This month’s Tell Me About Your Town theme (with Amanda @ Amanda Moments) is…regional foods! Are there any quirky or weird things that locals eat in your area? What foods are super popular? What can you get in your town that you can’t anywhere else? Do any foods define your state?
I will default to Lewisburg, WV, because most of California is such a hodgepodge of diversity that I don’t think there’s any one “regional” food there. (…In N Out…?)
- Pizza/pepperoni rolls (After living here for 2.5ish years, it’s probably a little blasphemous that I still haven’t tried these)
- Venison jerky (My neighbor shot a deer and made me dinner + jerky with it!)
- Buckwheat pancakes (Oh, Easter Sunday breakfasts…)
- Ramps (I still haven’t tried these yet, but they’re like a super-potent onion-garlic combo! Eat one raw and no one will want to speak to you for a week.)
- Pawpaws (Also courtesy of my neighbor! These are rare, and I only got to try it because he brought them from home–they’re like a cross between banana + mangoes, and are found in the forests of super-rural Appalachia. Truth be told, I’d love to have pawpaw trees in my future backyard, but not so sure if that’s going to be possible. :'( )
We had a Wilderness Medicine Dinner during second year that had everything from squirrel stew to venison shepherd’s pie to bear stew to cawwnbread. :O I made Fried Apples and Honey Molasses Cookies for it!
When Lewisburg held their first Fall Community Harvest Dinner to showcase locally grown + produced foods prepared by all the farmer’s market vendors before autumn ended, you better believe I was all over that!
I’ve mentioned before how amazing the food at my church is–most of my church follows a vegetarian/vegan diet, and the food they make is all sorts of amazing. <3
Breakfast from Easter Sunday!
Alright, now that I’ve assailed you with a bunch of glorious food pictures, let’s move on to Dish The Fit (hosted by Jill Conyers @ JillConyers.com, & Jessica Joy @ TheFitSwitch.org)!
Project I Am Enough
We want to encourage everyone to believe in themselves, to be confident, and to love who they are!
I’ll be the first to admit that I always feel like there’s more that I could be doing, something else that I could be improving, more that I could be accomplishing.
Even when I’m trying my hardest and doing my best, there still remains a little piece of me that tells me I could’ve done it better, so this movement is something that I can really get behind.
It’s great to always strive for better yourself and to work on self-improvement, but we also need to remember that there’s gotta be a balance!
Make sure you also celebrate the small victories and the accomplishments in your life! :]
I think this is also a great time to revisit the gratitude letters we wrote to our bodies last year! :O
I’m proud of myself for…
- How far I’ve come since I started my med school journey–I have a little over a month of third year left!
- Setting powerlifting state records in two states! Whatwhat! :O!
- Learning to turn negative situations into learning experiences
- Learning to cook! :O
- Earning two whole stripes in BJJ and a job offer from Relson Gracie himself!?!
- How much my tiny corner of the internet universe has grown, with the added bonus of all the awesome people I’ve befriended through this little blog! <3
- Managing to balance med school with having a life + staying healthy!
Share with me:
Click the image to read my other Dish The Fit posts! :]
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While I still swear by Super Duper Burger over In-n-Out, you also got to give props to some of the burritos in the Mission District. There hasn’t been one that I liked the least, as they’re all so good.
As far as “I am enough,” I can’t think like that. I mean, I reflect on where I came from, but I’m always looking at where I’m going or where I’m supposed to be at. So I’m internally battling with “you’ve done enough” and “you’re still not good enough.” When I lean towards the “you’ve done enough,” I become complacent and lazy about goals. I stop growing. However when I rage against myself in the “you’re still not good enough” mentality, I become more productive (these Google job apps aren’t going to fills themselves) and I’m motivated to be a better person or at a better state. I appreciate and thank my past transgressions/actions/experiences to help me get to where I am now, but I always feel that I have a long way to go, and so I can’t ever say that “I am enough.” I’ve said that once before some years back and I know my life would have had a different route had I not, heh.
And as long as I still see a little bit of belly fat (excess skin?) on me, I know I definitely ain’t enough, haha.
Author
I’ve never heard of Super Duper Burger, so I will withhold judgment until I actually try that. :O And yay burritos!
I definitely always feel like there’s more that I can do and more that I can improve, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with looking back on the accomplishments you’ve had in the past either and celebrating small victories. (I rarely do the latter two because like you, I’m pretty much always thinking, “But what else could I be doing to do better in this world?”) In the realm of the whole “I am enough” movement though, I think it’s more to recognize that you are enough, as you are, to be able to reach your goals/accomplish your dreams, and to remember not to discredit all the things you’ve done thus far, rather than falling into complacency and getting lazy!
Great post (as always!)
Hmmm, lets see, I live in south jersey, what we are famous for?
hoagies (for those of you unfamiliar aka subs :)
water ice
I am proud of myself for :
admitting and openly discussing my eating disorder and progress in my recovery!
Diana recently posted…UnManic Monday (Weekend UPdate edition)
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Hoagies are wonnnnnderful! I just had one the other day and adored it!
I’m super proud of you for your progress in your recovery too! <3!
great post Farrah and you are a great role model! What a example of life balance! Congrats on your achievements!
Mary Beth Jackson recently posted…Happy Birthday to me!
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Thanks so much! <3! I'm tryin' hard to be!
Chicken and waffles, sphrimp and grits, peach cobbler, fried catfish, geoargia bbq… we like things to be fried or beige lol
Susie @ SuzLyfe recently posted…The Notion of Regret : A New Perspective
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hahaha, that’s a good way to put it! :P I still have yet to try chicken + waffles! x_x
Cute post! In OC Maryland we live off of fresh seafood and the best crabs ever!
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Ahhh, I’m so jealous of your seafood! *-*
Pawpaws sounds adorable. I gotta Google this and see what it looks like.
There always remains a peice of myself telling myself that I couldve done better, but at the end of the day I gotta look back and appreciate that I gave an effort at all, because I could’ve easily not do the task!
Linda @ TheFitty recently posted…I Ran. A Half Marathon.
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They are wonderful!! If you ever get the chance somehow to try em’ out, I’d definitely recommend it! (I unfortunately haven’t seen em’ around ever. ;_; )
That’s me too, but I’m definitely trying hard to look back at what I have accomplished–at least we tried, right?!
Well I do have a lot of regional foods that I really missed when I lived in the U.S. That is not to say that I did not fall in love with some of the produce and recipes I got to taste over there. I would say that my diet right now has a cute little mix. Have you tried any spanish foods? Congrats on all your accomplishments! Myself, I proud to have met you too! :) <3
Elsie @ Sharing Healthiness recently posted…How To Turn Around Your Mindset and Never Have a Bad Workout
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Oh, Spanish foods! I’ve tried some Spanish foods, but not a ton! The one that best comes to mind is paella, and it was glorious! (Although I had to get a non-seafood one since I can’t eat seafood other than fish! :O )
<3!
Congratulations on the journey thus far – I know med school is beyond-belief levels of tough!!
Alyssa @ Renaissancerunnergirl recently posted…Decadent Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
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Thanks, Alyssa! I’ve definitely been spinnin’ the wheels on the struggle-bus, but I like to think it’ll be worth it!
OH my! All that food sounds and looks delicious. I’m trying to think of what regional foods we have here in Virginia. I really can’t think of any. boring.
Jen K recently posted…What a weekend!
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I’ve only ever been to Charlottesville, Roanoke, and Zion Crossroads, but my impression of VA was that it had a lot more food diversity (like CA)! :D
You’ve definitely got so many things to be proud of! I am impressed by your abilities to balance med school and the blog, in particular :) xoxo!
Jess @hellotofit recently posted…Link Love #18 and yoga soul snacks
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Thanks so much, Jess! My blog activity is probably going to dwindle this and next week, because guesssss whose life is riddled with exams left and right?!? (sigh. :'( ) I will catch up eventually!
I love all the things you’re proud of, and it’s awesome to hear you say those things, because you’re always looking ahead to what you can do, and what you’re doing to build towards your future, but it’s also awesome to look back and see how far you’ve come!!! And, those local meals look delish. They have paw paws their?! I haven’t tried one, but have wanted to ever since they referred to it in “The Jungle Book,’ when they sing The Bare Necessities. Haha!
Jessica Joy @The Fit Switch recently posted…The Day I Broke-Up With Negative Self-Talk
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Thank you! :D I’m kinda bad about stopping to look back to see how far I’ve come, so I very much appreciated this week’s theme! <3
:O!!! I never knew that they mentioned it in The Bare Necessities! I'll have to give that song a listen again! :] Pawpaws are delicious! I need to plant some trees of em' everywhere! *-*
I LOVE venison jerky! My dad used to go hunting and we had family friends that made jerky! So tasty! Pittsburgh is known for perogies and putting french fries on everything (mainly sandwiches and salads) haha!
Also, turning negative situations into learning experiences is so important! I’ve been trying to work more on seeing the good sides in all situations!
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hahaha, I’ve never heard of french fries in salads, but I’ve seen it in burritos in California, and in sandwiches in New Jersey! :P
Agreed! It can be hard, but changing your perspective on a negative experience can make such a big difference!
Such a fun idea! I grew up in Washington, but the only thing that is very Washingtonian are certain fruits like apples & huckleberries. With that said, huckleberry shakes & pancakes are very much so a NW mountain thing. I currently live in Utah & they have specific foods that are very Utah or Mormon-maybe those are the same tho! haha: fry sauce, funeral potatoes (a rich, heavy potato gratin-served at funerals), & green jello (there was even a green jello Olympic pin made during the 2002 SLC Winter Olympics).
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Huckleberries! I’ve never had those! :O I’m going to be in Washington for a wholeeee 2 weeks later on this year, so I’ll have to see if I can try em’!
Funeral potatoes sounds so morbid, haha. :x I think it’s really awesome learning about different regional foods! :D (If I had it my way, I’d go on a cross-country food adventure road trip. <3 )
Where I’m from (Alabama) pulled pork barbecue is really popular. There’s one by a restaurant called Full Moon that’s so,so,so delicious!
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Ah, pulled pork. It always looks so good, but I unfortunately can’t eat it. I discovered a couple years ago that there’s a such thing as pulled chicken though! <3 <3 Twas a glorious discovery!
Oh gosh I should have put venison in my list too! With all the hunters in this area and so many deer, venison is a popular local meat for sure. I don’t prefer it — too dry for me. Pawpaws sound amazing though!!
Thanks for linking up! And for sharing all these amazing food pictures!
Amanda recently posted…Regional Foods: Tell Me About Your Town
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I like deer jerky and whatever it was that my neighbor made for me was super awesome + not dry (may have been the tenderloin). I have no idea how to prepare it on my own though.
Thanks for hosting! :] This was such a fun topic!
I am not too adventurous when it come sot food so I will be honest with you…the vegetarian stuff sounds so much better than squirrel stew! I need to step out of my comfort zone and try some new things I think. Thanks for joining us this month!
Anne recently posted…Tell Me About Your Town: Regional Foods
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Well, you really aren’t missing out on much with the squirrel stew! I liked the vegetarian stuff more too, although the venison was really good! :O
Looking back at the gratitude letters is brilliant Farrah! We shared an appreciation for ourselves that sometimes we forget. Pure awesomeness shared!
#fitfamlove xoxo
jill conyers recently posted…I Am Enough
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Agreed! :D It’s easy to forget sometimes, so having that reminder is awesome!
Managing med school and maintaining your blog is a seriously a major accomplishment! You’re an inspiration!
Hometown eats? I was born in Jersey and we are well known for our fat cats. A sandwich filled with everything from mozzarella sticks and french fries to falafel balls. Truly insane and I’m almost embarrassed to admit how many I’ve eaten lol
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Thanks, Pragati! <3
Ah, Jersey!! I was there for 1 year (well, actually just 9 months, but close enough!), and I definitely remember the grease trucks and their "fat sandwiches!" I told myself I'd try one, but never ended up doing it because I found the perfect anti-grease truck instead! :P
Oh, we’ve got the Chicago style deep dish pizza–you can’t match it anywhere!
Wendy@Taking the Long Way Home recently posted…Appreciation: I am enough
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I still need to try that at some point in life! I suppose a good start would be finding a time to go visit Chicago! *-*
Squirrel Stew, LOL that is awesome! You know not a lot of people could say they have had that:)
When I tell you about the regional foods in my area, you’ll probably cringe as they are no where near as refined as some of the things you listed:)
We are famous for fry sauce here, ya I know.. LOL.. Cheesy Potatoes and various Jello salads, Ya I know another *cringe* on your part!
But we also do have some of the most divine and yummy breads, here. I am a huge fan of Great Harvest Breads:)
At least one that one probably didn’t send a cringe, LOL
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hahaha, definitely not! People can make food outta anything here! :P
Those breads sound alllll sorts of awesome! What exactly is fry sauce? I’ve heard of it before, but will likely have to Google it (the first thing that came to mind was sauce for potato fries, but that doesn’t sound bad, so I’m guessing that’s not it!).
Venison jerky is a big thing around here too during hunting season and I have gone 25 years refusing to try it and I will be okay if I don’t ever try that “delicacy”
Kati Rose recently posted…The Thrill is Gone
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Yeah, there are certain delicacies that I’d definitely be completely okay with never trying too!
The food at your church looks amazing! LOVE that!!!
And yes, it’s so hard to believe in ourselves. There’s always that voice in our ear telling us we’re not enough… I remember it being there since childhood. I guess if it’s been there for a while, it’ll take time to break up with it. Creating awareness is key so I’m loving all these posts!
Lori Musselman recently posted…I AM Enough and So Are YOU! You just don’t know it yet.
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I adore the food at my church! :D
It definitely is! I’m loving all the posts too–changing our mindsets and staying positive really does make a huge difference! :] It’ll definitely take time, but it’ll be worth it!
I would totally devour some Buckwheat pancakes right about now! I never heard of Paw Paws, looking them up right now.
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They’re both so wonderful! I’m kinda craving breakfast food right now too!
I know what you mean about writing about California. I mean sure we have the best Mexican food outside of Mexico ( and we are spoiled rotten having ripe avocados year round) but it’s hard to explain a region cuisine to none Californians.
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Very true, and ahhhhhh, those avocados. <3 I miss them so much! They're so expensive out here! :[
You are amazing, Farrah!! :) Loved this post!
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Thanks, Melanie! <3
I think I’ve had venison jerky a few times–a lot of my uncles hunt, one year I remember having a venison roast for Christmas dinner! Never had a “pawpaw” or “ramp” though–those are new concepts to me! When we move I should post about some of Malaysia’s local foods. ShenZhen doesn’t have much in the way of truly local food since it is famously the city of immigrants, though some native GuangDong province dishes are definitely found here.
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Ooo, I hope you do! :D I’d love to read more about it! I don’t know that I’ve ever really tried any Malaysian foods–I’d love to read about it (and live vicariously through you, har har)! :O