Gratitude Challenge - Day 9

10 Foods You are Grateful for:

This one is going to be so hard for me.  I really love food so narrowing it all down to just 10 should definitely be a challenge.  Maybe I will have to put in a few extras or do big groups of food for some things.

1. Fruits - If I had to pick an overall favorite I would choose fresh raspberries (has to be fresh).  Mmmm.  But I also really love strawberries and blueberries (only fresh blueberries though -- something about the texture of frozen blueberries icks me out) and all melons (especially cantaloupe, food poisoning risks and all, I will still eat it) peaches and pineapple.  I eat apples, bananas and oranges regularly because they are always available and always pretty good regardless of the season.  I also love mangoes, cherries and pomegranates but they are expensive and not readily available so they are definitely a treat.  I am not a fan of coconut at all.  I'm still grateful for it though because Indian food would just not be the same without coconut milk.  Oh, and we can't forget avocados or tomatoes; they are both technically fruit and I LOVE both, so I am very grateful for them.

2. Vegetables - Mmmm...vegetables.  I will never understand people who say they don't like vegetables.  I L.O.V.E. veggies.  Favorites are asparagus, broccoli, onions, zucchini, bell peppers, yellow (summer) squash, spaghetti squash, romaine/red/green/iceberg lettuce (I love salads), artichokes (fresh, not the yucky canned things), cauliflower, cucumbers and green beans.

3. Italian Food - Lasagna is probably my top favorite, but I love it all.

4. Americanized Chinese Food - I've never had PF Changs or anything like that and I hear those are more authentic Chinese.  I just like a good plate of sweet and sour chicken, fried rice and an egg roll.  I'm a big fan of moo goo gai pan, broccoli chicken or beef, lemon chicken, cashew chicken and chicken almond-ding.

5. Yogurt - No matter how much other meat and dairy I give up, I can never totally give up yogurt.  It is my indulgence.

6. Beans - The perfect protein boost for vegans, vegetarians and whatever we are (which is neither - but we definitely eat less meat than the average American.  My favorite will always be black beans but I have come to love most of them.  Chickpeas are probably at the bottom of my list, but I have even found some yummy recipes with those.

7. Chocolate - Enough said.

8. Soups - I grew up in a soup household and mine will be the same.  In fact, my mom is so pro-soup and has that so well ingrained in me that I didn't even know some people weren't soup families until I was in my early 20s!  Apparently some people don't consider soup meal-worthy.  It's like a side dish or an appetizer or something.  Not at our house.  We love minestrone, bean soups, lentil soups, taco soup, all manner of veggie soups and even some naughty ones like broccoli-cheese, cheddar chowder and zuppa toscana (homemade, of course).

9. The Almighty Cheeseburger - I will always enjoy a good, juicy (read fatty) burger decked with all the trimmings...lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, ketchup, mustard and mayo.  A good "gourmet" burger is always good too.  I love switching things up and having a Bonsai Burger from Red Robin or any other fun switch up to the traditional cheeseburger.  But really, sometimes, it's best to not mess with tried and true.

10. Bread and other Grains - I love bread and I love grains.  All sorts.  They are just delicious and I am grateful for them all.