a year of martha: in review

January 2, 2010

doin’ time in 2009
it’s certainly the season for top-ten lists, isn’t it? i figured i would add one more to the fray with the overdue recap of last year’s doin’ time project.


overall? i’m really happy i conquered the doin’ time cookthrough project. making all of the recipes in martha’s cookbook allowed me to learn new techniques and forced me to make things that i know i wouldn’t have chosen to tackle otherwise. some of these things were hits (beef bulgogi!); others were less exceptional (cornish hens . . . not my thing).

would i do another cookthrough? mayyyyyybe . . . though probably not anytime soon. the project actually took a fair amount of discipline! though most of the recipes in great food fast are fairly simple, i wasn’t always in the mood to whip up a from-scratch, multi-component dinner after a long day at work. after all, i had all of her side dishes/salads/soups to get through in addition to the mains.

list time! top 10 meals of doin’ time

spring

crisp goat cheese salad and pork tenderloin with mustard sauce

almond-apricot chicken with mint pesto

pan-fried shrimp with green curry cashew sauce

summer

pork quesadilla (cuban sandwich style!) with jicama slaw

greek mini lamb-burgers with grilled farmer’s market vegetables

mahi-mahi fish tacos with corn fritters

fall

coconut shrimp soup

beef bulgogi

winter

pumpkin enchiladas

spaghetti with turkey meatballs

what’s next?
something a bit more flexible and easy for the new year. details tomorrow! i decided i’d rather tie up the old before i ventured on with the new.

staycation report
really, we haven’t been doing much, AND I AM LOVING IT. josh has been getting his video game fix and i have been lounging around and catching up on google reader to my heart’s content. there has also been a bit of cleaning (by me) and home decor (by josh) going on in the background . . . kath, look what’s finally up on the wall!

less than 3 months after IKEA purchase! not bad, really
today’s plans? just as intense. a little trip to the gym, some studying, and probably dinner out. inspired by diana, i think i might try to make cinnamon buns.

as much as i love traveling and visiting family/friends, it has been wonderful to just take a break and stay home for once. i think i’d like to make the staycation a yearly tradition!

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4 Comments

  • Reply atilla March 10, 2019 at 7:26 pm

    why is it that the board questions ask things that we don&#39t really use day to day

  • Reply Marlow March 10, 2019 at 7:26 pm

    I want to cook through this Ellie Krieger cookbook!

    Congrats on cooking your way through a Martha book!

  • Reply Aimee March 10, 2019 at 7:26 pm

    Sarah you rock! I&#39m going to try out all your faves!

  • Reply Anonymous March 10, 2019 at 7:26 pm

    sarah, we tend to eat fairly late — josh doesn&#39t usually get home until 7 something anyway. usually around 7:30 or 8, sometimes later. the exception is months like last month when i was on a super easy rotation and josh happened to be coming home earlier, then it&#39s more like 6:30 or 7. i prefer earlier but it just doesn&#39t happen most of the time.

    i don&#39t ever pre-prep but that&#39s not a bad idea!

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