More Blog Love…Four More Awards

Don’t you just love the blogging community or what?

Almost everyone I’ve come across has been so kind in accepting and appreciating comments I’ve left for them while also being generous and supportive of my posts.  Blogging and sharing recipes and photos of my cooking has been a wonderful creative outlet for me and a great way to “meet” some terrific people I otherwise would have never met.

In the past few days I’ve been honored, again, with some more blogging awards and I couldn’t feel more special.  Being recognized and appreciated amongst so many wonderful bloggers is an awesome thing.

So thank you to these four women for nominating me for these awards…

On April 11th, Andreena of The Windy Kitchen offered up the Versatile Blogger Award.

On April 13th, The Burlesque Baker, or Double-B as I call her, offered up my second Sunshine Award.

April 17th, Stephanie of A Modern Christian Woman offered up another Versatile Blogger Award.

And yesterday, Dea of A Dollop and A Pinch sent a third Versatile award my way.

WOW!!  I’m just amazed!!

Let’s start with the Sunshine Award from Double-B first…

Here are the rules for Sunshine Award.  Since I’ve already been nominated I will copy my answers from the first time…

About the Sunshine Blog Award

This prize is awarded to “bloggers who positively and creatively inspire others in the blogosphere”. As an award winner, there are a few rules to follow:

• Thank the person who gave this award and write a post about it.
• Answer the questions below.
• Pass on the award to 10 fabulous bloggers, link their blogs, and let them know you awarded them.

So, here are the things about me:

• Favorite Color – earthy shades of green
• Favorite Animal – anything but a ferret
• Favorite Number – huh?  I guess I don’t have one.
• Favorite Drink – Iced Chai Tea from Starbucks
• Facebook or Twitter – Even though this blog is linked to both I really don’t “do” either one of them
• Your Passion – cooking and photography
• Giving or getting presents – Giving, I don’t like surprises
• Favorite Day – any day where the sun is shining the humidity is low and the thermometer is not above 75
• Favorite Flowers – Daisies

This is who I’m nominating today:

Jennifer of The Foodery - a beautiful and well written “foodie” blog.  She’s also got some really cool cats that apparently like Avocado Key Lime Parfait.

Stephanie of Modern Christian Woman - a wife and mother of 5yes, 5 who finds the time to cook from scratch and blog about it.  How in the world anyone can keep their sanity in a family of seven and find time to blog about cooking from scratch is beyond me.  I can barely deal with Mr. Foodie and our two ankle-biters.  God Bless her!  And yes…I’m sending an award her way.  I had absolutely no idea she had already nominated me for the Versatile Blogger when I had decided to send the Sunshine Award her way.

Juliet of Beesy Mama - another Christian wife and mother trying to raise her Lil’ Bee in a home of faith, fellowship and well, good food.  She’s also doing a book giveaway this week so if you haven’t checked her out, please do.  And throw her a coconut recipe will ya?  I hear she loves the stuff!

Yes, I can count and I know it’s not 10 blogs but those are the ones that are tickling my “Sunny” bone today.

Now for the Versatile Blogger Award…here are the rules:

The rules of accepting this award are as follows:

 Thank the award giver(s) and link back to them in your post

- Share 7 things about yourself

- Pass this award along to 15 or 20 bloggers you read and admire

- Contact your chosen bloggers to let them know about the award

Seven Things About Me:

1. I’m not too fond of fresh garlic.  That’s why you don’t see it in many of my recipes.  I don’t mind the “flavor” so I’ll substitute a smashed clove if the recipe allows.  If not, I use garlic powder.

2. My male dog is named after my favorite childhood commercial and snack chip…The Frito Bandito.  “Aye, Ye, Ye, Ye…I Am The Frito Bandito.”  I remember watching those commercials while I was watching Scooby Doo and I sing it to him almost every day.  Can you guess what kind of dog he is?

3. Our female dog is partially named after the Duran, Duran song, “Rio”.  Back in the days of my almost-mis-spent-youth when I was a groupie I followed a Rock band that did an over-dramatized and flaming rendition of the song.  I was in love/lust with the lead singer/guitar player and this was one of the songs he did that still ranks as my all-time favorite.  I swore that when I “grew up” and got my own place I was going to get a Rottweiler (one of my favorite dog breeds) and name it Rio.  Well, I still don’t have my Rottweiler.  Instead I have a second ankle-biter who’s papered name, in part, is Rio Dances on the Sand.  Another song I sing often.  I don’t think either dog is impressed with my singing ability.

4. My earlier years were spent growing up in a real log cabin on a small private lake in north-west Michigan.  The very same day I saw Jaws in the theater was the day my dad came  home early from work and told us we were moving to Florida.  I was only ten and didn’t make the connection that the movie was based in New York.  I just related “ocean” and “shark”.  We used to drive down with our boat and camp just two hours south of where I live now.  Since I was already somewhat familiar with Florida waters and its creatures, I was not impressed to make it my full-time home.

5. Last October I flew with Mr. Foodie back to his home state of Utah, specifically Salt Lake.  It was my fist time that far west and the very first day he took me up to one of his favorite hiking and skiing Canyons, Little Cottonwood.  Elevation 10,000 feet.  Just before we reached the top I started getting a massive headache but thought nothing of it.  After a quick view from the summit, in our descent, I became ill and couldn’t catch my breath.  All of a sudden it hit me.  Elevation Sickness.  A few hours later I found myself in the ER on a breathing machine.  Not one single hospital worker was surprised to learn I was from Florida.  Apparently, us “Flatlanders” as they call us, often end up in the ER with breathing problems.  While I loved seeing family, it really was a dreadful trip.

6. Kevin “Happy” Harvick is my favorite NASCAR driver.  I absolutely can’t stand Tony Stewart or either of the Busch brothers.

7. I love to swim and was on the swim team in high school.  Guess it comes natural when you grow up on a lake.  A few years ago we got an above-ground pool.  Having had a small round one about 15 years ago I had one stipulation.  It had to be big enough where I could actually “swim”.  We went with a 12′ x 24′ oval.  If I swim 10 sets of 25 laps I can get in one mile which is my minimum goal each day during the summer months.  Mr. Foodie chuckles at me when I do my laps.  He stands in the back door and watches my head going back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.  He calls me his Little Water Bug.

Now…on to my nominees…

AnneMarie of Real Food, Real Deals.  This girl has it going on.  She’s weaning her family off processed foods and going with whole and natural ingredients whenever and wherever she can.  She also occasionally posts deals and coupon links she comes across.  She is “versatile”.

Cathy of What’s for Dinner.  She was one of the first five blogs I started following when I started blogging in January.  She lives in Texas with her two furry pals and uses various fresh veggies she gets from volunteering in her church garden and decides what she’s going make for dinner each night according to what she has on hand.  I love her adaptability.  She is also quite the seamstress and posts about her sewing creations on occasion.  The post about her mother’s wedding gown several weeks back was very heart warming but her most recent creations of updating her back yard swing and chairs, and the space they occupy, was amazing.  She is “versatile”.

And lastly, Whatever Is In The Kitchen.  Her tag line is Whatever Is In the Kitchen, A Meal is Waiting To Happen.  As someone who doesn’t make it to the grocery store every single week, I can attest to this.  Sometimes you just got to roll with it, and she does.  But now, this rookie gardener is taking the plunge and starting a full raised bed garden.  As someone who struggles with gardening myself, not just from our environment but from my hereditary-every-other-generation-brown-thumb (I swear it’s true!!) I can totally relate to her insecurities as a newbie backyard grower.  I’m appointing myself one of her official cheerleaders and wishing her tons of luck this year!!  This makes her “versatile” in my opinion and deserving of the award.

And I know that’s way short of the required 15 but I’m reserving my right to post more at a later date!

Thank you again ladies for the support and congrats to the newest recipients of The Sunshine and Versatile Blogger Awards!  Onward and Upward Blogging Buddies!