112 Resolutions for 2012

Okay, maybe it’s a lofty ambition. But, think about it this way.  It’s no secret that 2012 is supposed to be a year of major transformations.  To some, this is the year the world might very well end all together.  Though I don’t follow that belief personally, if the world WERE to end in 2012, I would have wanted to accomplish as many damn amazing things as I possibly could.

So…I’ve compiled a list of 112 things that I was to do, accomplish or try in 2012.  I did the math.  It equates to about 9-10 resolutions each month.  Some are big, some are small.  I think if I get my butt in gear, 2012 is going to be a really exciting year (hey, I rhymed).

I’ll also keep this list on a page up there in the main nav as a running tally of how many I’ve completed and how many are left.

The 112 Things I Want to Accomplish in 2012

1. Get an Arm Tattoo
2. Visit a new US State
3. Be a tourist in my own city
4. Spend a night on the 3rd floor of the Driskill
5. Learn to play and sing a song on the guitar
6. Host a dinner Party
7. Learn to deep fry
8. Cook a Julia Child recipe
9. Attempt an eating challenge
10. Try a Krispy Kreme donut burger

Legos for Adults & Vegan Cookies for Non-Vegans (Recipe with Pictures)

My morning started off a little like this.

I love IKEA.  I mean, it’s cool that all of their furniture is modern, goes with almost any room and makes particle board look good but I really love it because it’s like Legos for adults.  You remember those Lego kits? You bought a ninja hideout or the Hogwarts castle in pieces in a box and it came with those IKEA-esque instruction sheets telling you how to make all those tiny pieces look like the photo on the box.  And you know what else?  …They cost about the same amount, except I can actually get use out of IKEA later.

Here’s the finished product.

Looks complete right? Fooled ya.  I managed to have 5 pieces left over.  I still don’t know where I went wrong… but it looks whole and feels sturdy so until it falls apart I’m not going to worry about it.    It’s even Mana tested and approved.

But the real highlight of the day wasn’t this magnificent furniture creation. It was……THESE.

Vegan. Chocolate. Chip. Cookies.  Well, almost Vegan in our case because we took some liberties with the recipe, but if you make it as it’s supposed to be: vegan and amazing. But you know what else, there’s a super special secret ingredient in these cookies.  These cookies are made with BEANS, and with the butter, milk and eggs omitted they are so low in fat.

Long story short: These cookies are guilt free. Not almost guilt free. If you use dark chocolate (70% cacao or higher) with all of its health benefits, there’s just not a thing in these cookies that will keep you up at night.

Oh. You want the recipe?  Okay, sure I guess I can do that.

Adventures: Wilderness Walk

So, one of my New Year’s Resolutions is to go adventuring more often.  Read adventures as: Anything that makes me slightly uncomfortable to think about. I know it’s not quite the new year yet, but Nick and I both had the day off so I did some Yelping and found a great hiking trail somewhere off in the middle of the hill country.

It. Was. Beautiful.

Since I work from home and all of my work involves sitting in front of a screen it was absolutely liberating to set foot on ground that wasn’t carpeted or tiled. It was quiet. So quiet. And I don’t know if it was the fresh air or the endorphins from marching up and down the inclines and declines, but I felt like nature had breathed new life into me.

More photos from the hike:

I hear that being in nature is good for the soul, and now I feel (since you can’t actually see) what that means.

However, we’re going to need to build up some endurance and probably invest in new shoes.  We huffed and puffed through the last half of a 2 mile hike and that wasn’t even the whole trail.  We made it a goal to throw away our high school P.E shoes, invest in some hiking boots and try again soon.