Isn't It a Shame?

Lately I have been trying to get back into the swing of things with cooking - some of the classics like chile, risotto and lasagna...

But I've also been trying to branch out a little bit and take on one or more new exciting items per week.

My biggest success has come in the liquid form of soup. Yummy, warm and delicious.

Soup #1: Butternut squash / apple.
- start with some chicken broth. Add diced butternut squash. Also add 1-2 carrots cut up, some onion, ginger, 2 or so apples worth of apple, some pepper and some curry powder. Simma' down. Blend, while adding a little cream.

Soup #2: Potatoe leek soup. Equally as easy - cut up some leeks, saute in a frying pan. Cut and skin some potatoes, and boil those guys in a big pot. Add some garlic and green onions to the leeks. Drain the potatoes, add some chicken broth, add the leeks, add some milk, blend and spice appropriately.

Next on my soup list - split pea.

I also made a fantastic stuffed port tenderloin for the first time ever the other day. Cut the tenderloin so it is 1 large flat "sheet". Line with ricotta cheese & spiced bradcrumbs. In a bowl mix baby spinach, parmesan cheese, toasted and cut pine nuts, spices and more breadcrumbs. Lay over the ricotta cheese on the meat. Roll, holding together with toothpicks/skewers. Grill. Oh so yummy.

I've also been making a number of muffin recipes from scratch that have turned out quite well.

Any ideas or suggestions for what I should take on next??(I'm looking at you Karen)