Sunday, February 13, 2011

The City of Murals

Aka...Steubenville, OH.  But I'd like to call this part of Ohio, the city of churches.  As I was driving through the heart of Steubenville, I passed one church after another.  I could not believe how many churches were in this one small area, and they weren't just average buildings of worship.  They were beautiful pieces of architecture.

Many of the churches no longer hold services, but still stand along the streets and attract the eyes of visitors as well as those who call this area home.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Tantalizing Tastebuds

How do you acquire a taste for something?  Acquiring an acceptance for a taste you previously detested is an interesting concept.  Do you expose yourself to that taste until you begin liking it?  Or do you one day all of a sudden begin to like the taste you once could do without tasting ever again?  Personally, I think it is a mixture of both.

COFFEE:  Most kids absolutely hate coffee.  I remember being one of those kids who just could not understand how my grandmother could drink multiple cups of the stuff in a single morning!  But then, it did not take long before I asked my grandmother to let me try a cup of my own.  And you know what I did...?  I put about two spoonfuls of sugar and about a fourth of a cup of half and half into my Minny Mouse coffee cup!  That was the moment when I became a coffee drinker, but did not become a regular coffee drinker until college.  But throughout high school, I would occasionally drink a cup of coffee with my grandmother and my mother.  But I noticed the difference on how they prepared their coffee.  My grandmother was a cream and sugar lady.  Whereas, my mother drank her coffee black!  I took a sip out of my mom's cup one day and almost had to spit it back in.  I criticized my mom and constantly asked her how could she possibly drink it like that!  Well I guess as a 16 year old girl, I spoke too soon because six years later, I now drink my coffee...BLACK.

SUSHI is another item most people develop an acquired taste for.  It seems to be a trend that people experiment with sushi when they go to college.  You begin with cooked sushi rolls.  Then move on to the "real" stuff, which is sashimi.

BEER...Natural Light aka "Natty Light" and Keystone...no wonder I developed a hatred for beer.  I found out quickly that I enjoyed mixed drinks more than beer.  But that suddenly all changed when I began experiencing the tastes that microbrews had to offer.  This past weekend, I went to the 15th annual Central New York Brewfest held at the New York State Fairgrounds.  This was my second time in attendance.  About 60 breweries were there.  The winner this year for the best beer in my opinion was brewed by Wells, and it was the Banana Bread beer.  This beer tasted and smelled just like banana bread, but at the same time was not overbearing.  But what was overbearing was when they added their Double Chocolate Stout, which they said made the beverage into a Banana Split beer.  Now that was one taste I have not acquired a liking for...yet!!