Get to know you Monday--Jenny Stanger

Today we are getting to know Jenny Stanger

1. Do you prefer chocolate or vanilla ice cream?

Neither. I must have chocolate chip mint and if there is a brownie you can throw into it then I have died and gone to heaven. Mint and chocolate is deeply satisfying, yet refreshing. I went to school at BYU-Hawaii and after finishing my finals each semester or accomplishing something great I would treat myself to a large mint chocolate chip waffle cone from the Seasider on campus. I remember licking as fast as I could to keep the ice cream from dripping on my
fingers once I went outside the Seasider with my prize. There is nothing like eating a mint chocolate chip ice cream cone in Hawaii.

2. When you have an hour of free time, what do you like to do?

I love to connect with friends or make something delicious to share with my family. I also love to Zumba, play the guitar, read, be outdoors and paint.

3. What is the strangest food you ever ate?

When I was 19 I spent a year in mainland China. During the New Year festival I jumped on a train and traveled to visit several Chinese friends home towns. One dear Chinese friend of mine named Yong Bo had me stop in his home town just before I headed back to Xi'an. He told
me the train was to let me off at his home town around 3 in the morning and it was such a short stop I was to climb out the train window as fast as I could into his families arms. Boy was I was
nervous about missing the stop! Luckily I was able to stay awake and the train stopped long enough so I was able to walk off. I think the word spread quickly that there was a foriegner on the train. All though no one spoke English, Chinese men were ever so helpful and made
sure I got off on the right stop. The following day my friend Peter showed me around his village and their specialty was fried cicada bugs. They are beetles with large pinchers. They fry them up like we do popcorn and then serve them stacked 100 high on a plate. At first I was nervous
the pinchers would get caught in my throat...so I would only eat the back, but then I realized it was safe and we ate them all up. My dear friends spent money on me when they had so little, so I had to eat the beetles with a gracious smile.

4. Are you a 'morning' or 'night' person?

Definitely a night person especially in the Winter. From early morning on I am taking care of 4 little kids and my husband who is a big kid so I look forward to 7:30pm when I can put everyone to bed and have some time to myself. I love to read late into the night and often have to force myself to turn off the light so I can be a happy mom the next day.

5. Would you rather take pictures or be in pictures?

Take pictures. In fact I need a new hard drive to store all the pictures and videos I have taken. When I see something beautiful I cannot rest until I capture it to keep forever. If I miss it takes me days to get over or months. I'm still sick about a gorgeous rainbow I missed last year after a rain storm near our house. It was the most beautiful rainbow I have ever seen. I really hate to see myself in pictures or on t.v. I am definitely my worst critic.

6. Are you a collector of anything?

Yes and no. I frequently de-junk my house and take pictures of all my kids special projects and love letters so I don't have to keep stacks of papers around. The one think I am starting to collect is a piece of jewelry from where ever we travel. I have jade bracelets from China, a very beautiful pearl from Hawaii, a large silver and turquoise ring from Can Cun and several crystal bracelets from the Philippines.

7. Do you have any celebrity crushes?

Hmmmm...nope. I'm infatuated with my husband.

8. What color shoes are you wearing?

I'm currently in socks. My biggest pet peeve is to have cold so I'm most often in soft white ankle socks while at home. Tomorrow I will be wearing my new tan leather high-heeled boots that I bought on black Friday. I love them, they make me feel classy and beautiful.

9. What are you favorite smells?

Pine trees, plumeria flowers freshly picked, coconut scented sun tan lotion and a salty sea breeze.

10. What book are you reading now?

I just finished the most romantic love story I have ever read. Shackles of Honor by Marcia Lynn Mcclure. It was breathtakingly beautiful. I felt as if I were experiencing meeting my husband and falling in love with him all over again as I read. Every page was so delicious to read. Marcia Lynn Mcclure has the talent of sucking you into another world and making you feel emotions just as if you were the main character.

WHY I WRITE
I write because I love food and I love to share great recipes. I also believe that having a daily family meal strengthens family relationships. I hope to encourage families everywhere to make it a priority to eat together daily. We like to play a game at dinner called "high, low". We go around the table and each say the best thing that happened to us and the worst thing that day. This game really helps us connect and reflect on the good and bad things that happened that day.