A few of my favorite things.

Any Time I am down in the dumps, there are a few sure fire things that make me happy. Some are better for me than others, but really it all comes down to self medication. we all do it don't judge!

I have a weakness and almost unnatural love of coffee. From the way it smells while still in bean form, the different smell when it is steeping in hot water in my french press, to the amazing taste. Oh and the varieties of kinds and awesome local roasters here in the bay... I swoon!
And I'll freely admit I'm a coffee snob. I like mine brewed in a french press. I refuse to use a standard coffee pot with filters, they tend to strip all the tasty natural oils from the bean leaving it bitter and nasty tasting. I dislike "flavored coffee" that tastes of say french vanilla for example, its wrong not to taste they amazing coffee flavor. I tend to blend my coffee with fresh spices (clove, cinnamon, nutmeg), to give it that extra yummy taste. I enhance the taste; not try to disguise the coffees natural flavor. I want to taste the caffeine damn it! To properly serve my dark dreamy beverage of choice I take half & half with some brown sugar. Let me tell you any one who uses that flavored creamer shit is a fucking idiot, and they SHOULD be stopped.

second way to self medicate, I bake. And no I don't mean I get high (I'm not opposed to pot use, I just don't partake). I make cookies, cake/cupcakes, and now pies. more specifically I have two pies that I adore making. One being apple pie. now you might think apple pie.. isn't that like one of the essayist pies to make? Yes, anyone can make an apple pie, and no its not difficult. However there are some small things that can make or break an apple pie. Namely you need to know your audience, whom are you serving the pie to? do they like things more tart or do they like it more sweet? crunchy vs. more squishy.. All important factors in a good apple pie. And then there is the spice factor, you need to consider what time of year you are serving said pie. if its winter you want the spices to be darker, to make the pie have a more earthy taste much like hot cider. in spring and summer you want to have a more sweet crisp taste more butter than cinnamon. The type of apple you use also should be thought about, since all the types of apple can give you flavor and texture. try to mix it up.
Second pie I have learned to love making is a classic pecan pie. This pie is an amazing piece of work, not to mention a finicky bitch! Too hot of an oven will over cook it making it tough. If too cool and it wont gel properly when it cools, leaving you a runny yet tasty mess. Say nothing Of the dozens of recipes out there that have some interesting variations. Personally I soak the pecans in dark rum for up to a day before I add them to the top of the pie to bake. Then I add some of the rum to the pie filling. I find that even a small amount of rum adds a pleasant spice taste to the pie, without taking away or distracting from the other flavor. But again the pie it temperamental. I do Like that over the years people have learned to put a spin on the type of pie. There are honey pecan pies that don't use any kuro syrup. Also Pies that use maple syrup, brown sugar, dark brown sugar and a variety of small changes that truly make each pie taste slightly different. I personally never thought I would be a pecan pie fan, but here I am with one sitting in my fridge cooling.

Outside of the kitchen I really like to read. I devour books, as my family can attest to For a while before I started collecting my books used and on the cheep I had a $10 a bad book habit. I am a fast reader I can easily read a 500 page book in a day, Example: I read the entire Harry Potter series, all the books one after another in five days (I read two in one day). I don't always read easy fluff books either.
But I am very much a pleasure reader. I've had more best friends in books than in real life. My reading habit comes from not having a lot of friends, there is no other way to look at it. I read books to have company when I'm lonely, to cheer me up when I'm sad, and to escape to somewhere different when I need a break. I was lucky that my family read to me when I was little. Even now I like being read to, I buy audio books once and a while just to have that nice familiar experience of being read to aloud.
 I did have some trouble back when I was learning to read, so my Gram got me that horrible 'hooked on phonic' program, and while it was silly and ridiculous I have to admit it worked. Once I could read on my own I never looked back. Who needed movies, when there were far more books. My mind works like a movie anyway, when I read my brain will play a movie in my head for me. So I'm addicted to reading as well.

 And as we all know I like to shop. But specifically I get great pleasure out of bargain hunting. And thrift stores are my version of a good time. I like paying $2 for a dress. especially cause I can't even buy enough fabric to make a dress for me for that small sum of money. And really it is about the experience of finding something that another person passed on and giving it a new life.

Once my new bike seat gets here I have a feeling that is also going to be a new favorite activity.
I tend to be a big swimmer, especially when I'm angry. there is nothing like a miles worth of laps to make you calm down. I'm sure it had to do with the steady rhythm of movements and breathing that helps mellow me. I like the feeling of pulling myself through the water, my whole body working together. I sometimes forget how much I love to swim, until I get to a pool them it all comes back and I start to miss the water.

All of them seem to be symbolic of something about me, but i'm going to try not to over analyze myself on this. Anyway I have a BBQ to take my fabulous pecan pie to, you know you want some *wink*

Kisses
Raven