Last year I made a 30 before 30 list. Although some of the items may be lofty goals, I still have seven years to complete them all. Some are realistic, like completing a 30-day challenge of some sorts, while others may depend on outside circumstances, such as Coldplay still touring. Over the past year, I've settled on a beauty routine, purchased furniture with no assembly required and took a cooking class.

Many are in the works, such as visiting a city I've never been to, learning another language, getting more comfortable with my DSLR and hosting a dinner party (I have a fondue pot which is not worth breaking out for just a couple of people.)

And still others are simple tasks to save for a rainy day. Here's to another year of crossing still more items off of my mini-bucket list of sorts! 

Looking back at the list makes me laugh a little at what I thought were going to be priorities in my life in the upcoming years. I went to zero concerts this past year so there was no potential to get front row tickets, hang out at a festival or see Coldplay. It's just not something that I wish to put a lot of my money towards. Plus, Tallahassee is not much of a tour destination for many of the bands I listen to.

What items would be on your 30 before 30 list?

1. Host a dinner party.

2. Buy a home.

3. Send 100 handwritten notes.

4. Visit a city I've never been to.

5. Find (and stick to) an actual beauty routine.

6. Purchase furniture with no assembly required. (aka not from Ikea or Target)

7. Watch all of AFI's 100 Greatest Movies

8. Compile all of my favorite recipes into a cookbook.

9. Invest in a quality handbag.

10. Visit another continent besides North America and Europe.

11. Pay off my student loans.

12. Learn how to use chopsticks.

13. Experience Christmas in New York.

14. Learn another language. 

15. Get front row tickets to a concert. 

16. Adopt a pet. 

17. Own something from Tiffany & Co.

18. Take cooking classes.

19. Take a trip on the next flight out of town.

20. Start a journal and finish it. 

21. Practice photography. 

22. Open an online business.

23. Participate (and complete) a 30-day challenge.

24. Plant a vegetable garden. And not let it die.

25. Be on a first name basis with a barista. (bonus if they memorize my order)

26. Attend a Coldplay concert.

27. Participate in a 365 photo project.

28. Pay it forward.

29. Attend a music festival.
30. Create my own font.

I checked another item off of my 30 before 30 list this weekend. Taking a cooking class is now complete. And if I'm being honest, it is not going to be the last. If you live in Florida (or Atlanta) you can see if there is a Publix cooking school in your area. If so, I highly recommend attending one. They offer both demonstrations and hands-on classes, depending on whether you want to brush up on your knife skills or eat an entire plated meal complete with wine parings for each course.

I used proper knifes (that weren't bought wrapped in plastic), a mandolin and an emersion blender for the first time. As someone who gets giddy every time she walks into Bed, Bath and Beyond, I was having so much fun.

On the menu were holiday side dishes. If you are looking for the perfect (simple) recipe to bring to a holiday gathering, or if you are still finalizing the menu for your first year hosting Thanksgiving, here are my three favorite recipes of the night. Also on the menu were Creamy Garlic Turnip Mashed Potatoes and Crispy Rosemary Fennel.

The sides were heavy on the starch, butter, bacon fat and garlic. If you are looking to lighten up your meal, then pass these recipes over.

Creamy Three Cheese Truffle Macaroni

Serves 6

Ingredients 

2 tlbs. butter

2 large sweet onions, julienned

1/2 pound elbow macaroni

1 tlbs. white truffle oil

5 tlbs. butter or bacon fat

5 tlbs. all-purpose flour

3 cups milk

1/2 tsp. ground annatto

1/8 tsp. turmeric

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup Colby Jack cheese, shredded

1/2 cup Havarti cheese, shredded

1 cup breadcrumbs

Method

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a large skillet, melt butter on medium high heat. Add onions and cook until caramelized to a dark golden color.

Cook macaroni in boiling water for about 10 minutes until tender but still firm. Drain well. Place in large bowl with caramelized onions and a drizzle of truffle oil; mix well and set aside. 

In a deep skillet, melt butter on medium heat. Add flour to make a roux and cook, stirring, to remove any lumps. Pour in milk and cook until mixture is thick and smooth. Season bechamel with salt, pepper, annatto, turmeric. Remove from heat, stir in Cheddar and Colby Jack cheese until melted.

Add pasta and transfer mixture to a 9 x 13-inch baking dish; bake 10-20 minutes. Top with 1/2 cup havarti cheese and and breadcrumbs and bake for an additional 5 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Spaghetti Squash with Brown Butter and Sage

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 large spaghetti squash

1 ounce olive oil

4 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon sage, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Cut squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Coat squash with olive oil and place, cut side down, on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake 20-25 minutes or until tender. Rest at room temperature until cool enough to handle. 

Scrape cooked squash with a fork out of its skin into a bowl and set aside. In a large saute pan, melt butter on medium-high until the color starts to change to  a slight brown. Add sage and toast for 10 seconds and then add squash. Toss until coated with butter, season with salt and pepper. 

Serve hot.

Zesty Orange Cranberry Relish

Serves 8

Ingredients

1 (8 ox) can mandarin oranges

12 ounce bag cranberries (fresh)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

Method

Drain oranges and reserve juice. In a medium sauce pan, combine cranberries, sugar, water, and mandarin orange juice. Bring to a boil, add oranges and reduce to a simmer until cranberries pop and oranges break down. Remove from heat, cool and serve. 

All recipes written by the Publix Apron Test Kitchen

I decided to revisit my 30 before 30 list that I made on my 22 birthday in January. You know, just to make sure I haven't accomplished anything without even trying. I know have one item to cross off my list not even six months in. Success? I think so. Now only 29 more to go. Some of them may take a little a lot of planning and coordination. 

Visiting a continent other than North America or Europe? Well... I did spend the better part of a night researching cruises to the Antarctic. You read that right, the girl who barricaded herself in her apartment rather than attempt to walk across the iced over parking lot after falling multiple times? Yes, she considered visiting a continent that is completely ice. Maybe it's the summer heat getting to me, or maybe I've lost my mind. But at the time it sounded like a genius idea. Until I saw the 23 day itinerary and $12,000 price tag. After that I decided I'll settle for St. Luica and call it a day.

Back to what I've actually done...purchased furniture with no assembly required! And it also came with people besides myself and my dad to transport, carry up the stairs and set up. My desk and patio furniture came in boxes, but screwing in nuts and bolts with a hex key (what my dad referred to the makeshift screwdriver that comes in the assembly kit) was still my speed of DIY.

It's not surprise that I like setting goals. And making lists. And making lists of goals...you get the picture. And while I may be one of the younger people making a "30 before 30" list, I just say I like being overprepared. Most of the ones I've seen are made when people turn 29 and they are terrified to think that they wasted their 20s and want to quickly finish all the dreams they had. In all honestly I started out making a list of things that I wanted to do before I'm 25, but I had too many ambiguous and long-term goals that I know I want to accomplish, but don't realistically see them happening in the next three years. So now I have an extra five years to finish this list. Which I guess means that there is no reason not to come close to crossing all of these off?

1. Host a dinner party.

2. Buy a home.

3. Send 100 handwritten notes.

4. Visit a city I've never been to.

5. Find (and stick to) an actual beauty routine.

6. Purchase furniture with no assembly required. (aka not from Ikea or Target)

7. Watch all of AFI's 100 Greatest Movies

8. Compile all of my favorite recipes into a cookbook that I publish.

9. Invest in a quality handbag.

10. Visit another continent besides North America and Europe.

11. Pay off my student loans.

12. Learn how to use chopsticks.

13. Experience Christmas in New York.

14. Learn another language. 

15. Get front row tickets to a concert. 

16. Adopt a pet. 

17. Own something from Tiffany & Co.

18. Take cooking classes.

19. Take a trip on the next flight out of town.

20. Start a journal and finish it. 

21. Practice photography. 

22. Open an online business.

23. Participate (and complete) a 30-day challenge.

24. Plant a vegetable garden. And not let it die.

25. Be on a first name basis with a barista. (bonus if they memorize my order)

26. Attend a Coldplay concert.

27. Participate in a 365 photo project.

28. Pay it forward.

29. Attend a music festival.
30. Create my own font.