It is a new year, a new beginning

Oh boy, 2013.  I don't like the sound of that as much as 2012.  I like even numbers.  And numbers that end in 5 (like my birthday).  But maybe 2013 will be our lucky year.  We are already 9 days in...

We spent New Year's Eve down in Indy with  Kat, Johnathan, and some friends.  It was a good night.  Up later than I had been in awhile.  Late enough that I called my sister as they were getting up to leave for Florida.  Although they were leaving incredibly early.  Drank, played games, watched the ball drop, pretty perfect New Years.

I like New Years, maybe in my top 5 favorite holidays.  I like sparkles and glitter and New Years is, in my opinion, one of the sparkliest days of the year. 

I love the fresh start feeling at the beginning of a new year.  Makes me want to super clean my whole house, purge half my belongings, and get into some good routines.  I've been doing ok with most of those things.  Some of my resolutions/goals:

1) Make more from scratch, food and otherwise
2) Read 75 books (giving myself a break after successfully doing 85 in 2012)
3) Do a new ab/core workout every day in January (I will pick a different part to focus on next month)
4) Be Me.

Going along with #1...when I told Matt I want to make more food from scratch he requested baguettes.  He likes them for sandwiches.  So I made baguettes a few days ago (this recipe).  I think they are my greatest kitchen accomplishment to date.  I was more excited about them than the marshmallows and I was super excited about those.  It was a very long process, about 26 hours from when I started the sponge until I took them out of the oven BUT most of that time was waiting for them to rise at various stages.  When I pulled them out of the oven I was jumping and shrieking "they look like baguettes!!"  I was excited.  I made them a second time and the process is much simpler than it seemed at first.  In a few weeks I'll have this memorized! 

As for the cost...I estimate that the flour, yeast, and salt costs about $0.50 for 2 loaves (one batch).  I don't know about the gas for the stove or electricity for the space heater I use to help them rise (not overnight, just when I'm home and awake).  2 baguettes is ideally enough for 4 days of Matt's lunch.  It's probably not much savings from a loaf of bread, if any, but it is healthier and I like doing it. 

Before and after the oven

Going along with making more from scratch...I also made fabric softener for the laundry.  I don't see much a difference in using it but Matt can with his scrubs.  I found a "recipe" on Pinterest for homemade fabric softener that was pretty much the easiest thing ever.  That costs about $1.50 for a big batch.  I'm actually excited to do laundry just to try it out.

All you need (plus water) to make fabric softener!

Looking forward to seeing what this year brings!