Sunday, June 13, 2010

I'm Thrilled to Announce That I'm a Versatile Blogger!!!

I am so, so flattered to have received another award this week, and from someone whose blog I absolutely love! Michelle at All Home Cooking. All Year Long. won this herself -- and most deservedly so!!!

Her mission, as she states it, is "... to feed her family outrageously delicious meals and snacks and eliminate processed foods from her kitchen, all on a very low budget." And she then shares her adventures with the rest of us, writing a fabulous blog about food, her family, simple and delicious recipes, and health. Michelle is wonderfully warm and friendly, and I always feel as though she's inviting me to dinner at her house when she posts. This is one blog I never miss, and cannot recommend highly enough to everyone!

Michelle then passed the award along to a phenomenal group of bloggers whom I am very proud -- and profoundly humble -- to say that I'm a part of ... :) It's wonderful to know that one's efforts are appreciated and valued!

Now I am given the task of passing this award along to deserving recipients, and my brain paralysis is kicking in again -- I am so, so bad at making decisions! Too many options, too many worthy candidates! I'd have shared this with Michelle if someone hadn't beaten me to it; so that's one down, and still 15 more to go ....

So, on to following the protocol! The guidelines for accepting this award are:

Thank the person/people who gave it to you.

Thank you so very much for choosing me, Michelle, and for believing that my work warrants the attention. And thank you, too, for the charming and lovely way you introduced me: "Yenta Mary at Food Floozie. She was on the Early Show for her award-winning cupcakes. Run. Go to her. Now." Truly, Michelle, you made my entire chaotic Friday!!!

Tell 7 things about yourself.

Hmmmmm .... How much do I feel like sharing??? Am I in a "Truth or Dare" mood or a "Stick to Food" disposition, or ...? Why don't we try a little of both, rather than playing favorites?

1. I have never cooked an artichoke. Why bother? Too much effort for too little food. And so many places make that fabulous spinach-artichoke dip that I love that it's just not worth my time. I could be here, typing out inane blather instead!

2. I can't skate, and I'm prissy, and I'm a klutz ... and I'm old, at 47. But I'm still a Member Volunteer of the Ann Arbor Derby Dimes roller derby team, working on fundraising and general cheerleading for this newly forming team -- YEAH!!! I spent 13 years in all-girl Catholic schools (Lady Gaga's alma mater, I might add!), and it was girls who led the student council and girls who won science fair awards and girls who were star athletes ... never underestimate us! So I am 100% supportive of this women's sport and the fabulous and amazing group of women building the team! And if anyone would like to help us in our fundraising efforts, I will let you know when our gear is ready for purchase ... :)

3. Through 6 proverbial degrees of separation, I possess a pasta sauce recipe passed along by a suspected Mafioso. Legend has it that his grandmother came to this country in the early 1900s with only a few possessions. The boat sank close to shore, and she was able to salvage only 2 things: a family heirloom ruby ring, and her Nonna's (grandmother's) pasta sauce recipe. There has been some updating and some modernization, but it is still essentially an Old World "gravy." It starts with the words "Take a 16-quart stockpot ...." Yeah, right! My spaghetti pot holds 8 quarts, so I make half-batches. Tomatoes, cheese, basil, meatballs (and there are instructions for forming them properly!), sausage, and pork. Wine, along with the admonition to never drink any while cooking because it will taint your tastebuds. Truly, this sauce is a thing of incomparable beauty ... I have never experienced anything like it, and it is a labor of love to spend a day making it. I would share the recipe with you, but I was told not to ... and I value my kneecaps too much to violate that dictum!

4. I adore lilacs, and wish their season lasted longer. The bushes I have in my backyard have already had their shining moment this year ... I wish they were still in bloom.

5. Although everyone presumes that I watch it, I can't stand the Food Network. It's all about overly bleached teeth and showing off cleavage -- it has virtually nothing to do with cooking anymore. Any time I happen to breeze on by, there's some stupid competition for building Disney-themed Rice Krispies Treats structures ... sheesh! What happened to Mario Batali and to Sara Moulton and the other real chefs who'd worked their way up to a spot in the pantheon, who actually instruct and inform???

6. I was a member of the "Jeopardy" contestant pool back in 2006. I'd always bemoaned not being in California to take the test, and then they started offering it online. I signed up immediately, felt I'd bombed it horribly (the pressure!!!) ... and then, awhile later, I received an email congratulating me on having passed! I went to Chicago for a try-out, and was my usual flaky and chatty self -- my personality is better suited to "The Price is Right," in all honesty. (And sadly, most of the women who appear on the show wear grey or black and virtually no make-up, regrettably reinforcing the "nerd" stereotype; Alex Trebek might've had a stroke if he'd seen me in my purple nail polish and sparkly lip gloss and vivid pink clothes!) Then I got a call inviting me to the show, but Jeremy was sick and I couldn't fly out there. (Severely phobic of flying, but it would have been the chance of a lifetime!) They called again months later, and I still couldn't go ... :( I like to think it was God's way of sparing me humiliation on a national scale -- wouldn't it be horrible to not even make it to "Final Jeopardy"??? But I often wonder about what might've been ....

7. I have a "thing" for Cheetos. I can't explain it -- they have no redeeming nutritional qualities whatsoever, and I'm a girl who buys brown rice and whole wheat pasta almost exclusively, who banned hydrogenated oils an eternity ago, who cooks and bakes rather than relying upon processed and bleached and preservative-laden foods ... and yet. I'm not too keen on the puffy ones, though I'm also not too proud to turn them down. But I can devour an entire bag of the crunchy ones, and simply don't buy them to avoid the temptation ... though sometimes Jeremy will indulge me, even though he knows he shouldn't!

Pass the award on to 15 bloggers whom you have recently discovered and think are fantastic.

Again, let me reiterate how difficult a choice this is! But in no particular order, here are the blogs I think everyone should have already found. I'll pretend to be the hostess of the speed dating session, facilitating the introductions and potential life-long relationships!

2. Kuppy Kakes by Kristin













Again, I offer my most sincere gratitude for this award! And I happily bestow it upon others, sharing the joy ... :)


Blogaholic Designs”=

21 comments:

Erin Wallace said...

Wow! Thank you! I am honored beyond belief! And I love your list of things! Mafiosa gravy (I've had some in Youngstown, OH - amazing stuff), an inexplicable love of Cheetos, which I share with you, and all of those boob-popping bleached teeth Food Network people drive me batty (but I do like the Neelys' and Paula Dean's laugh. I wonder if the new Food Channel will be better. Anyhow, it might take me a bit to post this since I have to come up with 15 bloggers (!) but I will make it a priority! Thanks so much!!!

xo Erin

The Old White Barn said...

I am so pleased - and so honored you thought of me! Thank you so much for this lovely award! Now off to make the difficult choice of 15 bloggers to pass it along to........
Susan

Michelle said...

I thoroughly enjoyed reading your list of things about you. :) Mafia sauce....Interesting! lol And Jeopardy? Now that would have been neat! I'm more of a Wheel of Fortune gal myself. The only trivia I store in my brain is the food sort. :)

You deserve the award.

Nicole said...

As a new follower of yours, I definitely enjoyed the little factoids about you! Jeopardy? Very cool. Cheetos? A girl after my own heart. Rollery Derby - that's pretty bad a$$!

Nicole

Natalie said...

I'm soooo with you on number 1! And I want that pasta sauce recipe!!!

Congrats on your award!!

Anonymous said...

Hey Mary! Thank you! Thank you soooooo much for thinkig of me for this award. You know how much I love your blog - but I'm on skates these day and have stop accepting awards for the moment because I don't have to time to go through the whole protocol that's required to accept them. I hope you understand...oh? Is it Peanut Butter Cookies Day already?...okay I have a little time to download this recipe for later. Your ode was cute and sweet just like the cookie should be. :)

Haupi
http://hauplight.blogspot.com/

Robin said...

May I say that all seven things about you were very interesting? I had to read the Roller Derby thing several times just to make sure that I read it right. You are not participating and just volunteering. That whole business with the sauce was funny and still old-school. Not sure that was the right word, but oh well. I, too, like crunchy cheetos. Sorry you missed out on Jeopardy!

Diane Schmidt said...

You are so sweet! I love you list, very informative.

Single and Sane said...

I feel so honored to be included! And now I know what I'll be writing about for that mid-week post I couldn't figure out. =)

WiffsWife said...

Thank you so much!!! :) My first award!! YAY!

Lucy's Soup Can said...

Thank-you for thinking of me and including me in a list with so many other great blogs! I feel special :o)

I have to say, I feel exactly the same way about the Food Network. It has gone the way of reality T.V. I suppose watching someone saute onions isn't as entertaining to most as watching a bunch of wannabe cooks have profanities yelled at them.

Rose said...

CONG. AND YOU HAD WONDERFUL ANWERS. CONG TO ALL OF THE OTHER BLOGGERS. ROSE

Southern Reflexions said...

Congrats on your award...Your link accidentally got deleted on M&G Monday...I am SO sorry...I re-linked you, but it is not the same picture...Please feel free to re-link with the right pic of you would like...Thanks again!! :-D

Leanne said...

Congratulations on your award!!! I'm so new to you, but I feel like I know you already (love your 7 things about you list!) oh, and i'm a cheetoholic. I'm not proud of it - and I NEVER have them in the house (because I WILL eat a whole bag) but they are so un-naturally wonderful!!!

Chasity said...

Just found your blog through the Southern Reflections meet and greet.

beingzaraandzidan said...

hey great blog. & congrats on the award. I am stopping by from M&G Mondays. I am ur newest follower & Hope u follow back too

Christina said...

Congrates on the award!! following you through M&G Monday. Am from India and had a hearty laugh over your Ras Malai episode:). You seem to be fun. Do visit my page as well.

Fab Find Foodie said...

CONGRATS!! Well deserved!! You have an amazing blog. And your humor is priceless! :)

I agree about lilacs. When I was growing up our home was surrounded by lilac bushes. (Literally, it was like a lilac fence around our yard!) People used to sneek into our yard at night to pick lilacs like it was something criminal...lol My mother used to go out and say "Look, help yourself to our lilacs. But please, come back during the day because you're scaring our kids!"

Wilma said...

Thanks! What exactly am I supposed to do to accept this award?

Dania said...

Thank you so much for this! It's my first award on Life as a Cuban American Mama!

I'll work on it this week since I'm finishing up the final details for the kid's b-day party.

Now to figure out who to pass the award to :-)

shelley said...

wow, thank you sooo much i am honored and humbled by you passing this on to me! i love your list! you know i love to cook (and eat) and i adore lilacs!! i have been a little nuts since i was away with my hubby for our 25th anniversary and then had a huge event upon return for our daughters college graduation so i'm a little behind on my writing but i will get this soon! many thanks again!
hugs,
shelley
http://im-stillstanding.com


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