Ten Things You Might Not Know About Me

In May I participated in a blogging challenge that encouraged you to blog about a specific topic each day. I have to admit that I enjoyed it (although I didn't do every single day...) because it drew my blog posts towards a direction that I hadn't gone before. I tend to post a lot of posts that are lifestyle-centered, but aren't as personal as they could be. The challenge got me excited about being more personal in my posts. It's funny because a blog, by nature, is a personal thing. But despite that, you can still have a personal blog without it being a "personal" blog. Am I rambling now? I'll stop now...

What I'm trying to say in a really roundabout way, is that the challenge made me want to focus on injecting more of myself into my blog posts than I have in the past. Before I started the May challenge, I was beginning loosing any enjoyment in blogging that I had. It was making me stressed out! It's so easy to get lost in the spiral of comparison with other bloggers that you become nothing more than a blog-hop, giveaway, link-up machine; any real sense of you has gotten lost in the desire to expand your readership. So I've given up, so to speak; I'm done trying to force this thing to be something that it's not. I'm going back to the reason that I started in the first place: me.

Do you love this really old picture of me? And no...that's not our car.

1. I've never been one of those people who knew what they wanted to be "when they grew up." I'm very aware of my interests and strengths and tend to follow them where they take me. 

2. I have a deathly fear of elevators. Yes, you read that right. Elevators- those things that are supposed to make going up multiple stories more easy. I won't get in them. Remember that movie "Devil" that came out a couple years ago about 5 people who get stuck in an elevator and subsequently killed off by Satan? I went and saw it in an attempt to break my irrational fear... it didn't work. I don't think I slept for weeks. 

3. Two features I dislike most about myself: my nose and my feet. Both are too big. 

4. I'm obsessed with cheese (see really old picture below). See that expression? That pretty much sums it up.

5. I never believed in Santa Claus. *gasp!*

6. I am mildly obsessed with Kate Middleton and Jennifer Lawrence.

7. I am not-so-mildly (aka completely) obsessed with Doctor Who.

8. The "hugging" scene at the end of every single Saturday Night Live episode makes me very uncomfortable. I mean, come on, really?? I like to single out one cast member and watch as they scramble to find someone to hug so that they don't look like the lonely kid no one wants to play with at recess. It's just weird. 

9. Brussel sprouts are the most disgusting vegetable on the planet. 

10. "Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail" is one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. Hands down!

I'd love it if you'd leave one random fact about yourself in the comments below!

Rustic Farm Panini

As a child, some of my favorite memories occurred right in our kitchen. It's where my mom would make her simple spaghetti with peas, where my dad would bring in a massive bouquet of flowers that he gathered from our yard, and where my brother and I would usually do our homework in the evening.

I remember cold, rainy October nights in our kitchen; our family's collective energy low, lulled to a slow pace by the steady rain outside. It was nights like these that my mom would make us grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. She would put me in charge of cheese duty (I almost wrote "I would cut the cheese..."), making sure to slice it in the perfect width. I loved watching the cheddar melt and ooze from in between the bread, sizzling when it met the pan. I liked my sandwiches plain- no ham, nothing.

We'd reconvene at our little, round table in silence, preoccupied with eating our sandwiches and sipping our soup. There's something so satisfying about a hot bowl of tomato soup and a warm sandwich. It became our family's comfort food.

The sandwich that I am going to share with you is supposed to evoke those same feelings as I experienced when I was young: ultimate comfort in food form. Save this one for a rainy day, you'll be glad you did.

Rustic Farm Panini

Ingredients:

1 loaf Italian or potato bread
1 package of applewood smoked bacon
2 oz. basil leaves
1 dozen eggs
1 bar creamy Havarti cheese
5 tomatoes on the vine
Olive oil

Heat 2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a panini press, or pan, over medium heat. In a separate pan, begin cooking the entire package of bacon. When completed, set aside on a plate and cover with a paper tower.

When bacon is cooked, fry the eggs in a pan. You can cook them how you prefer: sunny-side up, over easy, etc. I prefer my eggs cooked completely so I cooked them over medium.

Meanwhile, layer basil leaves, sliced havarti cheese, and sliced tomatoes onto a slice of bread. Finish by layering a piece of bacon and the fried egg. Cover with another slice of bread and transfer to the panini press. When crispy, flip and heat the other side. When the cheese is visibly melted, remove from heat.

Repeat for as many sandwiches as you need/want!