Q&A with Josh Lanyon discussion

The idea for this topic came from Josh's September 2013 blog post. Josh asked his readers to list five things they love and so we did. And reading through those lists made us all smile happily.

Sooooo, why don't we keep making the lists here? What do you guys love and enjoy?

Here is my list for today. I love

1. Watching the small oak tree grow in my garden
2. Cilantro
3. Finding a wonderful, new-to-me song or book
4. Collecting sea shells and pebbles on the seashore
5. Hot chocolate with Hazelnut Coffee-Mate

What about you? :-)

1 Listening to books
2 Venice
3 Latin jazz
4 Milk chocolate with caramel and sea salt
5 Crisp white Verdejo wine

Can I repeat what I posted there? If that's okay, then:

- coffee with milk, no sugar (addict here :))
- sunflowers
- bookstores with new/old/on-sale books, my favorite bookstore has a coffee machine free for buyers (two birds,one stone)
- music
- road trips

Today's list:

*the internet
*friends
*London
*Italian icecream
*home

(it's working, I'm smiling already:-)

Your number 5 sounds delicious, Johanna.

My 5 things today:

1) Cranking up the volume on the car cd player when I'm on my own.
2) Speaking to my grandson on the phone.
3) My kindle.
4) Maltesers.
5) Living near the sea

Sylvia wrote: "1 Listening to books
2 Venice
3 Latin jazz
4 Milk chocolate with caramel and sea salt
5 Crisp white Verdejo wine"

I've never tried chocolate with caramel and sea salt. I feel deprived.

Today mine are:
The scent of roses and honeysuckle
Reading
Freshly baked bread
Stargazing
Waking up to music playing and the scent of coffee

1) eating dark chocolate in the sun
2) reading in bed in the morning
3) dancing (rock, soul, pop, disco)
4) listening to the wind in the trees in my garden, especially on a windy day
5) visiting friends

Calathea wrote: "Today's list:

*the internet
*friends
*London
*Italian icecream
*home

(it's working, I'm smiling already:-)"

I could give you an easy recipe for Italian homemade ice-cream (without a machine, made in 20 minutes or less)

Goge wrote: "Can I repeat what I posted there?"

I might repeat there what I posted here ;-)

Calathea wrote: "(it's working, I'm smiling already:-)"

I know! I LOVE reading everyone's lists!!!

Antonella wrote: "I could give you an easy recipe for Italian homemade ice-cream (without a machine, made in 20 minutes or less)"

Please do!!!

Hambel wrote: "Your number 5 sounds delicious, Johanna.

My 5 things today:

1) Cranking up the volume on the car cd player when I'm on my own.
2) Speaking to my grandson on the phone.
3) My kindle.
4) Maltesers..."

About a year ago I found The Hazelnut Coffee-Mate on the "America shelf" in our supermarket. I've grown addicted to it since (especially during the wintertime).

I learned something new today, Hambel. I had to google Maltesers! ;-)

What a lovely idea, is it okay if it changes from day to day?

Today's list:

The rose coloured clouds in the morning.
Hot coffee
The roses in my office (I bought myself three amazing roses so I have something beautiful to look at while working)
Knitting little socks for my grandnephew
The leaves changing colours

Anne wrote: "What a lovely idea, is it okay if it changes from day to day?"

Yeah, I thought it would be nice if we could post different lists whenever we feel like it — even every day if it makes us happy!

Let's make this our feel good thread. :-)

Gelato agli amaretti / Ice cream with amaretti biscuits

- ½ liter cream
- 3 or 4 eggs
- 6 tablespoons of sugar
- some «amaretti»* of the dry sort or other dry
biscuits, in crumbles

Beat the yolks with the sugar till they are almost whitish. Whip the cream. Beat the egg whites till they are stiff.
Put the egg whites in the cream, then add the yolks and the amaretti, mixing delicately.
Put the ice-cream in the freezer for some hours. The best thing is to use a fairly flat bowl.


* NB: No, I didn't mean amaretto (alcoholic beverage)

Antonella wrote: "Goge wrote: "Can I repeat what I posted there?"

I might repeat there what I posted here ;-)"

:)

Hambel wrote: "Sylvia wrote: "1 Listening to books
2 Venice
3 Latin jazz
4 Milk chocolate with caramel and sea salt
5 Crisp white Verdejo wine"

I've never tried chocolate with caramel and sea salt. I feel deprived."

And rightly so! It's very hard to come by where I live but when I see it I can't resist. Last time I found it was in Paris (house brand of Champion supermarket). I stuffed my bags with it

Losing myself in art of all kinds.
Losing myself in dogs being dogs.
Losing myself in cheesecake.
Losing myself in nature.
Losing myself in laughter.

Hey, myself and I have been together a loooooong time, so I quite enjoy taking vacations from me. ;-)

K.Z. wrote: "Losing myself in art (all kinds)
Losing myself in dogs being dogs.
Losing myself in cheesecake.
Losing myself in nature.
Losing myself in laughter.

Hey, myself and I have been together a looooong ..."

*wide, wide smile* :-)

Antonella wrote: "Gelato agli amaretti / Ice cream with amaretti biscuits

- ½ liter cream
- 3 or 4 eggs
- 6 tablespoons of sugar
- some «amaretti»* of the dry sort or other dry
biscuits, in crumbles

Beat the..."

THANK YOU! :-)

Antonella wrote: "Calathea wrote: "Today's list:

*the internet
*friends
*London
*Italian icecream
*home

(it's working, I'm smiling already:-)"

I could give you an easy recipe for Italian homemade ice-cream (with..."

Yes please!

Antonella wrote: "Gelato agli amaretti / Ice cream with amaretti biscuits

- ½ liter cream
- 3 or 4 eggs
- 6 tablespoons of sugar
- some «amaretti»* of the dry sort or other dry
biscuits, in crumbles

Beat the..."

I will try this, thank you!

Antonella wrote: "Gelato agli amaretti / Ice cream with amaretti biscuits

- ½ liter cream
- 3 or 4 eggs
- 6 tablespoons of sugar
- some «amaretti»* of the dry sort or other dry
biscuits, in crumbles


Beat the..."

Hmmm, that sounds yummy! I have to try it some time. Thank you! :-)

Johanna wrote: " About a year ago I found The Hazelnut Coffee-Mate on the "America shelf" in our supermarket. "

You have an America shelf? How comes my supermarkt has a Turkish one, then? ;-)
Never heard of that strange hazelnut-coffee stuff before...

K.Z. wrote: "Losing myself in art of all kinds.
Losing myself in dogs being dogs.
Losing myself in cheesecake.
Losing myself in nature.
Losing myself in laughter.

Hey, myself and I have been together a loooooo..."

I know what you mean :)

Johanna wrote: "I learned something new today, Hambel. I had to google Maltesers! ;-) "

And I thought cilantro was alcohol in some form. I learn so much here :D

Hambel wrote: "Johanna wrote: "I learned something new today, Hambel. I had to google Maltesers! ;-) "

And I thought cilantro was alcohol in some form. I learn so much here :D"

Maybe coriander is a more familiar name for you. Anyway lots of men cooking in US m/m books use cilantro. Didn't you do your homework? ;-)

Calathea wrote: "Hmmm, that sounds yummy! I have to try it some time. Thank you! :-) "

You are welcome! It is really easy to made and you can feed quite a few people with it.

Calathea wrote: "Johanna wrote: " About a year ago I found The Hazelnut Coffee-Mate on the "America shelf" in our supermarket. "

You have an America shelf? How comes my supermarkt has a Turkish one, then? ;-)
Never heard of that strange hazelnut-coffee stuff before..."

LOL. Consider yourself lucky — this stuff can't be good for you (or me or anybody else). ;-)

http://www.coffee-mate.com/Products/h...

ETA: The link shows the liquid stuff, but mine is powder.

Hambel wrote: "Johanna wrote: "I learned something new today, Hambel. I had to google Maltesers! ;-) "

And I thought cilantro was alcohol in some form. I learn so much here :D"

Hmm... cilantro mojito, maybe? LOL.

Today:
1) trees changing leaves
2) maple pecan danish(es)
3) wi-fi
4) coffee
5) reading something that really speaks to me
:-)

Johanna wrote: "Calathea wrote: "Johanna wrote: " About a year ago I found The Hazelnut Coffee-Mate on the "America shelf" in our supermarket. "

You have an America shelf? How comes my supermarkt has a Turkish on..."

Oh, now I get it! It's something to put in your coffee to make it taste like hazelnut! *lightbulbmoment* Not a coffee person here. *points at self* :-D

KC wrote: "
2) maple pecan danish(es)

:-)"

I love this plural. *grin*

KC wrote: "Today:
1) trees changing leaves
2) maple pecan danish(es)
3) wi-fi
4) coffee
5) reading something that really speaks to me
:-)"
Ah! You mean audio books? ;)

Antonella wrote: "Maybe coriander is a more familiar name for you. Anyway lots of men cooking in US m/m books use cilantro. Didn't you do your homework? ;-) "

Heh, I googled it :D And I don't read m/m for the recipes...

I love fresh cilantro leaves. It's an herb people generally love or hate. No fence sitting. Use it in all kinds of dishes, including salsas, meatballs in soup, pico de gallo, guacamole, and shrimp dishes. Coriander are the seeds.

I don't know how I missed the September blog. O_0

...but...

1. Decorating Christmas cookies with family
2. Rainy days reading a book
3. Laughing so hard with your friends that you snort
4. The smell of sheets from the dryer
5. Walking through a museum

Lovely idea to welcome a changing list. Today my list includes:
1) finding a new house (We have sold our house but do not have a new one yet. Living in our oldest daughters's basement);
2) my grandchildren's laughter;
3} my husband's smile;
4)sunshine;
5) my youngest daughter having no new lesions for the first time ever (She has MS).
I hope that last one remains on my list forever.

Deanna wrote: "5) my youngest daughter having no new lesions for the first time ever (She has MS).
I hope that last one remains on my list forever. "

<3 I hope it does as well.

God, you guys rock. I love the idea of listing five things you love each day. Positive thinking totally rocks.

1) My job, even when it's kicking my ass, like it's doing right now. Holy God, right now.

2) MALDEF (the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund). Because yeah, they agreed to speak at a symposium I'm trying to put together right now, and I'm so happy, I could cry. In fact, when the guy said yes, I almost did cry on the phone.

3) Claussen pickles

4) Red, red wine (but not together with the pickles!)

5) Something Like Winter. Yup. Tim's a dick. Except really, he's sort of . . . more than that.

Antonella wrote: "Gelato agli amaretti / Ice cream with amaretti biscuits

- ½ liter cream
- 3 or 4 eggs
- 6 tablespoons of sugar
- some «amaretti»* of the dry sort or other dry
biscuits, in crumbles

Beat the..."

Antonella, this sounds SINFUL! Thank you. :)

K.Z. wrote: "Antonella wrote: "Gelato agli amaretti / Ice cream with amaretti biscuits

- ½ liter cream
- 3 or 4 eggs
- 6 tablespoons of sugar
- some «amaretti»* of the dry sort or other dry
biscuits, in ..."

Which reminds me of a quote I once read that goes somewhat like this: " The best things in life are always illegal, sinful or fattening."

Fortunately, reading people's favourite things, shows that isn't true :)

I would guess Antonella's recipe at least isn't illegal...

Anne wrote: "Which reminds me of a quote I once read that goes somewhat like this: " The best things in life are always illegal, sinful or fattening."

Fortunately, reading people's favourite things, shows that isn't true :)

I would guess Antonella's recipe at least isn't illegal..."

LOL. Reading everyone's lists puts me in such a good mood, but it also makes me crave for so many things... not least wine and traveling. :-)

Carlita wrote: "I love fresh cilantro leaves. It's an herb people generally love or hate. No fence sitting. Use it in all kinds of dishes, including salsas, meatballs in soup, pico de gallo, guacamole, and shrimp ..."

Could you please adopt me, Carlita? :-)

Here are my 5 favorites which I posted on Josh's blog. I WISH they were daily...

1. Sitting on the lanai in Maui, listening to the waves, and reading a book.
2. Sitting on the patio in Florida, smelling the ocean air, watching the lizards EVERYWHERE, and reading a book.
3. Walking through a forest in a temeprate climate (I.E. NOT Oklahoma) and listening to an audiobook.
4. Driving to work in the morning right at sunup and watching the wildlife - turkeys, egrets, the odd coyote, and listening to an audiobook.
5. Staying up late (even on a work night) to finish a really good book.

Here I go again. I love

1. Christmas with the Rat Pack CD
2. Petrichor (the distinctive scent outside after it rains)
3. Having a relaxing sauna on Sunday evenings before the new work week starts
4. my watercolors and paintbrushes
5. Quotes

1. Chestnuts
2. Lexika
3. Sleeping in
4. Ladybugs
5. Wood

The sound wind makes through pine trees

tacos

finishing a project on time!

the light on an autumn afternoon

a hot shower after a cold swim

Bicycling through Oslo in the early morning.
Yarn in many colours
A good work out session
Kittens
Hedgehogs

1. Looking out at the sea in autumn when the weather's windy, the sky is grey, the air is full of incredible aromas, and for a few minutes just breathing them in.

2. Finding the new, little green stem in my otherwise almost dead avocado plant. Brave little thing. Too bad I have two black thumbs...

3. Discovering the amazing details that I usually overlook, like the beautiful compound eyes in the fly walking on my arm or the awesome pattern on a snail's shell sitting on my parents' door.

4. Looking at my bookshelves, real or digital.

5. The moment I noticed the two swans flying high over the city of Hamburg last Wednesday. Nobody even looked up, I did so only by chance and it transformed my whole day, even the whole week. They floated elegantly across the sky with their impossible long necks and it seemed as if the sky was a sea and they were diving in it. It felt as if the whole world is magic and I finally looked in the right place to see.