Getting to know your blogger, part deux

1. What is your first name? Crystal
2. What is your favorite food? chicken piccata
3. What high school did you go to? Westside
4. What is your favorite color? black
5. Who is your celebrity crush? Keanu Reeves
6. Favorite drink? sweet iced tea
7. Dream vacation? Italy
8. Favorite dessert?Tiramisu
9. What you want to be when you grow up? art curator
10. What do you love most in life? my family
11. One Word to describe you. Glorious
12. Your flickr name. tafkap4d

Getting to know your blogger...

GETTING TO KNOW YOU QUIZ

Metal or non-stick? Metal. I use All Clad and/or Le Creuset most of the time

Cast iron or stainless? Cast iron. OOOH! I have my Maternal Grandmother's cast iron skillet and I love it.

Cutting board: silicone or wood? Both

Knife: carbon steel or stainless? Carbon steel. Wusthof Classic.

Kitchenaid or hand mixer? Gah! trick question - I was gifted with the KitchenAid Pro 6 for Christmas one year - so I do use it and then an old school cheap hand model as well.

Cooktop: gas, electric, induction? Electric. Sigh. I dream of having gas. Ahhh the horror! When I was young, I had gas and couldn't master it. Now I am an experienced and a pretty good cook...I can't get gas.

Side-by-side, freezer on top, fridge on top? Freezer on top but that was NOT my idea - I wanted the french refrigerator...ahhhh compromise.

Apron or whoops? Neither - I am a pretty neat cook - it all lands on the counters

Mashed potatoes: by hand, ricer, or mixer? Depends

Sandwich or wrap? Wraps - loving the variety of wraps that are out there

PB & _________ ? jelly - grape or chocolate or just peanut butter. I love peanut butter.

Pancakes: syrup or applesauce? Syrup on pancakes other than potato pancakes and then that is applesauce

Cake: scratch or mix? Scratch. It’s all about the love

Chili: beans or no? Beans.

Napkin: cloth or paper? paper

BBQ: takes the whole weekend to make or take out? BOTH!!!!!

Chicken: white or dark? Both!!!

Ice cream: cone or dish? cup

Comfort food

Comfort food is a GOOD thing! Not just the physical comfort you gain from the familiar but the mental and emotional comfort speaks just as loudly.

For many reasons, these are the times that try men (and women's) souls. Typically, I turn to food for comfort, as I think most of us do. I now am attempting to not overcomfort.

In the midst of issues, I'm eating more to sustain myself and I do understand the difference. I made a great smoothie yesterday morning - organic frozen berries, vanilla whey powder, wheat germ, half of a banana, soy milk, fage yogurt and a small amount of agave syrup. I hate bananas but I need the potassium. This morning the twist was - vanilla soy milk, chocolate whey powder, half of a banana, agave syrup, the requisite ice cubes and two spoonfuls of peanut butter. Not bad.

We had an appointment in Marietta during the week and managed to sneak by Metanoya - I am pleased to say that her food is still as amazing as it was when she was in Roswell. http://www.metanoyacafe.com/

Check her out! Eat healthy...live and love with no restraints.

Happiness is....

a feeling, an emotion, something that can be triggered, something learned.

I'm tired...I don't have any strength...I ache.

Sunday...lovely Sunday

Sunday has long been my favorite day of the week. Today proved this to me again.

I was so tired and I slept in late. I woke up groggy and grumpy. I had to press the button for coffee and I made a serving of steel cut oatmeal. I saw that tiny amount of oatmeal and my grumpiness went to just plain annoyance. I ate my portion and headed upstairs to shampoo my hair.

We went out to pick out household items and ended up at Olive Garden for a quick meal - Olive Garden gives me good feelings - family and fun. While it is not my fave Italian restaurant (I vote for Baci or Giovanna's) it gives me good feelings. We shared soup, salad, caprese flatbread, calamari and a luscious lemon cake (which was really good) and conversation.

This really made my Sunday. Thanks, SK!

Crocdile (Croc) Cooker GelPro Poll

I began this blog lamenting about the hardwood floors in our house. Are we ever truly happy? That is fodder for another blog (smile). The hardwood floors throughout were what sealed it for us in this house and I stood there complaining that my feet hurt. I whined to my partner and showed her the Gel Pro kitchen mats. I stated my case (like the Lawyer in training that I am) and she said "You're kidding me? All that money for a mat." I went to one of my favorite websites for the culinary lover egullet.com and began asking about the Gel Pro mats only to have my heart broken. "That is way too much money" "Buy the black mats you see in conventional kitchens" "Why don't you wear shoes in your house?" and the case for the Gel Pro mats was not a good one.

Someone mentioned Crocs and I immediately thought about Mario Batali (not a favorite chef of mine at all) and I mentioned it to my partner. On a solitary trek to Whole Foods she came back with...a pair of blue crocs and sparkly jewel jibbitz. Oooooooo, ahhhhhhhh, ohhhhhhhhhh.

Much to my surprise, the Crocs worked and I was exalted to The Crocodile (Croc) Cooker.

Now, the Crocodile Cooker is pleased to announce that for Christmas my partner gave me a gift certificate to GelPro. I am trying to narrow down what I want for the kitchen. We have white cabinetry and the most glorious honey pine flooring. The appliances are stainless (with the exception of the white dishwasher and white stove hood - GROANS) with accents of black. I think black is too start but I love the basket weave pattern and red...makes my heart sing but I am not sure I want the striated one.

So...help me decide. Results will be posted and the person whose response helps me make my decision will receive a prize.

What say you?

http://www.gelpro.com/