Say “Hey Neighbor!” with homemade.  Nothing says “Hey!  I like who you are.  I’m glad we’re in the world together” like homemade chocolate chip cookies.  Nothing  helps makes the world a better place like letting people know they’re appreciated.  See how that works?  Spread the good.

Whole Wheat, if not little by little then lot by lot.  Sure, whole wheat flour has been all the rage for years now, but it hasn’t really touched my heart.  This year, approach whole wheat little by little.  Your belly might just welcome a whole wheat triple chocolate cake, emphasis on the triple chocolate.   

Vegan time?  A few less sticks of butter and eggs and milk might just do a body good.  Those Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies I made with Jill treated me right.  There should be more vegan baking in our futures.

Play.  Commit to playing in your kitchen.  Visit to one of those fancy food shops and buy yourself a treat.  Maybe something that you never played with in the kitchen before.  Get it home and get crackin’.  There’s something fundamentally awesome about playing with new ingredients in the kitchen.  It’s like getting that new color of Play-Doh for Christmas, and just about losing your mind. 

Give.  The best part of baking, aside from eating a brownie fresh from the oven, is being able to share your treats with others.  You might even consider contacting a shelter that might be able to take your goods.  That’s thinkin’.

Get you hands on a new cookbook or two.  New cookbooks are full of new tricks and new stories. Dive in!

Celebrate the season.  I know, sounds totally cheesy, right?  Here’s the thing about celebrating the season… it’s all about enjoying where you are when you’re there.  My favorite way to do this is to head out to the farmer’s markets for some seasonal shopping.  Early morning, fresh produce and hot coffee.  It’s one fine day.

Make a pizza.  If you haven’t made a homemade pizza yet, you really shouldn’t waste any more time.  It’s good for the soul.

Do it with love.  Whatever you do this year, if you do it with love.  It feels super awesome crazy great!  I promise.