An iPhone App and an Award

Do you see this? Do you see my strawberry panna cotta photo? ->>>

No, I haven’t been plagarized--I’ve been published! Several months ago, I was contacted by the California Strawberry Commission about using my recipe for panna cotta in an iPhone app featuring recipes using strawberries. Today it's officially available.

Do I have to say that I am thrilled? In some ways I’m still an academic at heart, and for me being published is a measure of success. This is the first recipe I’ve had published, and I can look at it every day on my iPhone. Except I don’t have to, because I already know this recipe.

This app has 50 very good-looking recipes, including one by Michael Ruhlman. I’m very happy to be included. If you have an iPhone, the app is free. You can find it here. Actually, it's free even if you DON'T have an iPhone. I just don't think you can use it...

It’s also time for me to accept an award from Jill at Jillicious Discoveries. If you haven’t yet discovered Jill’s blog, you might just stop here and click on that link. Go ahead. I'll wait.

Jill bakes. No, that’s not precisely correct. Jill BAKES! Her creations are gorgeous and her recipes wonderful. On Mondays, Jill tells introduces us to new things for our kitchens with her “Monday Must-Have” feature. It’s one of my favorite blogs.

This award comes with a reallyreally cute badge and (apparently) no other rules. I’m kind of glad, because by now you probably know all there is to know about me! Thanks, Jill.

OVERDUE

Way back in October, Sam at My Carolina Kitchen nominated me for an award. Between trips and family stuff I haven’t yet been able to accept it. Today’s the day!

I’ve seen this badge on several blogs and always secretly envied those who had received it--now I have one! (Don’t hate me ‘cause I’m beautiful, ok?) Thanks, Sam, I’m touched and honored to receive this award, even if this post is long overdue.

Besides the cool badge there are, of course, some rules:

1. Post the award on your blog. Present this award to seven others whose blogs you find brilliant in content and/or design, or those who have encouraged you.
2. Tell those seven people they’ve been awarded HONEST SCRAP, inform them of these guidelines, and ask that they link back to you.
3. Share “Ten Honest Things” about yourself.

When I received this award, I was in Japan. I started a list of things you probably wouldn’t already know about me, and ended up with a nice loo-ong one. Can I find it now? Of course not. So I made a new one:

1. I prefer baths to showers. If there’s a tub, I immerse myself. I think I came by this honestly, as my Dad did the same thing for as long as I can remember.
2. My favorite meals consist of small dishes of intensely flavored food. The food in Japan was exactly what I love most.
3. The most exotic places I’ve been are Japan and Ukraine. (So far...)
4. I bite my fingernails. I know, I know, but I’ve always done it and I don’t seem to be able to stop. (This is an HONEST award, after all!)
5. I sleep on my side. Dan says I snore sometimes, but HE doesn’t have an HONEST award, does he? That’s all I’m saying about that.
6. I’ve just discovered the music of Jacques Brel. They don’t make them like that anymore. Just a man and a microphone, that’s all. No fireworks, no special effects, no backup singers. Just him and me. And his hands.
7. I LOVE spicy food. This is probably due to early culinary experiences with my Dad’s barbecue sauce. If you’re good, one day I’ll share the recipe with you.
8. I love to eat with chopsticks. I’m pretty good at it too! I have about a bazillion pairs.
9. Lemesee, lemesee... Two years ago I traded my PC for an iMac. My life has been easier all round since then. I can’t imagine ever going back.
10. My favorite season is autumn. I love the cool air and seeing the trees deck themselves out in colors and the wonderful smell of it. A couple of years ago I walked outside one day and there was a gorgeous smell in the air. I couldn’t figure it out--was there a new bakery somewhere? Was there a tree blooming? What WAS it? AHA! I finally realized that it was fall. My favorite season. I was born in the fall.

That’s it, at least until I find that list. I’ve thought a lot about who to pass this on to, and I’ve chosen seven blogs that I love to read, which inspire me for one reason or another, and to whom I haven’t given an award already. Give them a visit; I think you'll enjoy them:

The Hungry Dog

The Gypsy Chef

Serendipity (another one!)

Once in a Blue Moon

Night Owl Chef

Moveable Feasts

Jillicious Discoveries

Thanks for reading this far, if you have. If you haven’t, then please don't tell me. Ignorance is bliss, after all.

Oh, WOW!

Oh, wow! Lizzie, at Lizzie goes Dutch has nominated me for a blog award. I’m thrilled! I’ve never had a blog award before. It’s my first one. Thank you, Lizzie!

This award comes with a very pretty badge:

...and some requirements:

1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award. (Check!)

2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog. (Check!)

3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award. (Check!)

4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might not know. (See below)

5. Nominate other Kreativ Bloggers. (See below)

6. Post links to the blogs you nominate. (Check!)

7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know that they have been nominated. (Off to do that now...)

Lemesee, 7 things you might not know about me.

1. I currently teach English as a second language to adults. You might know that, but you probably don’t know that this is my fourth career. I’ve been a college professor, a banker, and a management consultant. Now I’m an English teacher. Variety is the spice of my life.
2. I speak four languages: English, French, Italian and some German. I’ve also studied Irish Gaelic, but have no chance to practice it, and so have lost it.
3. I hate the smell of chlorine.
4. I never pack my suitcases until the last minute. If I pack earlier, I forget stuff.
5. I once went to the US National championships in fencing. I lost in the first round.
6. I used to drive a Fiat X-1/9. I used to race it in autocross races. I used to win. Specs on this car give the top speed as 110 mph. I can testify that it could go up to 130.
7. In addition to cooking, I paint. My paintings can be found here.

Other creative bloggers. Oh, dear, there are so many. I’ve looked at my favorite blogs to see if 1) they accept awards and 2) they’ve already got this one or 3) already have tons of others. I hate to make lists like these, but here you are--some of my daily reads. You’ll like them!

Kate at A spoonful of Thyme

Grace at A Southern Grace

Monique at La Table de Nana

Bob at Cooking Stuff

The Gypsy Chef

Kristin at Dine and Dish

Jain at Once in a Blue Moon