The Loose Ends of 2010

The new year is a time of resolutions. Fresh starts. Do overs. I have come to realize in my fresh starting frenzy, it's also a time of loose ends. Time to tie up the stuff never addressed or completed last year and put it to bed.

I need to finish painting the wooden switch plates in my house. I need to complete the living room drapery project and order the fabric to recover the too sweet (what what I thinking?) floral. We should really apply for our passports. The taxes...

All of these thoughts bouncing through my head at about 11:30 last night got me to thinking about kitchen projects left with loose ends. Feeling as though I cheated or worse yet lied about sharing results, I thought I'd update you on a few...

Remember the Olive Project? It started with a bang. They cured, they sat, I checked on them. When they were done brining I never really finished them. Thoughts of adding crisp garlic, garden fresh herbs and strips of citrus zest sort of flew out the window. They are still in the fridge. It took so long to brine them, I think I lost interest. I should really address them.

The other project is the Apple Project #1 -cider vinegar. Initially, all went well. It sort of smelled apple-y and vinegar-y and good. Then the mother in the bottom of the jar turned into this bigger, huge-r, nasty thing and it started to smell funky. If I had a dime for every time I tried to make vinegar I'd be rich. It doesn't work for me. I will never be able to make vinegar or a proper pot of rice. Ends knotted.

So, in the end, I've decided that perhaps it's my attention span (look there's a chicken!). I love the process of the projects I take on but if they take too long I loose a bit of steam. Also, I don't like science.

And for the record, I really did see a chicken.

(Okay, not really but you believed me didn't you?)