list three: my favorite foods.

I could go on and on and on about foods that I love. Sharing a meal with others is one of the most personal, intimate, lovely ways to spend time with someone, in my opinion. One of my favorite things to do is find new places to eat or new recipes to try. It's not all about food, but it kinda is.

1. Cheesecake. I. Love. Cheesecake. So wrong for you, but so, so right. Cheesecake is my dessert of choice, but only if it's really good. If I'm going to eat something that decadent, it has to be incredible. My two favorite pieces of cheesecake ever are the slice my family shared at Carnegie's Deli in New York and the one my sister made me for my birthday. I also have fond memories of eating cheesecake for dinner during a family vacation in Washington/Canada, and sharing chocolate-packed slices with my mom at Cheesecake factory (on 2 or 3 occasions). Or the one time Jeffrey's dad saved me an entire cheesecake platter from a work party. I think I enjoy cheesecake so much because I save it for special occasions.

2. Granola. I just can't get enough of the stuff. In yogurt, on its own, smooshed between two slices of bread slathered with peanut butter. Love, love, love the stuff. And, lately I've been into making my own (yeah, I got it from a website for fast & easy toddler food. So?)

3. Raspberries. I've mentioned the story behind that here. And I still love them. Probably more than I did when I wrote that entry.

4. PB&J. Classic. Non-fussy. Easy. Simple. Tasty. I eat PB&J sandwiches like they're going out of style. Sometimes I spruce them up with some shredded coconut or some thinly sliced banana, but PB&J can easily stand on its own.

5. Ice cream. Don't even get me started on my love affair with ice cream. Please.

6. Smoothies. Does this count as food? It's liquid food so yeah, it counts. I drink a smoothie practically everyday. I just like how versatile they are. And it doesn't hurt that they're really delicious.

7. Grapefruit. Because when I was little my sweet little neighbor used to let my sister and I pick the grapefruit off her tree. I'll never forget how special that made me feel. Such a small gesture that made me feel so good. Ever since then, I've been hooked.

8. Crackers. Usually of the whole wheat variety, but I'm really not picky.

9. Cashew Nut Chicken. From my favorite Thai restaurant of all time. With a Thai Iced Tea. Will forever go down as my favorite restaurant meal. Ever.

14. Spaghetti. No explanation needed.

11. Strawberries. They're really pretty. And they also taste really good.

12. Cucumbers.

13. Grilled Cheese. It just reminds me of home and rainy days and old movies. And those are all really wonderful things.

14. Pizza. Preferably the one my dad makes from scratch starting with a packet of yeast and some warm water. But I'll also accept the restaurant variety.

Here's the thing: I could go on and on about foods that I love. My favorite part of food is the memories that are often associated with it. Like the one time my family got bagels from H&H Bagels in New York. I specifically remember standing in line asking each other what kind of bagel we were getting and changing our minds an insane number of times. Or my Grammy's shortbread cookies that we make every year for Santa. Or making chocolate chip cookies in Jeffrey's apartment on an otherwise kind-of-boring day. Certain foods bring me back to certain moments and I'm thankful for that. I'm sure there are a number of foods that I love and have forgotten to mention here, but the fact is, we'd be here all day if I really listed off my favorite foods.

I hope you had a lovely Memorial Day and found a special way to honor the men and women who gave their lives serving the US — whether that be a BBQ, a day at the beach, or a walk through a park.

I'll be back soon with some exciting posts.

xo, R.