With all of that MO discussion yesterday, I'd like to note that it looks like I may be going there twice this summer. It's sounding like Kansas City area and St. Louis. My previous visits included about 5 days in Branson in the off season and in late 2023, after visiting KU on the Kansas side, we drove from Kansas City to Tulsa. So, pretty much I49 until cutting southwest through Joplin. So, maybe I'll have more MO love by the summer.
Ok, things in threes...
Trilogy Rings - Super popular with engagement rings, but also nice in jewelry in general. My engagement ring is considered a trilogy...center stone is a pear and there's a tapered baguette on each side. I also have two sapphire rings that are trilogies. One was from DH and involves three dark oval sapphires, the center is vertically mounted while the sides are east/west and angle up like a cathedral setting. The other is a trio of vivid blue ovals, all vertical positioning, which was a gift from my parents. I like to combine both sapphire rings on one finger with a round diamond solitaire in the center (a gift from my grandparents). Together, the two trilogies with the solitaire end up looking like a blue flower.
The 3-bite craving approach - There's a theory that I've found helpful that involves three bites. It's not always easy fighting through food noise and sometimes it's better to feed a craving than abstain...especially since that kind of abstinence in some people is known to lead to destructive binges. If I can get my mind clear enough to be responsible with this approach, I take one bite to quiet the craving, one bite to really savor whatever it is that's been consuming my mind, and then one bite to say goodbye. I've heard mixed feelings on this approach but when I'm in the right frame of mind, it's been especially helpful.
Cajun/Creole Holy Trinity - If you watched Emeril's show way back when, you may recall him using the holy trinity in a lot of his cooking. It's diced green bell peppers, onions, and celery sauteed together to form the base of many classic dishes like gumbo, jambalaya, and etouffee. It's similar to the French mirepoix, but bell peppers take the place of carrots. There is ultimately a lot of French influence in Cajun and Creole cuisine, so it's really just a variation born from regional availability and abundance...i.e. ease of getting ingredient. So, this trio of foods come together to bring us some of the most classic and flavorful dishes from the region. I took my older one out to dinner the other night and was just thinking about this as I was diving into a cup of duck and sausage (andouille) gumbo.