Ten on Tuesday...

This week's Ten on Tuesday c/o Roots & Rings!

And it's ANOTHER food related one!

whee!

1.  What is a food that you never thought you would try, but then tried and liked?

I remember the first time I tried Asparagus.  I was terrified, but my mom promised I would like it.  It had just been roasted in a pan in the oven with a little olive oil and salt & pepper.  IT WAS GREAT!  And now I crave asparagus atleast once a week, but you have to wait for it to go on sale because that stuff is EXPENSIVE!

2.  Do you subscribe to any foodie publications?  If so, which ones?

I don't subscribe to any magazines (my mom get's the "Simply Delicious" magazines) but I do love food blogs! 

3.  What ingredient do you find yourself reaching for the most when you cook?

That would be Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Onions.  There is nothing quite like that combination to create a savory dish!

4.  Are there any foods you hated as a child, but then learned to like as an adult?

Well, there are lots!  But to name a few:  fresh tomatoes, raw carrots, brussel sprouts, spinach, onions, pickles.

5.  What do you like to eat that others may consider weird?

I have a lot.  Being that I was chubby chubs (and still am a bit) when I was little, I loved food and weird food combos.  I love peas, and I've found that many hate them.  But I live for small early sweet peas.  My favorite combo when I was little was a little classic Hamburger Helper (macaroni and cheese with ground beef) with peas...mixed together.  On that same note, I loved mashed potatoes, peas, and ketchup mixed together.  To this day though, my favorite dish is the mac n' cheese and peas combo.  Love it.  ALSO, my favorite peanut butter-ish sandwich is a peanut butter, banana, and MAYO sandwich.  Something about the TANG of the mayo with the peanut butter is just amazing to me...I blame my mother.  But this creeps and grosses many people out...oh well.

6.  What is the weirdest ingredient you've ever cooked with?

Being that I am still a new vegetarian (since last October), I am still experimenting with different things and my most recent was with the "fake ground beef" from Morningstar.  The "Beef crumbles" as they are described, are supposed to be used as a substitute for ground beef in recipes.  I'm still not sure how I am supposed to cook with it because there aren't any instructions on the bag!!!  So I'm just "browning" it in a pan as I normally would ground beef...but this stuff is already brown, so I usually just cook it through.  It doesn't taste like ground beef at all and has a bit of a different texture...but it's okay.

7.  Do you have any major food allergies?

Not that I know of THANK GOODNESS.  But I worry that someday I will have a reaction to cheese or chocolate...and then my life will be over.

8.  Is there an ingredient that you would like to cook with, but are intimidated to try?

Well, it's more than ONE ingredient, but I would love to learn to bake bread.  But the whole letting it rise and delicate operation of it all scares me beyond.

9.  Do you bake?

Oh, I LOVE to bake.  In college, I blame the 15 pounds I gained on the fact that Junior and Senior year I had a functioning oven in my apartment.  Brownies, cakes, cookies, etc.  Now, at the homestead, with the 'rents, our oven is crap.  The broiler (top coils) does not work.  So, I don't trust it anymore for "even" baking.

10. If you could go on any "foodie" show to compete, which would it be, and why?

Eek!  I wouldn't go on a "competition" show, but I would love to be a guest on pretty much any of the Food Network shows.  Paula Deen or Giada would be my first choices...because I love Butter, Bread, Pasta, and Nutella.  I would like to be a judge on Top Chef...mostly so I could hang out with Tom Colicchio.

XOXO Bevin

PS.  no outfit post today.  It was boring, I promise.  Trouser Jeans and a sweater...yawn.

Ten on Tuesday...

Here is this week's edition of

Ten on Tuesday c/o Roots and Rings!

It's about food!!! yay!

1.  What condiments are always, always in your fridge?

We are definitely a mayo family, so that's always in there.  We also keep your regular ketchup, mustard, pickles, etc.  There is usually a plethora of different salad dressings and grilling/marinating sauces.  Lately though, sugar free/low fat chocolate syrup has been hanging out in the refridgerator door.  Instead of splurging on brownies, ice cream, and other sweets, I keep chocolate syrup around and just have a small glass of chocolate milk to satisfy my sweet tooth.

2.  How do you like your steak cooked?  Your burgers?

Oh red meat...how I miss thee, sometimes.  I'm a vegetarian now (as of last October), but when/if I did eat a steak or a burger I prefer to have it cooked medium-well.  I like them actually COOKED so that I know it's "safe" but I like when there is a little pink and not dry. 

3.  What's your favorite use for fresh tomatoes?

SANDWICH!  When I go to my grandmother's house, there is nothing better than when she gets the spread out and we just make sandwiches.  But there is always ANYTHING you'd want available to put on your sandwich (along with different bread choices).  I used to reach for the roast beef, but now I just love two big slices of tomato (from my grandparents' garden) with lettuce, cheese, mayo, mustard and pickles.

4.  What's your go-to dinner when you haven't planned anything in advance and you don't feel like going out?

That would be a baked (micorwaved) sweet potato with some sort of green veggie.  We usually keep a few in the kitchen just for those occasions. That, or black beans and rice.  We always have everything we need for that.

5.  What's your favorite snack food lately?

Oh okay, I am currently obsessed with the new Peanut Butter Snickers squares.  They are so good and so addicting!  It's hilarious because they come two in a pack and on the wrapper it tells you to twist the wrapper after eating one and save the other one for later.  I appreciate the encouraging words concerning my portion control, but really?  You think I can eat just one?...a HEALTHY snack food though?  I love bananas.  They are designed to be a snack food...they come with their own packaging!

6.  What's your favorite weekend breakfast to make at home?

I love eggs, and toast (jelly, cheese, or cinnamon), and grits.  Being a southern girl, Grits were always a given on the weekends.  I also LOVE pancakes/waffles!

7.  What's your favorite thing to grill?  How do you do it?

I loooooooove grilled veggies.  Put some squash, zuchinni, onions, and peppers on a grill and I'm a happy girl.  Grilled pineapple is also amazing.  But I also LOVE grilled corn.  My Dad used to do this way back.  You butter the corn and go ahead and salt and pepper the ears.  You can also do this with bacon, wrap the corn in bacon.  But then, you wrap each ear of corn in aluminum foil and grill them...sooooo good.  I would have normally said a steak...but no more.

8.  What's your favorite wine under $10?  If you're not a wine person, what brand of beer is your favorite?

Haha, like I buy wine that ISN'T under $10.  I've always been a fan of the Yellow Tail brand of wine.  My friends from college can vouch for me on that one.  I'm predominately a red wine lover.  My favorite being pinot noir or cabernet-merlot.  Sometimes merlot can be too much.  So the Yellow Tail Pinot Noir or their Cab-Merlot (the one with the blue label).  But you also can't go wrong with a little two-buck Chuck.  Beer, I like Miller Lite or Michelob Ultra.  If I have the money for it, I love Blue Moon with an orange slice in it.

9.  Give us your most delicious cocktail recipe.

I'm pretty simple with cocktails.  I love just a good Jameson and Ginger Ale, or a Soco and Soda (preferably Diet Dr. Pepper).  But if you're talking about something with juice I like cranberry, vodka, and lime juice.

10. How do you like your eggs?

Scrambled with a little milk.  But, and this is a family joke now, I like them "shiny".  When my grandmother makes my eggs she cooks them just long enough that they are still a little shiny, not dry...perfect.  Also, I love eggs with a little ketchup (if they ARE dry) or maple syrup.

...I love food...and I love talking about food almost as much as I love eating food.

XOXO Bevin

Ten on Tuesday...

This week's "Ten on Tuesday" c/o Roots and Rings!

1. What is your cleaning style?
I have "self-diagnosed" OCD.  I like things in "their place".  I love doing laundry and organizing.

2. What is your favorite thing to add to an outfit to take it from casual to classy?
I like to add height with a heel.  Something about standing a little taller makes me feel more dressed up.

3. Do you like stormy weather?
I only like stormy weather when I can sleep during it or read.  I HATE storms when I have to drive in them.

4. What is your favorite cold treat on a hot day?
Frozen grapes, Diet Cherry-Limeade from Sonic (with mozzarella sticks), or a cold beer in a frosty glass.

5. What is your favorite warm treat on a cold day?
Either soup and a grilled cheese sandwich or homemade macaroni n' cheese with red wine.

6. Who is your favorite animated character?
I'm going to be a stereotypical girl my age and say a Disney Princess.  Cinderella has always been "my Disney princess".  Non-Disney character(s)...Tom & Jerry.

7. What do you keep your jewelry in?
Various places.  The majority of my jewelry is in a beaded/embellished box from Target.  My longer necklaces are hung on random push-pins in my wall in my room.  My earrings are hung on a DIY hanger that I made in college that consists of a wired hanger and pantyhose.

8. Do any of the rooms in your house have a theme?
Only my kitchen...the theme is eating.

9. Do you watch any interior design TV shows - if so, what is your favorite?
Not really.  They only depress me because of the fact that I don't have an interior to design.  But, I do like reading blogs about it.

10. When was the last time you did something rist-taking?
Not a huge risk-taker but I do plan to take some risks in the near future.  It's time to make the jump and make things happen.

XOXO Bevin

Ten on Tuesday...

Welcome to this week's Ten on Tuesday questions c/o Roots & Rings.

1.  How did your parents decide on your name?
A lot of people ask me about my first name "Bevin".  Well, Mom has told me two stories. 
(1) That the name was on a Soap Opera, which would totally make sense for my family...we love Soap Operas. (2) That they thought that I was going to be a boy, and they were going to name me "Devin".  When they found out I was going to be a girl, they changed the "D" to a "B" and called it a day.  My middle name is "Caitlin".  Caitlin is connected to the name Kathleen, which is my mother's name.


2.  Do your initials (First, Middle, Last) spell out anything fun/funny? 
BCC....not really?  But I do love that whenever I get anything monogrammed with my initials (First, Last, Middle) my initials are still the same.


3.  Did you take your middle name from childhood or did you take your maiden name as your middle name? (If unmarried, what do you plan to do?)
I am not married...duh.  Well, this is difficult because I go by both my first and middle names (Bevin & Caitlin).  So, I'm guessing I will more than likely drop my last name...which I'm kind of totally cool with...for those who know the fun people like to have with my last name sometimes.


4.  Are you or will you name your children thematically (ie. same first letter, all of the same origin...) 
That's a no...I do plan on having a significance to the sames, but not a running "theme" to the names.


5.  Did you decided on baby names as a little girl?  Did you stick to them or change your mind?
Again...I'm not married...and no kids.  But I do keep a list of boy and girl names that I would possibly like to name my children in the future.  These are names that I've come across in the past and thought "that's interesting."  Funny story, when I was a substitute teacher right out of college, when I would get a class roll I would look at the names of the students and take a note of the cool names that I came across.  Okay, maybe that's a little weird, but if you've ever been a sub before, you can understand that it's important to find SOMETHING to amuse yourself while you're there.  I've actually come up with some "front runners" that way.  But of course the final say will come from both my husband and myself.


6.  Does your family have any names that have been passed down through generations?
We have a lot of names that are passed down, and I hope to continue in that tradition in the future.


7.  Do you look at the meaning of the name or just the name itself?
I do like for the name to have a meaning because, depending on the meaning, it gives them something to live up to.  However, it does help if the name sounds pretty.


8.  Do you name pets with human names (Sally, Henry) or with pet names (Fluffly, Mr. Bo Bo)?
I did have a dog named Buddy when I was little.  But all of my other dogs have had human names:  Murphy, Rudy, Kaite.  I think it has to do with the fact that we treat our dogs as members of the family.  Now, my "non-dog" pets have had "pet" names.  We once had a front-porch cat that adopted us and we lovingly referred to him as "Mr. Cat."  Every goldfish I ever owned was called "Goldie."  I did have a hand-me-down hampster once that was called Ralph...he was the exception.


9.  Are there any names that you have an affinity or dislike for based on childhood experience/someone you once knew?
I've always liked the name Blake for a girl or a guy.  It's because my very first crush was on a boy named Blake, but I also like the name Blake for a girl too. 


10.  What are some of your favorite names?  Why?
I really want to name my daughter "Finley."  It's a family thing.  She'd either go by Finley or Finn.  And no, that's not because of Glee!  For a boy, I'm kind of letting whoever my husband is make the call on that one.  I have some names on my list, but none that are a MUST.  But, Finley is definitely one that I'll push for. 


XOXO Bevin