Ten Things You Never Knew About Me

My new comfort food. No, I'm not kidding.

Kalyn at Kalyn's Kitchen tagged me for a meme - my first. Hmmm...where to start?

Ten Things You Never Knew About Me

1. My favorite comfort food is peanut butter schmeared on a slice of hot buttered rye toast. Since going gluten free, I've had to settle for peanut butter on a rice cake. I know, I know. I hear many readers thinking, Make gluten free toast. Duh! And I could do that. I even have, on occasion, baked a gluten free bread. But then there were all those sawdust doorstops and hockey pucks that only made me even sadder- and need comfort food even more. Letting go seemed the Zen thing to do.

It takes more than courage to bake gluten free. It takes a strong ego. Because it's not for the faint of heart. Especially if you are also dairy-free and egg-free. Oy.

Or maybe it's all about desire. Maybe if I truly wanted bread again I'd somehow make it happen. Maybe I lack fire. Maybe my passion for sourdough and rye toast was only a crush, not a life-long commitment; because I haven't been courting or chasing the elusive bread replacement. Not with enthusiasm, anyway.

Edit: Years pass. Times change. New flours become available. I now have my toast back. My new delicious gluten-free bread recipe. My ryeless rye bread recipe and my favorite multigrain gluten-free sandwich bread recipe.) Yayness.

2. I was an extra in All The President's Men. I only got to lock eyes with Mr. Redford for maybe three seconds. But as three seconds go? Not too shabby.

3. I don't often wear shoes. Unlike many women- who apparently have a deep and penetrating love of ridiculously expensive, impossible to run in ho-heels, I prefer to go barefoot. Although I do own several one pair of $2.99 jelly flip-flops. And Rocket Dogs. UGGS. Does that count? Okay. Scratch that, then.

4. I can quote The Big Lebowski verbatim. (See Thing #3.)

5. I once had Seymour Cassel believing I was French for an entire week (I don't speak French). 

6. At key moments in my life (some might call them defining moments) I have chosen love over money with no regrets. Even though I drive a used car with a transmission that is steadily declining in performance at an alarming rate. (See Thing #4.)

7. I have learned more from my two children- my fascinating, talented, wise, smart, funny, empathetic sons- than I ever taught them. Motherhood has been a remarkable process of discovery, improvisation and invention. I am in their debt. For life. Not to mention, in love.

8. I'm shy and introverted and I tend to live in my head. That's the reality of the isolated painting and writing life. And that's why I love cooking. Cooking is not only a way to reconnect and share the day with my husband and sons, but also a way to connect with friends-- and now, fellow bloggers and readers. 

Cooking grounds me and brings me back to earth.

9. I'm hot flashing as I write this.

10. In another life (you know, in one of those other ten dimensions the Buddha talks about?) I'm a surfer and live at the beach. (See Thing #4.) The Dude Abides.

And now I tag:

Susan at Fat Free Vegan Kitchen

Brendon at Something in Season

Cate at Beyond the Fields We Know

Rowena at Rubber Slippers in Italy