Cheese.
As a child, I could only tolerate mild cheddar in a casserole or macaroni. When I saw siblings nonchalantly slicing off a chunk and popping it straight I grimaced; who would want that stinky piece of squish in their mouth? Maybe I just didn't like the taste of strong/pungent food, or maybe I had aversion to dairy in general (it took me 25 years to enjoy cottage cheese), but it wasn't until a few years ago that I really started to appreciate cheese. I have to hand it to my sister, Ginny, for introducing me to gouda - one of the first cheeses I could eat simply by itself, an added bonus being that it's a goat cheese so I favored those varieties earlier on. Then, years later, came the Pixton's - with their sharp Irish cheddars and awesome devotion to cheese plates, I was able to safely explore the realm and wonder that is fine cheese.

And now I must say I'm becoming a stalwart fan of dropping a little dough on a fine cheese. Gruyere, Brie, Stilton, simple locally-produced Farmers goat cheese... I look forward to these treats more than I do chocolate these days. (I know! Shocker! I used to be such a chocolate snob I'd travel 20 minutes out of my way just for a truffle sold at one particular shop. One truffle.) This week's selection: a goat cheese crafted in Bend, OR., Brie, blueberry Stilton and lemon peel Stilton. The farmers cheese I actually had a few days ago and had to go back for more.