As I noted in
@slo 's poll today, I am 99.9% off of cheese these days...yet it is my FAVORITE food. Unfortunately, it causes me all kind of inflammation issues and I have zero control with it. There is no such thing as moderation if I'm allowed to indulge in dairy gold. That being said, I have consumed enough cheese in my lifetime to weigh in on cheese gratitude. I think I might even go for categories...
Varieties-
Brie/Camembert- I put them together because some double cream bries are quite similar to camembert. Now, a triple cream brie is more buttery, but they are all amazing. I'm not a big fan of going sweet with these even though I've had a few with apricot and fig that are decent. Brie en croute another delectable option. They also remind me of breakfast in Europe where nearly each morning we had a cheese assortment, meats like local made sausages and hams, fresh breads, and fruits like melon and grapes. Although, I'm happiest just eating it in its purest form...me, a wheel, and nobody else trying to share
Muenster- While often confused for a German creation, this American invented cheese was always my favorite for snacking as a kid and is still impossible for me to resist as an adult. If I dare to buy it, especially in sliced form, it will not last more than an hour. As a kid, my favorite snack was melting it with shredded lettuce and chicken roll. Odd, I know, but soooo yummy.
Deli American (white)- While having things like cheddar and jack to balance it out are a must, no respectable mac & cheese, cheeseburger, or even a lot of casseroles can be complete and taste right without some good American. If you've ever made a cheese sauce from a roux, you know that unlike the other cheeses, American does not get oily and separate...making it the ideal base for your sauce.
Dishes-
Mac & Cheese- It is my favorite thing if I'm going to indulge in cheese. I perfected my recipe in my early 20s. I thought it was just me and that my kids just said it was incredible because it's what they know but after decades of potlucks and picnics in the south, I have been informed that I really need to consider entering it into contests. It puts pretty much all of the BBQ places to shame and I've had many a woman (and a few guys) confide in me that their southern memaws and aunties would slap them for saying it, but that my mac puts theirs to shame. I kind of feel bad when we have potluck events and multiple people sign up for mac with me. Mine is devoured in under 30 minutes while the others often sit untouched. While it was disappointing, my special dinner at my first wedding reception (long story, but we had three) was a big bowl of mac & cheese. It was not up to snuff but it still felt fitting that I was eating mac for my wedding.
Pizza- I grew up in a predominantly Italian town in NY Metro New Jersey. You better believe pizza was a staple in my life. It's made me exceptionally picky about it was well. I never had things like Dominos or Little Caesars until I went to college and even that was rare because we had some good pizza spots on campus and there was still quite a bit of Italian and Greek influence in the area. In any event, while the cheese on pizza is usually an Italian variety blend, good mozzarella is vital. Oh, and while some people think I'm being snobby and pretentious...because of regionalisms, I pronounce it more like the Italians. In other words, there is no "matza" in my mozzarella!
Queso Flameado- I know it goes by a few different names and can be varied up a bit, but when I order it here, it's basically a big dish of melted cheese with chorizo. Oaxaca and Chihuahua are the most common cheese types used for this. Oh, and it's always served with fresh tortillas so you can spoon it in there and make little cheesy tacos.
"Cheese" (the things that are but aren't cheese)-
Cottage Cheese - It technically is but it doesn't trigger me like the good stuff. The high protein varieties they now sell are my go-to lunch most days. It's also great for quite literally a million and one other applications if you watch any of the high protein nutrition reels and recipes floating around.
Cream Cheese - This is another one that does not trigger my inflammation and my consumption limits aren't nearly as hard to control as the good stuff. This means I can have a proper lox and bagel if I choose to indulge in a real bagel.
Vegan Cheese - This is not cheese at all and it's certainly not low calorie BUT most work well on things like burgers and a few melt well enough for things like omelette.
), I had a fondness for lions. In fact, I had a giant plush lion that some relatives won for me at a fair. He was so large that I was only allowed to have him out in limited timeframes because he took up so much space. In any event, Jonathan (a real lion from the zoo) was a staple in our lives for quite a few years as we were zoo members for a while. He passed away in 2016 but he was the highlight of so many of my visits...from hearing his roars from all over the zoo, to watching feedings, and seeing him look more annoyed than anything with the younger females in there. He was the personification of a regal looking lion. I have so many pics of him but this is my favorite.
majestic animals Horses Are amazing animals
Can you just imagine what dinosaurs looks like they probably had feathers isn’t that cool??
