Heading Home

After almost three weeks of a great time travelling, meeting new people, exploring different areas, and eating some really great food; today I begin my trek home. As a little recap, here are some food shots from this past trip...just a small sample of all the food adventures I experienced!!

Some Food From The Trip

polenta and cheese filled tomatoes with fresh peas
at a Spanish restaurant

Main course vegetarian version, salad, and soup from a
competition lunch 

dessert from a competition lunch

my favorite...eis schokolade (iced chocolate)

A Glimpse Of What I've Been Doing Lately

terrine

foam

potato

jelly

lamb

cornish hen

Passion In Work

In case you didn't realize, yesterday's post was another April Fools' Joke. It's true, I do have a great passion of all things culinary, but it is not true that I do not want to turn that passion into a career. Working with food will not destroy me nor my passion, it will further ignite it. I know it won't always be easy but I am ready for the challenge and more than willing to give it all I've got. Even after a rough day, I know this is what will make me happy. 

Some people think cooking is easy, or that it isn't a very reputable career. This could not be further from the truth. Sure, many people cook at home and do a great job of it. But cooking in an establishment is much more difficult and much different. At home, you don't have a strict timeline, an assortment of different dishes on the menu, crowds of people, paying patrons, tough critics, and the reputation of an entire business on the line. This creates a super stressful environment. On top of that, think about kitchens - sharp knives, fires, hot stoves, steam tables, large, heavy equipment, and food every where. Not the safest and easiest environment to work in. 

So then why is this such a popular career choice? It's all about the passion. Some people have such a strong passion for food, that they love their job and are happy to report to work every single day. You will notice there are some very passionate chefs out there, who have a lifetime career in the industry. There are also some not so passionate chefs, who usually don't last as long. I love food, and I love cooking, and I love everything to do with it, even working in a commercial environment. 

Seasons Greetings!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Seasons Greetings! This is the one day of the year where I really take a break from food blogging, set an automatic update, and just post a quick little message to wish everyone a great day! Enjoy time spent with loved ones, and some great feasts. Whether you opt for the traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings, or a different family tradition, something unconventional, or even a really good pizza - enjoy it along with some great desserts and great memories made with loved ones. 

PHOTO CREDIT:"images" http://www.mudgeefinefoods.com.au/category/newsletter/. Mudgee Fine Foods, n.d. Wednesdayday, December 24, 2014.

Back To The Grind

I am home again! It has been a little strange not to touch my blog for three weeks, but it was nice to have a vacation without having to worry about finding something to post about every day. I certainly am not lacking posts now though, I think I did enough eating and sight-seeing to have enough blog posts for a year! Of course I won't only blog about my trip now, I have missed baking as well so I will be sure to feature things I have made again soon. But I would also like to share my travel experiences that I did not get the chance to while I was away.

For today though, I would like to share a list of all the new, some of them exotic, foods I have tried during my trip - things I have never tasted before. I am sure most of them will be featured by themselves, with pictures, sometime in the near future. 

escargots, schnitzel, martini, foie gras, orange Cointreau, apfelschorle, lyoner sausage, Camembert cheese, soft pretzel buns, champagne, Saint Aubrey cheese, religieuse pastry, chocolate liquer, orangina, shupfnudeln, Rambol cheese, follkornbrot, spaghetti ice, ouzo, coconut foam, a real Black Forest cake, flammkuchen, moussaka, sauerkraut, ice chocolate, marzipantorte, fresh mozzarella, florentines, nudelauflauf, kartoffelkloesse, chocolate croissant. 

There may be more than this list of 31 that I am forgetting, but needless to say I am adventurous and love to try new foods when I can, especially if they are a regional special. Lots of cheese, good bread, drinks, and desserts. From this list, can you guess where I traveled? 

My New Favorite Foods

Awhile back, September 10th, 2011 actually, I made a list of my 50 favorite foods for my 50th post. I am not about to make a list of 1089 foods for my 1089th post. It just isn't practical, and I doubt anyone would want to read through that entire list. Although I definitely could name 1089 foods I like to eat, once I hit number 500 or so, they would no longer be my "favorites". Here is my newlist of 50 of my favorite foods. Lets see how they changed from nearly three years ago.

• bananas, strawberries, pineapple, raspberries, blueberries
• broccoli, spinach, zucchini, avocado, sweet potato
• peanut butter, almonds, chickpeas, tofu, eggs
• yogurt, almond milk, mousse, walnuts, sunflower seeds
• chocolate, buttercream, ganache, fudge, molten chocolate cakes
• pizza, veggie burgers, home fries, polenta, peperonata 
• couscous, quinoa, flax, oatmeal, granola
• salmon, shrimp, scallops, haddock, sardines
• dates, figs, molasses, bean salad, hummus
• muffins, cupcakes, squares, pasta, cinnamon rolls

Of course there are many, many more foods I enjoy as well, these are just some of the first that came to mind.

Best of 2013

It is the end of another year, which is a time when I like to reflect upon all of my accomplishments of the year. Below I have provided a list of my top five posts from each month. These are posts I feel were either the tastiest, the most difficult yet successful, the most popular, or the most presentable. It is no coincidence that yet again, many of them are cakes and cupcakes, which are my most impressive showpieces. Also the majority of them are desserts, mostly chocolate. I guess that is what I like to make the most!

January 2013: Chocolate Éclairs, Chocolate Cheese Coconut Pie, Link Cake, Chocolate Coffee Squares, Mini Multigrain Pitas.
February 2013: Striped Nutella Cheesecake Squares, Tomato Heart Appetizers, Big Bang Birthday Cake, Heart Shaped Auction Cake, Hot Chocolate Brownies. 
March 2013: Nutella Kissed Brownies, Chocolate Caramel Miniature Pies, Truck Flower & Heart Cupcakes, Catan Cupcakes, Easter Celebration Cake. 
April 2013: Another Big Bang Cake, Applesauce Cereal Chip Muffins, Mini Broccoli &Mushroom Quiches, Cinnamon Roll Swirl Cake, S'more Bars with Caramel Drizzle.
May 2013: Christopher's Graduation Cake, Brownie Graduation Hats, Crustless Mixed Vegetable Quiche, Zebra Cake, Blueberry Pie Bars.
June 2013: Cake #3 - Made By Me, Multigrain Crêpes with Yogurt & Fruit, Lovely Lemon Bar Cookies, Mock Apple Pie, Oreo Peanut Butter Brownie Cups.
July 2013: I was away for the entire month of July. Therefore, all my my posts are not aboutmy baking, but about food, and they are all in French. (Touts mes message sont en français!) 
August 2013: Chocolate Revel Bars, Purple Wedding Congratulations Cake, Mocha Choco Oat No-Bake Cookies, Mom's Tulip Cake, Awards 2012.
September 2013: Mini Doughnut Cupcakes, One Hour Cinnamon Rolls, Original Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, Chocolate Carrot Mini Cupcakes, Blueberry Pancakes For One.
October 2013: Education Cake, Mini Black Forest Cake - German, Mini Black Forest Cake - American, Caramel Apple Coffee Bars, Heavenly Hash Brownies, Cranberry Ribbon Loaf.
November 2013: Prinzregenten Torte, Marshmallow Reese Blondies, Falafel, Nerd Cupcakes, High Protein Bar Cookies.
December 2013: Deceptive Deep Dish Cookie Pie, Espresso Mocha Swirl Loaf, Triple Chocolate Protein Bars, Kite Cake, Plum Pudding.

My most popular posts of the year were: Big Bang Birthday Cake {February 21st}, Brownie Graduation Hats {May 7th}, Purple Wedding Congratulations Cake {August 12th}, Zebra Cake {May 19th}, and Awards 2013 {August 29th}. 
To follow these links click on the date listed after each!

New Recipes?

Lately I have been presented with a slight challenge. A baking challenge of course. I have to make something unique, different, something I have never made before; and something a bit challenging. In addition, this item needs to be healthy, and needs to be able to be prepared within a short period of time, probably about an hour or so. Along with all this, it needs to follow the criteria of being colorful, beautifully presented, nutritious, and of course, tasty. I also need to make it on a budget, with a limited number of resources in a quick-paced atmosphere. The good news? I only need to present one serving for submission, and the item can be in any category: dessert, meal, snack, etc.

The problem here, is I am having a difficult time pinpointing an item that I have never made before and would be unique and new to me, but yet it cannot be something that takes loads of time, costs a lot, or requires fancy equipment. This rules out caviar and haggis. It also needs to be healthy, which rules out a three-tiered fondant cake, or a crystallized sugar structure. The issue is, being the avid baker that I am, I have already made so many different things: muffins, cakes, cookies, casseroles, quiches, pies, pastas, squares, fudge, cereal, etc. The thing is, most extravagant items I can think of that are not out of the question based on the supplies and ingredients I can access are not particularly nutritious. This is because most healthy foods are simple; fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, eggs, dairy, etc. Hmmm, I sure seem to spend more time searching for recipes than I do making them sometimes. I warmly welcome any suggestions or ideas!

A Graduation Feast

Today will conclude all of my posts from the gradation party. I know, finally! But it was a great party, with a lot of food, and I had to share the dishes. It actually worked out quite well, because I have been very busy the past few weeks and haven't been baking much anyway. We had of course leftovers to use up from the party, and I just did not have much time to bake new things either. But now I have baked a few new things, and I have featured all of my old things, and it is time to move on. But I did want to include this little closing post.
In the end, we ended up with plenty of food for everyone, and enough for some leftovers so we didn't have to cook for a few days, but not too much that any of it got wasted. I regret the fact that I did not manage to get a picture of the entire mealtime set-up. The kitchen looked quite nice, with a large warming, dish, two slow cookers, a rice cooker, several casserole dishes, and an assembly line going across it. I guess we were too anxious to eat. I am glad that I did manage to get a picture of each dish individually though. The one thing we did have too many of were dinner rolls. It is always nice to have dinner rolls, especially if some guests are limited on what they can eat, then at least they have something basic. But, when there are this many dishes and they are tasty, no one goes for plain old dinner rolls. We had white and whole wheat, and ended up with quite a few extra. Oh well, at least those are easy to freeze for another time! 
So in total we had chips, crackers, salsa, fruit, vegetables, chocolates, mini quiches, stuffed mushrooms, sausage bites, egg rolls, spicy shrimp, dinner rolls, bean salad, macaroni salad, rice, sweet and sour meatballs, pineapple chicken, mushroom cheese rotini bake, vegetable quiche, chocolate cake, mini brownie bites, shortbread cookies, cherry coconut squares, and plenty of drinks. I don't think I am forgetting anything?
All in all, it was a great time with great food. But now it is time to move on. 

Egg Rolls

This will be the last dish I feature from the graduation party. I don't want to say I saved the best for last, as choosing between all of them would be impossible, but this one is really good. I haven't had a lot of Chinese food, but I do know the Chinese food served in many restaurants around here, especially fast food joints, is not authentic Chinese food. Don't get me wrong, there are certainly a number of authentic Chinese restaurants out there as well, but a lot of Chinese food prepared, bought, and eaten around here is not like the authentic Chinese food you would find in China, or other Asian nations. Even if prepared at home, unless you are using an authentic Chinese recipe and ingredients bought from a Chinese specialty shop, it is likely to be quite different. Take chicken balls for example, are they really a Chinese food? I am quite certain egg rolls are. And when it comes to egg rolls, if it isn't the ones pictured below, you are missing out. Although the picture does not do them justice. Not that I have tasted a lot of different egg rolls, but I know these are very good. Arguably the best. Many people agree. Also they are quite authentic, as they are made by a close friend who grew up in China. They are good. I know they are also quite tedious and labor intensive to make, but they are always cooked to perfection. Crispy, with a delicious hot filling. I prefer them plain, but many enjoy them with a dab of plum sauce. They were a welcome addition to the buffet. We served them along with the main courses, but they could easily serve as an appetizer as well.
One thing I found particularly nice, was that a large platter of them was brought hot to the party. In addition, our friends brought us a smaller cold plate of them, for us to put in the fridge for ourselves, so it was guaranteed we would be able to enjoy some, at least the next day.

Accommodations for Dietary Needs

As we prepare for this party, we are keeping the dietary needs and restrictions of other in mind. We are aiming to offer a wide variety of dishes, so there is almost sure to be something for everyone. we are offering a few complex dishes, as well as a few plain dishes for those who are not quite as experimental. And when in doubt, plain white rolls are always an option.  We've got a variety of main courses covered, featuring beef, chicken, pork, and eggs. We have a different array of both vegetables and sweets. We have two vegetarian main courses, offering a bit of choice for those wishing to avoid meat. We also have a few gluten-free dishes. Two of the main courses were specifically designed to be gluten-free, for those who need it. We have two chocolate desserts, and two non-chocolate desserts, because believe it or not, not everyone is a chocolate lover. We also opted for several smaller desserts as well as one big one, so people can try a bit of everything. We even made a special version of one of the desserts, so that it is gluten-free as well.
Since we are offering a variety of different dishes, those wishing to avoid certain foods, or those with less common allergies will almost certainly find something. For example, several of our main courses contain eggs or dairy, but several of them do not. It is always nice to offer a variety of foods, so there is something for everyone, and more to choose from and sample. And whenever possible, if you know a guests has a certain dietary restriction that is not so difficult to cater to, you should try to provide them with at least one dish they can eat. 

Premade For Parties

Premade for Parties. The longer version of this title would go something like this: If you are planning a large party, with a large number of people no where near what you are used to feeding on a daily basis, and you are working out of your home kitchen, which likely has limited oven, stove, and fridge space, you do not need to make everything from scratch. Potlucks are always a good option, or even if you just get a few contributed dishes or ask people to bring rolls, vegetable trays or chips. If potluck is not your style of choice, and you prefer to cook yourself, please follow this advice.

Do not try to make every single little thing from scratch yourself. You are likely working with a standard house-sized oven, stove, refrigerator, and freezer. You likely do not have an entire team of sous chefs at your service to help you, and if you did, you probably would not have enough room in your kitchen. You probably have other things to do to prepare for the party as well, such as cleaning, decorating, set-up, etc. You likely want to join the party, not spend the duration of it in your kitchen. And finally, you likely want to serve fresh food, not old stale food made too far in advance because you didn't have enough time to do everything the day of or day before. I am not against preparing in advance here, but you can only do so much early when it comes to food. 

For our party, we are skipping homemade appetizers and focusing on main courses. This allows us to offer a wider variety of foods at the actual meal, and ensures guests will save room for the meal and dessert. We will be serving some chips, crackers, and fruit and vegetables. However, we are not wasting time making homemade crackers, when we need the time and oven space for the meatballs. Likewise, we are purchasing rolls, not making them. Usually I am all for homemade  but you can only do so much yourself, and I admit part of one of the desserts begins with a purchased item. Also, do not bother with fancy silverware and plates - go paper or plastic! Maybe a little environmentally unfriendly, but buy biodegradable plates and napkins and save water by using plastic cutlery. It will save a lot of clean-up, as you'll likely have enough with all of the dishes to wash!

Graduation Party Planning

For the past few weeks our family has been in the midst of planning a graduation party for my brother. We have been thinking about it for over months now, but in the past week or so we have begun to finalize details and really plan everything out. The majority of the planning is, of course, food. We are planning to have quite the crowd here which requires quite the amount of food. And since it is a party we are hosting, we did not think potluck was the way to go in this case, although several of the guests are planning on bringing a dish to serve as well. When planning a menu for an event like this, many variables need to be taken into consideration. These include number of guests, oven space, fridge space, season, dietary needs, preparation time, etc. We have already made several changes to the menu, but we think we have it pretty well finalized. My mother put me in charge of three desserts, as well as one vegetarian main course. Instead of making a bunch of fancy appetizers, we are simply serving some snack items from the store, so attention can be focused on the mains and the desserts. We are trying to do as much ahead as we can, but many things do need to be completed at the last minute. so far, here is the menu we have come up with.

Appetizers: Fresh fruit, crackers, chips, chocolates. 
Main Courses: Sweet and Sour Meatballs, Pineapple Chicken, Baked Ham, Deluxe Rotini and Cheese, Vegetable Quiche.
Side Dishes: White Rice, Macaroni Salad, Rolls.
Desserts: Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Brownie Bites, Cherry Coconut Squares, Shortbread Cookies.
Contributed Dishes: Salad, Vegetable Tray Egg Rolls, Appetizer Assortment.

I don't want to give too much away by giving away details of the dishes (especially the desserts) but over the next two weeks or so, I will be featuring every one of these dishes that has not already been featured before, so check back for all of the details and pictures!

The Pursuit of Pleasure

Food brings pleasure to a lot of people. Especially when it's really good food. And even if the pleasure is only temporary. I recently read a true story about a woman who traveled to Italy for four months in a pursuit of pleasure. Food was not the only thing that brought her pleasure during her vacation, as she also found great pleasure in learning Italian, however food was the main thing. It is true that something really delicious, whether it is a chocolate dessert, a fancy turkey dinner, or a really well-made sandwich, or something as simple as a scoop of ice cream, will bring us pleasure to eat. These foods are aesthetically pleasing, they have an enticing aroma, and they taste just oh so good. We would all love to be able to eat whatever we want, as much as we want, but that just is not reality. Sure, some of us seem to be able to consume copious amounts of junk food without experiencing any negative effects, but for the most part, we must eat a nutritious and balanced diet. That being said, there is no reason as to why we cannot take pleasure in eating healthy goods as well. Healthy foods can be delicious too! Some of my favorite foods are quite healthy, I really take pleasure in eating (or drinking) bananas, pineapple, strawberries (okay, just about any fruit), corn on the cob, chocolate milk, Greek yogurt, smoked salmon, peanut butter, and whole grain bread. There are also many foods considered as junk food that can actually be pretty healthy, and definitely pleasurable, such as pizza, dark chocolate, lasagna, and burgers. And of course, any food is fine enjoyed in moderation. We can (and definitely must) enjoy a treat every once in a while, or even a treat everyday if it is kept small, such as cake, pie, burgers and fries, fondue, whatever you take pleasure in eating! It is fine to celebrate and eat! 
What I found quite amusing in the story I read, was that the woman was on a self-proclaimed "No Carb Left Behind" tour. It is true that in Italy they seem to eat a lot of pizza, pasta, and bread. But Italian obesity and health rates aren't particularly bad, because they know how to balance pleasure with nutrition and health! This woman simply ate everything she wanted on this vacation, as much as he wanted, stopping at every bakery or gelato stand or pizzeria that looked good, stuffing herself beyond full. Did she gain weight? For sure, but for her it was worth it. Now, I am not encouraging this type of behavior, and I believe we can find pleasure in food without consuming such gross excess such as this. But traveling is a good excuse to expand your horizons, try new foods, and find pleasure in them. And maybe eat a little more than you normally would, because hey, you may only get to visit (insert place name here) once in your lifetime, and you want to really get a cultural feel for the place  which can be achieved very well through samples of the local cuisine. Plus, you often do a lot of walking or other activity on vacation, so you'll probably work it of anyway. Finding pleasure in food and balance in nutrition is what it is all about. I myself actually find a lot of pleasure in preparing food for other people (and myself) to enjoy, and watching the pleasure they experience when they try a piece of my baking!

Best of 2012

Being the second last day of the year, I suppose I should comment on some of my baking accomplishments of 2012. I guess I will divide them into a few different categories (though it is extremely hard to single out a few items from an entire year's worth of baking).
The items I am most proud of are: Minecraft Cake (January 18th), Valentine's Brownie Dessert (February 14th), Flower Cupcakes (March 1st), Pizza Roll Ups (April 26th), Easter Chick Cake (April 8th), Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (October 6th), Haunted House Cake (October 27th), Owl Cupcakes (November 21st), and X Congratulations Cake (December 3rd).

The items I thought were the most delicious are: Caramel Pie (March 14th), Double Chocolate Brownie Bars (March 23rd), Black Bottom Slice (May 27th), Chocolate Chip Meringue Bars (August 2nd), Date Squares (November 3rd), and Double Chip Brownies (November 9th).

The most difficult items are: Chocolate Overload Cake (July 24th), Cocoa Cola Cake (September 8th), Whole Wheat Bread (November 5th)

It is no coincidence that most of the items I am most proud of are cakes, and most of the items I found the tastiest are chocolate. I must say though, my overall favorite features of the year are not things that I made myself (though I did help with one of them. These things are my two birthday cakes, first the Jungle Birthday Cake I had expected (June 4th), and the Surprise Birthday Cake my parents made for me (June 9th). 

Warm Christmas Wishes

Merry Christmas everyone! Or Happy Holidays to those of you who participate in other celebrations. Because today is a holiday, I will keep today's blog post short and simple, although there is certainly no lack of food around, especially homemade baked goods and cooked dishes and turkey dinners, that I could post about. But today is a time to spend with family and friends, enjoying good company. I will even admit that I did not write or prepare this post on Christmas, but I set it to post automatically today. Not that I really expect many people to read this on Christmas day, or even at all. So I would just like to take this time to wish everyone a very merry Christmas, and safe, healthy, and happy holidays. Enjoy some good foods, as Christmas only comes once a year and it is certainly a time to indulge; just don't overdo it!

PHOTO CREDIT:"merry-christmas-banner.jpg"  http://hhdwallpapes.com/festival-celebration/merry-christmas-wishes-greetings-hd-wallpapers-pictures/.html?pid=1016. HHD Wallpapers, n.d. Monday, December 24, 2012.

King K

Here is another one of my alphabet posts, where I list as many different foods as I can think of that start with a certain letter. Today I will do the letter K. Again, these are coming strictly from my head, I won't include any brand names, and I won't list every individual type. For example, a cookie is a cookie, I will not then proceed to list chocolate chip cookie, coconut cookie, cream-filled cookie, etc.  Well, actually I'm pretty strict on those rules for common letters that have a lot of foods beginning with them, I'm a little less strict on the less often used letters, such as e, f, and g. K seems like another tough one.

• Kiwi
• Kingfish
• Kipper
• Kumquat
• Kale
• Kaiser
• Krispy Creams
• Kefir
• Kuchen
• Kidney Beans
• Kebab
• Kielbasa
• Kalamata olives
• Kahlua
• Key lime
• Ketchup
• King crab 
• Kelp

PHOTO CREDIT:"Greek Puff Letter K.En-gk"  http://itallstarted.wordpress.com/2008/04/27/brought-to-you-by-the-letter-k/. It All Started With Carbon Monoxide, n.d. Tuesday, November 20, 2012.

La Nourriture Française

Today I had the pleasure of sampling several dishes representing national plates of different French nations. There are a lot of French-speaking countries around the worlds, and all of them have their own variations on language, customs, values, music, and most importantly, food. In these cases, the food is mostly influenced by the climate and surrounding cultures of the country. However, these nations also had many things in common. Here are the dishes I sampled and a little background on the country they came from. I cannot remember which country each dish came from, and I do not know the exact names of all of the dishes, but here is what I can remember.

• Pain Patate, Haiti. This was featured yesterday. It is made with Créole and island flavors including coconut and banana.
• Chocolate Fondue, Switzerland. The Swiss are famous for their chocolate and cheese, and both chocolate and cheese fondues are traditional in Switzerland.
• Luxembourgish Cheesecake, Luxembourg. Luxembourg also has a strong German influence, and German cheesecakes made with quark, a different type of cheese are common. This cheesecake was not made with quark, but it was certainly rich and delicious!
• Coconut Cream Mousse, Sheychelles. A tropical dish from these French islands.
• Banana Poe, French Polynesia. A dish made with cooked banana and served with coconut milk. It has a very spongy texture.
• Spiced Tea, Chad. A popular drink for a relatively poor country.
• Gourmet Chocolates, Belgium. What could be better than Belgian chocolate?
• Phyllo Quiche, mini quiches baked in a phyllo crust with bacon.
• Cake with Yogurt Filling, This was quite good, though I don't remember where it came from.
• Rice, This is a possibility for many countries, really.

I know some of the countries mentioned were also Senegal, Niger, Morocco, and France, but I don't know if all of these dishes are listed here. Surprisingly, there were no stereotypical French foods, like French fries, croissants, escargots, crème brulee, or éclairs. This just goes to show there are a wide variety of French foods and cultures.

PHOTO CREDIT:"bon-appetit"  http://unbornmind.com/myblog/2012/02/28/bon-appetit/ .Unborn Mind Zen, n.d. Thursday, November 29, 2012.

Jolly J

Here is another one of my alphabet posts, where I list as many different foods as I can think of that start with a certain letter. Today I will do the letter J. Again, these are coming strictly from my head, I won't include any brand names, and I won't list every individual type. For example, a cookie is a cookie, I will not then proceed to list chocolate chip cookie, coconut cookie, cream-filled cookie, etc.  Well, actually I'm pretty strict on those rules for common letters that have a lot of foods beginning with them, I'm a little less strict on the less often used letters, such as e, f, and g. J seems like another tough one.

• Jam
• Jelly
• Juniper berries
• Jalapeno pepper
• Juice
• Jellybeans
• Jube Jubes
• Jam Jams
• Jellyroll
• Jellyfish
• Jerky
• Johnnycakes
• Jumbo Shrimp
• Jambalaya
• Jerk Chicken

PHOTO CREDIT: "J-11.jpg"  http://www.dailydropcap.com/alphabet-11-j .Daily Drop Cap, n.d. Sunday, August 5, 2012.