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The Art of Culinary Discovery: 9 Reasons to Embark on a Cooking Journey

Our food and our cooking are things that are important to us for countless reasons. When we were growing up, we were fed so we could get nutrition. We needed food so we could become bigger and stronger.

Photo by Devon Rockola from Pexels As we were eating whatever food at some point we watched someone cooking. It could’ve been your mom fixing something simple. Your sibling putting something into the microwave. You might have been out somewhere and remember seeing that person packing up something at the grocery. Maybe you were at a friend’s house and saw their parent making something you had…

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The Individual Who Ignites Your Potential

We struggle to find motivation and the value of finding a mentor or being a role model for someone else is important. It's time to find that mentor or to find your motivation for your growth.

In our lives, we generally feel a need for connections. That need to build something that will make us look forward and not look back. We try to make sure we are doing the right thing. The thing is, what if that’s just in your head? What if that desire is inside of you, but you can’t get it out? You have hopes and dreams, but you aren’t getting anything done. Do you struggle to do anything? How…

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The Running List of Restaurant Opening in Vancouver, WA USA

Uncover downtown Vancouver's allure with five captivating new spots. Tea, banh mi, beer, wine, and divine cocktails converge, offering an unrivaled urban experience. Your cravings meet their match here.

Photo by Tim Mossholder from Unsplash Some come and some will go, that’s the way the restaurant world works in a lot of places. Vancouver, especially downtown Vancouver is no different. In my article about Restaurants closing in downtown Vancouver, there are several that had been around for a little bit but closed for whatever reason. With the closing of some spots, that means, new businesses…

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The Running List of Vancouver, WA’s Restaurant, Bar, and Coffee Shops, and More Closures

In Vancouver, WA, recently several places have closed. If you look for information on who, what, and why, it’s not always that easy to find. Welcome to that list. This is the Vancouver, WA list of restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and more that have closed

Everything has to come to an end, those are words we are all very familiar with. Unfortunately, in the restaurant world that means closed spaces. In turn that leaves communities with fewer choices on where to spend time. In Vancouver, WA, recently several places have closed. If you look for information on who, what, and why, it’s not always that easy to find. Welcome to that list. This is the…

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My Thanksgiving Recap

I pulled off my first and most likely last Thanksgiving meal. The food is fun, but everything else is stressful and I can do without it.

Photo by Author The holiday came and then it went.  I made it through making a full Thanksgiving dinner.  It was interesting, I can’t say that it was fun.  Just that it was interesting. I obviously didn’t post a daily recap like I hoped.  I got to a point every night where I wanted to sleep rather than trying to come up with coherent thoughts.  Of course, on the actual day, I put out so much…

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The Best Thanksgiving Guide

It's time to get your Thanksgiving plan going, so you will have a low stress day. Check out some of my helpful tips.

Photo by Brad West on Unsplash The day is coming, oh the day is coming.  It’s almost Thanksgiving and I don’t know if I’m excited, apathetic, or just ready for it all to be over. My Thanksgiving is going to be different.  I’m taking on the big task of cooking the dinner and all the fixing myself.  Why am doing this?  The first word that might come to your mind is insanity, which I probably…

[jkthomas83]

11 Of The Best Things I Learned While Living and Traveling in Europe

During all of my trips that happened from about November 2018 to July 2019, I realized and learned things I think I knew years ago. What proceeds are what I think are the 11 best things that will be helpful to some, while some will say, yea, duh.

Photo by the Author Jacob K Thomas Disclaimer: The Site may contain links to affiliate websites, and we receive an affiliate commission for any purchases made by you on the affiliate website using such links. The time was coming upon me, I knew my time was short.  How short, no idea.  I just knew I needed to keep in mind, things were going to be changing. In late 2018, a lot was going on, my…

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Why I've Stopped Drinking

I was talking to a friend of mine who was expecting his first child. He told me he was doing Dry January because he had drunk enough in December, not to mention he wanted to be...

Photo by Sergey Galushko from Dreamstime.com Disclaimer: The Site may contain links to affiliate websites, and I will receive an affiliate commission for any purchases made by you on the affiliate website using such links. I was talking to a friend of mine who was expecting his first child. He told me he was doing Dry January because he had drunk enough in December, not to mention he wanted to…

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Get Your Moscow Mules On

Oh the Moscow Mule, you know the drink, right? Ginger beer, vodka, and some lime. That's it, that's the recipe. Thanks for stopping by, we'll see you next time. OK, there is a little bit more to this.

Photo by Reyhan Meral from Pixabay NOTE: The Site may contain links to affiliate websites, and we receive an affiliate commission for any purchases made by you on the affiliate website using such links. Oh the Moscow Mule, you know the drink, right? Ginger beer, vodka, and some lime. That’s it, that’s the recipe. Thanks for stopping by, we’ll see you next time. OK, there is a little bit more to…

[jkthomas83]

2021 Goals from the Annual Review

I was happy to do my annual review, so I could to go back and look at my life during 2020. I should also say that I’m happy to just be writing the follow up to the last post. My biggest issue most of the time is...

I was happy to do my annual review, so I could to go back and look at my life during 2020.  I should also say that I’m happy to just be writing the follow up to the last post.  My biggest issue most of the time is follow through.  I have recently thought about the ideas I have come up with and never followed up on.  I’ve wondered what it would be like if I had a type A personality.  I just have…

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Looking back and looking forward, My Annual Review

In 2017 I created a post where I went over my resolutions for 2016. It was a good post, if I say so myself, where I had 13 resolutions for the year. I achieved 9 of my resolutions. It was a good year and I was really proud of myself for those things.

In 2017 I created a post where I went over my resolutions for 2016.  It was a good post, if I say so myself, where I had 13 resolutions for the year.  I achieved 9 of my resolutions.  It was a good year and I was really proud of myself for those things.  I also had hoped I would’ve done another good list and just kept it going.  In reality, as I generally like to say, “Life happened.” There was…

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What do you need

I asked a few friends for some things they were cooking or buying. I was so happy when a few got back to me. With that, let's look at what they were doing. I hope everyone is inspired to examine their habits.

During this lockdown, self-quarantine, self-isolation, stay at home time. I’ve done a lot of interesting things. I’ve decided I wanted to relearn a few things. I’ve cooked, a lot. Boy have I cooked a lot.

I’ve also not gained a lot of weight, yes, I’ve maintained a reasonable weight during this threesix month time. I get up every morning, get on the scale, and just hope. Thankfully even…

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Gin Watermelon Basil Smash

Wait, it's September, which means summer is coming to an end? Even though the summer might be coming to a close, it doesn't mean we can't enjoy a great summer cocktail. During the summer I generally have two things around....

Wait, it’s September, which means summer is coming to an end? Even though the summer might be coming to a close, it doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy a great summer cocktail. During the summer I generally have two things around, some watermelon in my frig and some fresh basil that I’m growing on my balcony or somewhere in my apartment. My favorite drink is a Gin Basil Smash, which I was introduced to…

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Figuring all of this out

Where do we start? How do we start? Do we even bother to start? What are these questions and what is the point of these things? I'm not really sure what to tell you.

Where do we start? How do we start? Do we even bother to start?

What are these questions and what is the point of these things? I’m not really sure what to tell you. The events of the last several months have made a lot of us think and wonder about the world we live in. People are getting fired, they are quitting, you even have brands and companies rethinking various positions that have been…

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Living through a crisis

Living through a crisis

You walk in and you see empty shelves. You know that you had been hearing about people buying up certain things, but you think, nah, can’t be that bad. You walk into the market, OK, someone is wearing a mask. That other person is wearing gloves, latex gloves.

Let me walk over to the paper isle. I came in here for toilet paper, I’m down to a roll. OMG, it’s real! People are actually buying…

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6 Month Back in the States, Oh My!

6 Month Back in the States, Oh My!

It’s been 6 months since I’ve movedfrom Stuttgart.  It has been a mixed bag of feelings for me to be here.  Living on the West coast of America has been different.  The first reason some might think is kind of stupid, but I find it kind of interesting, especially after living in Europe for 8 years.  I feel like I have more time to do things.  I don’t know if it’s because I don’t have friends.  I…

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A New Adventure Ahead

A New Adventure Ahead

It was March 15, 2011, getting ready for my flight to Stuttgart, Germany. The start of the year had been so much on our family. My granddad passed away in January. It was a real shock. This was the first time that a really close love one had died. My grandparents raised me, so when he died, my mom, stepdad, and grandmother weren’t prepared for that.

With all of that, months down the road…