2025 Recipe Challenge

The challenge was to try twelve new recipes this year. Smashed it.

1. Roasted vegetables with orange glazed sausages
This was a great success. It is now one of our regulars.

2. Chicken and spinach orzo

It's essentially just chicken risotto made with pasta. It's fine, but nothing spectacular.

3. Apple, walnut and Brie pastries

Interesting, and tasty.

4. Paper dumplings
Nope. Never again. It's tried them twice, and I just can't get the rice paper to be good. If shallow friend, the rice paper welds itself to the skillet. Done in the air fryer, they don't get so crispy. And they take a fore ever to make.

5. Bonnag

6. Fruit Bonnag

7. Chicken and potato pie (version 1)

It was a pile of hot chicken and potato stodge. We felt like we'd had dinner, but it was all a bit meh.

8. Chicken and potato pie (version 2)

This was so much better. It is essentially cubes of chicken in a rich gravy, with lots of veggies, This was cooked in the skillet, and then topped with thin slices of potato. The potato is brushed with a little butter, and the whole lot baked for 40 minutes.

9. Chicken breasts with a lemon, pepper and herb crust
Delicious!  Gluten-free bread was rendered into bread crumbs. A couple of tea spoons of powdered garlic was added, along with Herb de Provence, and lots of freshly ground black pepper. The chicken was dipped in egg, and then into the crust. It was baked at 200C for 20 minutes.

10. Cheesecake Filling

A lovely cheesecake filling originally from a recipe for a pastry galette. The filling is quick and easy to make, and is egg free. It should be simple to make a vegan version.

11. Butterscotch Sauce

It's good stuff! It can be poured over ice cream, or rippled through. It's rather wonderful.

12. Sweet Potato and Leek Lasagne

13. Upside Down Goat's Cheese and Caramelised Onion Tarts

Scouse
The perfect food for a wet, blustery day.

Pickled Red Cabbage

The perfect accompaniment to Scouse.

2025 Reading/Listening Challenge

The aim was to read or listen to 52 books this year. The new reads/listens are marked with an asterisk. 
January (10)

• Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

• Playing with Fire by Derek Landy

• The Faceless Ones by Derek Landy

• Dark Days by Derek Landy

• Mortal Coil by Derek Landy

• Death Bringer by Derek Landy

• Kingdom of the Wicked by Derek Landy

• Last Stand of the Dead Men by Derek Landy

• The Dying of the Light by Derek Landy

• *Geekerella by Ashley Poston (do not recommend)

February (17)

• The Library of the Dead by TL Huchu

• Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments by TL Huchu

• The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle by TL Huchu

• *The Legacy of Arnston House by TL Huchu

• *Fortunate Son by Caimh McDonnell

• Doing Time by Jodi Taylor

• Hard Time by Jodi Taylor

March (27)

• Saving Time by Jodi Taylor

• The Crow Folk by Mark Stay

• Babes in the Wood by Mark Stay

• The Ghost of Ivy Barn by Mark Stay

• The Holly King by Mark Stay

• *The Corn Bride by Mark Stay

• All Systems Red by Martha Wells

• Artificial Condition by Martha Wells

• Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells

• Murder on Milverton Square by GB Ralph

• Poison at Penshaw Hall by GB Ralph

April (33)

• *Death in Douglas Glade by GB Ralph

• The Left-handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix

• The Sinister Booksellers of Bath by Garth Nix

• The Unknown Ajax by Georgette Heyer

• Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

• *Her Majesty's Royal Coven by Juno Dawson

May (39)

• *HMRC - The Shadow Cabinet by Juno Dawson

• The Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross

• The Jennifer Morgue by Charles Stross

• The Fuller Memorandum by Charles Stross 

• Angels in the Moonlight by Caimh McDonnell

• Dead Man's Sins by Caimh McDonnell

June (46)

• Firewater Blues by Caimh McDonnell  
• The Case of the Missing Maid by Rob Olsen *
• The Family Jewels by Caimh McDonnell
• Fortunate Son by Caimh McDonnell
• A Man with One of Those Faces by Caimh McDonnell
• The Day that Never Comes by Caimh McDonnell
• Last Orders by Caimh McDonnell

July (49)

• Pyramids by Terry Pratchett
• Stone and Sky by Ben Aaronovitch
• All Systems Red by Martha Wells

Nothing recorded for August and September. I have no idea which books were consumed during these two months.

October (62)

• The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
• A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers
• The Stranger Times by Caimh McDonnell
• Love Will Tear Us Apart by Caimh McDonnell
• This Charming Man by Caimh McDonnell
• Relight My Fire by Caimh McDonnell
• Tales from The Stranger Times by Caimh McDonnell*
• Ring the Bells by Caimh McDonnell*
• Doing Time by Jodi Taylor
• Hard Time by Jodi Taylor
• Saving Time by Jodi Taylor
• About Time by Jodi Taylor
• Santa Grint by Jodi Taylor

November

• Killing Time by Jodi Taylor
• Out of Time by Jodi Taylor *
• The Library of the Dead by T L Huchu

December

2025 Challenges - May

I was back to counter push ups again. The starting point was five push ups. On the 6th, it started increasing by one push up per day. Very late in the day, on the 26th, I realised my hands were in the wrong place. I had been trying to do this with my hands on the edge of the counter top. This meant my whole weight was on a 2cm wide strip on my hands. It was incredibly difficult, not in the arms and body, but in my hands.

Next month, I'm going to give this challenge another go, but get my hands in the right place, and see what happens. In addition, the Offspring was looking at my 'form' and asked if I was locking my arms on the upright position. This can cause elbow to hyper extend, and is discouraged. I'll be working on that too.

The other goal was to write every day again, and to use the writing prompt from WIP Snips. This has worked well, for the days when I've not had a migraine.

The writing book I started at the turn of the year has now been finished, as in every single page has been used. This might be the first time I have able to do it, ever. It feels like a new level has been opened - wonder what will be the 'boss' at the end.

Other challenges trickling along in the background are: listen to 52 audiobooks, finish 52 craft projects and try 12 new recipes.

2025 Challenges - April

This month, the goals were to work up to 30 push ups against the kitchen work top, and to walk each day. 

After hurting my foot doing squats lasts month, I decided to be flexible. With this in mind, I've been walking, cycling and garden - anything to get me moving and elevate my heart rate counts. In spite of, or because of, the movement, by back is feeling rather happy.  It really likes the gentle wiggling of cycling and walking. Sadly, I was not able to keep it up all month long. Neither was I able to do the slightly harder push ups.

It feels bad to have fail at on both goals. However, despite not reaching the bar set, I have done more exercise than I have managed in previous months. This is a good thing. I need to keep reminding myself the goals are there to stretch me, and if/when I don't reach them it's not the end of the world. This really is a situation where it is better to try, and get part way, than not try at all.

More new recipes have been tried. Some were almost failures, at least by my standards. Others have been good, and will enter into our rotation of meals. A lovely new recipe (to me) was chicken breasts in a lemon, pepper and herb crust.

2025 Challenges - February

 include the challenges for the month

2025 Challenges - January

Staying away from Bored Panda for a month was tricky for the first week, and then it became easier and easier. By the end of the month, there was no decisions to be made, it was just something I don't do anymore. If only all time sucky things were so easy to ditch!

Writing every day was also surprisingly easy.  It felt really good putting pen to paper and allowing the Honey Hill story to flow. I had thought all of the research had been done, but no, there's more happening almost every time I write. Thankfully, I've learned to mark my writing, and edit in the researched information.

2025 Challenges

No New Year's Resolutions for me. Instead, I'm planning on completing 25 challenges this year. The idea is to make small, but meaningful changes in my life, even if they just last a month.

I'd also love to read/listen to 52 books, make 52 items, and try 12 new recipes.