I was wandering around the grocery store the other day, filling up my cart with the same old items I buy every week.
As I unpacked the grocery bags, I realized I hadn’t bought one thing different. It made me sad.
You see, the problem is I’m a creature of habit. I come by it honestly from my Dad.
You could almost set your watch by my Dad. He’d walk the dog at the same time every day, go to McDonald’s for his daily coffee at the same time every day, read the papers, watch the ball game and have his supper at the same time every day. He even did his grocery shopping on Saturdays in retirement despite it being the busiest day of the week because that was his routine.
Dave says I’m getting more like my Dad every day, and yes, I’ll admit, I have my little routines, but I’ve decided to change it up a bit at least in the culinary realm. I am challenging myself to make one thing different at least once a week.
So last night, I made a delicious sweet and sour chicken dish I never made before called The Thigh’s the Limit from one of my favourite cookbooks, Looneyspoons. It got five stars from the fam.
This week’s #HappyAct is to join me in taking the “one thing different” challenge and mix it up in the kitchen. See my blog post “Spice it up” for more culinary inspiration.
Happy Act 
Laurie, I watched ‘The Hundred Foot Journey’ last evening. Your blog this morning reminded me of the pleasure of spicing up soups that I enjoy making. Bonus: Searching out the book at our local library.
I’m glad you watched the movie, Dianna! I love that movie–one of the few that was better than the book!
Not a bad thing to be like Johnny G.The tell tail sign however will be how many boxes of cereal you have in your cupboard! 🤣
Great post as always.
I still miss my Dad, Iona, and you will be happy to know we have about 12 boxes of cereal in our cupboards right now! There are some habits I don’t even want to fight.
I loved that movie Julie & Julia. Frustrated with a soul-killing job, New Yorker Julie Powell (Amy Adams) embarks on a daring project: she vows to prepare all 524 recipes in Julia Childs’ landmark cookbook, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.” Intertwined with Julie’s story is the true tale of how Julia Child (Meryl Streep) herself conquered French cuisine with passion, fearlessness, and plenty of butter.
When I go out to eat I always order something I can’t make a home. Last week while everyone at the table was having Chickenparmi ( the signature dish of Geelong) I had Steak Tartare which I love. They all thought it was gross, one raw eggs cradled in the shell over a bed of raw seasoned steak accompanied by a glass of cooled cabsav ( it’s so hot here we drink the red slightly chilled).
Once I was in London with Michael Carlevale. He was on a culinary tour of Europe. We ate in all the finest Resturants in London for a week. 3 meals a day, every meal in a different venue. Each one was a culinary special moment. Claridges tried to throw Michael out for not having a jacket although he was wearing a $600 shirt with a $200 tie.
On the final night we ate at Pierre Marc White, the finest resturant in the Kingdom. All the women were wearing Chanel. I was facing the corner but this place was so slick they had a mirror tucked discreetly away in the corner so I could see the whole room. I don’t remember what we ate but I do remember that Michael argued with the wine guy all night in 5 languages trying to outsnob each other about wine.
On the many sea voyages I have travelled on I make sure I always order something different at every meal. There is no finer place to get the best cuisine on earth and the most extensive selection available in the world.
All I have to say David is when are you starting your own blog of your adventures? Or better yet, start on your biography.
Thank you Laurie, you are the second person here today to tell me I should. Remarkably I have only been awake for 5 minutes.