This week’s photo challenge theme is Resolved, a topic very appropriate for the first week of the year. I’m not one for setting New Year’s resolutions, but it did occur to me recently how much I enjoy reading other people’s resolutions. The internet is full of well-meaning declarations this time of year, and I find it fascinating to learn about what other’s are setting out to accomplish. There’s something very brave about publishing your resolutions in a forum such as this one, as it often involves admitting flaws and setting expectations among your readers that you are, in fact, working to improve on them. While I rarely set New Year’s resolutions, I do spend time at the start of each thinking about what they would be. One thing that stood out to me this year was a desire to make more home-cooked meals. When I returned to working outside the home almost two years ago, I felt that my schedule no longer allowed for cooking dinner each day, and over time we’ve started eating out more and more. This year, our children are a bit older and don’t need my constant attention the second I walk in and the babysitter leaves, so I’m going to stop using our busy schedule as an excuse to eat out. This year, I’m going to cook more. There – I did it. I published my New Year’s resolution, even if it is just the one. Expect lots of pictures of food on the blog this year. Someone has to hold me accountable.

To start, here are a few of my favorite pictures related to cooking: