Chilly Hodgepodge - BRRR!

 

Here are the questions to this week's Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then join us over at Joyce's blog - From This Side of the Pond.

1. I live in the south so we're pretty much only talking about the weather right now. Give us a weather report from where you live. Does the kind of weather you're having today affect your mood in some way? It is so cold in Alabama right now. We didn't get any snow or ice. We had torrential rain on Sunday with strong winds . . .and then the temp dropped. Everything did close on Monday due to the threat of black ice. It was 14 degrees when my alarm went off at 5:00 on Tuesday morning. I don't think the temp was above freezing on Monday. I know that doesn't sound cold to our friends who have negative temps right now . . .but we don't have the right clothes for this kind of weather. I only have a handful of long sleeve shirts!! The sky is blue and the sun is shining - so that is a good mood enhancer. 

2.  Avocados, kale, cauliflower and cottage cheese have all had their time to shine. 2026 brings us the year of the cabbage. Is this a vegetable you like? If so, what are some of your favorite dishes that call for cabbage?  I think it is so funny to think of "the year of the cabbage." I actually do like cabbage. I like it steamed (boiled?). I like it cooked in the crockpot with onions and kielbasa. I like using the preshredded slaw to make "eggroll in a bowl." My favorite way to eat cabbage is Asian Slaw. I make that often. It has sunflower seeds, toasted slivered almonds, green onions, toasted ramen noodles, shredded cabbage (slaw in a bag). The dressing is oil, sugar, vinegar, and the beef packets from the ramen soup.

3. Was a Cabbage Patch Doll a part of your childhood? Or maybe your children's childhood? What's a toy trend from your childhood you remember wanting for your own? My step-mother, now deceased, made us a "fake" cabbage patch doll one time. They were so cute!! I'm pretty sure that our daughter, Laura, had a cabbage patch doll but I don't remember her loving it. My childhood was long long ago haha! In hindsight, even though we didn't have a lot, I don't remember wanting something and not getting it for Christmas.

4. Something you've spent a lot of time doing lately? I know I sound like a broken record, but I have spent a lot of time doing homework. Y'all just have to hear about it until May of 2027 hahaha!

5. Somehow it's the last week of January...sum up your month in just three sentences. January 2026 has been better than January 2025. We've spent quality time with family and friends. I can't believe one month in 2026 is already over. How?

6. Insert your own random thought here! We have one trip planned for the fall - England and back to Ireland for a few days. We can't decide what other kind of trip we want to take this year. It can be difficult to plan around my work schedule plus exams. I can do homework while traveling, but exams and unreliable internet are not a good combination.