Fresh Mozzarella or Goat Cheese? (And Other Life Lessons...)

When it comes to good food, Kealy and I are from the same mold. We discuss flavors to the fullest, digest recipes in detail and reminisce about last night's meal as if it was like experiencing love at first sight. When we used to sit in neighboring cubes at work, we were told that just listening to us talk about how much we love food would instantly cause someone to gain ten pounds! Surprisingly, we are both two little health nuts (who always have room for something sweet to end a meal!) Alas, in our minds, there is no other way to be.

A few weekends ago, Kealy and I decided to take a delightful Sunday hike up to Crowder's Mountain, about 40 minutes outside of Charlotte. With busy work weeks and our heads in a spin, it was nice to enjoy the fresh air. As our little legs made their way down the mountain, our conversation went in a tasty direction (surprise surprise!) Kealy asked me if I could eat only one cheese, for the rest of my life, which would it be? Fresh mozzarella of course! This quickly turned into a food frenzied game and as I type up this memory, and our choices, my mouth is watering!

Pasta? Paparadelle and Rigatoni

Vegetable? Asparagus...wait...are tomatoes a vegetable or a fruit?

Fruit? Strawberries and Blackberries

Yogurt? Greek!

Breakfast food? Cereal

Fish? Salmon

Salad? Greek Country Salad! Duh!

Herb? Basil

Dessert? Tiramisu...Cannolis...Apple Pie...Gelato....ok nevermind this category is impossible to pick one

And the winner of the official "holy trinity" of food goes to...Tomatoes, Basil and Mozzarella!

Thinking back on this tasty little game is a good reminder to never overlook the little things in life. Some around kitchen nerds like us might think we are absolutely nuts and overly obsessed with the art of good eating but in my mind we are taking one of the little morsels in life and magnifying it, because it explodes with happiness. In our world today, it is so easy to let yourself drown in the day to day routine and situations that challenge us in ways that try so hard to take us down. It seems as though a serious epidemic of what is known as "busy-ness" has taken everyone around me. A lot of my sweet friends have been running around like crazy with work and just day to day happenings that take a toll on our well being and overall happiness. It is in these times that we have to stop being "busy" and quit being "stressed". Stop thinking about the things you can't control and start focusing on the things that you can. Pick out the positive points of your day and trash the negative ones- when you wake up, you have a clean slate and the choice to make it a fantastic day.

The middle of the week is upon us and there is so much to be thankful for. Take a few moments today to step away from the madness and sprinkle your life with some happy thoughts! And what the heck, while you are at it, grab a friend, go on a hike and make up a wacky game to play.