When I launched Butter is My Jam one month ago, I did not expect that so many of you (to the tune of 1000 hits!) would be reading, sharing, and cooking with me.  I love hearing that that you tried one of my recipes, so thank you for reading and following.  It’s really given me a vote of confidence to continue.  In all honesty, I started this blog because I am often annoyed by the way recipes are written and I wanted a place where I could rewrite them to have for my own use.  I love writing and cooking, so a blog seemed an obvious choice.

You may remember that my first post was a list of goals I want to accomplish before I turn 30 in December.  As part of my personal accountability, I thought I should do a little followup to let you know how things are going.

1. Learn to cook Asian food.

This month I tried a vegetable lo mein and shrimp wonton soup (I’ll be posting the recipe this week).  Both dishes were delicious and I’m excited to add more this month – I’m hoping to try hot and sour soup and egg rolls.

2. Run a 10k.

In the name of accountability, I joined the StrollerStrides run group and signed up for a 10k in March.  I’ve been running for 3 weeks and so far, it’s going really well!  I have done running programs on my own in the past, but typically find a way to postpone and never seem to meet my goals.  Joining a group has really helped to motivate me and make sure I get my runs in.

3. Incorporate pies into everyday life.

My new pie this month was an eggnog pie that had a really different gingersnap crust.  It was really great and nice to make a pie without the pressure of a holiday.  I have an apple pie in the plans today.

4. Do a handstand without a wall.

This is the goal I haven’t made much progress on.  My husband, an ophthalmologist, attended a lecture on problems caused by increased eye pressure (from doing things like standing on your head), so he has put the kabosh on my handstand practice for now.  I am still doing headstands a few times a week, but not focusing heavily on it.

5. Enter some knitted goods into the State Fair.

I have done some research of different categories and patterns and I picked 5 pieces to try to finish.  As soon as I finish my Olympics hat, I’ll be starting on my first project.  State Fair judging places a higher value on execution than difficulty, so it’s more about making no mistakes than attempting a really difficult or impressive looking pattern.  This is generally not my M.O., so it should be a fun challenge.  I’m hoping to enter a toy, a scarf, a hat, a baby sweater, and possibly a crocheted toy as well.

6. Make 2 successful souffles.

I priced some souffle cups and torches.  That’s it.

7. Finish a triathlon.

I can currently swim and bike the required distances, so my 10k training is kind of doing double duty for this goal, too.

8. Blog.

Thanks for reading!  I’ll keep posting :).

9. Stop using my phone in the car.

I’ve all but stopped.  Occasionally I slip up, but usually just for a second and then I put my phone down.  I’ve definitely broken the habit and it’s nice to have more conversations with my toddler in the car at red lights.

So that’s it – again, thanks for reading and cooking with me.  I’m looking forward to an awesome February.