ten on tuesday…

so i am going to attempt to answer these ten questions with the most sincere attitude, i have to admit that the theme of ‘cooking’ does not really apply to me, but hey, its a new year, perhaps things will be different…Thanks again to chelsea for some great, thought provoking questions with a dash of humor at least on  my part…

1. Are there any movies that inspire you to bake/cook?-umm, i am going to have to go with no to that question, there are however plenty of movies that inspire me to eat/drink…

2. What’s your favorite food blog and why?-i have just recently started reading food blogs and i would have to say my favorite so far is baking, books and booze. three of my favorite things, and the ladies who write it are down right funny.

3. Who’s your favorite celebrity chef?-whichever one will show up at my house and teach me how to whip up amazing meals in under twenty minutes with just the contents of my kitchen…

4. What’s your favorite kitchen tool?-the meat tenderizer-hands down-very therapeutic, makes the chicken cook faster, and something a little more exoctic than the potato peeler…

5. When it comes to cooking/baking, what’s your specialty?-since i am not one to brag [read i do not have a specialty,its amazing the boys are not starving] i would have to go with baking, i make a mean chocolate peanut butter chip cookie…

6. When in the kitchen, do you wear an apron, if so, any cute ones you’d like to share?-i don’t wear and apron, i don’t even own one, the concept seems foreign to me. but when i was growing up, my grandmother had given me a bag of all sorts of different styled aprons and my friends and i would construct dresses and what not out of them and run around the neighborhood playing gypsies…true story!

7. Is there anything that intimidates you when it comes to baking/cooking? (ex. Pie crust, yeast breads, sauces, etc…)-i would have to go with pretty much anything in my new cookbook the Joy of Cooking. i am determined to overcome this intimidation and make at least two if not more recipes that call for ‘halving’ something, or sifting, or separating. most of my training in the kitchen came from working in group homes. i got really good at making bland food for lots of people in a small amount of time…

8. What’s the weirdest gadget in your kitchen?-i am not sure if this counts as a gadget and i am pretty sure it has been thrown out by now, but the wine bottle i used to roll out the cookie dough was rather odd, resourceful, but odd…

9. What’s your go-to music for cooking/baking?-whatever is running through my head

10. After several failures, what do you do to motivate yourself to get back in the kitchen to try again?-remind myself that we cannot afford to have take out every night of the week, works WONDERS!

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ten on tuesday…

i recently came across a rather brilliant blog roots and rings, and was super excited to participate in a weekly installment cleverly called ten on tuesday…

1. When do you put up and take down your Christmas decorations? Growing up, our decorations were never put up until after my sisters birthday which is the 12th of december, since kevin and i have been living together and raising nick we tend to put them up a week or so after thanksgiving, or basically whenever we have the time.

2. What do you do to simplify the holiday season? do my very best to not look at the impulse buying shelves strategically placed at check out counters and think of everyone i have ever met and how they just HAVE TO HAVE that jelly belly dispenser…

3. What do you do to remind yourself and your family what the Christmas season is all about? make an emphasis on spending time with family and that the season is not all about the gifts thankyouverymuch!

4. How do you spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? christmas eve is with my parents where we ALWAYS have pizza to eat, always, it was a tradition that was started when we were very young and singing in the choir on christmas eve, the easiest thing to do was to stop at little ceasars on the way home and from that it just became a tradition, of course i could also say there were more than a handful of years where i was so stinking excited that it was christmas that one of my moms traditions was to clean up my throw up and put all my blankets in the wash…but perhaps not…christmas day will be new this year, we will have nick for a while then it will just be us and i am excited to start new traditions with the hubby…

5. What is your favorite Christmas tradition? see above…PIZZA! luminaries and nativity scenes

6. Did you do the whole Santa thing growing up? What do you like/not like about continuing the tradition? i still do the whole santa thing, all growing up my mother always used to say that santa was as real as i wanted him to be. each year that saying means more and more to me. i continue that tradition/saying only to show that the spirit of santa is the important thing, at least to me…

7. What is your favorite Christmas cookie? #1 Spritz #2 cut out cookies with cream cheese frosting

8. How do you take your egg nog? straight from the carton, i am a firm believer in alcohol and dairy products should never be mixed…

9. What is your favorite Christmas carol and why? Oh Come Oh Come Emmanuel, when i was younger every mass during advent would end with this song and i loved it, as i got older and more versions came out i loved it even more, i am not sure if it’s the melody or the words but it is one of my favorites. of course i love a good silent night. none church related would have to be the Christmas Song by Dave Matthews, just love it!

10. When was the last time you had a white Christmas? Growing up in michigan, it was almost a guarantee to have a white christmas, one where it snows on christmas eve-so that is my definition of a white christmas-technically have not had one in six years although last year there was snow on the ground and it looks like there will be again this year, but i have my fingers crossed…

Merry Christmas!!

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