Weather or not Hodgepodge, thank you, Joyce!
Warning: You might end up hungry when you are done with this post.
1. I live in the south so we’re pretty much only talking about the weather right now. Give us a weather report from where you live.
We are in Northeast corner of Washington State very close to Canada. So far we are still cold and we still do not have any measurable snow. Forecast for Wednesday/today is for a 30% chance of snow with a 37 degree high. It’s warming up. 🙂
Does the kind of weather you’re having today affect your mood in some way?
Not at the present.
2. Avocados, kale, cauliflower and cottage cheese have all had their time to shine. 2026 brings us the year of the cabbage. Is this a vegetable you like?
When I was young I hated cabbage. I could sit in front of a bowl of borsch for hours trying to wear my mother down so I wouldn’t have to eat it! Nowadays I really enjoy cabbage in many forms and it is in a lot of our traditional Russian dishes we grew up with.
If so, what are some of your favorite dishes that call for cabbage?
We grew up enjoying Golubtzi, Голубцы, a Russian version of cabbage rolls, above, and borsch, pictured below.
Click on any of these below to get the recipes.
Borsch, Golubstzi, Cabbage filled piroshky
Piroshky with cabbage, potato and ground beef fillings.
3. Was a Cabbage Patch Doll a part of your childhood?
Not in my childhood.
Or maybe your children’s childhood?
All three of our children did own a Cabbage Patch Doll. It was quite the hunt to track them down back then.
What’s a toy trend from your childhood you remember wanting for your own?
I really don’t remember anything from my childhood that was trendy and wanted. In Junior high for some reason suspenders became a ‘thing’ and I really wanted a pair of them!
4. Something you’ve spent a lot of time doing lately?
Researching Budapest history and points of interest. Also learning about other towns/cities we’ll be making stops at on our river cruise like Bratislava, Krems, Linz, Cesky-Krumlov, and Vienna. After the cruise we’ll be in Cambridge so I’m studying up on this college town, too. I have a Cambridge Reformation Walking Tour book to take along. I watch YouTubes and ask questions on forums to make sure I don’t miss things I’ll kick myself for missing after returning home.
Speaking of Cabbage, one of the YouTube virtual guides I’m following has named his site, Stuffed Cabbage-Adventures. He is a great resource for Budapest!
5. Somehow it’s the last week of January…sum up your month in just three sentences.
January was filled with family birthdays, some that were milestones like a fortieth and an eighteenth. We had no snow to speak but we did get rain and fog. It’s been a month of discipline for a good end.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
On the subject of cabbage let us not forget sauerkraut in a good Reuben and my take below which we called Rebekah not to be mistaken for a Rachel. Are you following? Click here to get more clarification.
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 
Definitely feeling hungry after all those delicious food pictures. Sounds like it’s pretty chilly in your corner. B x
Such a fun twist on humble cabbage… your take made even simple veggies feel exciting and cozy!
That reuben looks really good. I love sauerkraut and forgot to mention that in my list. I’m definitely craving something warm and delicious after reading your post. Your trip sounds interesting and of course we love Cambridge so know that end of the journey will be wonderful. We’ve had temps in the low 20’s here which is unusual for our area. We’re ready for it to warm up!
I’ve never made cabbage rolls, but I think I would like them. I have never liked a reuben sandwich. Rye is not my favorite (unless it is the little toasted rye rounds in chex mix!) and neither is Corned Beef. If someone served it to me, I would eat it . . .but would never order it. Are you doing Magna on the Danube? Ama on the Danube is one we want to take maybe in 2027 so I can’t wait to hear all about your trip.
I can’t believe how relatively warm it is considering how far north you live! I don’t care for cabbage and I don’t like sauerkraut. I can see how for you it was a problem when you were a child not caring for cabbage. Your traditional foods have such neat sounding names and look good but I don’t think I would care for them since I don’t like cabbage :). Your upcoming trip sounds wonderful! I am looking into a river cruise. I don’t know if it will happen. I will look forward to following you virtually on yours :).
Growing up in a multi-generational household of German descent, I learned to love cabbage at very young age. We had it a lot and my grandmother grew a lot of it in her vegetable garden. It has stuck with me throughout my adult life, and we enjoy cabbage in many forms…cabbage rolls being one of them. I enjoyed your answers in today’s hodgepodge, Ellen. Thank you for sharing your beautiful pictures and the recipes!
Hello,
I used to love my mother’s stuffed cabbage. My hubby does not like cabbage at all, so we rarely have cabbage. Take care, have a happy day!
…Ellen, for some reason we rarely eat cabbage!
I love cabbage. My grandpa Sam was Slovak. He planted lots of cabbage, that might be where I get my green thumb from. Hee Hee.
I am so excited for you to share your trip!!!
I always enjoy all the photos you share, today you have made me very hungry. 😉
That is good that you don’t have any snow and it is warming up. Phew!
You are right this post is making me hungry!
All of your research sounds interesting and you have a great trip planned.
you are exactly right…a post that has made me hungry. Some good foods here. Would you believe that I’ve never had a reuben sandwich? I need to give it try.
I pretty much love all things cabbage. Just recently I had the most delicious Reuben sandwich at a coffee shop. Growing up I remember having “stuff cabbage” at a wedding reception (we pronounced it golupkis–don’t know which nationality it was. So good. Back in the day the popular diet soup was a cabbage soup that was “all you can eat”. I’ve made that a number of times.
Yes, as you predicted, all of the foodie pictures have made me hungry!!!
I love a reuben sandwich. You Tube really is an amazing way to help with the travel planning. I look forward to hearing all about the river cruise and Cambridge.
The sandwich looks sooooo good. You should have an interesting trip!!
Did the snow come? Sounds like you have been rather lucky with the weather. Those cabbage meals all look delicious. True, Cabbage Patch were not easy to find back then. Really, suspenders were popular!!! Sounds like a fun January. I love a Reuben sandwich. Also we do like sauerkraut. I grew up with it at many of our meals, like pork, dumplings and sauerkraut. Hope your week is going well.
I love the first photo with the matroshka! I am going to pass on all the recipes, as I do not like cabbage at all. I do love a good corned beef sandwich, but never with sauerkraut or any other form of cabbage! LOL
Your upcoming trip sounds so exciting, and how fun it must be to research your stops and plan your questions ahead of time.
Hope you’re having a great week!
Looking forward to reading your upcoming travel sojourns!