I can really be a strange, confusing creature!  This is true in many ways (and I’m sure my friends and family could come up with a long list) but one way which I have been pondering recently is my seemingly incongruous desires for both sociability and solitude.

My entire life I have been an outwardly social person.  I love entertaining, forming groups and making friends.  I am also a very loyal friend that prizes relationships above almost anything else.  Most of the dear moments of my life have come because of sacrifices and support of friends and family.  For instance, any success I achieved on my mission was from a combination of my own efforts, God’s will and the hard work of the people I served with and for.

To get through graduate school I relied on the work of my fellow teammates and teachers.  To thrive in college took…

Is it just me or do these shrimp make me look skinny? 🙂

I’ve mentioned on this blog that I have done cooking lessons for my sister and her friends.  I love entertaining, cooking and teaching others.  It is fun to just cook together with others.  My sister is gone to Japan but Taylor and I have kept in touch via facebook.  She asked if I could give her a lesson minus Anna and I said why not! (I told Anna that she is more than welcome to hang out with any of my friends and she laughed 🙂 ).

So we decided to make shrimp tacos with a cole slaw made with a light vinaigrette.  The shrimp was fresh from Harmons and rubbed with chili powder, cumin, cayenne, black pepper and paprika.  Then they were cooked in a cast iron skillet with a little bit of lime juice to…