Friday, May 20, 2011

Favourite Thing Friday

After a brief hiatus, I'm participating in Favourite Thing Friday, courtesy of my dear friend, Shay, in Adelaide, AUS. 

I freely admit that I am a little quirky.  I'm nosy.  I love to people watch.  I love to try to figure things out before people tell me.  I'm nosy in other ways, too - I love to smell things.  I know, that's kind of a weird thing to declare, but stick with me - this will hopefully get a little more normal-sounding. 

When I'm cooking, I rely on my nose instead of a recipe.  I periodically evaluate whatever I'm making by tasting and smelling to see if my dish needs additional seasoning.  I never set a kitchen timer (much to my mom's chagrin), but just rely on my nose to tell me when to check the oven. 

I do have favorite smells. 

1.  freshly ground coffee



2.  freshly laundered sheets (my personal favorite is to wash them in bleach and detergent), preferably line-dried. 



3.  horseradish



4.  sesame oil



5.  freshly ground ginger

6.  freshly ground nutmeg



7.  outside air - I love when it's warm enough to keep the windows open all night

look what snuck in and draped itself over an IKEA chair - it's Sherry!



8.  clean kids - or a clean husband - or both :)



9.  fresh limes or lemons



10. recently cut grass



What are your favorite smells?  Rob thinks I'm really weird that I love to smell things - please comment and tell me you have favorite smells, too - or I'm going to get a complex!  not really - I just love comments. 

13 comments:

  1. I, too, love smells!!! Maybe it's a girl thing! I love to smell burning leaves! I LOVE the smell of lilacs and lilies of the valley. Fresh baking bread! Laundry! Maybe one of the best is laundry that has line-dried!! A new baby's skin! Fresh-cut grass! Fresh air! Yes---clean kids and husband! Apple pie. I'm sure there are more. There is also such a psychological connection to smells! It brings back such memories!!!!

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  2. I love a good, natural smell! Like everything you've listed and then some...garden dirt, blossoming trees, clover blossoms, baby heads, pumpkin pie, line-dried anything, newly mown hay, the air after a thunderstorm. I could go on and on.

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  3. Oh I am totally with you! I love smells and rely on my nose for just about everything. The hubs laughs because I can hear all and smell like a freaking dog.

    So except for horseradish, your favorites are all in my list of favorites. I would have to add I love driving in the spring, in the country, with the windows open and smelling the growing hay and blooming lilac, honeysuckle and lavendar!

    Fresh towels.
    A clean home (basically, a smell free home!)
    Baking fruit
    Roasting foods
    Grilled meats
    Rich sauces
    ...let's just say food.


    Damn, I'm hungry, forget smells, I have to eat. :)

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  4. I'm really affected by certain smells. I love how aromas are connected to memories in our subconscious.

    Ok for me- I also love clean sheets/freshly laundered clothes that have been line dried in the sun.

    The smell of barbecue instantly transports me to summer . I love the way babies smell.What is it that makes them all smell so darn wonderful!

    Violets always remind me of my mother, cinnammon of my grandfather. I love the smell of coffee and of vanilla (I even wipe my benches with vanilla spray) I could go on and on.

    Loved this post Kirsten.Thanks for posting it and making me think about the smells I love.

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  5. I never set a timer either when I cook or bake- also to my mom's chagrin! The tress have finally bloomed in Mpls and I love smelling the lilacs in my neighborhood.

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  6. I love smells too! freshly laundered sheets are way up there and freshly ground coffee too. Great favorite!

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  7. Smells are wonderful aren't they. I love the smell of fresh coffee in the morning, the smell of my daughter's hair, clean sheets, vanilla anything, baked bread, (well most anything baked)...oh the list could go on and on! Thanks for reminding me of this!

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  8. Great post Kirsten, I have an extra keen sense of smell, like Becky.
    Out of your list I like everything except horseradish, that's yuck!
    I love frangipani, chocolate, freshly baked bread, rain, vanilla and new leather.

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  9. Smells - mmmmm! Fresh coffee, baking apples, bread and cinnamon. Night time country air or the beach at the end of a hot day.
    Just lovely.

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  10. Smells are a gift from God! There are smells that take me back to a different time and refresh memories in an instant. I remember how sweet your breath smelt when you were first born. Lilac's remind me of my 5th grade teacher ( who I was in love with) and the time I brought her lilac's in for I gift. I love the smell of lilies of the valley & they remind me of your sister Kara. I've always liked the smell of gas ( that's a little weird as well). If I had 1 favorite smell I'd have to say "Roast Chicken" cooking in the oven which brings me to tastes, but that's for another time isn't it Honey?

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  11. Fabulous favourite, Kirsten!

    The other day I was walking through a store and caught a whiff of my grandmother...Vaseline Lotion (original scent in the yellow bottle) and Baby Powder. Oh, it was wonderful! Haven't smelled that combination in years. :o)

    I love the smell of a baby's head, freshly mowed grass, and cinnamon. Mmmmm! Happy Saturday, sweet friend! :o)

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  12. new tires, the timber/wood section at Lowes, the woods in Vermont where I explored as a kid, campfires, baking cookies, hamburger and onions frying ... and many more! I depend more on my sense of smell than I do my sense of taste when cooking - which probably explains a lot.

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  13. This is why aromatherapy has been so popular I guess. Smells are wonderful! I love the smell of my children's hair when it's freshly washed especially if washed in my favourite Milkshake shampoo. A bowl of peaches in the fruit bowl on a warm evening - you can almost taste them. I love the smell of petrol. Lemon balm & thyme on a warm day. Tea tree oil & eucalyptus to make you feel clean & fresh or neroli & orange blossom for a pick me up. Freshly baked bread, coffee (even though I rarely drink it these days!). I even love the smell of my chickens! Pomegranate Noir perfume by JO Malone.....fabric conditioner, the list is endless :)

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