Late to the Hodgepodge

 

Yes, I'm late to the Hodgepodge.  We've been out of town for a few days, but I'm going to jump in and answer these questions from Joyce at From This Side of the Pond.   Here goes!

1. What's something you wish you had spent more time doing when you were younger? Explain. 

Hmmm ... how much younger? I wish I had spent more time keeping my home decluttered and organized so that I would not need to be tackling that task now.  I attempted it, but failed miserably.

2. Who inspires you to be better? Tell us how. 

Lots of people.   Some of my in-person friends who are clearly more generous and thoughtful than I.  My two daughters and my daughter-of-the-heart, Jenn, who are all such wonderful moms.  My friend Denise, who inspires me with every blog post that she writes.  I have also been blessed to meet Denise in person and to hear her speak at a ladies' retreat.  Writer Elizabeth George, whose books have helped me to grow spiritually and in character.  

3. Share a money saving tip with us. 

Find a supermarket that offers markdowns on produce, bakery, meat,  and deli items.  The market we most often shop at does this, as we have only recently discovered.  I got a bag of 4 vine-ripened tomatoes for only $1, and a bag of wonderful oranges (I think there were 6 in the bag) for only $1.45.  The reduced-price bananas often are barely freckled,  and I once found a bag of 3 avocados that were in perfect condition for 99¢!

4. It's National Garlic Day...are you a fan? Your favorite dish that includes garlic? 

Oh yes, definitely a fan of garlic! One of my favorite recipes that uses garlic is this one:

GARLIC LIME CHICKEN

1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup cider vinegar
6 garlic cloves, minced (or equivalent amount of jarred minced garlic)
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 Tblsp. dried coriander
2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. paprika
4 to 6 bone-in chicken breast halves
1 to 2 Tblsp. vegetable oil

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first 8 ingredients. Add chicken; seal bag and turn to coat chicken with marinade. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Discard marinade. In a nonstick skillet, heat the oil and brown the chicken on all sides. Transfer to a greased 15 x 10-inch baking pan. Bake chicken, uncovered, at 375º for 30 to 35 minutes or until the juices run clear.  (If preferred, this can also be grilled, for approximately the same amount of time.)

Yield : 4 to 8 servings 

I've shared this with the Hodgepodge before, but it's a keeper recipe if you enjoy garlic.

 5. Would you describe yourself as decisive or indecisive. Elaborate. 

In general,  I'd describe myself as decisive.  I can make decisions on fairly important matters relatively quickly, and even decisions like what to order off a menu or what to serve for a particular occasion.   I think really the only area where I tend to be indecisive is deciding what to wear, sometimes.  Other times it's easy.

One easy decision has been to spend part of our spring volunteering at The Wilds of New England, from whence this photo came, last spring.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

So thankful that my mother-in-law seems to be settling in well at the nursing home where she is currently receiving rehab.  She's getting great care and making great progress!  We went to see her last week on a beautiful day and were able to take her, and her camera, outdoors for a nice long walk around the grounds.

And that wraps up the Hodgepodge for this week!  Why not head on over to From This Side of the Pond and snag the questions to answer on your own blog?