Nice to meet you

So, I don’t know how many people actually read these things that I write. I’m always amazed when I run into someone in my town and they tell me they read my blog.  I’m just so flattered that anyone even cares about what I have to say.  It was actually a very big leap for me to start this blog.  It’s not that I don’t like sharing with people, I actually suffer from the opposite problem.  I’ll tell a complete stranger my entire life story if they ask me how I am.  Get a glass of wine in me and I’ll even sing you a song.  I don’t have that button that most people have which tells me to stop talking.

And I used to be an actor in a past life so I’m definitely not scared of a crowd.  It’s just that I have this fear of the unknown.  I type something, click Publish and then I have no control over what happens after that.  What if, years from now, I hate what I wrote?  What if I offend someone?  What if…?  That’s me.  Neurotic about the What If’s.  But my husband saw something in me and knew that I had these big dreams of someday being a food writer or television cook, so he pushed me into starting this blog.  Because apparently one cannot be ‘discovered’ if they only cook for their family.  When I first started writing, I was so scared to share anything that I never even mentioned my name.  Then, slowly I began to chip away at my wall of defense and realized that it felt good to share with a voiceless stranger.  Kinda like therapy.  When no one answers back, you’re allowed to be more honest with yourself.

It was also my husband who pushed me to advertise my blog on Facebook and Twitter, another one of my fears.  I don’t have a personal Facebook page or Twitter account, and probably never will, but listening to his advice has helped me meet new people who actually want to listen to what I have to say.  And I learn something from them all the time.

So, in honor of the upcoming new year and the everlasting desire to move past my fears, I decided to let you get to know me a bit more.

And I would love it if you took the time to share something with me.  Leave me a comment, even if you’ve never left me one before, and tell me something about yourself that you would never share with someone you just met.  You can even stay anonymous, I don’t mind.  It could be silly, poetic, random, shallow or deep.  It doesn’t matter.  Or if that’s too much for you, share a secret trashy food crush like I did in #17.  Because this is, after all, a food blog and I should try to stay on topic.

*19 Things You Don’t Know About Me.

#1. I think apples have no business being in a fruit salad.

#2. I used to think that the world was literally in black and white before there was color TV or film.

#3. I still think the moon is following me home.

#4. I still do simple math on my fingers.

#5. I always close my eyes and make a wish if I see 11:11 on the clock, no matter what I’m doing. That becomes very challenging when what I’m doing is driving.

#6. I still use the bunny ear method to tie my shoes.

#7. I don’t believe I’ve ever partied like it’s 1999.

#8. I hate being the last one to fall asleep. I get very jealous of the sleeping one.

#9. I love Dolly Parton movies.

#10. My mind wanders very easily and I often forget my point midway through a sentence.

#11. I love Dolly Parton movies.

#12. I prefer my fruit to stay on the bottom.

#13. I believe in the power of a wishbone.

#14. I’m awesome at pretending to be asleep. I once convinced a whole slumber party that I was talking in my sleep for an hour.

#15. I gave accidental natural childbirth twice.

#16. I once stole a cat.  (No, no, calm down.  It was from an abusive family I came across while walking on the beach.  They were throwing kittens into the ocean.  I just shoved him up my shirt and ran.)

#17. I secretly love Velveeta and Cool Whip*.   

#18. My Kung Fu pants from the 3rd grade still fit me perfectly.  I’m not telling you this to somehow brag about my weight, I’m telling you this because this means I apparently peaked, height-wise, at 8 years old.

#19. I know all the U.S. states in alphabetical order and will sing them to you if you give me a glass of wine.  Syrah please.

(*In lieu of an actual recipe this week, I would like to share how I love to use these two ‘secret’ ingredients.  The first one comes from my mama.  Velveeta makes the best twice baked potatoes if you add it to your boiled potatoes with some plain yogurt, fresh chives, salt, and pepper, then bake until bubbly.  And Cool Whip makes the best ‘frosting’ for a coconut cake.)