So last night as you all know I decided to make manicotti-new recipe of course because as you all know I never use the same recipe twice. So I have to say in general the manicotti recipe was ok...nothing to celebrate or brag about...although I did like the fact that it had a white and a red sauce...definitely an idea I will remember for next time. However, it also had ground beef in it and I think Italian sausage would have been better to give it more of a kick. It also had ricotta and parmesan cheese and I am a huge mozzarella fan so its absence was definitely missed by me. It did have spinach in it which helped to quell the guilt of the cream sauce and cheese, yet I think I would have traded the spinach for mozzarella and a little extra guilt.

However, the highlight of my evening came in the form of a good glass of wine and a really interesting documentary. I am currently addicted to Netflix and the fact that you can stream the movies/shows on a computer/Xbox/Wii just makes me happy as a clam....I digress briefly to say...that is the weirdest saying ever and who the hell thinks the clam is the happiest animal ever...just saying.

My BFF and I watched The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia http://wildandwonderfulwhites.com/ (thanks Cec for the recommendation). And I truly have to recommend it as it gives us all a glimpse into a world that is not rich with amazing food, wine and friendships. Oh sure the documentary is all about relationships but it shows a world in which desperation, lost dreams and drugs are a lifestyle for generation after generation. The documentary shows a different society however it exists here in our glorious country. It shows us all an existence that is simple but tragic. Too often I have found in my own life that I am driven by goals, accomplishments and success. And this documentary made me think and feel oh so thankful for living a life in which I was allowed to have dreams, that I was allowed to have independent thoughts and actions and for an environment and nurturing which allowed me to grow, develop and flourish. This documentary made us laugh and made us cry (ok that may have partially been due to the wine), but truly it also made us take a moment to think of and thank our families for giving us our childhoods and a life that wasn't doomed from the time of our first breaths.

So I just want to take a moment to feel blessed and thankful. To relish in the fact that I was raised in a positive environment by a Mom who loved me and gave me the world. To cherish the life that I have with amazing friends and family, a stable career and the ability to follow my dreams and live life to the fullest. And finally to be thankful for the love I feel in my life and my health as this morning I attended the opening ceremonies for Relay for Life in Oxnard and as I ran my 4 miles around the track....seeing all the survivors....made my heart fill.

Sorry this blog was not all about food and wine tonight but sometimes we need to remember to stop and reflect and be thankful for what we have. These feelings and traditions are often surrounding food, however in our society we also too often wait for holidays or large events before we gather with those we love or stop and says thanks for what we have. And even during those times sometimes the true meaning of the holidays get lost in commercialism, the stress of planning the event or the chaos of the season. I remember growing up the extreme stress levels of my Mom when my bday or Xmas rolled around and it always seemed like she never got a chance to truly enjoy it because she was so busy trying to make everything perfect for her little girl. And although I appreciated every meal she made, every tradition she created and all of her hard work to make those events special I also cherish those moments even more when it was just her and I hanging out, having "talk parties" and just being mother and daughter. My father was not in the picture growing up and my Mom did an amazing job of being both parents to me, always making sure that I didn't want for anything and that I never forgot how much I was loved. She truly allowed me to experience my childhood to the fullest whether it was wearing my ballet slippers for days on end, turning my room into an airline or having tea parties that tore apart the entire kitchen she let me be carefree, use my imagination and relish in that childhood innocence and happiness that we only get to live through once.

Finally, let me say thank you to all of you who read my blog. The comments warm my heart and make me smile. This past week I had an anonymous individual post on my blog and to know that someone was reading and enjoying the words that I share touched me. This blog is definitely my labor of love and so thank you and cheers!