Umm...FOOD

I took this idea from Rocks Waves Beach. I think of myself as an adventurous eater. There are few things I don't like and I've never been offered a food I won't try, so I was surprised at how poorly I "scored" on this exercise.

The list is from Very Good Taste on the 100 foods any self respecting omnivore should try at least once. Like to play along?
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here athttp://www.verygoodtaste.co.uk/ linking to your results. The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:
(note that items with an * indicate foods that I had to look up.)
1. Venison
2. Nettle tea (no, but my daughter got "stung" by nettles once)
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding* (at first, I thought it meant chocolate-it means 'blood' pudding)
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush* (but based on what I read, I think I'd like it!)
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi *
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns * (but based on what I read, I think I'd like it!)
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese (I would probably have a hard time eating this if I knew what it was)
26. Raw Scotch bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche* (but based on what I read, I think I'd like it!)
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda * (but based on what I read, I think I'd like it!)
31. Wasabi peas (LOVE 'EM!!)
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi*
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea * (but based on what I read, I think I'd like it!)
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects (I really think I'd have a hard time with this.)
43. Phaal*
44. Goat’s milk (but I like goat cheese)
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more (oh, baby!)
46. Fugu*
47. Chicken Tikka Masala * (but based on what I read, I think I'd like it!)
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi *
53. Abalone
54. Paneer * (based on the amount of Indian food I eat, surely I've eaten this, but I can't be positive)
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine *
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin* (I looked this up and it's clay. Do you think it means those clay pancakes that people in really poor countries eat when they don't have food?)
64. Currywurst
65. Durian * (um--based on what I read, I'm not sure I could get passed the smell)
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette * (ewwwwww!!!)
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe (I just read an article about this in the paper a few weeks ago and it's apparently making a come back.)
74. Gjetost, or brunost * (sounds good!)
75. Roadkill (Whether I ever eat it would depend on what it was and how long ago it was killed)
76. Baijiu *
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong *
80. Bellini * (sounds fantastic!!)
81. Tom yum (or as I like to call it, "Tom yum yum yum")
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky *
84. Tasting menu at a 3-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse (I just don't see it ever happening)
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa *
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor * (sounds fantastic!!)
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Pranksters raise pranksters

I love a good prank and this prank was GOOD!

My brother leaves for work just about the same time the sun comes up. So, night before last, after he went to bed, his 17-year-old son, J and a few of J's buddies brought "Buffalo Billy" over and got him all sat up in the passenger seat of my brother's van.

Rumor has it Ol' Buffalo Billy startled my brother right good. My brother is a good sport and this is what he had to say about it:

"My first instinct was to protect the family. I dove head first into the van, couple quick chops to its neck to stun him, then drug him out in the yard where I could really go to work on him. Actually, he gave me a pretty good start. Doctor said the burns from the coffee I spilled on my hand should heal nicely with little to no scarring. I gotta admit, I got a little teary when I found out J**** was behind it. Makes a Dad proud to see his son pull one off like that!"

I couldn't agree with you more, bro...I couldn't agree with you more.

My daughter scared me the other day. I went to daycare to pick her up and she was in the bathroom. I hid against the wall and was going to scare her when she came out of the bathroom. Little did I know, she knew I was there and she was on the other side of the wall waiting to scare me. She poked her little head around the corner and very softly said, "Boo".

I almost wet my pants. I screamed out loud and did what I like to call my hallelujah dance--I fall to my knees with my arms waving in the air. I do this dance more than I care to admit, but on this particular day, I did the dance in front of about 30 elementary school children, half a dozen parents and teachers, including the childcare director--who was on the phone.

She got me GOOD! I was so proud.