31 Recipes

For Floyd Imagination Month (FloCoIMo) I decided that my creative project would be baking and cooking 31 recipes. I chose this because it felt easy in a month that started with me wanting to do absolutely nothing. I would already be cooking and frankly, I knew it would be more realistic than signing up for a month of watercolor or illustrations. I also wanted to challenge myself to try new recipes, get in the kitchen more and eat out less. It's the end of the month and I've only eaten out seven times, which is pretty decent considering a normal month for us would be around 12 times. I also wanted to cut out convenience foods and cook more from scratch.

I can say that I loved every single one of these dishes and the experience of making them. Food is a nice way to track memories and events in a month. I can remember an impromptu dinner with one of Josh's friends. Lazy Sunday mornings with pancakes and jam. Recipes followed from a homemade cookbook given to me at Christmas. The cookies that I learned not to eat all of in one sitting. The nourished feeling I had after eating black lentil soup. Understanding the role of grated and very cold butter in the best biscuits ever. Josh's favorite being the spicy bang bang shrimp and making them four other times. I remember his late-night trip out to get nappa cabbage because they just aren't the same without it.  Reconfirming that apple pie needs sour cream to be amazing. Knowing that chick peas and lettuce can make a decent dinner. And most of all, taking the time to care for myself and my husband. Knowing, each night when I cleared off the table, turned off the TV, and put plates down, that I was creating much more than a new recipe.

Loads and loads of dishes later, I've got one day left in the month and only one recipe left. What should I make?

You can see my first post with photos here.

1. Tandoori Chicken Burgers
2. Sweet potato and black bean enchilada casserole (I used kidney beans)
3. 5 ingredient granola bars
4. Pastor Ryan's Chili (I used this as a base recipe. Added mushrooms and carrots to mine, didn't add crackers)
5. Lemon and Raspberry Jam Pancakes and Lemon Pancakes (I added lemon to the batter and used whipping cream+ water instead of milk)
6. Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos (made recipe, placed in flour tortillas with napa cabbage)
7. Baked Pasta with Ricotta
8. Krissie's Mom's Potato Ravioli (didn't use the peppers or onions, added more potatoes)
9. Blueberry muffins (I used frozen blueberries and didn't cook them down, next time I would use more.)
10. Pork potstickers
11. Krissie's Pork and apple meatballs (I served with egg noodles with sour cream, butter, salt, garlic and parsley)
12. Ginger baked salmon 
13. Loaded Chocolate Chip Cookies
14. Parmesan Crunchy Fries
15. Peanut Butter, Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
16. Red Lentil Soup (I used black lentils)
17. Granola Cookies
18. Feta Dressing
19. The Best Biscuits
20. Sausage Gravy
21. Kung Pao with Vegetables
22. Southern Goulash
23. Brown Butter Mushrooms with Creamy Noodles
24. Rice Krispie Chicken
25. Falafel
26. Creamy Dill Sauce
27. Naan 
28. Candied Oranges 
29. Smashed Potato
30. Mini Sour Cream Apple Pies