Oh baby that's what I like!

After a year plus of trying all of the alternatives, this is how I like it:

1. Coffee: regular caffeinated, paper filtered in a Mr. Coffee, beans freshly ground (can be frozen) of a medium price range with a nice aroma drunk out of a 'big ass' mug topped with 3-4 tbsp cold skim milk.  *no sugar, 'big ass' cup essential to the experience

2. Bread: Thickly sliced multi grain goodness.  I'm not a toast, white bread, bun, baguette person, but I do enjoy all of these occasionally with the right foods in the right circumstances.
* Bread is not my carb of choice is all, I'm a rice girl!

3. Beer: Not too light, not too dark, with some thickness and flavor!  There's nothing like a tall pint of wheat beer with a good chunk of fresh squeezed lemon on a hot day.  Oh Great Dane how I miss you!

4. Eggs: FRIED!  Sunny side up with a runny yolk and a solid white....with a slice of thick whole wheat buttered toast....drool!

5. Rice: My favorite-est carb in the whole wide world!  (close second, creamy mashed potatoes...mmm...)  Before the trip, I was enamored with my Black and Decker rice maker, but after plain white rice for every meal 6 months straight...aeh...For me post Spain, there's nothing like a quick pre fry in some extra virgin olive oil with perhaps a bit of herb or spice for that "je ne sais quoi!"  That's how we do it!

6. Cheese: (for straight up eating)  This one's tough, but I got it down to my top 3!
 - Smoked gouda - an oldie but a gouda...hee..hee...eh, ok.
 - Extra Extra Sharp Wisconsin Cheddar - on a multi grain cracker or paired with green apple and a handful of walnuts....OW!
 - Soft Chevre (goat cheese) - on a crispy sesame cracker or baguette, good god!  My ultimate goat cheese moment so far   - Lyon France on a salad with smoked salmon at a hole in the wall restaurant where the chef looked like Mr. Boyardee with his shirt off singing an Italian opera....awesome!  The lack of shirt plus singing totally added to the flavor!

Variety is the spice of life - foods I love to switch up!


7. Tea:  After green tea in Japan, milky sweet chai tea in Malaysia, freshly picked mint tea from Abuela's garden in Chile and a strong black tea in London, it's always good to be open to trying new teas!!


8. Olives: I've never met an olive I didn't like!  I married a man who can eat a bottle in one sitting, so I've learned to be a competitive olive eater....survival of the fittest!  Some of the best I've ever had?  Madrid Spain from the olive aisle of the grocery store...you heard right!  Anchovy stuffed green big boys in a tin.  We went back to buy them again...and again and again and again!

9. Wine:  I should be embarrassed by this, but I love trying lots of different wines of different price ranges from different countries.  Cheap boxed white spooned out of a canteloupe with sugar camping on a hot day....nothing better....  it all depends on the moment, the people, the food.....I enjoy it all!

10. Cake:  There are A LOT of crappy cookies in the world not worth trying.  If you want to try something bland and nasty while traveling, buy some cookies.  Yes, I'm an American cookie snob....we do it right.  But cake? Now that's something that is always fun to try!  It usually tends to involve fruit, cream, nuts, more cream, perhaps cheese....to know what local people like to eat, buy a piece of freshly made cake, you will almost never lose!