{"id":671,"date":"2023-11-26T07:32:18","date_gmt":"2023-11-26T12:32:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thewannabegourmet.com\/?p=671"},"modified":"2023-11-26T07:32:19","modified_gmt":"2023-11-26T12:32:19","slug":"i-feel-the-magic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thewannabegourmet.com\/?p=671","title":{"rendered":"I Feel The Magic&#8230;"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style='text-align:left' class='yasr-auto-insert-visitor'><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"824\" src=\"https:\/\/thewannabegourmet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Screenshot-2023-11-26-071021-1024x824.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-672\" style=\"width:267px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thewannabegourmet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Screenshot-2023-11-26-071021-1024x824.png 1024w, https:\/\/thewannabegourmet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Screenshot-2023-11-26-071021-300x241.png 300w, https:\/\/thewannabegourmet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Screenshot-2023-11-26-071021-768x618.png 768w, https:\/\/thewannabegourmet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Screenshot-2023-11-26-071021-1536x1236.png 1536w, https:\/\/thewannabegourmet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Screenshot-2023-11-26-071021.png 1688w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s been a while since we&#8217;ve engaged in a meaningful chat, dear readers of <em>The Wannabe Gourmet<\/em>. Pull up a chair and I&#8217;ll pour a cup of coffee for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most people find Autumn\/Winter to be a time for descent\/death and spring to be a time for Rebirth.  While I feel that way, too, I also see beauty in the rebirth brought during the Autumn\/Winter timeframe, when the slate is proverbially &#8220;wiped clean,&#8221; giving us the ability to create, to find ourselves again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since I started this website in October 2008, there have been many ups and downs in my life. Sometimes the gardens have blossomed in beauty and life has been better than I could ever imagine. Other times, the weeds took over and an occasional tornado has blown it all away. I&#8217;ve been catfished, I&#8217;ve been married, I&#8217;ve been divorced. I&#8217;ve gone through hades in employment, but kept on travelling and, after a period of almost 17 years outlasted a supervisor whose sole intent it was to either terminate me or make it so I&#8217;d resign. I&#8217;ve had health issues culminating in a heart attack due to stress. Through it all, however, has remained the desire I have of assisting others in learning there&#8217;s more to life than just take-away food and UberEATS. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We&#8217;re at the start of a New Beginning for <em>The Wannabe Gourmet<\/em>. To be pendantic, I, Jonathan Everyday, am looking forward to this continued journey. My love for photography and cooking has never waned&#8230;though it had been severely curtailed due to circumstances. The kitchen should never be a place that scares you. So you have a dish that doesn&#8217;t turn out the way you&#8217;d like&#8230;. we&#8217;ve all had that. The important thing is that you learn from your experiences. Grow from life. Move beyond what didn&#8217;t work&#8230;into what allows you to shine. Maybe you&#8217;re not meant to be able to make beautiful desserts. Maybe main courses just aren&#8217;t your thing. Maybe&#8230;just maybe&#8230;you&#8217;re like me and can&#8217;t cook in small amounts. (The solution to that is simple: either get a freezer, or feed your friends and extended family!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Join me in the voyage to new beginnings. Feel the sparkle. Embrace the magic!<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/thewannabegourmet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/DSC9425-1024x683.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-673\" style=\"width:346px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thewannabegourmet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/DSC9425-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/thewannabegourmet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/DSC9425-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/thewannabegourmet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/DSC9425-768x512.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/thewannabegourmet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/DSC9425-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/thewannabegourmet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/DSC9425-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Photo \u00a9 2022 L. B. Siegfried, Richmond, VA<\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div><p id=\"pvc_stats_671\" class=\"pvc_stats all  \" data-element-id=\"671\" style=\"\"><i class=\"pvc-stats-icon medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-prefix=\"far\" data-icon=\"chart-bar\" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" class=\"svg-inline--fa fa-chart-bar fa-w-16 fa-2x\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M396.8 352h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V108.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v230.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zm-192 0h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V140.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v198.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zm96 0h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V204.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v134.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zM496 400H48V80c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16H16C7.16 64 0 71.16 0 80v336c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h464c8.84 0 16-7.16 16-16v-16c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16zm-387.2-48h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8v-70.4c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v70.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8z\" class=\"\"><\/path><\/svg><\/i> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"Loading\" src=\"https:\/\/thewannabegourmet.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/page-views-count\/ajax-loader-2x.gif\" border=0 \/><\/p><div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s been a while since we&#8217;ve engaged in a meaningful chat, dear readers of The Wannabe Gourmet. Pull up a chair and I&#8217;ll pour a cup of coffee for you. Most people find Autumn\/Winter to be a time for descent\/death and spring to be a time for Rebirth. While I &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/thewannabegourmet.com\/?p=671\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">I Feel The Magic&#8230;<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n<p id=\"pvc_stats_671\" class=\"pvc_stats all  \" data-element-id=\"671\" style=\"\"><i class=\"pvc-stats-icon medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-prefix=\"far\" data-icon=\"chart-bar\" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" class=\"svg-inline--fa fa-chart-bar fa-w-16 fa-2x\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M396.8 352h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V108.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v230.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zm-192 0h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V140.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v198.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zm96 0h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V204.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v134.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zM496 400H48V80c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16H16C7.16 64 0 71.16 0 80v336c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h464c8.84 0 16-7.16 16-16v-16c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16zm-387.2-48h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8v-70.4c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v70.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8z\" class=\"\"><\/path><\/svg><\/i> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"Loading\" src=\"https:\/\/thewannabegourmet.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/page-views-count\/ajax-loader-2x.gif\" border=0 \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"yasr_overall_rating":0,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3,20],"tags":[19,224,229],"class_list":["post-671","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-kitchen-babble","category-personal","tag-jonathan","tag-kitchen-babble","tag-personal"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":69,"today_views":0},"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":false,"span_bottom":false},"number_of_votes":1,"sum_votes":4},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewannabegourmet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/671","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewannabegourmet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewannabegourmet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewannabegourmet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewannabegourmet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=671"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thewannabegourmet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/671\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":674,"href":"https:\/\/thewannabegourmet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/671\/revisions\/674"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewannabegourmet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=671"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewannabegourmet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=671"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewannabegourmet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=671"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}