Yeah, it’s a dump. But dammit, it’s our dump.

I’ll miss the ‘ol girl. I just wish that we didn’t have to part this way, full of sorrow and sadness. I’ll treasure my memories and get ready to welcome the newcomer with open arms.

It’s been fun. But all good things must come to an end.

69 out of 100. I guess I’m not surprised that I’ve eaten more things on this list than the other considering how often my fridge is stuffed full of veggies and cheese. Yes, cheese

1. Real macaroni and cheese, made from scratch and baked
2. Tabouleh
3. Freshly baked bread, straight from the oven (preferably with homemade strawberry jam) [ no to the strawberry jam though ]
4. Fresh figs [ mmm...with pomegranate molasses?  splendid ]
5. Fresh pomegranate
6. Indian dal of any sort
7. Imam bayildi
8. Pressed spiced Chinese tofu [ i wonder if this refer's to chou doufu ]
9. Freshly made hummus
10. Tahini
11. Kimchi
12. Miso
13. Falafel
14. Potato and pea filled samosas
15. Homemade yogurt
16. Muhammara
17. Brie en croute
18. Spanikopita
19. Fresh, vine-ripened heirloom tomatoes [ getting close to tomato saturation this summer ]
20. Insalata caprese
21. Stir-fried greens (gai lan, bok choi, pea shoots, kale, chard or collards) [ a part of almost every home-cooked dinner for me ]
22. Freshly made salsa
23. Freshly made guacamole
24. Creme brulee [ love it! can't say it loves me though ]
25. Fava beans
26. Chinese cold sesame peanut noodles
27. Fattoush
28. New potatoes
29. Coleslaw
30. Ratatouille
31. Baba ganoush
32. Winter squash [ i make a mean butternut squash pie ]
33. Roasted beets
34. Baked sweet potatoes
35. Plantains
36. Chocolate truffles [ yes, i know it's chocolate ]
37. Garlic mashed potatoes
38. Fresh water chestnuts
39. Steel cut oats
40. Quinoa
41. Grilled portabello mushrooms
42. Chipotle en adobo
43. Stone ground whole grain cornmeal [ maybe? ]
44. Freshly made corn or wheat tortillas
45. Frittata [ ahh, memories of last summer ]
46. Basil pesto
47. Roasted garlic
48. Raita of any type
49. Mango lassi
50. Jasmine rice (white or brown)
51. Thai vegetarian coconut milk curry
52. Pumpkin in any form other than pie
53. Fresh apple pear or plum gallette
54. Quince in any form
55. Escarole, endive or arugula
56. Sprouts other than mung bean
57. Naturally brewed soy sauce
58. Dried shiitake mushrooms [ i'm going to assume that it means rehydrated dried mushrooms ]
59. Unusually colored vegetables (purple cauliflower, blue potatoes, chocolate bell peppers…) [ purple potatoes, orange cauliflower, and purple cauliflower in the last week alone ]
60. Fresh peach ice cream
61. Chevre
62. Medjool dates
63. Kheer
64. Flourless chocolate cake
65. Grilled corn on the cob
66. Black bean (or any other bean) vegetarian chili
67. Tempeh
68. Seitan or wheat gluten [ weird ]
69. Gorgonzola or any other blue veined cheese
70. Sweet potato fries
71. Homemade au gratin potatoes
72. Cream of asparagus soup
73. Artichoke-Parmesan dip
74. Mushroom risotto [ i've made a butternut squash risotto - does that count? ]
75. Fermented black beans [ YUM ]
76. Garlic scapes
77. Fresh new baby peas
78. Kalamata olives
79. Preserved lemons
80. Fried green tomatoes
81. Chinese scallion pancakes [ awesome ]
82. Cheese souffle
83. Fried apples
84. Homemade frijoles refritos
85. Pasta fagiole
86. Macadamia nuts in any form
87. Paw paw in any form
88. Grilled cheese sandwich of any kind
89. Paneer cheese
90. Ma Po Tofu (vegetarian style–no pork!)
91. Fresh pasta in any form
92. Grilled leeks, scallions or ramps
93. Green papaya salad
94. Baked grain and vegetable stuffed tomatoes
95. Pickled ginger
96. Methi greens
97. Aloo paratha
98. Kedgeree
99. Okra [ best i've had was down in Dothan, Alabama ]
100. Roasted brussels sprouts

55 out of 100. That’s kind of sad. Time to start working on the list!

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile [ does gator count? ]
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho [ only like every week! ]
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart [ oh hell yeah! ]
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes [ like sodium penthanol to me ]
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream [ not so much these days, lol ]
21. Heirloom tomatoes [ just a few hours ago, as a matter of fact ]
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas [ makes me want some right now! ]
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
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail [ this is my sis' hubby's favorite ]
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more [ Trung's infamous bottle of Blue Label smuggled from Canada ]
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle [ in Germany the way it's supposed to be ]
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst [ ahh, memories of Berlin ]
65. Durian [ maybe if i had some nose plugs ]
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake [ umm...yes to all ]
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini [ i've had blinis...does that count? ]
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail [ the snail is really just a vessel for garlic butter sauce ]
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant. [ Manresa (two-star) is the closest ]
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox [ i did grow up on Long Island, after all ]
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee [  best...coffee...ever ]
100. Snake

this pretty much says it all…

(H/T: Amy for compiling some links from the 2008 March for Life & Barbara for taking the photo)

Let the stable still astonish:
Straw – dirt floor, dull eyes,
Dusty flanks of donkeys, oxen;
Crumbling, crooked walls;
No bed to carry that pain,
And then, the child,
Rag-wrapped, laid to cry
In a trough.
Who would have chosen this?
Who would have said: “Yes,
Let the God of all the heavens and earth
Be born here, in this place?
Who but the same God
Who stands in the darker, fouler rooms
Of our hearts
And says, “Yes,
Let the God of Heaven and Earth
Be born here –
In this place.