Losing MEME Virginity

I am fairly new to this blogging thing. Like for example, you can see that I'm still using a cookie-cutter Blogger template and I only have about 1650 on my "unique reader" counter down there in the right-hand side bar. Most of all, you can tell I'm new because until this week, I had never, EVER, been tagged for a MEME.

Now, I'm not saying I was up nights worrying about it, but I was kinda feeling like the kid in the lunchroom who maybe forgot to wear deodorant. And never bathed. And brought a fermented fish head for lunch. But I digress.

I am now officially Not A Complete Food Blog Loser because the fabulous Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice has tagged me for the "Cooking Challenges of 2006" MEME! Thank you Ivonne. I love you, and like do you wanna come over after school and we can hang out this weekend and ... Ivonne? Hello?

Anyhow, it's um, not like I've been planning out what I would list if I ever got tagged for this MEME, um... but I do happen to have 5 ideas all primed and ready to go.

The 5 Cooking Challenges that I Dare Myself to Do in 2006 are...

1) Bake a cake from scratch. And I know which one I wanna do. I will have to buy a sifter!

2) This one isn't really a cooking challenge, but it is food related: Eat NO refined sugar for two whole weeks. And lest you think I'm turning "kooky-healthy" on y'all, I'm not. True, I am curious to see if it makes me feel any different, but the real motivation is to see how good sugar tastes when I go back to it! Mmmwaaahaha! (Maybe that's when I bake the cake!)

3) Try organic delivery. I have almost signed up so many times but stop at the last minute, thinking that I want to be in control of the produce that winds up in my fridge. Problem is, when I shop, I don't always buy organic, and I think I should. Added benefit: a box of veggies chosen by someone else would force me to cook new things!

4) Get a real wok and learn how to stir-fry for REAL. I'm talking high heat and mad skills. I make plenty of "stir fries" in my regular non-stick skillet on medium-high heat, but I know I'm a hoser. While I'm at it, need to expand my cooking oil knowledge. As it is, I operate only with olive, canola, a little sesame for flavoring Asian and flax-seed oil for salads. Healthy, yes, but I know there is so much more out there. Peanut, nut oils, corn, grapeseed, sunflower, soybean...

5) Bake Bread. Real bread. With yeast and kneading. You knew that was coming. I have marveled at breads on other bloggers' sites. (There's even one dude, the famous Professor Salt, who has the cohones to bake bagels!) But I have bread-bake-a-phobia bigtime. I think it might come from someone telling me things like, "You have to have the proper oven or don't bother," and "It's so easy to make a mess of bread." Well... nobody ever died from birthing a foul-tasting brick from a lame gas oven, so I'll give it a go! (If anyone has a delish bread recipe suggestion you think I could handle, now would be the time to come forth. Preferring hearty/healthy, rustic whole grain...)

Cool. I'm now on record and must live up to the dares. And now I'll tag some of my fave fab foodie folks... this MEME's fer you!

Joe at his delicious blog Culinary in the Desert
Shauna at her tasty blog Gluten Free Girl
Sarah at her hilariously yummy blog The Delicious Life
Polly + Dieter at their lip-lickin' blog The Second Helping House
The very naughty Courtney, Trobee, Trina, Ruthie, Vanesa, Peter and Kathryn at their spicetastic blog Naughty Curry