Friday, May 1, 2009

Favorite Things

I've decided to attempt a series of blog entries, where I document and explain some of my favorite things. We'll see how far I get with this. (Those of you who followed my attempt at a "Photo a Day" blog are laughing right now.)

To get started:

I'm not a big snacker. I eat 3 times a day and usually don't eat in between. But, some days, I indulge in a late afternoon snack. I only do this on days when I finish my "to do" list by late afternoon. In other words, this is a rare occurence. I array a selection of cheese and crackers on a plate, open a bottle of wine, and sit back and relax, usually with a good book. On this particular afternoon, I had my favorite Townhouse Bistro wheat crackers, accompanied by 2 of my favorite cheeses: goat cheese and sharp cheddar. I went with a nice Pinot Grigio because it was warm outside and I wasn't really in the mood for red. The only thing missing was a bunch of grapes.

Honestly, I could live on bread and cheese alone. And pasta. Which might explain why none of my clothes fit anymore. I've met very few cheeses that I didn't like. Parmesan, brie, goat, cheddar, provolone, swiss, gruyere, ricotta, cream, Monterey Jack, colby, romano . . . all good. I'm not a huge fan of Asiago cheese. I tried it in a recipe once and it tasted like a wet washrag. Maybe I didn't cook it right. Either way, I haven't been brave enough to try again. I've not tried Limberger cheese, but its reputation, and smell, precedes it. And head & toe cheeses aren't really cheeses so I don't need to discuss them at all.

Likewise, I've met very few breads that I didn't like. As a child, I only ate white bread, as is programmed in small children's DNA. Nowadays, I firmly believe that white bread is the work of the devil. Who wants to eat bread that has no taste and becomes a soggy mess as soon as you put it in your mouth? Blech. No, give me a good hearty wheat or sourdough anyday. I'm not a fan of rye bread. Something about the smell and taste just don't do it for me. But, oh - cinnamon loaf bread! Nothing better in this world! Don't even get me started on bread-like products like doughnuts, bagels, biscuits, rolls . . . bread is perfection.

As for the flower in the photo, it's from a friend in Massachusetts. She's a college friend who likes to march to the beat of a slightly different drummer. She's not really far from center, but she's got this one "thing." Instead of sending birthday cards, she sends homemade Valentine's Day cards. Every year, it's a different design, cut from fancy printed paper.

I have to admit that I'd completely forgotten about the Valentine's Day card, so I didn't really miss it this year. Until, I received a box from my Massachusetts friend a few days ago. I opened the box and there, nestled inside, was this beautiful handmade flower. The card, cut from fancy printed paper, read, "Happy Valentine's Day!" It took a full 30 minutes before I realized that it wasn't February.

Even so, the flower brightened my day, and continues to brighten my kitchen. I figure my friend thought she was becoming too predictable, so instead of sending Valentine's Day packages in February, she'll start sending them at completely random times of year - just to keep the rest of us guessing.

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