Since there is now less than a year to go until my self-imposed deadline for completing my 101 things in 1001 days, here's an update on my progress.
I've completed 44 out of the 101 tasks, and am close to completing several more. Not bad, considering I've changed jobs and had a baby during that time (not to mention the morning sickness and the unexpectedly early arrival!).
Some of the goals seem a little far-fetched now. Exercise (13, 14, 22)? Probably not. Concerted effort (3, 4, 18, 61, 62, 87, 87)? Hmmm. Foreign travel (64, 65, 70, 71, 75)? Difficult with a baby. Some might be repeated, whether for necessity or pleasure (30, 53, 92, 93, 94, 96, 99). In any case, I shall persevere in completing as many as I can. Then I can create a new, hopefully more realistic, list, because I only have one life, because I often think of things I'd like to do and forget them, and just because I love lists.
I'm still tracking my progress on my original post.
Personal
1. Read the whole Bible
2. Get a new job - completed December 2011
3. Read HeadFirst JavaScript
4. Read HeadFirst PHP
5. Have a super-simple month - pretty much every month since Sophie was born! Perhaps a better goal would be: Socialise!
6. Have a baby - Sophie Ann Louise Wu born 4 September 2012
7. Write to my grandmothers six times 5/6
8. Go paper-free on all bills and statements - completed
9. Get a facial
10. Save £10 for every task I complete (running total: £990)
11. Donate blood - completed 3 November 2011
12. Dye my hair
13. Run a half marathon
14. Run a 10K
15. Register for a course - completed September 2011
16. Learn to draw
17. Learn five new piano pieces 0/5
18. Learn the violin
19. Write a children's book
20. Create that website that I've been thinking about
21. Finish reading 'Getting things done'
22. Do the 100 push-ups challenge
23. Keep off facebook for a month - completed 14 September 2011
24. Get weight down to x - completed
25. Finish this list - completed 1 June 2011
26. Learn to play bridge prop
Food
28. Bake bread from scratch
29. Make a perfect pavlova - completed 29 April 2011
30. Make jam - completed 9 August 2011
31. Eat five things I've never tried before - completed 16 September 2011 (lots of new foods in Japan)
32. Make 20 new main course recipes 18/20
33. Make a birthday cake for someone - completed 28 September 2011
34. Learn to make sugar flowers - completed November 2011
35. Make chutney - completed 12 November 2011
36. Make 20 new cakes/desserts - completed 25 October 2012
37. Label my cake tins - completed 29 August 2011
38. Make three different flavours of creme brulee 2/3
39. Make a family cookbook
Garden
40. Build a rock garden
41. Grow and harvest 12 different fruits and vegetables 11/12
42. Get a peony for the garden
43. Have five different types of tulip in the garden
44. Clear the garden of debris
Home
45. Paint our hall stairs and landing - completed 7 May 2011
46. Organise the attic
47. Paint the radiators in the kitchen and hallway - completed 1 May 2011
48. Make fitted cupboards and shelves in the living room
49. Make radiator covers in the living room
50. Paint the outside of the house - completed September 2012, organised by my lovely husband
51. Insulate the loft - completed 5 November 2011 (thanks, Nicolas and Eric!)
52. Get the boiler fixed - completed 2 June 2011
53. Get the damp chimney fixed - completed 22 November 2011
54. Paint the garden shed - completed 1 October 2011
55. Replace the door handles
56. Get a '21' sign for the house - completed 16 June 2012
57. Paint the kitchen - completed 10 July 2011
58. Clean the windows outside (or get them cleaned) - completed 18 October 2011
59. Get a frame for and hang the etching - completed 2 June 2011
60. Declutter the whole house
61. Revarnish the floors
62. Paint the banisters
63. Clear out and put new shelves in the pantry - completed August 2012 by Nick
Travel
64. Travel to four new countries 1/4
65. Go on a cruise
66. Go camping
67. Go to Scotland
68. Go on a girls only trip
69. Go on a road trip
70. See the Northern Lights
71. Go to the USA
72. Go on holiday with friends
73. Go on a winter holiday in the UK
74. Visit five British cities I've never been to before 2/5
75. Visit three European cities I've never been to before 0/3
Culture
76. Complete a 365 photo challenge
77. Go to an opera
78. Read 20 books 9/20
79. Watch five classic movies I've never seen before - completed 26 September 2011
80. See a Shakespeare play - completed 22 August 2012
81. Go to ten National Trust places 8/10
82. Go to a Prom - completed 20 July 2011
83. Go to the Tate Britain - completed 17 December 2011
84. Go to Portobello Market - completed 17 December 2011
Craft
85. Host a craft evening - completed 11 November 2011
86. Make curtains for the living room
87. Make a dress
88. Get a sewing box - found my childhood one!
89. Complete four knitting projects 3/4
90. Complete five cross-stitch projects 3/5
Fun
91. Leave a note in a library book - completed 2 October 2011
92. Complete a jigsaw - completed 8 May 2011
93. Go for a family bike ride - completed 8 October 2011 (Oxford to Tackley)
94. Host a neighbourhood party - completed 31 December 2011
95. Host Christmas
96. Swim in the sea - completed 25 June 2011 (at Highcliffe, Dorset)
97. Host a tea party
98. Go kayaking ten times 2/10
99. Go on a picnic - completed 31 July 2011
100. Go to a theme park
101. Go to a ball
Showing posts with label 101. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 101. Show all posts
Wednesday, 6 February 2013
Monday, 2 May 2011
Pavlova, painting, and chicken en croute
This weekend, I achieved Goal #29: Make a perfect pavlova (perfection is hard to define, but I thought it was really, really good). Having attempted twice before to make a fluffy, marshmallowy meringue that does not go all gloopy and flat when cooked, this time I managed to get it just right. Here's how.
Pavlova - serves 6-8
3 large eggs, very fresh and at room temperature
160g caster sugar
1 tbsp cornflour
1 dessertspoon vinegar (white or malt)
300ml whipped cream
A bit of custard or yoghurt (optional)
Fresh fruit
Preheat oven to 180C.
Separate the eggs (use the yolks for creme brulee, custard, or lemon curd).
Using an electric handwhisk, whisk the eggs on the fastest speed for 5 minutes.
With the whisk still running, add the sugar a teaspoon at a time for a marshmallowy texture, or all at once for a hard meringue.
Reduce the whisk speed to the slowest setting. Add the vinegar and sift in the cornflour, and gently whisk in.
On a tray lined with greaseproof paper, blob the meringue mixture into a large circle, oblong, or individual shapes. Make a dip in the middle to hold the cream filling.
Put the meringue in the oven and reduce the temperature to 130C. Bake for one hour. Turn off the oven but leave the meringue inside until completely cool.
Just before serving, top the meringue with whipped cream mixed with a bit of custard or yoghurt if you like, and fresh fruit.
My other completed task this weekend was painting the radiators in our hallway and kitchen (#49). They look much better now. Once I've finished painting the woodwork in our hallway, it will finally be finished!
I made a new recipe as part of Goal #32: chicken en croute. It wasn't that tasty though. I think it would be nicer to stuff the chicken with boursin or herby cream cheese or goats cheese mixed with sun-dried tomatoes. We used left-over stuffing as a topping for baked chicken breasts the next day, and added some marjoram which improved the flavour. Using corn-fed chicken and/or seasoning the chicken really well would probably make a real difference too.
Pavlova - serves 6-8
3 large eggs, very fresh and at room temperature
160g caster sugar
1 tbsp cornflour
1 dessertspoon vinegar (white or malt)
300ml whipped cream
A bit of custard or yoghurt (optional)
Fresh fruit
Preheat oven to 180C.
Separate the eggs (use the yolks for creme brulee, custard, or lemon curd).
Using an electric handwhisk, whisk the eggs on the fastest speed for 5 minutes.
With the whisk still running, add the sugar a teaspoon at a time for a marshmallowy texture, or all at once for a hard meringue.
Reduce the whisk speed to the slowest setting. Add the vinegar and sift in the cornflour, and gently whisk in.
On a tray lined with greaseproof paper, blob the meringue mixture into a large circle, oblong, or individual shapes. Make a dip in the middle to hold the cream filling.
Put the meringue in the oven and reduce the temperature to 130C. Bake for one hour. Turn off the oven but leave the meringue inside until completely cool.
Just before serving, top the meringue with whipped cream mixed with a bit of custard or yoghurt if you like, and fresh fruit.
My other completed task this weekend was painting the radiators in our hallway and kitchen (#49). They look much better now. Once I've finished painting the woodwork in our hallway, it will finally be finished!
I made a new recipe as part of Goal #32: chicken en croute. It wasn't that tasty though. I think it would be nicer to stuff the chicken with boursin or herby cream cheese or goats cheese mixed with sun-dried tomatoes. We used left-over stuffing as a topping for baked chicken breasts the next day, and added some marjoram which improved the flavour. Using corn-fed chicken and/or seasoning the chicken really well would probably make a real difference too.
Tuesday, 26 April 2011
101 in 1001
I found out a while ago about a project that a lot of people have been doing and blogging about. It started with a site called Day Zero. The basic premise is that you make a list of 101 things that you'd like to do in the next 1001 days. 1001 days is considered better than a year because it's a longer, more realistic time period. I've been working on my list for a while. It's not finished yet but I'll add to it over the coming weeks (update - finished list on 1 June 2011). It'll be interesting (for me) to see how I get on! My finish date is 21 January 2014.
Personal
1. Read the whole Bible
2. Get a new job - completed December 2011
3. Read HeadFirst JavaScript
4. Read HeadFirst PHP
5. Have a super-simple month - pretty much every month since Sophie was born! Perhaps a better goal would be: Socialise!
6. Have a baby - Sophie Ann Louise Wu born 4 September 2012
7. Write to my grandmothers six times 6/6 - completed 18 February 2013
8. Go paper-free on all bills and statements - completed
9. Get a facial - completed September 2013 (merci Mamie et Claude!)
10. Save £10 for every task I complete - completed
11. Donate blood - completed 3 November 2011
12. Dye my hair
13. Run a half marathon - completed 6 October 2013
14. Run a 10K - completed July 2013
15. Register for a course - completed September 2011
16. Learn to draw
17. Learn five new piano pieces 0/5
18. Learn the violin
19. Write a children's book
20. Create that website that I've been thinking about
21. Finish reading 'Getting things done'
22. Do the 100 push-ups challenge
23. Keep off facebook for a month - completed 14 September 2011
24. Get weight down to x - completed
25. Finish this list - completed 1 June 2011
26. Learn to play bridge properly
27. Join a club or society
Food
28. Bake bread from scratch - completed 22 May 2013
29. Make a perfect pavlova - completed 29 April 2011
30. Make jam - completed 9 August 2011
31. Eat five things I've never tried before - completed 16 September 2011 (lots of new foods in Japan)
32. Make 20 new main course recipes 20/20 - completed 18 February 2013
33. Make a birthday cake for someone - completed 28 September 2011
34. Learn to make sugar flowers - completed November 2011
35. Make chutney - completed 12 November 2011
36. Make 20 new cakes/desserts - completed 25 October 2012
37. Label my cake tins - completed 29 August 2011
38. Make three different flavours of creme brulee 2/3
39. Make a family cookbook
Garden
40. Build a rock garden
41. Grow and harvest 12 different fruits and vegetables - completed with our first blueberries, August 2013
42. Get a peony for the garden - completed May 2013 (thanks, mum and dad!)
43. Have five different types of tulip in the garden
44. Clear the garden of debris - completed October 2013
Home
45. Paint our hall stairs and landing - completed 7 May 2011
46. Organise the attic
47. Paint the radiators in the kitchen and hallway - completed 1 May 2011
48. Make fitted cupboards and shelves in the living room
49. Make radiator covers in the living room
50. Paint the outside of the house - completed September 2012, organised by my lovely husband
51. Insulate the loft - completed 5 November 2011 (thanks, Nicolas and Eric!)
52. Get the boiler fixed - completed 2 June 2011
53. Get the damp chimney fixed - completed 22 November 2011
54. Paint the garden shed - completed 1 October 2011
55. Replace the door handles
56. Get a '21' sign for the house - completed 16 June 2012
57. Paint the kitchen - completed 10 July 2011
58. Clean the windows outside (or get them cleaned) - completed 18 October 2011
59. Get a frame for and hang the etching - completed 2 June 2011
60. Declutter the whole house
61. Revarnish the floors
62. Paint the banisters
63. Clear out and put new shelves in the pantry - completed August 2012 by Nick
Travel
64. Travel to four new countries 2/4 (does Scotland count?!)
65. Go on a cruise
66. Go camping
67. Go to Scotland - completed July 2013
68. Go on a girls only trip
69. Go on a road trip
70. See the Northern Lights
71. Go to the USA
72. Go on holiday with friends - completed March 2013
73. Go on a winter holiday in the UK - completed March 2013, with snow!
74. Visit five British cities I've never been to before 4/5
75. Visit three European cities I've never been to before 0/3
Culture
76. Complete a 365 photo challenge
77. Go to an opera
78. Read 20 books 16/20
79. Watch five classic movies I've never seen before - completed 26 September 2011
80. See a Shakespeare play - completed 22 August 2012
81. Go to ten National Trust places - completed August 2013
82. Go to a Prom - completed 20 July 2011
83. Go to the Tate Britain - completed 17 December 2011
84. Go to Portobello Market - completed 17 December 2011
Craft
85. Host a craft evening - completed 11 November 2011
86. Make curtains for the living room
87. Make a dress
88. Get a sewing box - found my childhood one!
89. Complete four knitting projects 4/4 - completed February 2013
90. Complete five cross-stitch projects 4/5
Fun
91. Leave a note in a library book - completed 2 October 2011
92. Complete a jigsaw - completed 8 May 2011
93. Go for a family bike ride - completed 8 October 2011 (Oxford to Tackley)
94. Host a neighbourhood party - completed 31 December 2011
95. Host Christmas
96. Swim in the sea - completed 25 June 2011 (at Highcliffe, Dorset)
97. Host a tea party - completed 25 May 2013
98. Go kayaking ten times 2/10
99. Go on a picnic - completed 31 July 2011
100. Go to a theme park
101. Go to a ball
Personal
1. Read the whole Bible
2. Get a new job - completed December 2011
3. Read HeadFirst JavaScript
4. Read HeadFirst PHP
5. Have a super-simple month - pretty much every month since Sophie was born! Perhaps a better goal would be: Socialise!
6. Have a baby - Sophie Ann Louise Wu born 4 September 2012
7. Write to my grandmothers six times 6/6 - completed 18 February 2013
8. Go paper-free on all bills and statements - completed
9. Get a facial - completed September 2013 (merci Mamie et Claude!)
10. Save £10 for every task I complete - completed
11. Donate blood - completed 3 November 2011
12. Dye my hair
13. Run a half marathon - completed 6 October 2013
14. Run a 10K - completed July 2013
15. Register for a course - completed September 2011
16. Learn to draw
17. Learn five new piano pieces 0/5
18. Learn the violin
19. Write a children's book
20. Create that website that I've been thinking about
21. Finish reading 'Getting things done'
22. Do the 100 push-ups challenge
23. Keep off facebook for a month - completed 14 September 2011
24. Get weight down to x - completed
25. Finish this list - completed 1 June 2011
26. Learn to play bridge properly
27. Join a club or society
Food
28. Bake bread from scratch - completed 22 May 2013
29. Make a perfect pavlova - completed 29 April 2011
30. Make jam - completed 9 August 2011
31. Eat five things I've never tried before - completed 16 September 2011 (lots of new foods in Japan)
32. Make 20 new main course recipes 20/20 - completed 18 February 2013
33. Make a birthday cake for someone - completed 28 September 2011
34. Learn to make sugar flowers - completed November 2011
35. Make chutney - completed 12 November 2011
36. Make 20 new cakes/desserts - completed 25 October 2012
37. Label my cake tins - completed 29 August 2011
38. Make three different flavours of creme brulee 2/3
39. Make a family cookbook
Garden
40. Build a rock garden
41. Grow and harvest 12 different fruits and vegetables - completed with our first blueberries, August 2013
42. Get a peony for the garden - completed May 2013 (thanks, mum and dad!)
43. Have five different types of tulip in the garden
44. Clear the garden of debris - completed October 2013
Home
45. Paint our hall stairs and landing - completed 7 May 2011
46. Organise the attic
47. Paint the radiators in the kitchen and hallway - completed 1 May 2011
48. Make fitted cupboards and shelves in the living room
49. Make radiator covers in the living room
50. Paint the outside of the house - completed September 2012, organised by my lovely husband
51. Insulate the loft - completed 5 November 2011 (thanks, Nicolas and Eric!)
52. Get the boiler fixed - completed 2 June 2011
53. Get the damp chimney fixed - completed 22 November 2011
54. Paint the garden shed - completed 1 October 2011
55. Replace the door handles
56. Get a '21' sign for the house - completed 16 June 2012
57. Paint the kitchen - completed 10 July 2011
58. Clean the windows outside (or get them cleaned) - completed 18 October 2011
59. Get a frame for and hang the etching - completed 2 June 2011
60. Declutter the whole house
61. Revarnish the floors
62. Paint the banisters
63. Clear out and put new shelves in the pantry - completed August 2012 by Nick
Travel
64. Travel to four new countries 2/4 (does Scotland count?!)
65. Go on a cruise
66. Go camping
67. Go to Scotland - completed July 2013
68. Go on a girls only trip
69. Go on a road trip
70. See the Northern Lights
71. Go to the USA
72. Go on holiday with friends - completed March 2013
73. Go on a winter holiday in the UK - completed March 2013, with snow!
74. Visit five British cities I've never been to before 4/5
75. Visit three European cities I've never been to before 0/3
Culture
76. Complete a 365 photo challenge
77. Go to an opera
78. Read 20 books 16/20
79. Watch five classic movies I've never seen before - completed 26 September 2011
80. See a Shakespeare play - completed 22 August 2012
81. Go to ten National Trust places - completed August 2013
82. Go to a Prom - completed 20 July 2011
83. Go to the Tate Britain - completed 17 December 2011
84. Go to Portobello Market - completed 17 December 2011
Craft
85. Host a craft evening - completed 11 November 2011
86. Make curtains for the living room
87. Make a dress
88. Get a sewing box - found my childhood one!
89. Complete four knitting projects 4/4 - completed February 2013
90. Complete five cross-stitch projects 4/5
Fun
91. Leave a note in a library book - completed 2 October 2011
92. Complete a jigsaw - completed 8 May 2011
93. Go for a family bike ride - completed 8 October 2011 (Oxford to Tackley)
94. Host a neighbourhood party - completed 31 December 2011
95. Host Christmas
96. Swim in the sea - completed 25 June 2011 (at Highcliffe, Dorset)
97. Host a tea party - completed 25 May 2013
98. Go kayaking ten times 2/10
99. Go on a picnic - completed 31 July 2011
100. Go to a theme park
101. Go to a ball
Completed: 60/101
Last updated: 17/12/2013
Last updated: 17/12/2013
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)