These are a few of my favorite things....Part II

So if I asked you to guess what I was eating right now, and if I offered to pay you a million dollars if you answered correctly.....there are just a few people that exist in the world who may even come close to knowing what it was...so that rules out Taryn, Brian and Roger...because they are the only folks right now that have any knowledge of what I might be currently holding in my hand. Any guesses....anyone??? (DON'T SCROLL DOWN!!!)

Well if you guessed chocolate, you would be only half right and NOT the winner of the million dollar question....so I'll give you a hint...

There is also a bit of protein in this treat I'm indulging in....if you guessed nuts, you would be wrong...another hint....

You might sometimes find this protein on the breakfast table....if you guessed eggs, you would once again be wrong...another hint...

This protein is sourced from an animal...if you guessed cheese...you would be wrong for the 3rd time...give up yet???

Ok, you've indulged me enough with this little question and answer game....this obscure candy is none other than Vosges Haute Chocolat "Mo's Bacon Bar"....yup, I said bacon. Hard to believe two foods I love so much, could taste so good together. You know your daughter-in-law loves you when she not only introduces you to this wonderful little treat, but sends you home with an entire bar to call your very own. Decadence epitomized!!!



Try it...you'll like it! But don't even think about having a bite of mine...have I mentioned I have a tough time sharing my candy....but that's another story!


Unless there was any question in your mind....I LOVE bacon....here I am, on the ship, on our balcony, soaking up some sun.....eating my favorite breakfast treat....yummy

My daughter Stacey, who grew up with, and was a witness to her chocoholic mother's bad habits, knows how to provide a sweet birthday "fix"...as you can attest to when you take a look at these yummy little treats....so small, so crunchy, so yummy and soooo addictive! If I'm not mistaken, I actually introduced her to the Burdick's candy company a few years back. Although I'm not sure if she'd previously tried their candies, or had only seen them at a shop in Cambridge, close by to where she lives. Ironically, Stacey and Scott recently indulged at the company's original shop/restaurant which is located in Walpole, New Hampshire, the very same quaint New England town, where they plan to be married next year.


Is it possible to be in love with a candy company??? I actually joined their food of the month club one year...to die for!!!! http://www.burdickchocolate.com/


Almonds, cashews and hazelnuts...oh my! Have I mentioned I'm a nut for nuts???

Ok, so it's not always all about chocolate (did I just write that!?!?), at least not every waking moment. Never having been a big fan of school in general, if you asked me when I was a student, what my favorite class was, without skipping a beat, I'd immediately reply "lunch" or "recess" and I wouldn't be joking. Still to this day, I check out the menu online at work, each Monday, to strategize my eating plan for the next five days. Hey, it's a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it. It's kinda like 'A Spoon Full of Sugar Helps the Medicine Go Down" at work for me....food breaks offset the craziness of my job...hey, whatever gets you through the day, I always say. I've recently been trekking down to the cafeteria at work lately, to try out some of their new tasty offerings. I know, hard to believe I can say tasty and cafeteria in the same sentence..and believe me, that was not always the case. However, we have a fairly new female (yes, one of those) chef, who is cooking rings around the old male cooks we've had for years. (Shocker!!!) Things like coconut encrusted chicken and mustard glazed corned beef have begun showing up on the menu for the last 4-6 months...wow, it's a food lovers dream to find something other than select-your-own-topping pasta, turkey meatloaf (every SINGLE Wednesday--enough folks), taco salad and the typical made-to-order sandwiches and burgers, in the food lineup. Please don't misunderstand, the previous offerings were always good and reasonably priced, however, after 5 years, the food was getting a bit mundane. I'd begun packing my own lunch, just to add variety to the otherwise boring selections downstairs.


Typical packed-from-home lunch--roasted chicken and a bag of lettuce, with a variety of veggies thrown in...of course this tasty little bird is not even a candidate for my lunch bag until after I've peeled off the warm crispy skin, and inhaled it along with both wings...quite the ritual with me...poor little naked chick really never had a chance :)

And if you know me at all...you are aware of the fact that I don't do "boring" very well, especially when it comes to food, but that's another story.

Again, don't get me wrong, this is the only in-house cafeteria I've ever had the pleasure of eating at, in all my years of employment. In addition to what I've already listed above, they also have a few healthy meal options, a made-to-order grill line, pre-made sandwiches and salads, as well as the soup & salad bar to choose from each day....the list goes on and on. This company goes out of their way to offer decent food at an affordable price, and actually reduced the prices (unheard of in this day and age) for reduced fat and reduced calorie meal choices. Also, they encourage employees by further offering a card punching program that rewards smart eating by way of a "buy 12, get one free" healthy choice incentive, for both breakfast and lunch. Oh did I forget to mention they also provide a full made to order breakfast menu, ranging from pick-your-own ingredient smoothies, to steak and eggs.


The muffins are so oversized, the container won't close....lucky for me :)


Always several yummy choices each morning...cherry almond on this day

And, lastly, they offer a full catering menu for those perpetually scheduled breakfast and lunch meetings. It is truly a full service food production kitchen, and last week they even fired up the outdoor barbecue and were grilling chorizo, steak, fish and burgers. So...remind me what I was complaining about again...oh yeah...the old menu choices at lunch....ummm, now I just sound like an ingrate...the food really has always been good, we all just get very tired of looking at the same stuff...day after day...week after week...month after....you get my drift.

So for your viewing pleasure...a few of my recent choices...when I actually remember to take a picture before I dig in...that is still such a problem for me...I'll eventually learn...I guess?!?!


Coconut encrusted chicken breast...over a lovely tossed cashew crunchy salad--love the pouffy crispy toppings


Chicken Piard with feta cheese, tomatoes and a baby greens tossed salad


Hazelnut encrusted fish with mandarin oranges, pecans and hearts of palm salad


Mustard glazed corned beef with a double order of Cole slaw (they must have been serving something I didn't care for with it..so I opted for more veggies instead)

The meals pictured above range from $6.95 to $7.49...give or take a penny or two...I don't really "do" numbers...but that's another story. Just in case you think I only eat-in at work...here are a few special meals I enjoyed out for lunch and dinner around my birthday this year...


My birthday lunch with Roger....Sirloin steak salad with shaved asiago cheese...be still my heart...drool, drool....

Capital Grille has a $20 all inclusive lunch special during September...soup or salad, entree and dessert....unheard of!!!


Happy birthday to me...happy birthday to me...flour-less chocolate cake...oh baby!


My birthday dinner with my movie buddy Nancy (Rog had to work) Mondo's Calamari Salad...you have not tasted anything until you've indulged in this creamy, warm, fresh cut tomatoey, caper infused delicious dressing (top left corner of plate-I'm a dressing "dipper"--not a dressing "drowner"), believe me....you'll be asking to bring home a vat of it in your doggy bag--am I right Mom & Nancy????


And to top off that yummy salad above...like I had any room left in my tummy...home made cinnamon ice cream with warm oatmeal pie....ummm, don't turn your nose up at the sound of it....one bite and you will be literally fighting me for the spoon...think crunchy, nutty apple crisp WITHOUT the apples...sticky, gooey, chewy goodness....oh man....it really doesn't get better than this :)

And I'd be remiss if I didn't include just a few of my recent indulgences from a couple of our many trips this year....


Kobe beef burger on a pretzel roll topped with bacon & cheddar, marinated cucumbers, and a side of home made potato chips from Brian's favorite micro brewery hang out, Jerry's place. On November 1st in Chicago...the weather was so mild, we ate outside :) the Floridian in me absolutely loved it!!!


Oyster lover's paradise in Orlando...the name of the little dive bar escapes me at the moment...a full bucket of the delicious little morsels are shucked at the bar right before your eyes..then a quick squirt of hot sauce, a saltine cracker...and one bite later...ah, foodie nirvana...when you are finished, you just drop the shells in the large trough built into the bar....I think there were about 4 dozen in my bucket for less than a $20 bill :)


On the way home from North Carolina this summer, we were in the airport, when these delicious and decadent little cheese covered, bacon laced, fries at the Silver Diner, began calling out my name. Well, I couldn't possibly be rude and ignore them, so we became very good friends as I ate my way through this pile....and then I actually ordered dessert.....I am a true glutton for punishment...there is absolutely no argument on that point.


I think we left quite a bit on the table...so sad :(

This story began with bacon and chocolate and then pretty much eventually ended with chocolate, bacon, cheese and fries....is there any other way to tell a food lover's tale of just a few of my favorite things???

Happy eating!