#Project366 – week 52 and the end of 2012

So that’s it for 2012…no more London Olympics, no more Diamond Jubilee, and no more #Project366! This time last year I set myself a challenge to capture a food-related photograph every day for a year, and confess to feeling a mixture of emotions now that it’s over. I’m delighted that I successfully reached my goal, proud of the improvement in my camera skills during the past 12 months, a tiny bit surprised that I didn’t miss a single day, and relief that there’s no longer the pressure to take a daily photo of something, anything, to do with food!

I’m grateful to my friends and family for supporting me through #Project366 (especially my long-suffering boyfriend!) and to everyone who’s taken the time to read these blogposts and follow my life on a plate for the past year. There were times when I was dashing around the country for work when I feared I wouldn’t find anything to photograph (hence the number of snapshots of train snacks!), and that I’d never write up my huge backlog of weekly updates. But thankfully I got back up to speed before the year drew to a close, and can share with you this final roundup covering my Christmas week menu and seasonal celebrations back in Dorset…

Day #358 - My signature dish of spicy sausage stew, full of smoked chorizo from Flavours of Spain and a secret ingredient that I hope to share with you in 2013…

#Project366 – week 51

If the Mayans’ predictions had been correct, then #Project366 would have stopped short just before noon on Day #356…and I wouldn’t have written this blogpost either, as the world would have ended! Thankfully this wasn’t the case and we can all look forward to Christmas now, though judging by these photos my festive gluttony has already begun…

Day #351 – Stuffing a corn-fed chicken with lemon and fresh sage for a classic Sunday roast for two, with enough leftovers to last all week

#Project366 – Week 50

Every day this week I’ve expected to find a bright white landscape greeting me when I leave the house for my early morning gym sessions, but sadly we’ve yet to see a snowflake fall in London this winter. There has been some serious frost and face-aching cold winds lately though, so it can’t be long before my fantasy of a lazy “snow day” is fulfilled! Judging by these photos from the last week on #Project366, it’s certainly beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

Day #344 – I drink alcohol very infrequently these days, but I decided there was no better way to get into the “Taste of Christmas” spirit than by treating myself to a bottle of this rich and fruity Sipsmith sloe gin

#Project366 – week 49

Are you all set for Christmas yet? I confess that I am completely unprepared so far – no tree bought or decorated, no cards written and no presents wrapped! I’m starting to get into the festive spirit after pulling my first cracker over some brussels sprouts on Friday (see Day #342 below) but don’t think I’ll truly feel like the “holidays are coming” until I finish work at the end of this week…

Day #337 – Another week, another Wahaca trip (see other examples of their fantastic street food on Day #328 and Day #295)! Some extra warmth was needed to combat a freezing night so I opted for a bowl of spicy tomato soup topped with feta, avocado and tortilla chips

#Project366 – week 48

December has arrived, which means the countdown has begun…no, not for Christmas, but for the end of #Project366! It’s been a long 11 months so far in my challenge to capture a food-related photograph every day for a year, so you can expect plenty of festive cheer as I focus my attention on the finish line. Here’s one last look at the end of November’s edible delights…

Day #330 – A belated Thanksgiving feast with American friends being kick-started with a fizzy cranberry and champagne cocktail. Check out the inspired use of seasonal vegetables for stylish table decorations and an excellent recreation of Shutterbean’s roasted rosemary almonds

#Project366 – week 47

A variety of nibbles and accompaniments recorded in this week’s snapshots, plus a huge hunk of gnarly caramelised meat…

Day #323 – Following the London Cheese and Wine Guide’s advice and checking out La Fromagerie’s Winter Cheeseboard, served with slices of my favourite seasonal russet apple (and a cheeky glass or two of Riesling!)

#Project366 – week 46

You’ll notice an increase in hearty comfort food in this #Project366 flashback, as Winter marches towards us…

Day #316 - Cute mini cream pastry buns in every flavour by Choux on display at BBC Good Food Show…I sampled a peanut butter version (far right) which was fluffy and delicious

#Project366 – week 45

Why is it that no matter how cold it is outside, you can always enjoy a scoop of creamy gelato or (slightly healthier) frozen yoghurt? Despite the calendar shifting to November in this week’s reflection from my challenge to capture a food-related photograph every day for a year, I didn’t hesitate to tuck into an icy sweet treat…

Day #309 – Wandered round the Turner Prize and felt very unimpressed…but this banana chocolate chip cake by Sweet Tooth Factory is a real work of art!

#Project366 – week 44

Enjoying all things in moderation in this flashback from my #Project366 daily food-photography challenge…

Day #302 – Checking out the impressive brunch options at M1lk in Balham and keeping it balanced with a vibrant combo of scrambled egg, spinach, smashed avocado and smoked salmon

#Project366 – week 43

In Nigel Slater’s fascinating autobiography Toast he describes the traditional English dishes that he grew up on, and how incredible it was to try Italian classics like spaghetti bolognese for the first time. Nowadays mixing up our weekly menu with different cuisines from across the world is common place, as perfectly highlighted in this flashback of daily photographs from late October…

Day #295 – A change from my usual street food order at Wahaca, a virtuous chargrilled steak and avocado spicy Sonara salad served in an ingenious (less healthy, deep-fried!) tortilla basket

#Project366 – week 42

Proof that my 2012 blogging goal to capture a food-related photograph every day for a year was still going strong in mid-October…

Day #288 – Sustenance in the form of fellow Cheese and Wine festival trader Community Kitchen Ltd’s skilfully handmade flatbread wrap with spicy minced lamb and chickpea tagine

#Project366 – week 41

Fantastic meals at to two of Soho’s most reputable eateries, plus an outdoor food festival showcasing the finest independent produce…it’s weeks like this when I realise how lucky I am as a gastronome to be living in London…

Day #281 - Amazing fritto misto as part of an Italian grazing lunch at Polpo with Katy Truss (full review coming soon)

#Project366 – week 40

There’s a definite Autumnal vibe about these #Project366 snapshots from the first week in October, when I decided to increase my intake of “power foods” to try and prevent the curse of the common cold…

Day #274 - Final chance to enjoy some summery raspberries, combined with sharp apples into a crunchy crumble as a treat for my boyfriend before he jetted off to America to help Barack Obama get re-elected

#Project366 – week 39

My #Project366 challenge has been toughest when I’ve hit intensely busy periods in my working life – and week 39 reflects one of the most extreme example of this. Other than the run-up to an election, conference week is the most frantic time for me as the Liberal Democrats’ Visits Manager, with the national media pool eager for daily photo opportunities and interview slots with the Party Leader, plus a number of meetings with members to coordinate. Often I barely had time to rehydrate with a bottle of water, let alone eat anything more exciting than a cereal bar. There were points when I was genuinely concerned that I would be forced to skip a day in my challenge, but thankfully I was able to snap the odd quick picture here and there, and take another step towards my goal to capture a food-related photograph every day for a year…


Day #267 – Romantic room service dinner for my boyfriend and I before we both spent the evening working at separate internal events

#Project366 – week 38

Fruit, meat, cheese, seafood, cake…I feel like practically every food group (!) has been represented in these snapshots of the eats and treats I enjoyed one week way back in mid-September…

Day #260 – Healthy carb-free evening snack of crunchy Braeburn apple dipped in creamy peanut butter

#Project 366 – week 37

I’ve discussed previously the combined tactics of regular exercise and constant calorie counting that I use to keep in shape. Looking back on these snapshots from mid-September, I’ve realised that sometimes #project366 acts as a tool for maintaining my willpower…I won’t allow myself to tuck in to the giant box of doughnuts in the office or add a shot of gin to my slimline tonic so I’ll just capture a photo of it instead. It’s almost cathartic – it’s a way of rewarding my healthy eating choices and savouring the moments of indulgence when I’m permitted to relax my regular dietary restrictions…

Day #253 – Attending the final performance of the hilarious Monty Python’s Spamalot for my Dad's birthday treat

#Project366 – week 36

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. When I first challenged myself to capture a food-related photography every day in 2012, I debated what format would be best: either posting the images before going to bed each night, or following the format of the Shutterbean blog that inspired my own #Project366 and simply post a round-up article every week?

I opted for the weekly version, as I thought would be more comprehensive and prevent my site looking overloaded. But on reflection now, I wish I’d plumped for shorter posts more frequently, so that I could go into more detail about all of my gastronomic experiences and share new content with my readers more regularly. Whilst I’ve pushed myself to ensure I don’t skip any snapshots, the truth is that “real life” often overrules my best-laid blogging plans, and so I currently find myself a colossal EIGHT WEEKS behind in my updates.

As someone fixated with achieving perfection, this is obviously an unsatisfactory situation…but my OCD-style nature also prevents me from switching the pattern when I’m so close to reaching my goal (I can’t give myself a break!). So I’m going to do my best to whizz through the last few months’ worth of flashbacks and get back to speed, ready for the finale. I hope these pictures bring back warming memories of the moment when the seasons started to shift and everything turned golden brown…

Day #246 - Checking out the ice-cream festival in Kings Cross…to be honest I was disappointed, as there were huge queues of people waiting to buy their punnets which meant that it wasn’t possible to check out any of the vendors or do any tastings before making your mind up on which scoop to supersize

#Project366 – week 35

More snapshots of Spanish seafood and refreshing ice-creams I enjoyed in between siestas during the final week of August…

Day #239 – Making my own Chunky Monkey with banana and chocolate gelato for pudding in Palamos

#Project366 – week 34

Looking back at these snapshots from the first week of my summer holiday in Spain really makes me want to jet off to somewhere sunny! Don’t worry, I still managed to fit a few runs and plenty of laps across the outdoor pool to balance out my diet of ice-cream and alcohol!

Day #232 – Refuelling with a “honeycomb” of different forms of vegetable cannelloni (the pumpkin version was particularly delicious) at Jamie’s Italian inside Gatwick Airport

#Project366 – week 33

Are you on Pinterest? I spent a stupid amount of time on Friday night rearranging all of my photo boards, so I now have a huge selection of #foodporn images organised into meal types ranging from brunch and salads right through to dessert and drinks. I divided my mains into categories depending on whether their key ingredient was cheese, meat or seafood, and even created a whole new board for my favourite autumnal amber vegetables – pumpkin, squash and sweet potato!

My #project366 pinterest board remains untouched however…a record of my personal challenge to capture a food-related photograph every day for a year. These update articles are long overdue, but I do make sure I keep the Pinterest board regularly updated so please subscribe to it in order to see my latest snapshots.

Here’s a reflection on my favourite culinary moments from mid-August…

Day #225 – Vibrant carrot, chickpea and apricot tagine ready to serve with lamb steaks grilled with Gourmet Spice Co’s Ras-el-Hanout mix, that I’d ordered using the gift voucher Love Your Larder kindly gave me for being their Blogger of the Week