A Jeanne in the Kitchen

Cookbooks are precious and treasured gifts to me.  I love them and apparently I just can’t seem to ever get enough of them.  I am definitely a collector, connoisseur and aficionado of all kinds of cookbooks.  Someone I used to work with a long, long time ago, my idol of sorts, had told me once that “you never have your last cookbook”.  I obviously took those words to heart, and have followed her words of advice and wisdom ever since.  I have well over 600 cookbooks, and am always still adding and counting to that collection.  When someone gives me a new cookbook, I am in 7th Heaven.  Getting a new cookbook is one of the best gifts someone can give to me.  I am like a little kid in a candy store.  I just can’t wait until I can break it in and make something delicious from it.  🙂

My dear friend Priscilla just got back from a business trip in San Antonio, Texas.  Knowing how much I love and collect cookbooks, she was so thoughtful and brought me a new cookbook from San Antonio, “Food and Flavors of San Antonio“.  The recipes all sound great and I have already made one of them, with many more to follow in the future.  The foods of Texas and California have a lot of Mexican and Latin influences and similarities.  In Texas, they have their own name for these foods.  They call them Tex-Mex.  These are some of my favorite foods, but then my mother was from Port Arthur, Texas, in the Southeastern part, and I am from the Los Angeles area of Southern California, which explains my love and fascination with Mexican foods in general.

I got a bonus gift as well.  The book came with a Southwestern cookie cutter too.  WHOOOO HOOOOO!!!!!  Thank you so much Priscilla.  You made my day!

My first recipe from this wonderful new book was a chicken and black bean casserole.  I served it with some chipotle buttered corn on the cob From Basic to Bold and some leftover arroz verde  A Mexican Meal that I mixed with the rest of my hominy.

Chicken and Black Bean Casserole

2-3 TBSP olive oil

1 red onion, peeled and sliced very thin

1 TBSP garlic

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded

1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup chicken broth

2 cups pico de gallo

10 6″ tortillas, either corn or flour, cut into strips about 1″ in size

1-2 cups pepper jack cheese, shredded

 

I made my own pico de gallo, but I also added a bit of store-bought salsa as well.

 

Preheat the oven to 450* F

Spray a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray

 

Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil for about 5 or so minutes, or until the onions are just lightly browned.

Once the onions and garlic are lightly browned, add the chicken and the black beans and combine well.  Remove these from the skillet and set aside.

Add the pico de gallo and the chicken stock to the skillet and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes.

Once everything is cooked, it is time to start layering all the ingredients together.  Spread about 1/2 the cut tortilla strips in the baking sheet, spreading them evenly.  Next, add about 1/2 of the chicken and onion mixture, again, spreading evenly over the tortilla strips and repeat.

After all the tortilla strips and chicken have been spread into the pan, pour the pico de gallo mixture evenly over the chicken and top with the shredded cheese.  Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is lightly browned and serve while it’s hot.

Delicioso y que bueno!

 

 

 

 

 

I am feeling more than a wee bit lazy today, and I have a ton of things to do, so I thought I would share the thoughts of food from others again today.  But have no fear, I have more good recipes of my own in store for tomorrow.

 

“All happiness depends upon a leisurely breakfast”.

~John Gunther, American Journalist~

 

 

~ Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin ~

French Lawyer, Politician and famed epicure and gastronome

 

There is no such thing as a pretty good omelette.

 ~ French Proverb ~

 

~ Julia Child~

If you have been following me for awhile, you have probably already figured out I am more than a bit of rebel, and I like to march to the beat of my own drummer.  I love being unconventional and unpredictable.  With it being Cinco de Mayo and everyone in America celebrating the day with tacos, burritos, fajitas, cervaza fria, margaritas, etc., I chose to celebrate in a different way.   Los Fiestas para Cinco de Mayo   I love all of those foods I just mentioned, and eat them quite often, but I also love to do something different and unexpected as well.  Other than enjoying a nice margarita especial with dinner, I chose to make another Mexican meal for the day.  I guess you could say I chose to honor the day and the Mexican culture in a more subtle way, like it is celebrated in most parts of Mexico, outside of the Puebla region.  I prepared pork chops with a citrus dressing and hominy that I served with arroz verde and carrots with chocolate and shallots.  We also finished off the whole wheat chili cheese bread, which was a perfect accompaniment to the meal.  Whole Wheat Chili Cheese Bread.

Mexican Pork Chops with Citrus and Hominy

2 lbs pork chops

3/4 cup orange juice

1/3 cup lime juice

1 TBSP garlic

1 small shallot, peeled and minced fine

1-2 tsp red pepper flakes or to taste

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp sugar

3 TBSP fresh parsley, chopped fine

1-2 cans hominy, drained and rinsed

olive oil

1 TBSP fresh oregano, chopped fine or 1 tsp dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

red pepper flakes to taste, optional

 

Mix the juices garlic, shallots, red pepper flakes, sugar and parsley together and pour over the pork chops to marinate.  Let the pork marinate for at least 30 minutes before cooking.

I grilled the chops and reserved the marinade, which I cooked down and then used it as a topping for the cooked chops, along with the hominy mixture.  They came out so moist and tender.

As the pork chops are cooking, make the hominy topping.  Drain the hominy and rinse it, then place it in a sauce pan with some olive oil, salt & pepper and the oregano.  Cook at a medium heat for about 5-7 minutes.  Top the pork with the reserved sauce and the hominy.

Carrots with Chocolate and Shallots

Chocolate is widely used in Mexico and in Mexican cooking, and it’s not just for desserts.  The cocoa and chocolate give an extra little unexpected perk to all foods, whether they be a dessert or a vegetable or a sauce.  A little bit can go a long way.

4-6 large carrots, peeled and sliced at an angle or 1-1 1/2 lbs baby carrots

2-3 shallots, peeled and sliced very thin

2 TBSP butter

2 TBSP lemon juice

1 TBSP honey

1-2 TBSP cocoa powder

1-2 tsp spiced cocoa chili powder

1 tsp ginger

crispy, fried onions for topping

 

Boil the carrots in water for about 10 minutes, or until the carrots are soft and tender and the liquid has evaporated.

In a separate pan, mix the honey, lemon juice, cocoa powder, spiced chili-cocoa powder, ginger and shallots together and saute in butter until the shallots are soft and translucent, or about 3 minutes.

Once the shallot mixture is done and the excess water has been drained from the carrots, combine the shallots with the carrots, mixing well, and continue to cook for about 3 minutes.  When serving, top with the fried crispy onions and chopped parsley.

I hope you all enjoyed your Cinco de Mayo.  Defruitas los comidas differente de Mexico!

 

 

 

 

 

Why do we celebrate Cinco de Mayo or the 5th of May?  In the United States this has been a day of celebrations for decades.  It started off as a day of celebration in areas with large Latino communities, but has since spread all throughout the United States.  It is usually celebrated with Mexican music, food, dancing and celebrations for anything Mexican.  Most Americans really do not understand “why” they are celebrating this day though.  Most Americans think it is to celebrate Mexico’s independence from foreign rule.  Not so.  Mexico’s independence day is actually September 16.  Only about 10% of Americans actually know the true meaning of Cinco de Mayo’s significance to Mexico and its people.  Cinco de Mayo is really the day that commemorates the battle fought between Mexico and France in 1862, where Mexico’s army defeated the much larger, better equipped French Army, even if only for a short lived victory.  In the United States, it is always celebrated with a fiesta grande con mucho colores y musica y comida de Mexicana.  Traditionally, in Mexico though, especially outside the Puebla region, it is much more low key, and is a day to honor Mexico’s military, although recently they have started to celebrate the day more like the Americans do now.  Cinco de Mayo is actually considered to be more of a Mexican-American tradition and “holiday” than a Mexican Holiday.  But since I live in the United States o Estados Unidos, I like to celebrate with all the colorful cultural traditions that have been used for the better part of the last century.  It’s fun.  It’s colorful.  And it’s a way of bringing people together to celebrate.

 

Enjoy the day.  Be safe and Desfruitas!

 

 

I was making this beautiful, delicious looking cake, and all was going well, right up until the gremlins attacked my cake.  It was fine after I took it out of the oven, but sometime during the cooling process and the finishing, gremlins snuck into my kitchen and wreaked havoc on my cake.  I was embarrassed to even mention it, but then I thought I should show all of you that even Jeanne, from “A Jeanne in the Kitchen” has those days too.  You are not alone.  It happens to the best of us.  Most of the time, I am able to fix things so no one would ever notice, but this was not the case this time.  The cake still tastes very good, and Larry and I will still enjoy eating it, but it most definitely was not the prettiest cake I’ve ever made.

This is what the cake was supposed to look like.  The end results were nothing like this at all though.

I tuned my back for just a bit and these guys paid me a visit, and attacked my cake.

When they left, my cake looked like this.  I guess we all need a slice or two of humble pie (or cake) every now and then.  So don’t be discouraged for all of you inexperienced bakers out there.  It happens to all of us.  I will definitely attempt to make this cake again, and we will see if I can master it next time.

 

There is something warm and inviting about making and eating a quiche.  It is so versatile, and you can make it with any ingredients you like.  I have always made good quiches, but they became much better once I discovered the fabulous quiches from the Sol Cafe in Grand Junction.  Sol for the Soul.  Now every time I make a quiche, I add extra eggs to make it really light and fluffy, making it seem like it is a mile high.

I had some leftover crab and asparagus from when I made my second batch of asparagus cheese puffs, this time using crab in them as well.  Asparagus Cheese Puffs  It was cool outside, but not cold, and was a perfect day for making and enjoying a delicious quiche.  I added crab, asparagus, artichoke hearts, mushrooms and shallots.  C’est manifique!

Mile High Crab Quiche

Basic Dough

1 1/2 cups flour

6 TBSP cold butter, cubed in small cubes

1 tsp salt

1 egg

5-6 TBSP heavy whipping cream

I also used about 1 TBSP lemon pepper for this recipe as well – optional

 

In a food processor, process the flour, butter and salt and lemon pepper if using, until it is all blended together and crumbly.  Then add the egg and the cream and continue to process until it forms into a ball.  Remove the dough from the food processor and wrap in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using.  Then roll it out to your desired shape or pan size on a lightly floured surface.  I used a springform cake pan as my “tart” pan.

 

The Crab and Vegetable Filling

1/2-3/4 lb of lump crab meat

1/4 lb asparagus, cooked and cut into small pieces

1 shallot, sliced thin

1 TBSP garlic

1 can artichoke hearts, drained and cut into small pieces

5-6 mushrooms, rinsed and sliced

salt to taste

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp curry, optional

8 eggs

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

olive oil for cooking

 

In boiling water, cook the asparagus for about 5 minutes, then remove from the water and blanche in ice cold water to stop the cooking process.  Let the asparagus cool, then cut into small pieces.

Saute the shallot, garlic and mushrooms in olive oil for about 5 minutes, or until the shallots are translucent.

When the mushroom and shallot mixture is done, add it to the asparagus and add the crab and the artichoke hearts as well.  Combine everything gently so not to break up the crab and the artichoke hearts.  Both are relatively delicate to work with.

Preheat the oven to 375 * F.

Whisk the eggs, the cream and the seasonings together.  Evenly spread the cheese onto the dough.  Then add add the crab and vegetable mixture on top of the cheese.  Carefully pour the egg mixture on top of the crab and vegetables, making sure it is spread out evenly and covers the whole area.

When I use my springform cake pans for making quiche, I like to place them on a baking sheet just in case the liquid leaks from the bottom.  It is much easier to clean the pan than to clean the whole oven.  Bake for about 1 hour- 1 1/4 hours or until the eggs are all set and do not jiggle and the crust is golden brown.  Let the quiche cool for about 10 minutes before cutting.

I served the quiche with some garlic roasted potatoes and my whole wheat chili cheese bread and a crisp glass of chardonnay.  Whole Wheat Chili Cheese Bread  As my mentor Julia Child would say, Bon Apetit!

 

 

 

Bread is the food of life and has been a dietary staple for people around the world since the beginning of time.  It has the longest and the most interesting history of any food.  The Ancient Egyptians get credit for first developing leavened breads, flatbreads and hearth cakes, which have all been part of man’s diet for millennia.  Between 4000-5000 BC, the Nile Valley of Egypt refined the methods of farming wheat, which became known as the cereal crop of Western civilization.  Wheat was the most valuable crop of the ancient world.  This is in large part due to communities developing and growing around areas where a lot of wild grasses grew.  These wild grasses were eventually domesticated and developed into the grains we still use today, such as wheat, corn, rye, barley, oats, rice and millet, as well as many, many others.  The early grains were used to make the first breads or flatbreads.  These grains were harvested and were ground into flour, then were mixed with water and cooked over hot rocks.  Breads and grains were considered to be sacred gifts from the Gods and were often used as ceremonial offerings, as well as a way to determine one’s wealth.  Breads and grains were often used as “money” back in ancient times.  Bakers during these times were held in very high regard within the communities and held the same status as priests and holy men.  Bread was one of the first complex masterpieces recognized in the culinary world.  The color of bread also told your financial status within the community.  The darker the bread one ate indicated their lower level on the “class scale”.  And as you would expect, the lighter the color of the bread one ate indicated the level of their wealth.  This was because the more processed the bread was, the more expensive it was to produce and therefore to purchase.

The Ancient Egyptians are credited for being the first to cultivate grains, but it was the Greeks who first developed the millstones for grinding these grains and the ovens to bake the breads as we know them today.  The Romans, took it even further and refined the millstones and the ovens which allowed for the creation of more specialty and finely textured breads.  With the introduction of both wind and water powered mills in medieval Europe came yet another transformation in the world of bread making, refining it even more.

The color of the bread, and the use of multiple grains may have been used to determine one’s socioeconomic status in the past, and even up until fairly recently, but that is no longer the case.  In fact, it has almost gone full circle, and now those “specialty” or “ethnic” breads are now the ones that are most ardently sought after by bread lovers everywhere.  I love breads of all kinds and always have, but my favorite breads have always been the multi-grain, rustic or textured or flavored breads.    It is said that “man cannot live on bread alone”, but I truly believe I could, as long as there was enough butter to go with all that bread.

The other day, when it was cold and snowy, not only did I make a big pot of soup, Soup It Up but I also made some delicious whole wheat chili cheese bread to go with that soup.

Whole Wheat Chili Cheese Bread

The Sponge

1 1/4 cups warm water

2 TBSP olive oil

2 tsp honey

2 1/2 tsp dry active yeast

 

Mix all these ingredients together well and let set for 2 minutes or until it becomes frothy.

 

Dry Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup of either bread flour or cake flour

1 cup all purpose flour

2 tsp salt

4 tsp chili powder – I used a combination of regular chili powder and ground Aleppo chili

4 tsp of red pepper flakes

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup chilies, roasted, peeled and seeded – I used 2 Anaheim chilies

 

After the sponge is ready, combine all the dry ingredients except for the roasted peppers and the cheese and knead it on a slightly floured surface for about 8 -10 minutes.  Then add the green chilies and the cheese and incorporate it thoroughly into the dough.

Once everything is well incorporated, form the dough into a ball and place it in a large bowl that has been lightly oiled.  I oil my dough as well.

Cover and let rise for 1 1/2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.  Punch the dough down and cover it again to rise for another 30 minutes.  Cut the dough in half placing it into 2 loaf pans.  Shape the dough to fill the pans.  Cover once again and let the dough rise for another 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400* F

Once the dough has completely risen, make 2-3 slits with a sharp serrated knife on the top of the dough.  Then lightly sprinkle the top with flour.  Spritz the oven with water and place the loaves into the hot oven.  Spritz the oven again at least 2 more times within the first 10 minutes of baking.  Bake the bread for 40-45 minutes or until the crust is dark and firm and a hollow sound is heard when tapping the loaf.  Let the bread completely cool before cutting it and enjoying it.

Because of the chili powder, the bread will have a nice rustic red color.  Delicious!

 

 

 

 

 

Even though the calendar says today is the first day of May, and that technically it is supposed to be Spring, the thermometer has been saying something completely different these days.  We’ve had more snow again for these past couple of days, however with Colorado being what it is, all that snow has already melted.  One day we are in shorts and eating light, and the next day we are all bundled up and eating soup and baking bread.  It gets very confusing around here sometimes, but if nothing else, it certainly keeps us on our toes.  The moral of the story is DON’T put away all your winter stuff just yet.  Who knows what tomorrow will bring?  So with this wacky Colorado weather, it was a perfect day for making another big pot of soup.  I also baked some delicious bread to go with it.  The soup of the day this time was a green chili sausage soup with spinach, tomatoes, Great Northern beans (or any white beans) and orzo.  Hang on for the bread.  That will be coming tomorrow.  I have to keep you all in a little bit of suspense, right?!  🙂

This soup is one of my own recipes, based on what I had that needed to be cooked.  More so than not, this is one of my favorite ways to cook.  I love raiding the refrigerator and the cupboards to see what I have and to see how creative I can be with what I have.  (The bread is proofing on the stove in the background).

Green Chili Sausage Soup

2 lbs green chili sausage, cooked and sliced – You can use any kind of sausage you like

1 onion, diced small

2 heaping TBSP garlic

2 cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 lb orzo (1/2 box)

8-10 cups chicken broth

3-4 cups fresh spinach, stemmed and chopped

3-4 tomatoes, medium dice

1 TBSP red pepper flakes or to taste

2 tsp cinnamon

salt & pepper to taste

olive oil

 

Cook the sausage completely.  I cooked it in olive oil.  Let the sausage cool then cut in thin slices and set aside.

While the sausage is cooking, cut the vegetables.

Once the sausages are completely cooked, remove them from the pan and set them aside.  In the same pan, adding more oil if needed, saute the onions, garlic and red pepper flakes.  Cook until the onions are translucent.

Once the onions are done, add the sliced sausages back into the pot and add the chicken stock, beans, seasonings and orzo.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer for about 5-10 minutes.  Add the spinach and tomatoes right at the very end.  They will cook just by being in the hot liquid.  Also, the longer the soup sets, the more liquid the orzo will soak up and absorb too.  If you are going to make the soup ahead, keep this in mind, because you may need to add more liquid before serving.  Although if you like a thicker “soup” it’s fine to leave it as is too.

As usual, I make things ahead of time, and we eat them later on, after I get home from work.  This time, my husband and I were on two completely different schedules.  He ate first, then left to go to the Avalanche hockey game (it’s play-off season.  Go Av’s) and I ate after I returned home from work.  So a lot of the soup broth was absorbed by the orzo, making it more like a stew than a soup, which is perfectly fine with me.  I love both.

Every time I eat a simple meal like this, it always makes me think of this picture that hangs in my kitchen.  It has always been one of my favorite pictures.   I have had this picture in my kitchen my whole life.  It speaks volumes to me.  It keeps me humble.

Soup’s on.  Come and get it while it’s hot.

 

 

Chinese food is very popular all over the world.  Here in the united Sates, the most popular styles of Chinese cooking are Cantonese, Hunan and Szechuan, also known as Sichuan or Szechwan.  All of these styles are very tasty, and all are very different.  Cantonese food is the mildest of these three styles and focuses on the fresh flavors of the ingredients rather than adding a lot of additional flavors to the recipes.  Because the Province of Canton is also very close to the sea, Cantonese cooking features a lot of seafood in their dishes too.  Hunan food is very hot and spicy.  The Szechuan style of cooking is known for its bold, spicy flavors, coming from the use of a lot of garlic and a lot of peppers, especially the Sichuan peppers, from the Sichuan Province of China.  Where Hunan style cooking is very hot and spicy, the Szechuan is a combination of both spicy and sweet.   Szechuan is my favorite style.  I love spicy, but I really love the hint of sweetness as well.  The dish known as Szechuan orange beef is a very popular dish in the United States.  It is a fusion of both the Chinese and the American cultures, and is said to have originated in New York City.

Because I love using and eating fresh vegetables so much, I added a lot of vegetables to my recipe as well.  I also had some leftover crab and asparagus cheese puffs that made a nice addition to the meal.  Asparagus Cheese Puffs  The only difference between my original recipe for the asparagus cheese puffs and this one is that added about 1/2 lb of crab to the mixture as well.

Szechuan Crispy Beef with Vegetables

1 /2 lbs of sirloin steak, cut into thin strips

3 TBSP soy sauce, divided

6 TBSP cornstarch

1 orange, plus about 1/4 the peel, sliced very thin, with the pith removed

3 TBSP molasses

2 TBSP cooking sherry

1 TBSP rice vinegar

1 1/2 tsp sesame oil

2 TBSP ginger

2-3 TBSP garlic

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste

1 carrot, sliced Asian style or at an angle

1 jalapeno, diced fine

1/2 red bell pepper, sliced thin

4-6 baby corn, cut into small pieces

1-1 1/2 cups fresh green beans, stemmed and cut into small pieces

1/4 cup green onions or scallions, sliced Asian style, for topping

3 cups vegetable oil for cooking the meat

olive or vegetable oil for the vegetables

 

Toss the meat, 1 TBSP of soy sauce and the cornstarch together well, making sure all the meat is well coated.  Spread it all on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze for at least 45 minutes before cooking.

Cut the peel off the orange and remove all the white pith.  Slice the peels very thin and add to the cut vegetables.  You will need about 1/4 of the peel.

Mix together the juice from the orange, the molasses, sherry, rice vinegar, sesame oil and the remaining soy sauce.

Saute the vegetables, the garlic, ginger, orange peels and pepper flakes in olive oil until the vegetables are done.  You want them to have a slight crisp still left to them, so do not over cook them.

In either a deep fryer, or a separate large pan, deep fry the beef in hot oil that has reached the temperature of 375* F for about 2 minutes.  You might have to fry it in batches.  Freezing and frying the beef really makes it crispy rather than mushy, making the beef really stand out and pop.

When the beef is cooked, add it to the vegetables, along with the sauce mixture.  Cook for about 2-3 minutes, or just until everything is combined and completely heated.

Serve over cooked rice and top with the sliced scallions or green onions.  Who needs Chines take out when you can make it better at home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is Mystery Blogger Award?

“Mystery Blogger Award” is an award for amazing bloggers with ingenious posts. Their blog not only captivates; it inspires and motivates. They are one of the best out there, and they deserve every recognition they get. This award is also for bloggers who find fun and inspiration in blogging; and they do it with so much love and passion.
– Okoto Enigma

 

I have been nominated for this fabulous award by Mel from Decor Craft Design mel .  WOW!!!!   Thank you so much.  I am very honored.

The Rules of the Mystery Blogger Award

1. Put the award logo/image on your blog
2. List the rules
3. Thank whoever nominated you and provide a link to their blog
4. Mention the creator of the award and provide a link as well
5. Tell your readers 3 things about yourself
6. You have to nominate 10 – 20 people
7. Notify your nominees by commenting on their blog
8. Ask your nominees any 5 questions of your choice; with one weird or funny question (specify)
9. Share a link to your best post(s)

Three Things About Me:

• I LOVE life.  I am always excited to learn and/or try new things.  I never want to stop learning.
• The water is most definitely my element.  It is where I truly come alive.
• My fur babies are my children.  I currently have 2 Saint Bernards and 2 cats, and they are my children.  I would have more if I could, but I will have to settle for these 4 at the moment.  My husband says I am at my limit.

My questions that Mel asked me:

• Are you a morning or a night person?

I like to burn the candle at both ends, so both.

• Favorite flowers?

I love all flowers, but I have a real soft spot for Irises.  They were my mother’s favorite flower, and when she passed away, they became my favorite flowers too.  Every time I see Irises, I think of my mom, and I know she is close by.

• What color scheme do you prefer for your home?

Greens, blues and reds.

• What style for home do you love most?

I love older houses that are full of charm and personality, with big kitchens.

• Silly things you do on your daily ritual?

Most people would probably say most things I do are silly or crazy.

 

My nominees are:

1. janowrite
   @janowrite
2. commememucho
   @commememucho
3. floatinggold
   @floatinggold
4. lillyevechristie
   @lillyevechristie
5. thewackyspoon.com
   @thewackyspoon
6. koolkosherkitchen
   @koolkosherkitchen
7. the britchy one
   @thebritchyone
8. Laleh Chini
   @avoicefromiran
9. Marc-André

   @medran001
10. popsiclesociety
    @popsiclesociety
11. Sadje
    @saadiyanadeem51
12. The Eclectic Contrarian
    @thepalmettowoodsman
13. bottomlesscoffee007
    @bottomlesscoffee007
14. bereavedandbeingasingleparent
    @bereavedandbeingasingleparent
15. Gail’s Snapshotsincursive
    @gaildorna

 

My questions to you:

1.  What makes you “you”?

2.  If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

3.  What is your favorite thing to do and why?

4.  If you could have dinner with anyone, who would it be and why?

5.  What animal is your spirit animal and why?

 

Best of luck to all of you.  To all the great bloggers out there, keep up the good work.  Thank you again Mel, Decor Craft Design mel.