Wednesday, October 23, 2024

An Apple A Day Keeps The Hodgepodge In Play

Who else thinks October is flying? Thank you for joining this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post. I always ask participants to at least comment on the blogger before them on the list because comments keep s a blog hop hoppin'. Happy Wednesday! Here we go...

From this Side of the Pond

1. Monday was National Apple Day...did you eat an apple or enjoy something made with apples on Monday? Do you like apples? Do you prefer your apples raw, baked, or in cider? Do you have a favorite variety of apple? 

I did have an apple on Monday. The variety was Empire and I grabbed a few at the market because they looked firm and unblemished. Sadly the one I ate Monday was a bit mushy-ick. I sliced it and sprinkled it with cinnamon which helped, and am hoping the others have a better texture.  

I don't have a favorite variety but just go for what looks best on my particular shopping day. I tend to buy Gala and Honeycrisp for eating and use Granny Smith for baking. I love apples, one of my favorite fruits, and pretty much always have some on hand. I like them raw, baked, in cider, whatever...it's all good. 

2. Do you think there's any truth to the saying 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away'. Of the following healthy habits which do you find easiest to incorporate into your life and which is the most difficult for you to adopt-

adequate sleep, a balanced diet, plenty of water, eat breakfast, don't smoke, exercise, limit alcohol,  include fruits and vegetables in your diet, manage stress, limit screen time

Not sure there's scientific proof of that particular saying, but there are many health benefits to eating an apple so it's possible. A trainer once told me I should have an apple every day. I read eating one medium apple a day is good for lowering blood pressure, cholesterol, and inflammation. 

Of the healthy habits listed the easiest one for me to keep is 'don't smoke'. I've never been a smoker and it's never held any appeal for me, so that's not difficult to manage. Most of these healthy habits are part of my daily life, but if I have to choose one as most difficult I guess it would be screen time. 

3. Who taught you how to drive? Do you enjoy driving? Would you rather be the driver or the passenger?  Do you have a favorite scenic drive near you? 

I enjoy driving and am fine in either seat. I got my first license in the state of NJ. At the time you couldn't even get a permit until the day you turned 17 so I was just beginning my senior year of high school when I started driving. Hubs got his license in Tennessee and I think he was in the 9th grade lol. 

Driver's Ed was a part of our high school health curriculum. It wasn't behind the wheel, more like 'Scared Straight' where they showed us all the film clips of horrible accidents resulting from someone not wearing a seatbelt, drinking, having too many friends or distractions in the car. Let me just say those film clips stayed with you. 

My dad taught me to drive. I don't remember it being stressful for either of us, but perhaps if he were here to tell the story he'd remember it differently. I was not an impulsive teen, and I was always a rule follower, so those traits probably helped in the driving department. 

I live on a lake so there are many scenic drives in my daily life. The drive across this bridge just a couple miles from my house is a favorite-


4. What small habit has had a big impact on your life? 

Daily Bible Reading

Keeping a prayer journal

5. Tell us about something nice that's happened to you recently? 

The day we got home from our two-week holiday in the aftermath of a hurricane my next door neighbor brought over homemade soup and sourdough bread for dinner. So thoughtful! It was nice not to have to worry about cooking when we were jet lagged, had a mess in the yard, and a freezer to empty and clean out. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We've been enjoying our new griddle and it's a learn as you go kind of thing in terms of trying new recipes and figuring out the heat, etc. 

Hubs loves to grill so I mostly do the prep work and make any sides we're having, and he cooks the main.

 We grilled (and by we I mean he) a pork tenderloin on The Green Egg on Sunday and it was so good. 

We had about half left over so we cubed that and he made pork fried rice on the griddle. 

We used this recipe, and it was delicious! 

Hibachi-Style Griddle Pork Fried Rice  

We mostly cooked as instructed but used leftover tenderloin that had been grilled in a garlic and black pepper marinade so lots of flavor. I made the rice early in the day so it could sit in the frig all day and this is key. 

Have a great day everyone! 

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18 comments:

  1. Hi Joyce, you are blessed to live on a lake. The pictures are so nice and now I want some fried rice! We would have to have chicken since my husband can't eat pork. Enjoy the rest of you week.

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  2. I realized when I saw your pretty pictures of the lake that I forgot to answer about a favorite scenic drive- there are none around here that are as pretty as yours, lol. Your pork fried rice pictures look good- I will check out that recipe. I have only made shrimp and chicken fried rice. I enjoy those quite a bit so I am sure I would like the pork recipe. I have heard that about the rice- to make it earlier in the day. I have made mine earlier but not hours earlier. I will have to try that. Have a great day and don´t forget to eat your apple :). Thanks for the link up!

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  3. Have you made smash burgers yet on your griddle? Our son makes them on his blackstone and they are so good!

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  4. That griddle stir fry looks amazing! I learned to make really good fried rice from a student video over the pandemic. Lol! I have thought about getting a Blackstone and my sis has one. Fun questions today!

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  5. I think it would be cool to own a griddle top thing like that but then I'd have to figure it out because my husband probably is not the guy for that. He'll make the burgers and steaks though. Nice bridge pics!

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  6. What a thoughtful neighbor you have! Love the griddle addition to your outdoor cooking. It was fun to steam clean the huge griddle when I helped cook burgers for high school camp! Your fried rice looks very professional...yum! Enjoy discovering new recipes for the griddle! Your bridge views are beautiful. Permits at 17!? I'm old enough that I got a license the day I turned 16! I totally forgot about driver's ed which was part of our curriculum. YES...October is racing to the finish line! Yikes.

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  7. The fried rice looks delicious! That was so kind of your neighbor to bring you food when you returned from your vacation. Thanks for hosting!

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  8. Good for you eating apples. I do know that sometimes it is hard to pick out nice firm ones at the store. I do like that list and will try to work on it. I definitely need to start eating more apples. Yes, I did that behind the machine in high school. I do remember Mark teaching Adam in an empty parking lot on a weekend and a crow wouldn't move and he hit him. Definitely bothered Adam. Because of that he is a very cautious driver. Those photos are beautiful. I would like to start a daily journal of happiness. I'm always so down. What a sweet neighbor you have. Your meal looks delicious. Amber and Dylan recently bought a flat top grill but are waiting until they move into a house they bought to use it. Enjoy your day!

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  9. Oh, the pork fried rice looks scrumptious! I sure remember those films they showed in Drivers Ed .. amazing what stays with you all these years later. (Remember, "Stale green" traffic signal?)

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  10. Your meal looks delicious! Kinda nice having your own hibachi. Is Hubs going to work on his knife skills and entertainment fun? :)

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  11. So nice and thoughtful of your neighbor to provide a meal for you. The rice looks so yummy!!

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  12. I am the same with apples; I love them all and in just about all ways too. Though I use Cortland apples for baking. That Guy Who Grills has lots of Blackstone griddle recipes (https://thatguywhogrills.com/). Your fried rice looks yummy!

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  13. Beautiful photos, the rice looks good, I do like fried rice a lot

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  14. I love your lake views! I hope you guys had an easy cleanup from the hurricane! How sweet of your neighbor to think of you. We didn't have driver's ed in school but we did attend classes. Thanks for hosting!

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  15. I love your lake view! I might even be okay with driving on a bridge if the drive was a scenic one like that. ;-) All your grilled food looks delicious!

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  16. When I learned driving a car, there were not many households who had a car, it was not so far from WWII and cars were far too expensive. When I was in the States in 1971 everybody had a car the difference of life was enormous ! Today it's almost the same ! Each household has one to three or more cars and the streets are packed !

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  17. I remember drivers head was part of the school curriculum which was nice because holy cow, it's expensive now. That was so kind of your neighbors. I love the griddle...I really would like something like that.

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