My Food Goals for 2013

As discussed last year, I don’€™t really make resolutions for myself per se, but rather I set some goals to keep me on track with my cooking plans for the year.
I spent a good part of 2012 trying to figure out how to use sugar alternatives in my cooking and baking’€”and to be perfectly honest’€”I had more failures than successes in this department. What I did learn is that organic cane sugar makes a fine replacement for granulated sugar in cookies and cakes, but other than that, I think it’€™s best to use whatever your recipes call for’€”just eat less of it if sugar is a concern to you. What’€™s the other takeaway I had last year? I don’€™t think I will ever become the gardener I hope to be’€”and I’€™m starting to be okay with that.

Here are my food-inspired goals for 2013:

1. To feed more meatless meals to my family. I’€™m actually more partial to vegetarian dishes, but living with three male carnivores makes it a challenge to skip the meaty meals often. This year, I’€™m determined to get them to like vegetarian dishes as much as I do.
2. Incorporate more supergrains into our diet. Thanks to the popularity of quinoa, grains are hot right now and I would like to learn more about cooking with millet, barley, oats, chia, faro and buckwheat.
3. Use my slow cooker at least once a week. In the early fall, I made a fabulous Chili Mac in my Crock Pot. I’€™m determined to build up my repertoire of these one-pot meals this winter.
4. Make more homemade breads. I’€™d like to develop a good baguette recipe and a try my hand at homemade bagels.
5. Stop crowding the pan! I’€™m terrible at this, and I don’€™t know why I do it, but I really need to work on giving the food enough space to brown properly. If I only achieve one of these goals this year, this is the one I hope to succeed at.

How about you? What are your food goals for the coming year?