A Liebster? For me?

So, it seems that I've been tagger for a Liebster Award! It makes me feel pretty special, especially because I hardly ever post. But I'm going to do a special one for you today and hope this helps fuel the fire to keep this thing going from now on.

So the Liebster is a good way to learn about other blogs and bloggers and to let others know a little about yourself too. It seems to have morphed over the past few years to have several variations, but basically the gist is this: a blogger (me) is tagged in a post from another blogger and answers the questions then passes on the award to other blogs they follow.

Thanks to Misty from Two Broke Bruces for tagging me in this!

Misty's Questions to the Nominees

1. What is your all time favorite TV show?

2. What is the worst job you've ever had?

3. What is the messiest room in your house?

4. Do you play any musical instruments?

5. What book are you reading right now or what's the most recent book you've read?  Is it/was it any good?

6. Are you a cat or a dog person? 

7. If you won the lottery, what are the first 5 things you would do with your winnings?

8. What's the best vacation you've ever been on?

9. What's your biggest pet peeve?

10. If money was no object, and you could do anything for a living just for pure enjoyment, what would you do?

11. What's your specialty...i.e. what's the best dish or meal that you make? (Feel free to share your recipe) :o)

My Answers

1. All time favorite TV show is 24. I still love Jack Bauer and periodically watch the series on Netflix.

2. I worked a a call center for AT&T we always had to try to up-sale our clients on the calls. I think that's dumb and it made the job really stressful.

3. Our bedroom. Probably because I dump all the junk from the other rooms in there when I "clean".

4. I used to play the clarinet, but I sold it when we moved to Hickory and now I wish I hadn't.

5. I have two books open right now You Matter More than You Think by Dr. Leslie Parrott and Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst I am really enjoying the first one-when I pick it up. I don't do a lot of reading during the school year, so I've been working on this one since October. The second book is pretty good so far, but it's about how our relationship to food affects our spiritual life. It may be one of those necessary, but not enjoyable reads.

6. Yes! I like cats and dogs. Although at the moment, my cat is trying to force me to pet while I'm typing this. Not cool, Baxter!

7. 1) Adopt a child from Ghana 2) Take my family on a trip overseas 3) Build a community health center 4) Build a house with a MASSIVE, Pinterest-style craft room 5) Go back to school

8. Anything low-key at the beach. Think Topsail in early April or N. Myrtle after the summer crowds are gone.

9. Kids running around in public unsupervised. That's how you end up on the news, people!

10. If I could do anything, I would open up 2 community health centers. One here in NC and one overseas- maybe Kenya or Uganda. They would serve a training places for doctors, social workers and counselors and would be a place where people in the community could work on a holistic approach to health. I'd travel several times a year, and spend the rest of my time at home crafting and hanging out with my family.

11. Ray's not around for me to ask if I have a specialty. I like to make baked Ziti.

Here's the "Recipe"

-Cooked ziti noodles- not too done, use about a pound and a half of dry noodles if you're making a 9x13 size  pan.
-Your favorite sauce. I like Bertolli's brand marinara.
-ground beef or Italian sausage (optional)
-provolone cheese slices
-shredded mozzarella cheese
-16 oz. sour cream

Brown your ground beef and or sausage. I like to use half and half and I always mix in a little garlic and diced onion.

Oil your baking dish and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Layer: noodles, meat, sauce, sour cream and sliced provolone. Finish with sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese. 

Bake until sauce cheese is golden brown and bubbly.

It's one of my favorites because you can add in things or make changes really easily. Gluten free pasta, low fat sour cream use ground turkey instead of beef. Sometimes I use frozen spinach and black olives and artichoke hearts instead of meat. 

Well, there you have it! 

Now to pass on the award...

Unfortunately, I only follow a handful of blogs and the only two blogs I follow with fewer than 200 followers are Two Broke Bruces and Confessions of an Imperfect Mom. One of the rules is that you can't tag back...

So, congratulations Abby! You've been nominated for a Liebster Award!