I think it really speaks for itself. The volunteer list is apparently normally quite long, but to learn more about volunteer opportunities, go to their website.

Recipe Box: BBQ Turkey Chili

My sister just asked me for this recipe today so I thought I'd share it with others, too. This is a delicious and healthy recipe I got from my friend Natalie. It's also a really healthy option for those, like me, who've again set New Year's weight loss resolutions.

What I think makes it great is sprinkling a bit of fresh cilantro on top!

Natalie's BBQ turkey chili

• 1-2 TBSP olive oil
  
• 1-2 lb ground turkey (or beef)
• 1 palmful grill seasoning (such as Lawry's)
• 1/2 cup worcestershire sauce
• 1 palmful chili powder

Brown the meat in the olive oil. Once browned, add the grill seasoning, chili powder and worcestershire sauce and mix. Then add:

• 2 bell peppers, chopped (any color)
• 1 cup corn
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2-4 (12-15 oz.) cans beans, drained (any type - I like to mix and match)
• 2 tomatoes, chopped (or one can, drained)
• 1 can tomato sauce (12-15 oz.)
• 1/2-1 bottle beer (any type, but I prefer medium to dark)
• 1 cup BBQ sauce
  

Mix and let simmer for an hour or two (or whatever you have time for. It does, however, get better with age.) Serve with chips or cornbread, sour cream and freshly chopped cilantro (cilantro can also be added to chili towards the end of cooking time).

Book Review: The Help

Book: The Help

Author: Kathryn Stockett

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

My comments:

I went into this book with high expectations. I'd heard many, many people say this was a very good book. And it has been a major seller at Borders. I went in wanting to like this book, wanting to be moved by this book, wanting to gain something from this book. And, I was and I did.

Here's a brief description of the book:

The Help is a 2009 novel by American author Kathryn Stockett. It is about African American maids working in white households in Jackson, Mississippi during the early 1960s.

The novel is told from the perspective of three characters:

• Aibileen Clark, a middle-aged African-American maid who has spent her life raising white children and has recently lost her only son;
• Minny Jackson, an African-American maid who has often offended her employers despite her family's struggles with money and her desperate need for jobs; and
• Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan, a young white woman who has recently moved back home after graduating college to find out her childhood maid has mysteriously disappeared.

These three stories intertwine to explain how life in Jackson, Mississippi revolves around "the help"; yet they are always kept at a certain distance because of racial lines.

The Help was a book I want to share and discuss with others. It opened my eyes to the world of the South in the 1960s. I appreciated the author's honest look at the world that she grew up in. I learned from her and was moved by her. I'm glad I read this book. I love the characters, I loved the storyline, I loved how they grew together. And I honestly, like how the author made both redeemable and irredeemable characters in the well-to-do white women (the likes of which she grew up with).

To be honest, my only critique is I struggle with the end. I admire the author's choice, but almost wish it had ended a bit differently. I think she gave it an honest ending, one that would have been true to the life and lives of the women involved, had they been actual women living in that time. Some people just aren't redeemable and some are. And that's something an optimist like me sometimes has a hard time with. But, the redeemable character mostly prevailed and there is hope and honesty in that.

A final note, without ruining anything, the book while offering inspiration to readers, also offers a lot of humorous twists along the way-- many of which are quite unexpected!

So, who should read this book? It's definitely geared toward a female audience. It's a good pick for a book club read. (It makes me wish I had a book club so I could talk about it with others. It's a book that needs to be discussed.)

Oh, and as an aside, a movie is set to come out this August. I hope it can capture this book. I think it's a book that could translate well to the screen if done right. I'm excited to see the film adaption!

Museum Tour 2011: Museum 1: Mill City

One of my 2011 goals is to go to one museum per month. I did my January museum stop a few days early. My sister and I headed to Mill City Museum on December 29th. In short, it was a great visit and well worth our $10/person admission fee.

About the Museum

The Mill City Museum is all about the Minneapolis flour milling industry. It's a great place to learn about an important part of Minneapolis history.

Here's a brief description of the museum from their website:

Built into the ruins of what was once the world’s largest flour mill, Mill City Museum is located on the historic Mississippi Riverfront. Here, visitors of all ages learn about the intertwined histories of the flour industry, the river, and the city of Minneapolis.

Museum Highlights:

• Flour Tower tour (8-story elevator ride)
• Gorgeous rooftop views over St. Anthony Falls and the Mississippi River
• Minneapolis in 19 minutes video
• Baking Lab (with samples!)
• A great overview of the history of flour, past and present

Photos:

Check out a few photos from my tour on Flickr.

Recommendation:

4.5 out of 5 stars.

Great for people of all ages-- activities that will entertain children to adults. A Minneapolis must see for people interested in the history of our beautiful city!