Another Tag

I've been tagged again by Marta to answer some questions about myself:

1. Last movie you saw in a theater?
   
   What Happens in Vegas -- we really liked it! And can I say that we were the only people in the theater who had senses of humor? No one else was laughing! *Wierd*
   
   
2. What book are you reading?
   
   I'm currently reading three books: The Dummies Guide to Business Plans, The Dummies Plan to Marketing, and The Dummies Plan to Raising Capital.
   
   
3. Favorite board game?
   
   Oh, geez... let's see... I like so many... Yahtzee is an all-time favorite (does that qualify as a board game?), though more lately I reach for Carcassone, which is a clever tile game. *Love it!*
   
   
4. Favorite magazine?
   
   There are so many magazines I enjoy I could not pick just one. Real Simple is nice, though I'm beginning to think it's really all just a list of "buy these products." Better Homes & Gardens is good, and I have a subscription, but often put it aside and don't read it--however, I do tend to purchase (or at least read at the store... *blush*) BHG special interest publications--the one I bought last is their 2008 Grilling issue, which has a bunch of really good recipes. I also like Cooking Light, Food & Wine, Gourmet, and a host of others. Oh, and Cooks Illustrated is FANTASTIC. By far the magazine with the most helpful & useful information for home cooks.
   
   
5. Favorite smells?
   
   Another question I find impossible to answer because there are too many to choose from.
   
   When I select an air freshener for my home, I usually reach for a citrus-y smell in the warmer months and a pumpkin-spice type scent for the wintertime. They both seem fresh and homey to me.
   
   For myself, I reach for a 'Exotic Coconut' scented lotion and other Bath & Body Works products--and, of course, it's the scent they've just discontinued. (That always happens to me! I find a fragrance I love and they discontinue it! Boo!) I'm also recently enjoying Fresh Cucumber scented hand soap--very refreshing.
   
   Cooking smells, of course, are favorites--vanilla, roasting chicken (or any other meat, for that matter), bananas, berries, garlic, bacon, baking cookies or pies, pizza...
   
   Then there are those man-smells. Certain colognes evoke particular sweet memories--Drakkar, Polo, even Aqua Velva and Old Spice! All yummy in their own way.
   
   
6. Favorite sounds?
   
   A babbling brook, frying onions, child's play.
   
   
7. Worst feeling in the world?
   
   Rejection by the person you trust most. I have to say that is the very worst I've ever experienced. That said, that particular experience taught me to rely more on myself and not put all of my sense of self into another person.
   
   
8. What is the first thing you think of when you wake up?
   
   Usually it's "Doggone Cat!" Here's why:
   
   
   (Sorry, I don't know why YouTube videos are cut off at the right here!)
   
   
9. Favorite fast food place?
   
   McDonald's. I love it, and I hate it because I love it. So if I'm going to do fast food, I usually head for Wendy's, because it's not as addictive to me, and I can hold back more easily.
   
   
10. Future child’s name?
    
    This is a difficult question to address. In my 20s, I had it all figured out & planned. Then I got divorced and things changed... then things changed further after remarriage and discovering fertility problems. I guess if & when it happens, we'll figure out a name then.
    
    
11. Finish this statement. “If I had lot of money I’d….?
    
    (a) Donate 10%
    (b) Pay off some debt
    (c) Travel and visit some friends I've been missing
    (d) Travel and experience some new places, or revisit some old places with my husband
    
    
12. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?
    
    Does my husband count? Thundercat? And occasionally I sleep with one iPod-playing stuffed elephant named Harry Elephante.
    
    
13. Storms - cool or scary?
    
    Well that depends on the storm. I do enjoy a good thunderstorm; snowstorms, not so much. Other storms, such as hurricanes--definitely not.
    
    
14. Favorite drinks?
    
    Vanilla soymilk, anything with Hazelnut coffee creamer (mmm... vanilla soymilk with hazelnut creamer...), diet coke (with lime is good, but I prefer to add a slice of lemon or lime fresh), and diet A&W cream soda--heck yeah!
    
    
15. Finish this statement, “If I had the time I would….”?
    
    I don't really know how to answer this one, because I have all sorts of time at my disposal; lack of funding is really the only hindrance to doing quite what I'd like to do.
    
    
16. Do you eat the stems on broccoli?
    
    Of course.
    
    
17. If you could dye your hair any color, what would be your choice?
    
    Well, first, I do color my hair regularly. I select a color that is close to my [original] natural color, only with added red tones.
    
    
18. Name all the different cities/towns you’ve lived in?
    
    My city of birth
    North Syracuse, NY
    Songtan City, South Korea
    Key West, FL
    Hiram, GA
    My city of birth
    
    
19. Favorite sports to watch?
    
    I love a live ice hockey game!
    
    
20. One nice thing about the person who sent this to you?
    
    Marta is a sweet & clever foodblogger who comes across as very natural and sincere. Her writing is straightforward and passionate, without a hint of pretense.
    
    
21. What’s under your bed?
    
    A sock or three, dust bunnies and often a cat.
    
    
22. Would you like to be born as yourself again?
    
    I'm already born again. :)
    
    
23. Morning person, or night owl?
    
    I don't really know anymore.
    
    
24. Over easy, or sunny side up?
    
    Over easy, baby!
    
    
25. Favorite places to relax?
    
    In bed.
    
    
26. Favorite pie?
    
    Coconut custard, hands down.
    
    
27. Favorite ice cream flavor?
    
    I'm loving sugar free butter pecan right now. Vanilla is, of course, the most versatile. I wish Ben & Jerry's made a sugar free Pistachio! Pistachio!
    
    
28. Who are the people you'll tag for this meme?
    
    I'm leaving this one open for whomever would like to play!

6 Random Things

Marta of An Italian in the US has tagged me for a meme... so here we go:



(1) I believe that a woman should never, ever, EVER wear flip-flops or sandals until she's had a pedicure. Sadly, most woman don't know about that rule in the city where I live. Hooves are not pretty, people. Get your dogs groomed before taking them for a walk.

(2) I saw Iron Man for the second time last night. The first time was Friday--opening day. This movie is definitely going into the collection when it comes out on dvd.

(3) Today my brother and I are taking our mother out for a quiet Mother's Day lunch.

(4) My friend K once called me a 'fount of knowledge.' That's because I seem to recall loads of random information that is seemingly useless, but tends to come in handy now and then.

(5) I am a coordinated bargain shopper. I don't go shopping willy-nilly--no, I like to find deals. I combine my shopping trips and tend to do the bulk of my grocery-buying on the same day, starting with the farthest store and working my way back towards home. I bring a cooler bag to keep cold items cold. Meat is purchased last.

(6) I recently discovered sugar-free salt water taffy. Yay!



I'll leave this tag open for whomever would like to participate.

Six-Word Memoir

Joy, the clever author of Joy of Desserts--a great blog that will satisfy any sweet tooth--has tagged me for a six-word memoir meme. The challenge is to describe myself in six words. That IS hard! But I'll give it a try:

Smart

Creative

Christian

Friendly

Frizzy

Wife

Here are my tags, followed by the rules:

- Mary of Shazaam in the Kitchen, who is tremendously talented with a wit that entertains me to no end.

- Gloria, of Canela's Kitchen; Gloria is a blogger from Chile, with gorgeous photos, awesome recipes and a sweet personality that comes through in her writing. Plus she's recovering from knee surgery, so go on over and give her some bloggy love.

- Andy, The New Cook, who is ever-so-cleverly learning his way around the kitchen. He has a great blog that offers kitchen newbies step-by-step instructions.

- Coffee and Vanilla's brilliant author, Margot, who just celebrated 1 year of foodblogging with European and Caribbean flair.

- Green Gourmet Giraffe's Johanna of Melbourne, Australia. Her blog is always entertaining and inspiring, with lots of great recipes!


Rules for this meme:

- Write your own six-word memoir;

- Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you’d like;

- Link to the person who tagged you in your post;

- Tag five more blogs with links;

- Remember to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play.

Various, Sundry & Crazy

Just a few tidbits...

I recently discovered and subsequently subscribed to Google Analytics. What a handy blogging tool!

In the last few days, Mrs.W's Kitchen has had visitors from Turkey, the Philippines, Israel, India and Australia, in addition to various locations within the United States. Some of you I already knew about--but others were a big suprise!

And to all my readers, please accept a big Thank You from me. It's nice to know that someone out there likes to read what I have to say. What a blessing.

I also just discovered this handy-dandy--and FREE--banner creator tool. It's called MyBannerMaker and is pretty easy to use. In fact, that's what I used to create the banner above. How fun is that?

Finally, Mrs. Mecomber of New York Traveler tagged me for a meme and, in an effort to keep up with blogging obligations, I'm answering the tag below. Enjoy!


Crazy 8's Meme

8 Things I’m Passionate About

• the gospel
• good food
• good friends
• family
• the truth
• my marriage
• cooking
• spelling

8 Things I Want to Do Before I Die

• have, or adopt, a child (or both)
• get another pedicure (cause my dogs is nasty)
• lead a particular family member to Christ
• open a business
• write a cookbook
• have a clean house
• have an organized house
• overcome diabetes

8 Things I Say Often

• "Jiminy Crickets!"
• "Crappadoodle-doo."
• "Holy Smokes!"
• "Go lay down!" (to the dogs)
• "I'm hungry." (because I usually am)
• "Wanna go outside?" (again, to the dogs)
• "Frickin' A!"
• "Know what I'm saying?" Ugh. I cringe every time I hear myself say that one.

8 Books I’ve Read Recently

• The Bible
• The Orphan's Tales: In the Night Garden
• The Orphan's Tales: In the Cities of Coin and Spice
• Jacques Pepin's Complete Techniques
• The Soul of a New Cuisine: A Discovery of the Foods and Flavors of Africa by Marcus Samuelsson
• My South: A People, A Place, A World of It's Own by Robert St.John and Bryan Curtis
• No, David! by David Shannon
• Eating Stella Style by George Stella

8 Songs I Could Listen to Over and Over
This is a really difficult choice for me--I love all sorts of music and have literally TONS of favorites. Here are just a few.

• Oh Jah by Paul Wilbur
• Anything on the album Glory Revealed: The Word of God in Worship
• Anything from Hillsong's You Shine album
• Long Black Train by Josh Turner
• Mighty is the Power of the Cross by Chris Tomlin
• The Potter's Hand by Darlene Zschech
• Come Away with Me by Norah Jones
• At the Cross by Hillsong - this is a wonderful one for Easter. LOVE IT.

8 Things That Attract Me to My Best Friends
This is another difficult one, because I have a number of friends from the various places I've lived and of course, made during different periods of my life.

• common history
• common interests
• common faith
• being genuine and open
• great sense of humor
• appreciating differences in each other
• learning about the history behind the exterior
• cleverness

8 People I Think Should Do Crazy 8s

• someone who needs something to blog about
• a dog-lover
• a cat-lover
• a brother
• a Dilbert-lover
• a mother
• someone who travels frequently
• someone who wants to travel frequently

Tag--You're It!

Sylvie from SoulFusion Kitchen tagged me for a meme. Here are the rules:


Rules:


1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. Share 5 facts about yourself
3. Tag 5 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
4. Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.


So, without further ado, I present...

Five Foodie Facts About Me

• I taught myself how to cook, and began as a young child. At about age 7, I received The Mickey Mouse Cookbook as a gift, and from that I started making pancakes and some delicious little peanut butter candies independently.
  
  
• At about age 14, I became responsible for nightly meals in our home. The Officer's Wife's Cookbook helped me learn how NOT to cook; and The Fanny Farmer Cookbook, which was a much better resource for procedures and time-tested classic recipes while I was living at home.
  
  
• After leaving home and travelling into the great, big world, I learned from other men and women I met, enjoyed regional foods in the various places I lived and visited, inspiring many new dishes from my own kitchen.
  
  
• I don't use many cookbooks anymore; at this point in my culinary life, I research the dishes I want to try on the internet, compile a few of the best-looking among them, and pick the parts of the recipes that I like and create something that I think will taste the best. I also love trying recipes from the many talented cooks who share their wealth of knowledge on their blogs.
  
  
• I have too many favorites to pick only a few, but some of my favorites include Ethiopian Doro Wat with Injera, Vietnamese Pho, the many and varied hispanic and caribbean flavors, the popular Korean Bulgoki and Kalbi, and delightful Peri Peri from South Africa.
  

I'm afraid I'm not much of a tagger, so if you're interested in doing this one, please do.

Picture Meme

I saw this over at Lulu's Laundry and thought I'd do it myself. It's a picture meme, where you answer the questions using pictures you find on a web-search, only using what is available on the first page of search results.

Here goes:


1. The age you will be on your next birthday.


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2. A place you'd like to visit.


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3. Your favorite place.


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4. Your favorite object.


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5. Your favorite food. That would be all of it.


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6. Your favorite animal.


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7. Your favorite color.


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8. The city in which you were born.


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9. The town in which you live.


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10. The name of your pet. I have more than one, so I'll put a picture for each, from oldest to youngest pet.


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11. The first name of your love.


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12. Your screen name/nickname.


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13. Your middle name.


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14. Your last name.


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15. A bad habit of yours.


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16. Your first job.


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17. Your dream job.


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18. Your current job.


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19. A picture you find hilarious.


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20. A picture that inspires you.


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If you're interested in doing this one, consider yourself tagged.

Note: Obviously some of these questions could be a bit... revealing. If you're a blogger who likes his or her anonymity, then be creative! (I was.)

100th Post

This is my 100th post. I want to thank those of you who do read and comment... it keeps me going with this project. And thanks to all those other bloggers out there, who entertain me immensely, give me kitchen inspiration and tons of great recipes, awesome financial advice, poignant life reminders and a tangible connection to people all around the globe.

Keeping with tradition, here are 100 Random Things About Me: Everything You Wanted to Know about Mrs.W but Were Afraid to Ask.

1. I am 5 feet 4-1/2 inches tall. I need that half-inch.
   
2. I was born in 1971 in the same town where I currently live, however I've traveled and lived elsewhere over the course of my adult years.
   
3. All of my grandparents are still alive.
   
4. I used to be a military wife.
   
5. I played the violin in school, and was concert master my senior year of high school. Haven't played since.
   
6. I was the tallest girl in my kindergarten class.
   
7. I find the bible fascinating and a blueprint for life.
   
8. Not only am I a Christian, but an evangelical one.
   
9. I have been to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) dividing North and South Korea.
   
10. My last job was in the area of international public health—specifically the global polio eradication effort. It was THE BEST job I have ever had.
    
11. I have been to Cape Point at the Cape of Good Hope. It was breathtaking... too beautiful to describe. The baboons were scary, though. (And one of my favorite blog readers was there with me.)
    
12. I love to travel but dislike flying. I much prefer the train.
    
13. My favorite color is green. Any green. Or a combination of greens. But I hate the color of my house, which is mint green. My furniture is not green, and the paint inside my house is not green.
    
14. I have no piercings on my body whatsoever.
    
15. Or tattos. Nope.
    
16. I have broken both pinky toes several times each.
    
17. I have never done any illegal drugs... or even seen them. Really! The first time I was offered a joint was when I was 27 years old--and even then I didn't actually see the thing.
    
18. My biggest fear is that I will never have any children.
    
19. I once missed a flight because I was so engrossed in the book I was reading I missed the boarding announcements. I was sitting right at the gate.
    
20. I can recite So I Married An Axe Murderer from memory because I've seen it so many times.
    
21. I have been saved by a lifeguard before.
    
22. My husband is my best friend.
    
23. I still know and regularly spend time with my childhood best friend.
    
24. I had an unfortunate failed first marriage when I was very young.
    
25. I get motion-sick in a car, train, plane or on a boat. But not in the tub, or if I'm driving. I have to be very careful while traveling to avoid actually getting sick--my method is to (a) drink lots of fluids, (b) don't read, (c) nibble on snacks, especially ginger, and (d) face forward at all times, or as much as possible.
    
26. I never finished college. I still don't know what I want to do when I grow up.
    
27. I love getting pedicures. I would get one every week if I could afford the $25 bucks a pop.
    
28. However I bite my nails, so I never bother with a manicure. I would just chew it off anyway.
    
29. Housework is my least favorite thing to do. I will do just about anything to avoid doing housework. I actually host a weekly gathering in my house so that I'm forced to clean.
    
30. I love to sing but only in private, where no one else can hear me.
    
31. My first cookbook was Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse Cookbook, circa 1975. I learned how to cook from that book, starting with pancakes.
    
32. I like smoking cigars on occasion. Especially those sweet little cigarillos.
    
33. My husband and I were married for 3 years before he ever heard me whistle.
    
34. I met my husband in his own living room while dating his roommate. Note: I am NOT “that” girl. The roomie and I were only starting to see each other... barely out of the friends stage, really.
    
35. I have more clothes than I know what to do with.
    
36. I collect handbags.
    
37. And pretty aprons. Well, sorta. It's a new collection, currently totalling two aprons.
    
38. I have over 30 pairs of shoes and covet many more. Just call me Imelda.
    
39. I lose sunglasses and umbrellas and, because of this, I refuse to buy expensive ones, because I will just lose them.
    
40. I used to love to drive until I became an Atlanta-area commuter. If you have not heard about it, Atlanta is one of the busiest commuting cities in the United States. It took me 60 minutes to drive 35 miles each way to work, and that was on a good day when traffic was moving. On a bad day it might take 2 hours or longer.
    
41. I am named after my maternal great-grandmother, who was originally from Nancy, France. Her father was the mayor of that same city.
    
42. I have a strange fascination of sharks--if there's a tv show about sharks, I have to watch it.
    
43. Ditto with tornadoes. I was once driving from Atlanta to the Chattanooga area during a tornado watch and constantly watched all around me hoping I would see one, and afraid I would. I didn't.
    
44. I am afraid of the ocean. I mean, I'll swim in the shallows, and I've even been snorkelling a time or three. But the entire time I know I'm acutely aware that as long as I'm in the ocean, I am no longer at the top of the food chain.
    
45. The house I live in was once owned by my paternal grandparents. I didn't know that until after we bought it.
    
46. I love liverwurst. On white bread. With mayo.
    
47. I used to collect elephants--until everyone found out. Then people started giving me elephants. I have a huge number of elephant statues that currently reside in boxes in my basement.
    
48. When I wind up our pendelum clock I only wind the side that allows the clock to function. I don't wind the side that makes the chimes ring. Because that makes me a little crazy.
    
49. I make piles. Magazine piles, clothes piles, newspaper piles, mail piles. Mr.W is also a piler. See #29.
    
50. My hair is naturally curly and more-than-50%-grey, and I color & highlight every 6-8 weeks to hide that fact.
    
51. My husband highlights my hair for me. Every time. He does a wonderful job.
    
52. I can't stand it when paper towels don't tear correctly on the perforations.
    
53. My favorite car was a blue '95 Nissan Altima I bought new in Pennsylvania.
    
54. I speak a smattering of French, and not well. Just enough to blend if needed. I can read French pretty well, though.
    
55. If I won or otherwise received $50 million USD, I would keep $1M and give the rest away.
    
56. I cry when I hear the national anthem.
    
57. I don't wear a wedding band. I just don't like to wear jewelry—I know I'm married, and I'm not going to misbehave.
    
58. In my previous house, I was "that lady" in the neighbordhood. You know the one--who yells at your kids for roller-skating in her driveway. The one you don't really see very much because she's either gone or in the house with the blinds closed.
    
59. I don't like raw onions. Or radishes. Or water chestnuts. Especially water chestnuts. I'll eat raw onion out of politeness if it happens to be in something I'm eating at someone's house, but I'll spit a water chestnut right out in front of God and everyone.
    
60. I could watch the food network all the time... but I police my daytime television-watching quite carefully. Most of the time I keep the television off during the day, but I do indulge in some television in the evenings.
    
61. For me, retail therapy is shoe shopping at DSW with my old boss and friend VS. Or browsing around World Market with VS and EB. Or exploring the Valley Exchange with MW. Or Target, alone, anywhere.
    
62. My proudest professional accomplishment is that I have contributed towards the global eradication of polio. And even if polio is never eradicated, I can know that my work has saved children from a crippling disease.
    
63. The most unusual gift I ever gave to someone is a civil-war era relic confederate infantry smoking pipe that was unearthed from a POW camp in Elmira, New York.
    
64. The most unusual gift I ever received was a wooden-shoe-sailboat given by someone visiting from the Netherlands.
    
65. I have given up bread for a period yet to be determined. I don't eat bread, or cake, or biscuits of any kind. That includes traditionally-made pizza. However I do occasionally induge in my own creations which use such ingredients such as oat or soy flour, flax meal and rice flour.
    
66. I have a... problem... with goats. They hate me. Goats will do to me whatever their wee diabolical minds can dream up. I have been (a) tied up by a goat, (b) butted by a zooful of baby goats, and (c) urinated on by a nasty, hairy billy goat, to name a just few. After all that, the feeling is mutual.
    
67. Researching and testing recipes for people with dietary restrictions is my idea of a fun Saturday.
    
68. I love going to “chick flick” movies—especially weekday matinees when I can sit alone.
    
69. For many years of my life, I drank lots of Coca-Cola. And I mean lots—probably about a 2-liter bottle a day. But in 2004 I decided to give it up, along with all caffeine-laden beverages, which resulted in 6 weeks of constant headache and a whole year of cravings. Now I'm able to have the occasional diet cola or other caffeinated beverage without any ill effects.
    
70. My favorite male actor is Chow Yun-Fat. He's my kung-fu eye candy.
    
71. I am left-handed.
    
72. I have trouble using scissors. I think it's because of #71.
    
73. I like tape. Especially duct tape. I once had a pair of shoes that were so old and frayed that I taped them together with duct tape (on the insides) so I could wear them a little bit longer.
    
74. I shave my big toes. TMI, I know. Coming up with 100 things is a challenge.
    
75. My favorite ethnic cuisine is Ethiopian national food. Or Thai. Or Lebanese. Or Japanese. Or Italian. Okay, I guess I don't have a favorite. Suffice it to say that I like ethnic foods.
    
76. I thought I decorated my house pretty well—until I looked at photos. Then I decided my house looks like a “before” shot on an HGTV program.
    
77. I secretly like to watch American Chopper. Shh... don't tell Mr.W.
    
78. I don't like sushi. Or sashimi. Or raw fish or their unhatched offspring in any form whatsoever. I never want it in my mouth. Ever.
    
79. One of my major pet peeves is misspellings on billboards or menus.
    
80. I can kill houseplants of all kinds.
    
81. I like kung-fu movies. See #70.
    
82. I can perform very realistic impressions of a purring cat and a grunting pig. It's a great talent to have when babysitting.
    
83. I hate that the mysterious “they” have added the incorrect spelling of canceled to the dictionary as an alternate spelling. “Cancelled” is not correct. It only has one L. Or at least it did—until the dumbing down spread like a cancer through the dictionary of the English language.
    
84. Heroes is one of my favorite television programs.
    
85. I have watched all of the Friends and Seinfeld reruns possible. All of them.
    
86. I detest the feel of polyester blankets. I don't want them touching me. When staying in hotels, I MUST have them safely ensconced between flat sheets, or removed entirely. I refer to these blankets as being “Mrs.W-proof blankets.”
    
87. If I go to sleep with my hair wet, I awake to a frightening version of the super-jeri-curl-white-fro from H-E-double hockey sticks.
    
88. I hate the drop by. Please call before you visit.
    
89. I like that Mr.W has ghetto-booty.
    
90. Much to my shame, I love disco music. Listening. Dancing. Watching the dancing. Especially watching the dancing. When the first dollar store opened up in Key West while we lived there, Mr.W and I were often found bee-bopping up and down the aisles, because they always played disco.
    
91. I kick butt at Pictionary.
    
92. I hate that Mr.W has an ever-growing gigantic “funny t-shirt” collection. Our friends and relatives aren't helping the situation, either, because every birthday and Christmas brings more funny t-shirts into my life. His driver's license photo even shows him in his “I eat glue” shirt. Ugh.
    
93. I am oddly fascinated by Target and Old Navy commercials. They just entertain me so much.
    
94. I need to wear eyeglasses, and I have them, but I don't wear them. When I do wear them, they end up on my head like a headband. I never remember putting them there, they just gravitate to the top of my head. That doesn't really help my eyesight any.
    
95. I'm freaked out by anything relating to eyes. Mr.W and I were once at a party where another guest was explaining the procedure of his recent lasik surgery and I had to leave the room I was so disgusted. Even thinking about it now... oh... I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.
    
96. I foolishly tried contact lenses a couple of years ago. I had to have the technician remove them for me. See #95.
    
97. It is my shame to admit that I am not a Proverbs 31 wife. When Mr.W makes me angry I tell him I'm going to put pins in his ears while he's sleeping. He has an ear thing like I have an eye thing.
    
98. My husband and I wear the same size pants.
    
99. I have trouble with the directions "left" and "right." I can be driving along, and my navigator will say, "Turn right at the next light." I'll probably turn left. I don't know why that happens, although I talk to other left-handed people who have the same trouble. It's not that I don't know my left from my right... it just... happens in the moment. Go figure.
    
100. My high school nickname was, unfortunately, “Fluffernutter.” This horrible little boy named me that because my hair was brown like peanut butter and my neck was white like marshmallow fluff. I recently saw that little boy at a restaurant, and was thrilled to see he has not aged well.
     

Well, there you have it. Aren't you glad you just read all that? As a reward, click here for a fun little Christmas ditty.

Meme: 7 Random Things About Me

I've been tagged by Lulu's Laundry! Here we go...

1. I can not eat M&Ms without sorting them. It's not possible. I pour out the whole bag, and sort them into color piles. Then I make all the piles into the same number of pieces by taking away from other piles. Then those 'discards' go into another pile for the same sorting process. Thank God they don't make sugar-free M&Ms. (Mind you this particular handicap does not apply to Skittles or any other similar candy. Which makes it that much wierder.)

2. I have trouble sleeping.

3. I detest putting up the Christmas Tree. I put it off every year. I don't want to do it. I don't want to do it. I don't want to do it. Then, about two weeks before Christmas, I want to do it. It goes up. It's so pretty. Look at the pretty lights! The rest of the season whizzes by as I stare at the dazzling tree. Too soon it's all over and needs to come down, and I regret having not put it up earlier. I vow to put it up the day after Thanksgiving next year.

4. Ditto with all other holiday decorations.

5. Every time I go up or down stairs I count them. I know the number of stairs in every place I've lived. There are 12 stair-steps up or down in my current home. But that isn't the end, folks. I count stairs everywhere.

6. The toilet paper has to be facing the right way. The paper should come up and over the roll. The other way is wrong. I have been known to change the direction of toilet tissue at friends' and family's homes, as well as in the homes of acquaintences, various offices and public restrooms. Because they do it wrong. Wrong, I tell you!

7. I often confuse right from left. Yeah. How old am I?

Now this is utterly outside of my habit, but I'm going to go ahead and tag people to continue this one.

Coffee and Vanilla
Ms. Kitten
New York Traveler
Random Acts
Redacted Recipes
Wired in the Floribbean
Watch Woman

Here are the rules:

-Link to the person that tagged you, and post the rules on your blog.
-Share 7 facts about yourself.
-Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
-Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Now go forth and meme.

The Great International City Swap, Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and a Meme

I've signed up to be a participant in the 2nd Annual Great International City Swap hosted by At Home in Rome. The premise is that you send a package to your assigned person that best represents you and the city in which you live. I have been assigned Ms. Kitten, and Lulu's Laundry will be sending a package to me. This should be fun!

This weekend I got my hands on an absolutely gigantic bag of brussels sprouts from another farmer's market stand. $2 for the whole bag! I couldn't resist. I've never, ever made them from fresh before... in fact, I've only ever steamed them from the frozen bag/box and tossed with butter and salt before eating. Truth be told, I don't like them all that well. I mean, they're okay... and I choose to eat them for the health benefits.

I decided to combine my brussels sprouts with my favorite kind of grease--bacon! Yes, indeed!


Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
serves 8

three pounds fresh brussels sprouts, washed, trimmed and sliced
1 pound bacon
1 large onion, peeled and sliced
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup milk or cream
salt and pepper, to taste

In a very large saucepan, cook bacon over a medium flame; set aside, reserving rendered grease. (Okay, if you really want to make this less horrible-for-you, pour off most of the grease and replace with a good three tablespoons olive oil.)

Fry onion in bacon grease until starting to brown, then add prepared brussels sprouts. Every few minutes turn your sprouts. When they look like they're starting to wilt, add chicken stock and cover with a lid or foil. Let cook for about 30 minutes, checking and turning every 10 minutes or so. Remove lid/foil and add milk and finish braising carefully, until sprouts are really well done. I had almost no liquid left when mine were finished cooking. Remove from heat and top with crumbled reserved bacon.

Well they still taste like brussels sprouts, but much better than the frozen ones, and of course the addition of bacon helped them tremendously. Braising in cream also helped to balance the bitterness of the sprout with a little sweetness. So now I have this mountain of sprouts that I've been eating, little by little, for meals while Mr.W is away. It's actually quite good re-fried in a little oil and topped with a soft-cooked egg, for breakfast, lunch, or supper! (Or, in my case, all three.)


To finish today's post, I'm in the mood for another random-ish meme... self-inflicted, of course:

1. What picture is featured on your computer's wallpaper? It's a pic from Shrek 3, showing just the very top of Shrek's head wearing a wee little crown.

2. Name some of the cities you've lived:
- currently in Central NY... in the city where I was born
- South Korea
- Atlanta, GA
- Key West, FL

3. Name some of the places you've travelled:
- Seaside Heights, NJ
- Tampa, FL
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Washington, DC
- Baton Rouge, LA
- Cape Town, South Africa
- Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Geneva, Switzerland

4. What is your top pet peeve? Misspellings on public billboards/restaurant menus/store signs.

5. What are your three top favorite stores? Cost Plus World Market in Atlanta's Buckhead district, Target anywhere, and the street markets at South Gate in South Korea.

6. Favorite pizza toppings? I love a pizza topped only with sauce, cheese, mushrooms and green/red bell peppers. Mmm...

7. How many computers do you have in your home? Three working computers: one desktop in the office, one laptop that moves around usually between the living and dining rooms, and another desktop that is in a box in a closet. There are more computer bits & pieces in the basement Mr.W has been collecting for some future project to be determined...

8. If you could eat at any restaurant right now, where would it be? Mmm, right now I would enjoy lunch at Queen of Sheba in Atlanta... or a boxed take-out lunch from a delish little Jamaican shop in Hiram, GA. Yum, yum, yum!

9. What one household item do you keep in multiple rooms of the house? Scissors. I must have scissors. In the bathroom, in the office, in the kitchen. If I can't find scissors, I freak out just a little bit.

10. Do you prefer listening to the radio, cds, or mp3s? Hmm... interesting. Well, I keep a christian radio station on all the time either very softly or turned up, depending on my mood and what I'm doing. I have a pretty large collection of music loaded onto itunes on my laptop, and often listen directly from the laptop instead of getting out my ipod. I only listen to the ipod when I'm out-and-about.


Well... I'm sure you all really wanted to know all of that.

Four Things

I found a lovely little meme that I couldn't resist. However know that I am not a tagger, so copy & post in your own blog only if you so desire.

'Four Things'

Four jobs you've had in your life:

1. teacher's aid in an american school overseas
2. secretary
3. violinist at a 19th-century reenactment tourist attraction
4. housekeeper

Four movies you could watch over and over:

1. So I Married an Axe Murderer
2. Ever After
3. 13 Going on 30
4. The Passion of the Christ

Four places you've lived:

1. Songtan City, South Korea
2. Key West, Florida, USA
3. Atlanta, Georgia, USA
4. Central New York, USA

Four websites you visit daily:

1. MySpace.com
2. HisHolySpace.com
3. MarthaStewart.com
4. Yahoo.com

Four tv shows you love to watch:

1. Lost
2. Ugly Betty
3. Heroes
4. Anything on the Food Network

Four of your favorite foods:

1. Central NY Pizza & Buffalo Wings with celery & blue cheese dressing (they go together!)
2. Cuban Roast Pork with Yellow Rice, Black Beans and Plantains
3. Doro Wat!
4. Cannoli

Four albums you can't live without:

1. Glory Revealed: The Word of God in Worship by Various Artists

2. The Glory of His Presence (or any of his fabulous cds) by Terry MacAlmon
3. Above All Worship by Various Artists

4. iWorship: A Total Worship Experience by Various Artists

Four places you'd rather be:

1. Anywhere in Key West
2. Queen of Sheba Restaurant
3. Cape Town, South Africa
4. Geneva, Switzerland

So... now you know some trivia about me. Have a wonderful day!

Mrs.W