How About Some Culinary Resolutions This Year?!

OK, I am never really one for making New Year's Resolutions.  In the past I would always tend to go all gun-ho for a month or two and then just somehow completely forget about them.  (But then again, doesn't everybody?!)  So it has been ages since I attempted anything like it.  Sure I would love to loose weight, get more organized, etc. but I need to focus on those things differently then as a "NYR".  While reading one of my favorite food blogs The Bitten Word I was completely inspired to create my very own Culinary Resolutions of 2010.  This is sooooo doable and also so much fun!  Since when were NYR fun?  Drum roll please.......

• Stretch my Own Mozzarella by Hand- After reading about this in Barbara Kingsolver's book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle last year I have been dying to try this.  Well, this will be the year!  I will need an extra set of hands- any takers?   
• Cook a Whole Fish- With growing up the daughter and now a wife of a fisherman I have cooked countless fish filets but have never made an entire one, head and all.  There are two recipes I would love to try- Salt Crusted and also Thai Fried Fish with a Chili Sauce.  We will see which one wins out.  Maybe both!
• Learn to Make Pasta by Hand- I want to make sure to do a gnocchi and also a spaghetti of some sort.
• Shop at Local Farmer's Market's More Regularly- There are so many amazing ones around here I need to start taking advantage of them.  Luckily I have the Trapp Co-op (love you Mom and Dad!) so our countertops are abundant of tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, etc.  But I want to extend to eggs, dairy, and any vegetables that my parents don't already grow.  Buying local and reducing my carbon footprint has become more and more important to me and this will definitely help that.
• Cook Beef Wellington- I have eaten this at a restaurant only a few times and my parents made it one Christmas Eve, but I have never attempted it myself.  After watching so many of the contestants on Hell's Kitchen mess it up millions of times, I know it will be a challenge.  But I feel I need to at least attempt it!
• Make Homemade Ice Cream- This will involve purchasing an ice cream maker at some point.  I am pretty sure I can find a second hand one at a local Goodwill...  anyone have one in their basement collecting dust I could borrow? :)

These last two resolutions go hand in hand.....

• Expand My Herb Garden to Include Some Vegetables- My herb garden began with just a handful of the most common- parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, planted in a long pot that I carried with me from one renter to the next until we finally moved into our very own home.  Here I finally have my in-ground Herb Garden I always wished for, and each year have expanded bigger and bigger to incorporate a wide variety of herbs and even a few flowers for color.  This year I would like to add some onions, garlic, leeks, and possibly some potatoes.
• Begin Composting- I grew up in a home with the Tuperware bowl on the countertop collecting the days  worth of eggshells, vegetable peelings, used coffee grounds, etc. waiting to make it out back to the family compost pile.  I finally have a yard of my own with the room to do so.  Now I just have to decided on which type to do.

There you have it!  8 New Years Resolutions that I think I could actually accomplish and have fun doing at the same time.  Have any of you ever made Culinary Resolutions or do you have any for this year?  What were they and where you successful?  I would love to hear all about it- please leave them in the comments!