Looking forward to the New Year..

Well, some things have been on hiatus around here lately and sadly one of them has been my adventures in cooking.  It seems that no matter how hard I fight it, pregnancy has had a serious impact on my productivity and exploration in the area of food stuffs.  So instead of pulling out a tried and true recipe from my arsenal to share with you all today, I thought I would share some of my hopes and goals instead.  (Just because I haven't been able to produce much doesn't mean I haven't been longing after it!)  Let's see where the New Year takes us, and just how many of these I can accomplish with the first 4-5 months spent in pregnancy and the remaining 7-8 months with a new little one in our lives.  *fingers crossed*

Appetizers

• Bottom line - I need to learn more make ahead recipes with minimal cost.  I don't have any specific ideas yet, but I am searching...

Main Dishes

• My goal is to get back on track with make ahead meals.  This may be put on hold until my pregnancy based food aversions calm down, but I really miss having slow cooker dump recipes and individual serving recipes on hand for busy days.  It really helps us to eat healthier and cheaper when we have it available.
• This is currently my favorite website for this purpose, I have many things I have yet to explore on it: http://onceamonthmom.com/

Soups

• I'd like to look into making some more of my own soup bases.  One idea is a homemade alternative to those canned "cream of" soups: http://www.salad-in-a-jar.com/family-recipes/make-your-own-condensed-cream-of-mushroom-soup-in-less-than-5-minutes

Sides

• I'd like to venture further into the world of veggies and try out some new recipes for Summer Squash, Winter Squash, and to seek out some earlier season veggies for home canning options.  I will be happily scouting out canning books and sites for the latter and longing for Summer.
• I'd also like to try some new recipes for veggies I traditionally avoid, such as cauliflower: http://bigflavors.blogspot.com/2011/01/cavolfiore-impanato-fried-cauliflower.html

Desserts

• More uses for my bundt pan.  I love the buttermilk bundt cake recipe I posted on here, but I feel like the pan has so much more to give.  Apples may be a way to go:  http://gardenofeatingblog.blogspot.com/2009/02/grandma-frans-apple-bundt-cake.html
• A new make ahead pie or two.  It is always nice to have dessert done and out of the way before dinner has even begun.  Perhaps Banana Cream Pie: http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/kelsey-nixon/banana-caramel-cream-pie-recipe/index.html

General

• I would like to make and can and/or freeze baby food from the fresh veggies from our local Farmers' Market this Summer so that we have them on hand as our little one reaches that stage in the colder months: http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/stage1_homemade_baby_food_recipes.htm or http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/08/how-to-make-baby-food-in-your-crockpot.html
• I have a wonderful cookbook by James Beard that I am completely in love with, mostly I use it right now for bread, baking mix, and biscuit recipes.  I would like to try at least 2 new recipes from a different chapter in it this coming year.