The Friday Five #9: Foods

Relaxing and enjoyable way to start the day, don't you agree?

Last week's Friday Five was on an exciting topic: food! Don't you just love talking about food? I know I do! Join me in answering some of these questions and let's share our favorite foods. I'd love to hear about something I've never had and expand my palate. And maybe you'll discover something in this post that you haven't had too!

1. What is your favorite food?

Obviously it changes weekly. Right now I'm a little obsessed with Mexican street corn, but I also really love croissants. Burrata cheese has been high on my list, especially when served with field greens, tomatoes, a good thick balsamic and olive oil dressing. Anything with truffle oil is delicious. I mean … I could go on and on. :)

Dessert things? Mom's Makin' Cookies (vanilla with brown sugar, cookie dough) and Icing on Top of the Cake (legit pieces of icing mixed in with vanilla ice cream) are my favorite flavors at Baskin' Robbins (ice cream store in the US). I also love sour patch kids and sour straws.

2. What is your favorite food preparation method?

Quick and easy? I don't do much cooking since my husband has all of the skills.

3. What is your favorite cuisine or style of cooking?

I like so many different cuisines. Can I cheat and say American? I love that there is so much variety in the US. Cheap US Mexican is probably a strong go-to in my house. Italian is nice for a date night. I love going to the Greek Festival once a year for Mediterranean inspired foods. Cuban and Hawai'ian styles are super fun. I absolutely love all of the fruits. Give me passion fruit, mango, pineapple, and guava any day! And then there are French pastries…

I'm not a big fan of fish, Asian, or middle eastern style cuisine, but maybe I just haven't tried the right foods yet?

4. Do you have any dietary restrictions and if so what are they?

No, thank goodness! I'd be the most sad if I could not consume dairy, gluten, or peanut butter.

5. If you could introduce the whole world to one ingredient to improve their culinary experience, what would that be and why?

Burrata. Truffle Oil. Thick balsamic vinegar.

These are some of the things that have improved my culinary experience.

What are your foodie thoughts? Did I introduce you to a new food? Do you have any suggestions for me?

Pamper Yourself…

Asheville, NC (May 2015)

with beautiful flowers. Or maybe with an image of beautiful flowers. Don't you just love those purples?


* I'm participating in August Break 2018 by responding to prompts with pictures. Want to join in? Click the link and share a picture! It's that simple!

The Friday Five #8: Habits

Last week's Friday Five was all about habits. Here are my thoughts:

1. What bad habits bother you the most?

- Not flushing the toilet.
- Leaving your mess for someone else to clean up.
- Getting angry with people for no reason at all; taking out your anger on someone when they did nothing wrong.

2. What good habits do you most admire? 

- People who can be minimal, seemingly without trying.
- People who always show kindness even when they are angry; people with seemingly endless amounts of patience.
- People who aren't afraid to try something new or push the limits.

3. What unusual habits do you observe in your family members? Do they bother you? 

Nothing unusual comes to mind. The habits I see in my family can be seen almost anywhere. But yes, if they are any of the "bad habits" above, they do bother me. And, of course, I admire the good traits.

4. Which bad habit do you think would be the most difficult to get rid of? Why?

Anything learned and not corrected over time. Or, if what people in one culture consider a "bad habit" is a "good habit" in another culture, I could see that causing problems for immigrants.

For example, waiting in line for your turn is a thing in the US, but in other countries, you have to push your way to the front. So, here that's rude. There, not so much.

Holding a knife in one hand and a fork in the other is pretty common in Europe; here it's like "Calm down! You don't have to scarf your whole meal down in 1.5 seconds. You can take the time to patiently put down your knife when you aren't cutting." Of course, I realize a lot of people have taken on the European method in the US, but it's still not nearly as common as it is there.

5. Which good habit do you think would be the most difficult to develop? Why? 

Kindness, patience. Anything to do with fear.

Obviously, fear can hold you back. If you never learn or attempt to face or challenge your fear, you will constantly struggle. And I'm talking about fears you can overcome. You might have served in the military and be afraid of certain sounds or be depressed; that's not what I'm talking about. I'm referring to the anxiety you feel when you practice a second language. Or when you perform a talent in front of a group of people for the first time.

Being patient and kind can obviously be difficult for people that are used to getting what they want right when they want it. Or when you are having a bad day, it can be a struggle to not take it out on other people.

What are some good and bad habits you deal with? Are there any that particularly bother you? Or make you particularly happy?

Hope…

Asheville, NC (May 2015)

* I'm participating in August Break 2018 by responding to prompts with pictures. Want to join in? Click the link and share a picture! It's that simple!

The Friday Five #7: Commenting

Last week's Friday Five was all about commenting. Here are my thoughts:

1. Do you like to reply to every comment? Yes, absolutely. Anyone who wrote a comment deserves my time and attention.

2. What type of post gets the most/least responses? I haven't figured it out. If I had, I'd have a more popular blog. Probably anything controversial.

3. What do you do when a new person first comments? Check out their blog and respond.

4. When you're reading someone else's blog, do you read every comment before adding your own? Absolutely not. My comment is a response to the author, not to every other reader. If I'm interested in the topic, I might read the other comments, but it's not something I feel like I have to do.

5. When is "too late" to reply to an entry? After years and years have passed. But then again, if the topic is still relevant (?!?!), why not respond anyway?

How do you feel about commenting on your blog? Do you respond to everyone who comments on your blog? (Or would you if you had a blog?)

Longing…

Asheville, NC (May 2015)

* I'm participating in August Break 2018 by responding to prompts with pictures. Want to join in? Click the link and share a picture! It's that simple!

Pink…

Asheville, NC (May 2015)

* I'm participating in August Break 2018 by responding to prompts with pictures. Want to join in? Click the link and share a picture! It's that simple!

IWSG #8

July Goals

✗ Continue Egypt planning.

✗ Prepare for August Break.
✓ Take a much needed break from life by going on vacation.

Additional Successes:

• Updated my wardrobe. (Good in that I have more options, bad in that I spent money.)

• Started walking/exercising almost daily.

• Went to a theater production. (A children's production, but still. Staying culturally aware is good.)

• Tried Mexican street corn for the first time. Had no idea what I had been missing my whole life! ;)

• Finished a book! (7/12)
• Tried seven new kinds of wine. (Not necessarily a success, but certainly fun!)
• Booked flights for a wedding in NYC.

August Goals

• Continue Egypt planning.

• rotate truck's tires

• book another hotel night in NYC

IWSG Question: What pitfalls would you warn other writers to avoid on their publication journey?

I've never published, aside from blog posts. 😳I guess with any kind of publication, I would warn other writers that anything you share online or publish is forever. Be sure you want to be that open with your audience. Also know that there will always be mistakes that you won't spot until you've published; this is why an editor is important. Have at least one other person read your writing before you publish. Also, consider reading your writing out loud. You may gloss over mistakes if you read your writing to yourself but reading out loud will force you to see and hear each word that you've written.

Your Turn:

Have you ever unintentionally shared something with someone by being too open either online or otherwise? What happened? Would you approach the situation differently next time?

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