new book meme

I promised myself I would respond faster next time I got tagged so here goes: 1. How many books do I own? Yikes, not sure. But probably several hundred. 2. Last book I bought: Wicked 3. Last book I read: The Mermaid Chair. Reread it for the second time. I really liked it. 4. Five books that mean a lot to me (without explanations or apologies): A Wrinkle in Time Jane Eyre The Weight of Water Little Women The Bible 5. Tag five more: Any one that reads this and wants to play, just cut and paste into your own blog and answer there :-)

Tagged for the Meme game

I really was very very bad about getting tagged for this and then never doing it. After speaking with Sarah? Anne?, I was convinced that it really wouldn't take much time and was super easy. So here it is, in all of its sugary splendor. I really am a carboholic.

1. What is your first memory of baking/cooking on your own?Making brownies. They were a quick, simple sugar and chocolate fix.
2. Who had the most influence on your cooking?I think I would have to say Paul since I really didn’t know how to cook anything but desserts before his influence. He kind of gave me the go ahead and do it incentive, and it’ll work out confidence, which let me attempt and fail and try again until I got it right (except for gravy
3. Mageiricophobia - do you suffer from any cooking phobia, a dish that makes your palms sweat?Maybe cooking candy and having to use a thermometer and getting the thread just right...
4. What would be your most valued or used kitchen gadgets and/or what was the biggest letdown?Coolest kitchen gadget—my favorite is actually a draw between my Kitchen aid and the George Forman grill. I pretty much use them both for everything.
5. Name some funny or weird food combinations/dishes you really like - and probably no one else!Ok, another peanut butter one for me as well. Peanut butter, pickles (dill) lettuce and mayonnaise sandwich.
6. What are the three eatables or dishes you simply don't want to live without?Cheese, good red wine and popcorn
7. Your favorite ice cream...Ben and Jerry’s Phish Food
8. You will probably never eat...tripe, brains, liver, gizzards or any other guts.
9. Your own signature dish...I guess I am best known for my cinnamon rolls.

National Bison Range 8/1/05

We drove and drove into the middle of no where (actually it was pretty country and there were Wetlands preserves, so you know how much I liked that. Then we finally got to the Bison Range. It is a 19 mile drive around the range in a pretty much one way loop. We dutifully went the right direction even though the Park Ranger (?) (toll taker) told us we would probably see the Bison at the end of the loop. Sure enough we saw lots of other gorgeous scenary before in the last mile or two we finally did see the herd of Bison who were in one of the 9 fenced and cattle guarded enclosures. Don't get me wrong, it took awhile to even notice that this place was actually sectioned off and I didn't even figure it out until we crossed the second cattle guard about 6 miles in and then I noticed very unobtrusive fence running along side it also. Anyway they were cool and I was freaking out about how close we were because it was rutting season and Wood wanted the windows done to get the best and most up close pictures we could. He was a little more secure than I was that we would know when they were going to get up and charge our rental car :-)