I'm a sucker for inspirational quotes. And of course, there are no losers but there is a winner of the literary food battle so it seemed an appropriate way to title this post.
And speaking of winning...instead of picking a winner how about I just make myself a 4-course meal out of each of the dishes you've all prepared? But then I'm faced with difficult questions like "what would come first, the ginger cookies or the ice cream??" Because ya'll know cookies and ice cream are two separate courses.
If I've learned one thing from this experience it's that I don't necessarily like to pick favorites. So, I'll say all the cliche things, "it's hard to pick just one", "you're all winners in my mind", and of course "it's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game."
Becca's mango ice cream, and the whole "there is no room in my life for 50 shades of anything" bit were equal parts awesome and sassy. Love it. The ice cream looks amazing and I can't wait to try whipping up my own very soon, like today soon, cause it's 87 degrees outside and I'm sweating. Your post has me intrigued, should I read 50 Shades of Gray? Or shouldn't I? I'll keep guessing;)
Stephanie's post brought back memories of all things comforting; whether a book, or baking or eating a warm cookie out of the oven. I finally have a point of reference for something Harry Potter related! My nephew received the Harry Potter series for Christmas and he's agreed to share the books with me once he's finished. I have to admit I have never EVER become so engrossed in something that I've forgotten to eat. Reading this series could be life-changing. Eating these cookies could also be life-changing!
Eggy, that's some freaking delicious-looking primavera. I have to admit I have never heard of a fiddlehead fern, how delightful! Favas, on the other hand, now those look like work. Oh, the patience you must have. And lamb bacon? I love your use of unique (spring!) ingredients and the credit to your local retailers. You were inspired by the food, versus the book being the initial inspiration. You are a true foodie through, and through! And again, I can't thank you enough for your kindness in introducing me to the culinary smackdown. Believe me when I say this has gotten me waaaaay out of my comfort zone:)
Grumpy Granny, the story behind how you chose this book, the preparation and ingredients used in the meal, and the take-away message at the end of your post really inspired me; did I mention I'm a sucker for all things inspirational? Yes, I am. And I am happy to announce you are the winner! Repeatedly, while reading your post, I wanted to somehow, some way, reach through my laptop screen and grab a big old handful of food. I think you made O-Lan proud. And outwardly declining the use of a cookbook? That's like being allowed to use a calculator on a standardized test but challenging yourself to do the math the old fashioned way! I will definitely be reading The Good Earth, although maybe I'll get lucky like you and find that the previous owners of my house left a copy for me:)
Congratulations
Grumpy Granny, looking forward to your theme choice for May!
Thank you everyone for participating, to say this was a cool experience is an understatement, but I can't really think of too much else to say. Hopefully the incredibly high frequency of exclamation points and smiley faces peppered throughout this post made it very clear:)!!!!