I is for Indian Food
Curry is one of my all-time favorite dishes. Tikka Masala being forefront in my mind when I think of mouthwatering foods. The first time I remember making curry (although I’d eaten it plenty of times) was at the beginning of 2015 when I went to Ghana, West Africa. We stayed with some friends for a couple of weeks while helping them paint their house. My painting skills are in need of much help, so I sometimes had kitchen duty which was a lot more fun. One day I was handed a cookbook, asked to make curry, and an hour later decided it was nearly magic how the meal came together. Y’all should give it a go.

G is for Garden
I’m a country girl through and through, and I grew up devouring Laura Ingalls books over and over again. Having a garden is a lot of work, but totally delightful. As life has gotten busier I’ve set gardening aside for a few years, but my little sister took up where I left off.
Running out barefoot to grab a few armfuls of veggies right off the plant for supper has got to be one of the most rewarding parts of growing your own food. There’s nothing like eating fresh food to make you feel healthy and alive.

S is for Salt
Y’all. I have a salt deficiency. Which is a good thing because that means I need salt more than most people. Why is it a good thing? Let’s just say I crave it like crazy. I have a two-pound bag of pink Himalayan salt sitting next to my desk right now. At mealtimes, the running joke (which isn’t actually a joke at all) is that I have my own salt shaker at my place. Salt is truly a spice for life and I’m incredibly thankful I live in a time when it’s not rationed.

V is for Vengence
I’m not sure how true the story is, but all growing up I heard stories about the women in Occupied France (during WW2) who were forced to cook for the enemy. How the story goes is that they’d snip off the tip of their hair into the food because no one would see it, but it would cause indigestion for the Germans. That’s one way to get vengeance in the kitchen, folks.

X is for eXtra (I know, I know)
My parents are really hospitable, something for which I’m very thankful. All my life we’ve known that it’s not unusual for guests to be added at the last moment – our table which is three times as big as we need and is often full – is evidence to that.
Figuring out an extra dish to throw on the table at the last minute is second nature to me. It might be bread and butter, corn chips (a favorite with our family for some reason), a canned veggie, relish tray, or plater of cheese. It doesn’t always go with the meal, but in the end if everyone leaves the table satisfied, then it works.

Y is for Yams
Growing up I disliked yams with a passion. I thought they were beyond gross. (Have I mentioned that being a picky eater was very much a part of my past?)
It wasn’t until I had to stop eating white potatoes for a while (due to health issues) that yams and sweet potatoes suddenly became a favorite of mine. Even now the thought of a baked yam with melted butter and sprinkled salt and cinnamon makes my mouth water.

Z is for Zeal
There’s no questioning the fact that I have zeal when it comes to the kitchen. Cooking and baking is one of my most favorite things to do. I’ve had a lot of fun sharing some of my kitchenish things with y’all this month, even if I did get behind. #ooops Thanks for joining me for the ride!