Morsels, Meals & Memorable Books

 

 

 This week’s letter assignment is M in Mrs. Matlock’s class, so I’m sharing my meals, morsels & memorable books from this past year for Alphabe-Thursday~

I’m approaching my one year blogiversary which is hard for me to believe until I look at my number of posts :-)

Before I embarked on my blogging journey, I had been visiting & sitting on the fence~ uncertain about what I would want to share until I stumbled on Jain’s blog at Food for Thought by way of Designs by Gollum. My love of books and the idea of sharing one in an edible fashion seemed intriguing and a fun way to get my feet wet.

Taking a page out of Jain’s book, I’m sharing a year-end summary of the journey my year of reading has taken, the meals & morsels I’ve enjoyed along the way.

 

 I have. . .

• had a not too sweet homecoming, broke & desperate to find a valuable painting~  surviving on stale Krispy Kremes

• relocated a 1920’s cabin 245 miles and had a celebratory party with Caramel Apples & S’mores

• learned the history of early Hot Air Balloon flight & had Brunch complete with a Champagne Toast 

• had Finger Sand-Witches & a bubbling Cauldron of Soup after the Salem Witch Trials

• been educated at The School of Essential Ingredients and celebrated Spring with Risotto

• cooked up some Dog-Gone good treats courtesy Three Dog Bakery

• searched for Flower Fairies while dodging falling acorns & nibbling on fruit & cake

• consumed Chocolate Corks while sipping on spectacular wines of Napa Valley

• learned the importance of a fire extinguisher while baking from Scratch

• watched dolphins in Sweetwater Creek while raising Boykin Spaniel Cheese Straws

• discovered A Dog’s Purpose while munching on Popcorn

• savored a Shrimp Extravaganza under the Last Light over Carolina

• floated down the Duoro River in Portugal in a Cork Boat feasting on Tiger Shrimp

• flown across the ocean with 11 elephants from Swaziland to Lowry Park Zoo and eating Elephant Ears

• found the rare book collectors’ Holy Grail & roasted a chicken with lemon

• picnicked On Folly Beach with Fried Chicken, Cornbread & Blackberry Iced Tea

• won a bet & learned not to fear a few extra carbs & calories when it comes to the perfect Chicken Marsala

• built a Brown Sugar Sand Castle with the Mermaids & Women and the Sea

•  played The Angel’s Game & tasted Tapas in Barcelona

• sipped Nectar & floated on psychedelic wings while enjoying Blackberry Cobbler

• survived a Kansas Blizzard milking cows & eating Chocolate Chip Cookies

• broke my fast with Sand Dollar Pancakes Between the Tides

• raced around the speedway with Enzo choking on pepperoncini peppers

• travelled to Italy, India & Indonesia & indulged in Chocolate Pizza

• rooted for The Help in Mississippi while having Chocolate Pie minus Minny’s secret ingredient

• picked food inspired by Southern Bouquets

• ate Breakfast & Cherry Pie on A Vintage Table

•  rejected a Reliable Wife in favor of a battered wife trying to avoid blows with a better meat loaf

• sweltered in Savannah , fortified by Paula Deen’s Tomato Pie

• sipped on an Omar Sharif cocktail, sampled Strawberry Tea sandwiches, Grilled Peaches & Pound Cake on my Flowers for the Home journey

• learned about Asperger’s Syndrome as well as House Rules eating by the colors of the rainbow

• defied good taste of old money Charlestonians & served up Frogmore Stew

• entered witness protection~  8 aliases & several Orange Hostess Cupcakes later, fled with a mafioso’s son, discovering the Ultimate Mussels

• raised a glass in toasting Winery Dogs of Napa Valley with food & wine pairings

• discovered family secrets & smashed china in ceremony & remembrance with Gorgonzola Pasta and Carmelized Pear Salad

• was Inspired by designers’ favorite foods including David Easton’s mac & cheese, Candice Olson’s favorite pizza and Green Tea Ice Cream with Vincente Wolf

• fell apart One Summer feasting on Asparagus Frittata and Figs with Balsamic Vinegar

• baked Pupcakes in celebration of Hardcore Dog Enthusiasm

• ate Green Eggs & Ham along with Dr. Suess, commemorating the 50th anniversary of this classic book

•  honed my French along with my knife at Le Cordon Bleu making Memoirs of a Quiche

•  solved a 30-year old mystery eating Peanut Butter Pie with the Domino Boys

• followed the magic & crystalline swirls of sugar lingering in the air while I enjoyed a Milky Way Cake

• closeted my secret stash of sugary sweets for Benedictine Cucumber Sandwiches

• dined with conjoined twins savoring Slavak Soul Food

•  farmed potatoes in Idaho & discovered the Promiscuity of Squashes while supping on Butternut Squash Soup

• stopped inflicting a good marriage on a reluctant husband & re-invented my life while enjoying Brie in Puff Pastry

• tried to settle a family feud in Between Georgia & polished off Deviled Eggs

• defended an Amish girl at trial, ultimately learning the Plain Truth with a slice of Squash Pie

• investigated an abused boy while Chasing Fireflies & eating Tomato Cheese Grits

• spent Christmas at the Zoo, courtesy Lazy 5 Ranch and Zoo Pasta Salad

• was South of Broad noshing on Crabcakes & She-Crab Soup

• survived a childhood caring for a mentally ill mother eating Tarragon Chicken Salad

• Decked the Halls while nibbling on Vanilla Meringues

• hung stockings courtesy Mary Carol Garrity while playing with Puff Pastry

• celebrated A Redbird Christmas in Alabama with Red Velvet Whoppie Pies

• had my own Christmas Cookie Club consuming calories without the drama

• discovered the pleasures of Panettone with Christopher Radko

• had Milk & Cookies while waiting for St. Nicholas

• travelled to Spruce Pine, NC in search of The Perfect Christmas Tree & enjoyed a snowy-sugary-dusted Cinnamon Streusel Cake

• basked in a Bunny Christmas making cookies

• celebrated Christmas with a Big Book that inspires fresh ideas in cooking, baking, entertaining, and decorating.

 Whew!

In summary my plate was full this year, reading & cooking my books. . . I chowed down, crammed, devoured, digested, dined, dispatched, feasted, gobbled up, gorged, gormandized, grazed, ingested, inhaled, masticated, munched, nibbled, noshed, polished off, put away, ruminated, scarfed, snacked, supped, swallowed, & wolfed my way through my pages.

I chased the moon & fireflies~as well as props & dishes to provide visual book reviews & find tablescape inspiration. . .

 

I discovered the magic of bottle trees, fairies & sugar and well as new authors, books & recipes. . .

I stopped to smell the Roses (not very fragrant :-) Flowers for the Home & Southern Bouquets.

I was waterlogged from happy hours in Sweetwater Creek, On Folly Beach, Last Light over Carolina, Between the Tides, and with Women of the Sea.

I spent time with winery dogs, racing dogs, re-incarnated dogs, tuckered dogs, lived with dogs, boated with dogs-

I was surrounded by girls… one named Zippy, The Girl She Used To Be, & one who Chased the Moon & just The Girls~

 It was an educational, entertaining & full year :-)

I hope you can join us this year, as I co-host Food for Thought with Jain here, Feb. 1st.

 You are invited to share any book of your chosing, be it fiction, nonfiction, favorite children’s, cookbook, coffee table, etc.

 It’s a fun way to read & find something for your supper~

Rate your book:

***** EXCELLENT!
**** good read
*** average read
** so-so
* just skip it~

~link it to amazon and provide an edible passage from your book~

Visit:

•  Jenny Matlock for Alphabe-Thursday~ for more morsels of alphabet fun~

• Food for Thought for reading fun~

•  Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday~stop in & see what’s being served~

•  Mary at Little Red House for Mosaic Monday