52 Cookbooks: 52 new recipes in 2014

A year ago I read of a challenge to cook a new recipe from a different cookbook each week throughout the year. Having one or two cookbooks hanging around that I was sure I wasn't making the most of, it seemed a good challenge for me. I didn't know how many cookbooks I had, but it turns out that I have more than fifty two as at the end of the year and the challenge I still have quite a few that I haven't used yet.

A few of the cookbooks that didn't feature in #52Cookbooks

Over the year I've cooked curries and cakes, bread and biscuits, vegetarian dishes, fish dishes and meat dishes. And in all of the dishes there was only one that failed - some of you may remember the polenta pizza (#34), it was truly awful but bless MOH was soldiering on, saying it wasn't too bad. But it was and it went straight into the green waste bin. But I guess one failure out of fifty two wasn't so bad. 

Actually I only used fifty one cookbooks as I missed a week in September while we were in Cornwall. But I cooked two new recipes from the same book a week or so later and decided that as both recipes were new and paired together in the book it was fine, as by this time the challenge had become my own so I felt able to bend the rules just a bit. 

Other highlights from the year were when Gok Wan retweeted my attempt at his Easy beef in tomato sauce (#36) and the views of that post and my Twitter feed went a bit barmy for a while; and there's been some lovely and encouraging tweets from Nigel Slater too. I fell out with Rick Stein too when I cooked his Cod in red wine sauce (#44) not that he ever knew, and I decided next time I eat that recipe he can cook it, as he owes me! 

I was surprised by how easy cookies are to make (although I haven't made them since - I really should) and at how much nicer than shop bought ones they were. They were incredibly more-ish too, which is a definite downside. I was also surprised looking back at how few bread recipes I chose - I love to make (and eat) bread and like the cookies it has a habit of disappearing... 

So overall it's been a great experience and it's taught me that those cookbooks I have are really worth looking at - they've got some great recipes in them! I know that's a shocking revelation, hey?! And as for those books I haven't used yet, well I'll carry on cooking from them, but the #52 cookbooks challenge is over.  I've got a new challenge in mind though, one that makes use of my stash of cookery magazines which date back to November 2002. I plan to use an old magazine a month and revisit its recipes, whether they're ones I've cooked before or not. I plan to start with January 2003's Good Food magazine, and will share a post later in the month to let you know how I got on. 

Finally, this wouldn't be much of a review post without links to the 52 recipes, so here they are:

1.  Sweet & sour duck 

2.  Lamb Dopiaza 

3.  Cauliflower & broccoli cheese 

4.  Pheasant, bacon & prunes 

5.  Panini Lunghi al Pepe Nero

6.  Cheese & sun-dried tomato scones 

7.  Fish & artichoke pilaf

8.  Gingerbread  

9.  Chilli con sausage  

10. Choc chip cookies 

11. Veal & mushroom pie

12. Chocolate & cranberry brownies  

13. Lemon surprise pudding 

14. Thai fish curry with mango 

15. Hot cross buns

16. Slow-cooked shoulder of lamb

17. Coffee & walnut layer cake 

18. Ho Fan beef noodles 

19. Yogurt-marinated chicken & spiced green lentils 

20. Cod Saltimbocca 

21. Paella de esparragos y queso manchego 

22. Yogurt & blueberry ice cream

23. White bean & artichoke salad 

24. Leon Moroccan meatballs 

25. Frosted marmalade cake

26. French onion tart

27. Pasta with chicken, sage and onion butter 

28. Salted chocolate lime mousse

29. Botham burgers

30. Pineapple chicken skewers

31. Summer chickpea salad 

32. Grilled mushroom risotto  

33. Coq au Riesling

34. Polenta pizza fail! 

35. Carrot cake

36. Beef in easy tomato sauce 

37. Apple & Walnut crumble

38. Spiced Blackberry jam

39. Chard gratin

40. Sardine 'rillettes' with parsley & lemon

41. Sopa de Castañas 

42. Chicken liver pâté 

43. A simple stew of onions, beef & beer

44. Cod in red wine sauce 

45. Quince & ginger chutney

46 & 47.  Roast pork belly with broccoli, red onions & capers

48. Celeriac & bacon soup

49. Beef stock 

50: Venison pie

51.  Almond Kringle wreath

52: Onion & olive bread

Making our Christmas cards

This year I said I'd make my own Christmas cards. It's something I aspire to every year... but somehow every year the last posting date hurtles towards me more quickly than the previous year and the inevitable happens... I run out of time. Every year! This year though it was different, I'm not sure if it was the ridiculously early trips to buy supplies (in the year, not in the day), or the public proclamations (the first one was in August, I think) that did it, but this year I actually did it.  Of course having more time helped, but typically despite having plans and supplies I didn't start until late November!

It all started on Pinterest, like so many of my crafting aspirations do. I'd seen some delightful little paper trees on gift tags made from a semi-circle, folded simply. How hard can that be I thought - well, once I'd found something round and suitably sized for my cards, it wasn't actually that hard. Phew! Infact the hardest thing was working out if I had a book I'd be ready to sacrifice for this project or if I should pop along to the local charity shop and buy one.  

Then I found one of those books that I'd struggled to get into, had read but didn't really get what all the hype was about but I'd kept at the back of my bookshelf and knew it'd just be perfect for this project. I was pretty certain there'd be no rude bits ready to emblazon themselves across the front of my Christmas cards too, so that was a bonus!  It did feel odd tearing the cover off a book and pulling out its pages, but for me and this book it was the right thing to do!

I was pretty sure this ribbon would come in handy, and well every tree needs a star right. So after a trial run, I set up production - trees, ribbons, stars, washi tape for the trunk and glue at the ready.  

And I was rather happy with them. But after twenty or so I fancied a change so I reverted to an old favourite. Triangles as trees, again with washi tape for trunks and this time a miniature stamped star. 

Once again I was looking for another design idea after making another twenty or so cards of the double tree design. This time I used the same template but chopped through the shape to give it this stacked patchwork look. I'm glad I thought to cut several layers of paper at once, otherwise I think there wouldn't have been so many of this design!

I was really pleased with how each of the designs turned out - yes, they're quite simple, but for me that's what appeals most about them. Yes, they look handmade too - but that's because they were, I hope you agree that adds to their charm. 

I also made some simple gift tags too - I'd bought plain luggage tags and simply stuck some of the leftover paper in strips diagonally across the tag. I dislike throwing paper scraps away and this was a great way of using them and creating some unique gift tags at the same time. 

So once I started I was on a roll and throughly enjoyed making these cards and tags. Now I just need to convince myself to start a bit earlier next year!  

Poinsettias, our Christmas Tree & more wreaths

In the past week I've found myself in the Orange DIY store twice, which is pretty much unheard of. On the second visit I decided to reward myself for my patience and headed over to the poinsettias. Needless to say they were looking a little forlorn, but bagging these three for £1 each was a bit of a bargain.  Later I discovered I'd got slightly more than I bargained for as one had been used to dispose of chewing gum, nice. No wonder they were looking rather sorry for themselves.

With some water - I don't think they'd been watered since October - and a bit of attention, they've perked up no end. So it seems this season's keep-the-poinsettia-alive challenge is underway.  My record is early March, but we'll see how these three do.

They are beautiful though and I love the detail. 

This year we seem to have a Christmas corner under our stairs. Our tree's there along with the poinsettias to its left and the twinkly lights threaded through the ironwork on the stairs. 

It's a five foot tree as we really can't fit anything larger into that space, and it's quite bushy so it's doing a good job of filling the space available, even poking itself up through the stairs in places. I've trimmed some of the back branches so it's more snug - MOH was horrified I'd even thought about pruning it, but I can't be the only one that does this - am I?  

This year I've shown some restraint on the decorations I've used too - that's code for I've not put them all on the tree and some have gone back into the wardrobe. My theme seems to be "jewelled colours" so the more traditional and wooden ornaments didn't make it.  It did mean though that these ornate elephants, which we brought back from our honeymoon in India have got an outing. I've adapted them so they can be used on the tree.

But why is it that one decoration always tries to escape during the first night on the tree...

I'm pleased with the tree which is from our local green grocers. It's the first time we've bought one from there, and the advantage was we didn't have to try and stuff it into a Clio.  MOH got to do the manly thing of carrying the tree back from the local shops too. 

Go on, have a smell...

I've gone a bit wreath mad this year - here's the second one that I made which is hanging in our kitchen. Those chillies and I almost fell out. 

And some shots of the wreaths I already had. 

So that's four wreaths including the one I made last week which is hanging on our front door. Thankfully I haven't lost any baubles...

I've still some more decorations to make and put up. My plan is to make some kind of garland from more holly from the garden and some of the pruned Christmas tree branches to decorate the dining room. I have to wait though as MOH is currently re-painting the radiator cover. 

And look what else I've spotted. My ancient Christmas Cactus is in bud. Ancient because it's survived so long and must easily be ten years old, perhaps older. It's survived well and seems to like it in the conservatory. I've a dilemma though - do I move it into somewhere warmer to try and encourage it to flower more quickly. Or leave it where it's happy? 

What would you do?