Foodie Chickie

Yesterday the third snow storm of the season hit NYC and most of the East Coast. And the weather channel says to expect two more storms next week. There is plenty to keep me busy inside but I am getting a little stir crazy. I have a list of outside activities I'd like to do and I guess I will try to do as much as possible of my outside list.

Lisanne wanted to know if anyone had ideas for this week's Friday Forum questions. I suggested food and she like the topic and came up with another list of great questions. Below that is my final old Friday Forum. All future Friday questions will be new. Play along if you like. Have a warm and safe weekend all.

1) Do you enjoy cooking? Why/why not? I love cooking! I enjoy looking for recipes, watching the Food Network, and cooking a variety of foods. How about baking? Baking I am still trying to perfect but I enjoy it as well. Do you do most of the cooking in your household, or does someone else? I do most of the cooking but Niel is really good at it when he does. How often do you go out to eat (or order in) in a typical week? Not enough. I wish we could more. There are loads of places I want to try and go back to but its not always in our budget.

2) Do you have any dishes (or desserts, or beverages, or whatever) that you consider your "specialty"? Pretty much any specialty dish I have is from my mom. And I am happy to say that Niel enjoys her recipes too. I make a good Monte, Pork with Sauerkraut/Cabbage, Chicken and potatoes, Hummus, and the only new dish that Niel really enjoys is Chili Pie. Did you create the recipe yourself, from scratch? No Niel makes food from scratch. I am stick to the recipe type of person, but lately I have been trying to change that.

3) Have you ever taken any cooking classes? I would like to. If not, what types of
cooking class would you most like to take? Cake decorating and any international cooking class. Do you ever watch the Food TV Network? All the freaking time. It's like my church. What are your favorite shows on there? Thirty Minute Meals, and Paula Deen's show.

4) What's something quick and easy that you like to just throw together when you aren't in a cooking mood at all? Grilled Sandwiches. Are there any foods that you've been absolutely dying to try lately? I go through phases of wanting to eat just one thing sometimes. But nothing right now. Do you have any new (and yummy) food discoveries/combinations to share with us? Any new discoveries I post in my "In The Pot" link and then store "My Recipes".

5) What is your favorite kitchen appliance? I would have to say my Kitchen Aid and my food processor. They are very handy. Is your kitchen generally well stocked with equipment? Well let's see I have a fridge, stove top, oven, microwave, Kitchen Aid, toaster, can opener, food processor, blender, George Forman, and a Waffle Maker. Describe your kitchen to us ~ what it looks like, what's on the counters, etc. If you are standing at the door of my kitchen to the left is a fridge with a wine rack on top and a built in cabinet above that (medium light wood). Next to that is my sink with more cabinets above that and a little shelf between them for knick knacks, and next to that is the stove top, and then the oven, garbage can and a heater, to the right of the door, is a little cabinet and on top of the cabinet is a recipe holder with Nigella's Feast on top and next to it is a pretty bottle with Vinegar and peppers in it. A gift to us from my brother's girlfriend. Next to that is a book shelf with recipe books and containers for spices, next to that is a table where the microwave rests and on top is a vase with sunflowers, a wooden tulip a gift from the Squilky's, and underneath is a storage space.

Old
1] Where was the last place that you traveled? We’re talking big trips here, not just regular, everyday outings.] Seattle/Victoria, B.C. was my last big trip. It was so much fun! Niel and I still talk about it. [How did you get there? We took a plane to Seattle and a boat from Seattle to Victoria. How long were you gone? About a week. Three days for Seattle and two days for Victoria. Did you have fun, and did the voyage go smoothly? It was fantastic! The boat ride to Victoria was pretty bumpy but exciting and on the way back our luggage remained in Canada but we eventually got it.

2] When traveling, what snacks/entertainment items do you usually like to take with you? [For example, bottled water, crossword puzzle books, laptops, CD players, etc.] We bring books, magazines, motion sickness medicine, gum and some pain reliever.
3] If you could take a road trip to anywhere, where would you choose and why? We want to take a road trip across country. Maybe in 2006. What would be your ideal road trip vehicle? An RV. Would you plan the trip carefully or just hop in the car and go? We are already planning! Hee Hee!

4] Did you ever play any travel games when you were a kid, such as “the license plate game” or “20 questions"? No. I wasn't familiar with them at the time. If you have children now, how do you keep them from getting bored/antsy during long trips? I would play those games, plus have reading and drawing material.

5] Where is the farthest place that you’ve ever traveled? I guess American when I was five and Armenia when I was ten. Which state would you most like to visit? There are so many. MA, Vegas, Hawaii, go back to California and Florida. Which country? So many also. Great Britain, Australia, Japan, Norway , and go back and visit different parts of Canada. To name a few. Which continent? Europe. What is your preferred mode of transportation? Plane and train (would be neat).