Q & A: Part 1

Alright, y'all. You asked me some interesting, tough, funny, and thoughtful questions as part of My 500th Post.

I'm just gonna jump right in, and will post them in several parts - as I can only handle so much of me, me and more me in one sitting.

I didn't answer them in any particular order or by category or any such thing. Because that is just entirely too organized, and no one has ever accused me of being organized. Ever.

Part 1. Here we go...

I'm wondering if 3 kids are it or if there might possibly be a #4 in the future?

I can tell you this: We are not the Duggars. Nor do we have aspirations of the Duggar sort. But, we would love more children.

If you had girls, what would you have named them?

Let's see. If Jack had been a girl, her name would have been Makenna. We've had several girl names come up each time, but they're all (or variations of them) still in the mix. And, we like to wait and share our babies' names when they're born.

Where is one place you'd like to travel to (with or without kids)?

We would love to travel to Italy. And, we'd love to go back to Aruba - where we spent our honeymoon. We plan to take the kids on a tour of Europe when they're a bit older. We want them to see and experience what they're learning firsthand.

What is your favorite part of blogging? What is your least favorite part of blogging?

I answered these via video. You can find that here.

I'm wondering if you liked to cook as a kid or did you start when you got married?

My interest and passion for cooking started just before I got married. I was talking with a group of women at one of my bridal showers and they were discussing how difficult it is to make homemade pie crust. None of them could do it - at least not to their satisfaction. I resolved that day that I was going to master pie crusts in my first year of marriage. And, I did. I made more than twenty pies during our first year of marriage - much to my hubby's delight - simply because I wanted to perfect making the crust.

It was in baking all of those pies that I discovered that there was no recipe too difficult to make - even if "everyone" said it was. I stopped being intimidated by recipes, especially ones with lengthier lists of ingredients, and just started tackling them. Hence, the baker and cook in me was born.

My continued interest and love for cooking is inspired primarily by my husband. What I cook and serve everyday speaks volumes of love to him. If he didn't care what we ate, or if Hamburger Helper made him just as happy as London Broil, then I probably wouldn't cook and bake and experiment as often as I do.

Would you like me to ask you 500 questions?

This is one of the things I truly love about blogging. You see, that question came from Just Mom. And, it is so very her. And, I know that because I know her. I have never met her, seen her, heard her voice or had coffee with her. But, for two years, I have been reading her blog - and she reads mine. And, we chat from time to time online and I consider her a friend. That is community. And, I love that about this form of communication.

I am new to the blogging world, so I have no idea what I am doing. How do you get your photos to appear in the middle of your post? Mine always appear at the top of the post?

Photos can be moved two different ways, at least in the Blogger platform. In compose, which is a tab on the upper right hand section of the post, you can click on the image and drag it to where you want it after you've uploaded it. However, it's easier if you click on the "Edit Html" tab, find the code for the photo, and cut and paste it to where you want it in the post. That is the simplest answer.

I remember wondering these same types of questions when I began blogging. There is a great website available for new bloggers - Blogging Basics 101. Melanie, the author of the site, explains things so clearly and was so helpful to me as I was learning the ropes of blogging. This site has categories of help listed on the right hand side. It is a great resource for blogging questions.

How do you say Appalachian?

I say Appala-chin. Just like every other West Virginian!

My cookies always come out flat and crunchy. What am I doing wrong?

Because every oven is different, I often find that the cooking times given in cookie recipes are not appropriate times for every oven. As a result, many people overbake their cookies - which causes them to collapse and become dry and crunchy.

If you want a soft, chewy cookie, when you remove it from the oven, it should seem underdone. Cookies will continue to cook - just like meat - after you take them out of the oven. I always put cookies in for 3-4 minutes less than the recipe calls for. Then I continue to check the first batch, until the doneness seems right. I then use that amount of time for all future batches. Also, using a small amount of shortening in cookies will help keep them soft.

Of course, some cookies are meant to be flat and crunchy! Which reminds me of a fantastic cookie I haven't made in ages. Time to preheat the oven...

Where is your favorite place to shop for "Home Goods"?

I love Pottery Barn - and use the PB catalog as inspiration in just about every room in my house. I love the style - classic, not too modern, but always updated. Restoration Hardware is another of my favorites - I love that retro feel. For kitchen doodads, Williams-Sonoma is a cook's dream. Now, if only everything I wanted would go on sale for 75% off. I rarely buy anything full price - especially home decor. I'm too cheap.

I buy a lot of things from Target. Target has really perfected the knock-off - much to the delight of penny-pinchin' Mommas everywhere.

Without getting too specific (to honor your privacy), where in the Midwest do you live?

I don't make a habit of mentioning the city where I live here on my blog. Though, I suppose one could figure it out as I've probably mentioned it here before. But, I live about 200 miles east of Chicago and about 150 miles west of Detroit. There's a great little city in between there. We lovingly refer to it as GR (hence, my blog address).

What did you want to be when you were a little girl?

A mommy. Oh, and I practiced. I played with my baby when I wanted to play with it, then left it on my bed or on the floor when I wanted to play outside. Then if I wanted to snuggle, I'd hold my baby 'til I fell asleep and wake up in the morning and play with it some more. Until something else seemed like more fun.

You know, motherhood, right?

Part 2 tomorrow...