Kim's Thoughts
Just a few thoughts I feel worthy of jotting down!
I Tried It!
Let’s start by saying I am NOT a super picky eater…..sure, there are some things I just plain don’t like, some I won’t eat because I’m not fond of the texture in my mouth (even if the taste isn’t offensive), some I’ll eat if it is the only choice but won’t choose it if there are other options, and then I’m allergic to cheese, so need to avoid anything with cheese in or on it…..and I draw a hard line when it comes to anything involving organ meat, offal, or blood of an animal. OK, so putting it all out there that way, it does sound like I’m picky…..but only mildly so in comparison to some people I know. hehehe
I went on a wonderful adventure in Scotland last week. When reviewing the itinerary with all the things we were going to be doing, I noticed we had an optional excursion that included the “Address To The Haggis”. Hhhmmm……I had heard that word before – wasn’t it some kind of organ meat dish? So I looked it up……yep…..it is exactly what I thought:
“Haggis is a sausage or pudding containing sheep’s pluck (heart, liver, and lungs) minced with oatmeal and spices and boiled inside the sheep’s stomach lining”! EEEWWW!
The excursion description said it was a traditional Scottish evening with bagpipers, traditional dances and song, a meal…..and the Address To The Haggis and the opportunity to try the Scottish delicacy. I was all in for everything up to the trying of the haggis……that was a hard NO for me! But, I gave it more thought and decided I should take a teeny tiny bite and have a napkin ready……after all, I was in Scotland and I really should really experience Scotland, right?
The evening started out with being served our choice of wine or beer – I chose the white wine and it was VERY good – a tad on the sweet side – and our meal selections. Then, the Address To The Haggis began – here’s a description I found on a web site:
“The Address To The Haggis is a poem written by Robert Burns to celebrate his appreciation of the Haggis. As a result Burns and Haggis have been forever linked. This particular poem is always the first item on the program of Burns’ suppers. The haggis is generally carried in on a silver salver at the start of the proceedings. As it is brought to the table a piper plays a suitable, rousing accompaniment. One of the invited artistes then recites the poem before the theatrical cutting of the haggis with the ceremonial knife.“
As we were served our meal, a small dish of “Crispy Haggis Bon-Bons” was placed on the table…..sounds innocent enough phrased like that, right?
So, to follow through on my decision to try it, I took one……cut it in half……and looked it over……
It looked harmless……so, I put a small bite on my fork and put my napkin in my other hand……
…..and put it in my mouth……
It wasn’t bad……I didn’t use my napkin to get rid of it……but, I also didn’t go for a second bite! I just chewed it up and swallowed it and took a big swig of my wine! hahahaha
The taste was not bad at all – not something I would likely eat again, but not bad and I’m glad I tried it. Some of us talked and decided they probably “Americanized” it for the tourists, so it wasn’t so “irony” or “gamey” tasting. The reason I didn’t go for another bite was that “texture” thing…..I found it to be thick and sticky and rather weird feeling in my mouth, so that killed it for me. But, I did it and I’m danged proud of myself for it! hahaha
COMING SOON: A full post (or maybe multiple posts) all about my Grand Scotland Adventure – I’m still trying to catch up from being away and going through my photos and notes…..but, it’s coming…..I promise…..check back in a day or two!
May Daily Photos – Part Two
So…..I went to Scotland last week – got back home late last night!!! The photos in this “part” that represent each daily topic were taken in or on the way to/from Scotland…..except the last one. Don’t worry — I’ll be posting all the photos and stories from my wonderful week in Scotland in the next few days, but, for now…..here’s Part Two on my May Daily Photos:
VIEW FROM HERE
LOVE
A SEAT
WHERE I STOOD
SOMETHING SMALL
IN NATURE
GREEN
SUNSHINE
UPSIDE DOWN
That’s all for now……give me a couple days to catch up and sort through my photos and notes and you’ll get to see what I did in Scotland!!!
May Daily Photos – Part One
Well, Hello, May!!! What took you so long???
We got a new list…..one with NO food related topics on it! LOL Here is the first group:
THIS IS ME
GOOD MORNING
FREE CHOICE
TREES
MIRRORS
LEAF
Until next time……enjoy May!!!
April Daily Photos – Week Four
Goodbye April and Goodbye “Food” month!!! So happy to be moving on to May, consistently warmer temps, and a more versatile month of Daily Photo Topics! hahaha
Here is the last set of Food photos for April:
IN MY CUP
ON MY FORK
YUK!
I EAT HERE
THIS IS DELICIOUS
UTENSIL
IN MY BOWL
And, now…….here is May’s Daily Photo List:
Catch ya on the flip side……
April Daily Photos – Week Three
Continuing on with the Daily Photo Challenge topics for April — the “FOOD” month!
HEALTHY
INDULGENT
A RED FOOD
SAVORY
SWEET
April Daily Photos – Week Two
Why is April flying by??? I like April – the budding trees and bushes, the sprouting flower, the birds chirping, the greens becoming vibrant……it is the promise of new life and warmth and sunshine brought with the cleansing rains! I want to cherish and enjoy it……
In the mean time…..here is my next set of April Daily Photos……hahahah!
Reminder – April is “FOOD” month — I’m a bit sick of photographing food and finding creative ways to photograph food and finding food that is interesting enough to try to photograph…..but, I have a mission and this is it…..and I get it done! LOL
COOKED
IN MY PANTRY
DESSERT
GREEN FOOD
SNACK
A FAVE RECIPE
INGREDIENT
KITCHEN
TWO THINGS
A DRINK
WHITE FOOD
That’s all……a tad more than a week’s worth cause I got all wrapped up in Easter weekend and forgot to post! But…..that’s how I roll, sometimes!
Next week……more food…..YAY!!!!
Lenten Daily Photo Challenge – Week Six
And, so, we come to the end of Lent. I had a lovely Easter and hope you all did, as well. I missed a couple topic days this round, but here is what I ended up capturing to round out the last of the 2022 Lenten Daily Photos:
BREAD
SELF-PORTRAIT
PALMS
A MORNING MOMENT
SPIRITUAL SPACE
FLAME
GOOD NEWS
These special lists are always a fun way to enhance my daily photo creativity. Lent and Advent are the normal ones, but others sometimes pop up during the year, as well. Maybe I’ll find another one to do in the coming months. If not, I’ll be back with Advent……..
Riverdance Adventure – 04-09-22
So…..today, I got on a bus with my adventure buddy and 40+ other people and went to see Riverdance at the beautiful historic Shea’s Theater in Buffalo. The day trip was put together by the Busy Buddies group I belong to…..always great trips and fun things to do!
All I can say is WOW……
I always wanted to see this performance and now that I have, I can say it was worth the wait! Absolutely fabulous!!! This was the 25th anniversary performance.
I thought it was just about the dance, but it is so much more — it is dance and song and music and story and emotion with beautiful backdrops and so much talent and energy and excitement…..and, yes, it’s about the dance, too!
Shea’s Theater is incredible – such a beautiful work of art and architecture and history. This was my second time seeing a show at Shea’s. I saw Jersey Boys there a few years ago with the same adventure buddy that went with me, today. You get a special feeling sitting in the seats and looking around at the ornate arches, balconies, and architecture. Simply stunning!
Don’t let the empty seats fool you……we got there a bit early and I took these photos before it filled in! My friend and I were lucky, though – the seats on each side of us were empty, so we had some nice elbow room – lucky for me because the girl in front of me was very tall and would have almost totally blocked my view if I wasn’t able to lean onto my arm rest to comfortably look around her.
It was great to go on a group bus trip – yeah, we could have driven ourselves and got our own tickets….and spent less in the long run…..but, we would have had to drive, find a place to park, pay for parking, deal with city traffic……this way, we got on a bus right here in town, someone else did the driving, they dropped us off right at the door and picked us up at the door after…..AND…..the day trip cost included dinner, too!!!
After the show, we went to Sean Patrick’s restaurant. I’d never been there, but had heard it was very nice. Well…..that’s an understatement! It is a very ornately decorated restaurant. We had a banquet room with just our group at several large round tables. The waiters were wonderful.
THE LOBBY
You know I can’t resist taking a selfie when I see something like this…..hehehe
The meal choices were chicken french or strip steak…..I chose the strip steak.
The meal began with delicious warm rolls and a cup of Italian Wedding Soup — so good!!! Then a very nice salad. Then, the main course – the entree’s were served with mashed potatoes and a vegetable medley of broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, summer squash, zucchini, and carrots and the steaks also had an onion ring on top. Then, the meal was capped off with a scoop of vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup and whipped cream….perfection!!!
I have to say I was concerned about the steak — NY Strip isn’t a very fatty cut, so not so forgiving if it is cooked too much (unlike, say, a ribeye that has more fat and can take a little longer cook) and they didn’t ask us how we wanted it cooked and they were cooking a large group all to be served at the same time – not easy……I’m pretty picky about my steaks – I like it medium rare and if it is slightly more rare, that’s OK, too! I was sure it was going to be cooked too much for my liking — and, when I cut into it, it was definitely a tad over medium……I don’t know how they did it, but it was amazing — tender, juicy, and had incredible flavor!!! They did a GREAT job….it was absolutely delicious and very enjoyable to eat!!!
It was a wonderful day……fabulous show……great meal……good friends……fun conversations……and someone else drove!!! We left town at noon and returned at 8:00.
Another great adventure in the memory banks!!!
April Daily Photos – Week One
Hello April!!! Woo Hoo!!! On with the first week of April Daily Photos….reminder…..April is FOOD month!
ON MY PLATE
(Memories of a great pulled pork sandwich and onion rings….)
A VEGETABLE
A FRUIT
BREAKFAST
LUNCH
DINNER
RAW
Check next week to see what other delectable food items I’ll have to share……
Lenten Daily Photos – Week Five
Here are the Daily Photos for the Fifth Week of Lent…..as we approach Holy Week, this challenge is winding down…..I’ll be sad to see it end.
KITCHEN TABLE
CATHOLIC POP-CULTURE
GIVING BACK
STRENGTH
TRYING SOMETHING NEW
(She never liked peas, before…..but, all she ever tried were pureed…..)
ANIMAL FRIENDS
OLD FRIENDS
That’s all for now…..
Kim's Thoughts 
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