This year, I am challenging myself to cook a new dish and learn something new in the kitchen every week. I received a new "Cooking for Two" cookbook for Christmas this year, and I have a slew of amazing recipes in the cupboard. It is time that I put all of these tools to good use in my amazing new kitchen...

Every Saturday, the plan will be to pick a new recipe to challenge us (or at least me) in the kitchen. Tonight, I cooked scallops for the first time ever! They turned out pretty good, but I'm sure a pro would be able to tell me what I did wrong. The test in our house though is just to make sure that the hubs will eat it. If his plate is clean at the end of the meal, then I did ok. And we had success tonight! Not sure that it's his new favorite or anything like that, but I was happy.

I also wanted to post our annual New Year's Eve photo. Before we head out for our steak dinner on December 31st, the hubby sets up the tripod with his camera and we pose for a few to mark a new year. So here it is: