gratitude, long overdue

Y’all, I owe apologies and special thanks to two of you.

I was nominated for two blogging awards, one in late April and one in mid-May, and I have not yet properly acknowledged or expressed my appreciation for either!

If it makes anyone feel better, even my real-life family and friends don’t usually receive prompt written notice of my gratitude. When Micah and I got married, our thank-you notes didn’t all get sent until more than six months later. It was real bad.

So, first, a sheepish apology and heartfelt thanks to glutenvygirl for the Sunshine Award, which is given to those who creatively and positively inspire others in the blogosphere:

This gal does some amazing things with gluten-free cooking, but her blog is worth visiting whether you’re gluten-free or not.

Next, an equally embarrassed and late thanks to johnnysenough hepburn at Feed the Piglet for my second Liebster nomination! (Liebster, which means ‘favorite’ in German, is a way to recognize your favorite blogs that have fewer than 200 followers.)

Feed the Piglet is another blog that’s definitely a must-visit. Lots of impressive burgers/patties/fritters, not to mention an amazing series of bulgur wheat salads and some very creative dips and spreads.

While I’m flattered to receive honors from both of these folks, the best part is passing the kudos on to some of my very deserving blogging colleagues.

So, first off, here are my five nominations for the Sunshine Award:

• Two Writing Teachers – Talk about long distance! These gals collaborate from 565 miles apart, not only to share amazing writing activities and resources, but also to inspire teachers like me to write on our own (which is something many teachers will tell you they don’t have time for). Whether you’re a teacher or not, visit this blog–you’ll be inspired.
• Pedagogy of the Plants – This blog is written by one of my real-life friends, Cameron, who teaches 3rd grade at my school. Stop by and check out some gorgeous photography of the flora (and fauna) around our neighborhood, lots of lovely examples of creative urban gardening, and some delicious vegan recipes.
• Vegetarian ‘Ventures – Micah and I are not vegetarian, but we eat and enjoy many meatless meals. And with awesome vegetarian blogs like this one to inspire us, I imagine we’ll be cooking up plenty more veggie-centered dishes in the future.
• Acorn in the Kitchen – This unique food blog is full of great photos and recipes (as you would expect), but it also incorporates fascinating food-related videos and some wonderful lessons in music appreciation, with many posts that celebrate both a delicious recipe and a talented musician. Very cool stuff.
• Savory Salty Sweet – What a clean, crisp, gorgeous blog! Besides the awesome alliterative name, this blog features some of the best food photography I’ve seen, with exciting recipes punctuated by vibrant step-by-step pictures. Simply amazing.

And now, (ignoring the part about <200 followers because I honestly don’t know how many followers any of these bloggers have) here are my five nominations for the Liebster Award:

• A Modern Christian Woman – Since Stephanie started this site in April, I’ve watched her blog grow and blossom into something amazing! Every time I stop in, she has added more and more mouthwatering recipes. Truly awesome!
• Fork and Beans – Like I mentioned above, I’m not a vegan, a vegetarian, or a gluten-free gal–but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy cooking like one! Cara’s story of how she came to cook and eat this way is honest and inspiring, and her recipes are pretty darn inspiring, too.
• spontaneous tomato – Kick-ass name aside, Allison’s blog also gets props for some really amazing recipes, with lots of focus on fresh fruits and veggies, eating with the seasons, and cooking foods that are simple but delicious.
• simply dish – Just visiting this blog, with its bright and colorful layout and color scheme, is enough to put a smile on my face. Stop by for some great recipes–especially baked goods–and just a bit of whimsy.
• Peri’s Spice Ladle – “Indian-inspired food for the Global Palate.” Need I say more? Whether you’ve cooked and eaten lots of Indian dishes in your lifetime or whether you’re adventurously testing those spicy, savory waters for the first time, you absolutely must drop by this blog for inspiration. Delicious!

Go forth and visit all of these wonderful blogs when you have the time. I promise, you won’t be disappointed.

whoa, thanks!

Assia’s Kaleidoscope is one of my favorite blogs, and one of the first I started following when I entered the blogosphere back in March. This gal makes beautiful baked goods, scrumptious-looking savory dishes, and the prettiest Easter eggs I’ve ever seen. Not only that, but her photos are simply gorgeous. Visit her blog and I guarantee you’ll be impressed. It’s the kind of blog I hope this one might become, one day when I’m better at both cooking and photography.

So, I’m both honored and flattered that Assia nominated me for a Kreativ Blogger Award!

It’s surely not deserved, but I’ll accept it humbly and say thanks to Assia.

(Thanks, Assia!)

Now, there are three parts of accepting this award: thanking and linking to the nominating blogger (done), sharing seven interesting things about myself, and nominating seven more blogs for the award. So, here goes!

Seven things about me:

1. I’ve been to Europe and South America, but never to the west coast.
2. I have two cats. Both fluffy. One ginormous ginger named Cheesepuff, and one tiny tabby named Magellan.
3. Micah and I got married at one of our favorite restaurants in Athens, Farm 255.
4. We plan our vacations around where we want to eat.
5. I can’t ride a bicycle. Seriously. (I own one, though, and Micah keeps saying he’ll teach me!)
6. My mom is an undefeated (6-0) amateur kickboxer.
7. I’m kind of a slob, a terrible driver, and habitually late for most things (but have lately been improving on all fronts).

Seven blogs I’d like to nominate:

1. Sauce Boss - a self-proclaimed “Culinary Dark Genius”–need I say more? (an amazing pastry cream recipe, too!)
2. Boozed + Infused - infusing booze with carrots? oatmeal? mushrooms? fascinating!
3. Memoirs of an Amateur Chef - lots of great recipes, and she grows her own mushrooms! (could they go in Boozed + Infused’s vodka…?)
4. Throve - makes beautiful juices, and shares my love of fruits, veggies, global flavors, and kitty cats
5. Life, in recipes - read the latest post, The Return of the Prodigal Blogger, and you’ll love her, too
6. Growandcook - someone who shares my taste in food and my sense of humor
7. The Ranting Chef - great recipes, fun guest posts, and product reviews

I was planning to end this post here, but then…

Throve nominated me for a 7×7 Link Award!

I feel honored and flattered to be getting all this attention. I hope I can live up to the hype. Thank you, Throve, for so kindly thinking of me!

For this award, my job is to thank and link to the nominating blogger (yep), list seven random facts about myself, list seven of my posts in the seven different categories (see below), and nominate seven more bloggers. So, let the lists of seven items continue!

Seven (more) random facts about me:

1. I used to have a bad clothes shopping habit. Now, I have a bad borrowing-too-many-books-from-the-public-library-at-once-and-not-having-time-to-read-them-all habit. (And I haven’t bought a single brand new clothing item since December, unless you count bridesmaid dresses.)
2. I do not have, and have never had, any wisdom teeth. Does this make me a freak of nature or more highly evolved…?
3. I can wiggle my pinkie toe independently of my other toes. A guy in high school called me an ape for this.
4. Foods I dislike: mayonnaise, raw onions, raw mushrooms, coleslaw (unless it’s made with vinegar instead of mayo)
5. Foods I love: chocolate hazelnut spread, cheese, good pizza, more cheese, handmade pasta, and cheese
6. I like board games, but I really, really suck at video games.
7. I once baked a pie on Georgia Public Television.

Seven posts in seven different categories:

1. Most beautiful – bacon, mushrooms, and asparagus (with an egg)
2. Most surprisingly successful – a series of unfortunate events (long night, long post…)
3. Most controversial – I got a lot of flack from my flesh-and-blood friends and family about the not too offal post
4. Most pride-worthy - an Ethiopian feast!
5. Most underrated – the beef stew we made the other night – so yummy, but not very popular with the clickers…
6. Most helpful - my first whole wheat oatmeal muffins post–you can put anything in these and they’ll be good!
7. Most popular – it’s a tie between Paula Deen married Alton Brown and they made a meatloaf baby and not my Mammaw’s pimiento cheese

Seven more nominations:

1. Frozen Moments – amazing recipes, plus breathtaking photos of Alaska!
2. The Postmodern Housepartner – someone who shares my love of avocados, asparagus, and deviled eggs
3. Going Dutch - visit for gorgeous tulips, an adorable little girl, and some great recipes
4. domestic diva, M.D. – funny stories plus good, simple, yummy recipes (and Fiesta dishes like mine)
5. glutenvygirl – great recipes whether you’re gluten free or not!
6. Kitty’s Dolceforno – some delicious baking going on here….
7. feed the piglet… – so many cool burgers and fritters, both meaty and meat-free

And now, for a taste of things to come….

…my best friend is getting married in 8 days!

Jessica and I have been friends since 5th grade (it’ll be 21 years in August), she was maid of honor at my wedding, and now I’m matron of honor in hers. We’re looking forward to traveling to a cabin in the mountains for a small, intimate ceremony on the 28th, but before that….her bridal shower is Saturday (tomorrow!), and since I love this gal so much, I’ve been cooking up all sorts of Southern delicacies for her and her guests. What tasty morsels are in store? Stay tuned for a full report this weekend.

Congrats to Jessica and Brent!

Liebster!

So, I’m new at this whole blogging thing, and I didn’t know until recently that one of the cool things bloggers like to do is nominate other bloggers for awesome awards. And I just got picked for a Liebster Award by the Ranting Chef (whose blog rocks the socks off of this one, let me tell you!).

Thank you, Ranting Chef! Your blog is only one of my favorites, so let me nominate some more:

1. coolcookstyle: everything this woman cooks makes me want to lick my computer screen
2. FrugalFeeding: because this guy has simple, delicious food down to an art form
3. trialsinfood: beautiful blog, and she even makes her own chocolates!
4. Assia’s Kaleidoscope: Assia shares my love of fruits and veggies, and her photography is gorgeous
5. Snotting black: great food + great pictures + funny as hell

It was hard to just choose five, but if you like my blog, you’ll surely like all of these even more.