Today is day two of the Come Play in May blogging Challenge and I loved getting to know my fellow writers yesterday. If you missed out, check out the linkup and get to know some of the participants! And… if you missed yesterday, there’s nothing in the rule book that says you can’t STILL link up 🙂
Today’s challenge is
Define yourself in an uncommon way
Which could literally be interpreted in a bajillion different ways… This isn’t about labels people. I know most of y’all well enough to know that labels do NOT define us. If anything, we rebel against the stereotypes that society likes to throw our way.
This is an opportunity to define yourself using something you are passionate about and hopefully make you think. You could define yourself through colors or weather patterns or books or music or … you get the idea.
A few weeks back, I was inspired by my friend Joanna to tell the History of Me in Music and some other friends jumped on board with it as well and we decided that this month we would tell the story of us in Food.
Two birds… one stone… I’m combining those two ideas. It’s a bit of a stretch but work with me on this m’kay?
Food is and always has been a passion for me. I love the ability to create in the kitchen and while I rarely follow recipes, I use them for inspiration {and for remembering how long and what temp to cook a Prime Rib. I cook one every year and can NEVER remember what to do.} It helps that I do not have picky eaters in the house and that my babies consider me the best cook in the history of ever, but is problematic when I make something delicious and they want a repeat performance. Cooking by jazz means every meal is unique.
Now, I’m well aware that there are those who are on a strict “Meat and Taters” diet and purists who do not mix foods – their plates strategically arranged so that each bite of food is unsullied by the other parts of the meal. I do not judge – in fact, I recently had a meal that fit this description and it was AMAZING. But for me and mine, we play with our food.
So when it comes time to define me through food…. That becomes a bit harder.
For a time, mostly in college, I could be best described as Cotton Candy. Sweet and fluffy but no real substance.
There was a point in life when I aimed to be something exotic and wonderful… Beef Wellington perhaps? The elusive meal that is both impressive to look at and satisfying in all ways that matter.
In marriage(s), I aimed to be Thanksgiving Dinner – Allowing others to pick and choose the parts of me that they would accept and passing on the parts that were not pleasing…striving to please everyone at the same time. That was exhausting.
I’ve had a few bouts in my life where I could only be described as coffee… {and anyone who knows me, knows that THIS IS A FOOD GROUP} no matter how sweet I tried to be, always an undercurrent of bitterness.
Where I am now though in my life is interesting… it seems that I’ve come full circle because when I think of how to define myself as a food, I’m stuck thinking about my all time favorite comfort foods from my childhood… {that even my Bestie thinks is disgusting}. Tuna Noodle Casserole & Chocolate chip cookies. {NOT AT THE SAME TIME.. One is dinner and the other is desert. Don’t be gross.}
I know. I know. I’ve just lost half of my 5 readers with that statement. But stick with me.
When it comes to Tuna Noodle Casserole, {without peas. Why would you put PEAS in Tuna casserole… baffling} it’s simple but with a complex mix of flavors {the way we make it anyway}. It’s warm and inviting. It satisfies even the hungriest of appetites in our home. It is a bit old fashioned and hearkens back to a simpler time and a stronger generation.
TNC is what it is. It makes no apologies for its place at the table. It is unassuming and unpretentious. Take it or leave it. That’s me. Now and forever more. Take me or leave me but what you see is what you get.
Of course what’s dinner without desert … I’m a chocolate chip cookie. MY Chocolate chip cookie recipe {that maybe I’ll share on the blog someday} Still simple and complex. The oatmeal gives it substance. Sweet but not too sweet. And of course a little nuts.
If you are playing along, how would YOU define yourself in an uncommon way?!?
**No birds were harmed in the writing of this post. No stones were used improperly either**
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Goodness this is a lot harder than I thought! lol
The prompts were meant to be challenging 🙂
My sister makes a killer tuna casserole with Farquay noodles and there are no peas, there is a ton of celery though. We need to find a way to de-gluten it.
I didn’t know I could love you more, but then you were all “who puts peas in the casserole” and I was like YES because everyone thinks I’M the weird one for being like, “Hell no, peas!”
There are two kinda of people in the world Decki. Those who know that peas have a place and it’s not in casseroles, and people who are wrong.
Mmmm… I miss TNC. Chris won’t eat noodles and it’s really hard to make caaserole for one (with a lack of appreciable freezer space). Sorry. I want to be able to comment about the whole post but now I just want TNC.
Maybe next time you visit I should make us some TNC. Chris isn’t invited for the noodles.
Tuna is nasty! That’s one fish that should be “catch and release” only. Sorry….but YUCK!
Well hey there anonymous… long time no see. We can agree to disagree 🙂 We’ve done that before and will do that again I’m sure 🙂
I am all about the peas. But no one in my house will eat the casserole anyway, so I never make it. I think we’re all cotton candy at some point… the trick is to get past that find the real substance.
I love love love peas. There are nights when that is all I have for dinner. But my TNC… has to be sans peas. No veg is allowed in my TNC with the exception of onions…
Sadly some people never progress pass the cotton candy stage of life. I’m happy to announce that none of my friends are cotton candy kinda people.
Nooooo. You have to have green peas in TNC. Not in turkey tetrazzini, but definitely in TNC. Did you know that spell check thinks tetrazzini should be tetracycline? Ew.
We’re just gonna have to agree to disagree on the whole “do peas belong” debate but hope we can stay friends 🙂
OMG! Of course, I love you… Tuna Casserole should never have peas and it is one of my favorite foods. I can’t imagine you ever as Cotton Candy other than yummy! You are comfort food in all the best ways and I never eat Beef Wellington.
XOXO
Traci
Well Traci, now I know there are two of us. Well… 3. Mini-me requests TNC as his birthday meal more often than not.