Sometimes it is ok to indulge

Ok so I like potato chips. They may be called crisps too. I think they even have a potato chip day. I wonder who started that?

They come in many flavours, the companies making them are always trying something new. One company, for the past couple of years, has run a contest, where people send in ideas. Then people vote for their favourite, if the winning chip does well they get a share of the proceeds and a cash prize I think. I think I read that the winning flavour last year did so poorly that they discontinued it, hmmm if it loses money does the person submitting the idea have to cover costs?

Some of the different chips they make are very unique. uhm… yes that is the word. 

Maple Moose? eeeeps

Sunny Sunday… well for a while.

As we watch the wall of water move slowly across the lake toward us.. forcing us to run laughing inside to avoid the drenching that was coming.. a rainy day invading our sunny Sunday. Then realizing with the heat, that this could be fun, we stopped.

Corn on the cob

Grins, woo hoo, it is here.

Oh I am sure a lot of you have already enjoyed this tasty treat already this year. But this was the first for us. I am picky about my corn *nods lots and lots* We get it from a farmer, we have for years, he picks it a few times a day.

If  it wasn’t picked the day I am going to eat it, then I would rather do without.  Oh that corn in the supermarket, the six cobs husked and wrapped up.. they look very nice. *makes a sour face* and many say they are good… well please enjoy them. You haven’t tasted the corn I eat. It spoils one.

We don’t husk it until we are cooking it, that keeps the moisture in the kernels, and the flavour.

I have tried to microwave corn on the cob, and it is ok. We have bbq’d it a bit too, it tastes good but you have to char the husks and they are hot when you remove them, and bits of burn husk stick to the cobs.. but it is really good. Some bbq it husked, but that is just silly. lol.

Boiling or steaming is our choice, we fill a big pot with water, but don’t worry if there is enough to cover all the cobs, the steam will, put a lid on the pot, I add a bit of sugar to the water, not much, but some.. and bring it to a boil. While the water heats to boiling, that is the time to husk them. Then we add the cobs and check the time, 7 minutes later they come out.

not a second longer

and they are perfect.

oh, butter not margarine. Corn needs butter. You don’t need to put on massive amounts, but it really makes it great.

salt and pepper sometimes too. oh, and napkins.. *lots of them*

I can tell instantly if the corn was picked the day before, or longer…. blech. it just doesn’t have the same flavour and sweetness.

just like anything else, if it is worth doing, it is worth doing right.

 

You.. you’re the one

Life is to be enjoyed.

We can’t always have a vacation or an around the world cruise.

we cant always go out with a supermodel we can’t always eat at 5 start dining establishments.

but we can seek things we enjoy. little things, big things. Things that make others wonder or shake their finger…

don’t eat that, it is fattening.

don’t go out with him/her they are black/white.

you spend a lot of time with her/him are you gay?

but you know what?  

Cheese cheese and more cheese… or part two

It is so hard to pick just some, or a few cheeses when we go to this shop, I am sure it is because they give us tastes and that teases us… it is an evil plan *nods lots*

 We managed though, and had lots of tastes while we were doing it. That is the best part, the tastes and the looks exchanged to see if we both like it, and the grins that follow.   One of our favorites looks like this, but don’t ask me the names, we seldom remember them. Usually it is the orange one, or the green one, when we try to remember.

When I found this picture I also found this: five counties cheese because of the different cheeses that make up its five layers. These cheeses are: Double Gloucester, Caerphilly, Cheshire, Leicester, and Cheddar… woo hoo, now I don’t have to remember. lol. It is really good. we love it.

 We also bought a big wedge of Parmesan, because I am going to make a noodles Alfredo this weekend.  And it is great with crackers and wine too.

We have had this one before too, it is very nice, called Wensleydale, it has cranberries in it. There is one like it with apricot too. We had it at Christmas, it is very nice with a Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris (as they are the same thing), but then most things are nice with Pinot Grigio.

And an apple wood smoked cheddar, it is really yummy with Shiraz. We bought Havarti with dill too. The dill flavour is very pronounced, not like the ones in the supermarkets that are just sort of green specks, this one is very creamy with a great dill flavour.  Think I am getting hungry again.

We picked up a green cheese that has sage in it, that is what made it green, a brie that has peppercorns, it is really good on crackers, I hope it lasts to the weekend.

We picked up three or four other ones too, some soft some smoked.. They are all great. Aimee keeps testing them, her excuse is that she wants to match them up with wine… don’t think she is fooling anyone though, but it was a good try.

 

Cheese

This is the savory candy of the world. *nods wisely*

candy?

well it can be so decadent, so it must be candy. 

We stumbled across a cheese shoppe a while ago, we would visit occasionally while living in the dorms and carefully choose a selection of cheeses… counting out our coins…  on a Friday night, take them back to the dorm with some very nice crackers or bread… select some wine, I let Aimee pick the wine, she is very good at that. We both picked the cheese. It was bliss.  The cheese was sooo good. 

Walking into the shop, you expect to be assaulted by the smells like you would be in a bakery… but that is missing from a cheese shop, probably because they are all nestled behind glass, teasing and tormenting with their rainbow of colours, shapes or interesting looking skins. 

We learned cheese, like books, can not be judged by their appearance. (just like people)

The ones that look so tempting may not be the enticing treat you expect, and the plain cheese sitting all alone, well it may be the one that becomes your best friend.

ok, time for a picture, I was going to look for a bunch of little pictures to tease you with, and stumbled across this one, and it just makes me drool. There are so many different kinds of cheese.

We are stopping there on the way home, to pick a few for the weekend. We love doing this, because when you point to a cheese they pull it out of the cooler and slice off some for you to taste, if there are others in the store, they slice off some for everyone… it is a dastardly trick, because everyone then buys some.

Sometimes we pick our own, some that we remember, some that catch our eye… and that is fun, but we learned that if we say we want to buy a mix of cheese, about.. and we name a price.. then they pick them for us. 

And that is when we get a great variety, hard, soft, creamy, aged.. they do so great picking them and never seem to pick one we don’t like.

Oh we did try one in the store once, that was different. *nods*, it was chocolate cheese. *makes a funny face*

She sliced some off for us and I popped it in my mouth… instantly went “blech” and blushed… while Aimee and the girl behind the counter giggled.  pssst, we didn’t buy any of that.

Blue cheese, Megan said that is an acquired taste and hoped we would never acquire it… but alas, just like cheese in general, there are a lot of different types of blue cheese. So she (the girl behind the counter) one day slices off a very interesting looking cheese that has different coloured layers.. and we tasted it…. WOW. It was great. It was made up of a few cheeses… so of course I asked what kinds  they were… and the one in the middle was a blue cheese… *pouts* yup, we acquired the taste. LOL.

They are not all strong and yucky, some are very smooth, and with the right wine… omg.

So tonight Jill and I have been entrusted to pick some good ones. We have some instructions but they are not written in stone.. checks the list.. nope is paper… We always try to get something different and something we know we like a lot. There was one with mushrooms in it last time, it was great. But we try not to get the same type two times in a row, and with so many to choose from, that is easy to do.

I love smoked cheese, and hard cheese, and soft cheese…eeeps, I like them all, lol, but soft cheeses… and there are so many soft cheeses, that on crackers..  double creams, triple creams. omg.. I am going to drool if I am not careful.

*dances off dreaming about out trip to the cheese shop tonight*

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Well you won’t find cheese here, but just like cheese, you will find people from around the world with different looks and packages that you shouldn’t judge, but just enjoy.

Indulging part two.. the sequel

*grins*, ok so on the way home from work we stopped at a bulk store. pssst they have licorice there. *smiles happily*

hmmm, other treats as well, so we did pick up a few things.

omg, that isn’t what we bought… lol    But I did receive some instructions..   two of my room mates read my blog and sent me a text… with a list. The third room mate? Well she was with me so she just sort of got her own.  *rolls my eyes and giggles*

So what did we get, of this highly nutritious food?  well malt  balls.. they are chocolate coated.. points to the picture. They melt in your mouth and your hands too… so it is best to pop them in your mouth quickly. 

They were on one of the lists, so don’t blame me. Shows you Megan’s name, but she shares.. unless she can find a better hiding place….

I like these, they are spearmint leaves. They were on Aimee’s list. But she shares too, and I don’t have to beat her up or anything. *lol*Chocolate coated almonds.. ok, they are on every ones list. And they don’t last long at all, at least the nuts are good for you. *tries to nod wisely*

Gummy candy, well, my Mom likes that a lot, so we will bring some to the cottage this weekend and it will be good for a hug, not that Moms need bribes to hug, but I like them anyway, so if this gets me an extra one it is a good investment.

oh and these too… points down

Blue whales, they are a gummy candy with, I guess a blueberry flavour. So that adds some fruit to our diets. *nods wisely again* Think they were on Aimee’s list.

Candy bracelets.. omg who bought those? We are not kids.. giggles.. okies.. so we have four of them.  lol, but we look cool.  *tries to nod wisely again… fails miserably* 

We did get more, but if I show you, you are going to think we are crazy.. lol.. and I can attest to the fact we are not, and that is a professional opinion.  *points to my diplomas*

But sometimes it is just fun to buy silly things and have fun. You don’t need a lot. Well except for the chocolate almonds.. you need a lot of them.

Hope you all have a great Friday, it is party night. woo hoo.

 

Sometimes you just have to indulge.

Ok, I may be biased here.

Natures perfect food. *Looks at you in surprise*, it is so..

giggles.  but it is, *nods lots*

looks at the picture wistfully.

oh there are other perfect foods too, * rummages through my folder*

*grins*

ok ok, nods they probably are not that good for you.. so here is one more, then you have a choice of three…

*licks my lips*

I have a very fast metabolism, and burn calories in high numbers through the day. I enjoy my “perfect foods” *smiles*.

ok ok, some things are not good for you, but life is about enjoyment, and in moderation you should indulge in your fantasies, your wild  desires. Whether food or activities.  Life is to be enjoyed whenever possible.  From a simple tasty treat, to a vacation, to talking with people in the comfort of your home.. while munching on licorice.

When dieting, cravings will overwhelm you, they fester and grow, until you can’t take it anymore and go on a binge. But if you give in early, taste a bit of the forbidden fruit, the candy, that piece of cake, in moderation.. you will appease the craving monster and your diet will not be at risk.

Oh I know you are too busy to look at a lake, or watch life go by sitting on a bench… so you don’t. but you aren’t really that busy you know. You have time to take a breath and some personal time, to do something you enjoy.  Even if you have to catch up a bit, it is important to take that time.

Oh no moaning, I can’t there just isn’t enough time…  nope, if you enjoy it, you should be doing it. Oh you don’t need to go to Bermuda to watch a lake, you can sit in a park for a half an hour, and just watch life go by. It is good for you. But don’t keep checking your watch to see when time is up. Let it go and relax.