Special thanks to Mary Allison, blogger at The Makeshift Revolution (which happens to be the best new blog of the year, in my humble opinion) for giving me the Happy 101 Award. The rules are simple…I need to tell you about 10 things that make me happy. I’ve decided to make it all food-related, since that’s a large percentage of the things that make me happy in life, anyway!

1. Sticky rice with mango. My mother-in-law introduced me to this out-of-this-world Thai dessert. We used to make it ourselves at home, but then we ran out of sticky rice and have yet to find more in Memphis. Until last night. We got to go out on our first date in months (thanks, Crissy and Stash!) and we went to Jasmine, a fabulous jewel of a restaurant that we somehow missed until now. And we had sticky rice with mango. And I just about died from the joy of it.

2. French onion soup. But it has to be done right. I want it in a beautiful dish with loads of yummy cheese on top and the onions cooked just so. This is something that I have never been successful at creating at home, but on occasion I can find it at a restaurant and I love it!

3. Big fat yeast rolls, smothered in honey butter. I used to eat these at a restaurant named Quincy’s in the area where I grew up. It isn’t there anymore, but oh man I remember those big fat yeast rolls. Their commercials had dancing yeast rolls (at least that’s how I’m remembering it).

4. Ben’s cookies. When I studied in Oxford for a summer I would go every single day after classes and get a cookie. I remember that they were pricey. I also remember that I gained 10 pounds that summer. Totally worth it. If I could order them and have them shipped to the states, I would. And I’m cheap, so that should tell you something.

5. Boiled peanuts. I can understand why anyone who wasn’t raised on these would think that they are slimy and gross, but I could eat my weight in boiled peanuts in one sitting.

6. Peanut M&M’s. Leslie and I ate an entire bag of these in one sitting once in college. The big bag.

7. Macaroni Grill. Hands down the best Italian food chain restaurant out there!

8. Dairy Queen chicken sandwich. It’s been a few years since I’ve had one of these, but holy crap they are delicious! So are DQ fries, by the way.

9. Andes mints. The perfect size. The perfect flavor. If you ever visit my house, leave one on my pillow and you will make my week!

10. Lane cake. This was the specialty of my mother’s mother, and it is still the cake of choice for me on my birthday. Whiskey in the frosting? Yes, please!

What about you? What do you like to eat???