I started this blog back in January with a few basic goals in mind.  I wanted to share our favorite recipes and consolidate them in one location, I wanted to record the results and post photos from the Dockdogs events that our dog, Bailey, competes in throughout the summer, and I wanted to document the hiking trails and local points of interest that we enjoy visiting.

So far I think I’ve made some good progress with those goals (and that alone has made the blog worthwhile!) however there have also been some unexpected consequences of having the blog that I have been pleasantly surprised by.  First of all, I realize that I have an audience!  I love it when other bloggers “like,” comment on, or even follow my blog.  For some reason at the beginning it never occurred to me that other bloggers on WordPress would find and read my blog.  Thank you to those who have read a post so far and I hope that you keep reading!

Secondly, having a blog (and having other bloggers like/comment/follow my blog) has helped me to find other blogs that I really enjoy reading.  It’s fun to read about other bloggers around the world who are experimenting with different types of food, planting vegetable gardens, and taking photographs of food.  More on those blogs below!

Finally, having a blog has made me much more willing to try making new foods.  Originally I thought that I’d just be documenting the foods that we were already comfortable making, but the blog has inspired us to try and share all sorts of fun recipes.  This has been a great experience so far and I look forward to continuing to try new foods!

OK, so back to the real topic at hand… the Versatile Blogger Award!  TheWindyKitchen was kind enough to nominate me for this award… thank you!!  I’m relatively new to the blogging world and I appreciate the nomination.  🙂  As I understand it, the rules of the “VBA” are that I need to thank the person who nominated me, share seven things about myself, and then nominate 15 blogs that I enjoy for the award.  Here goes…

7 Things About Myself

• I try to elliptical or hike at least one mile every day and I find that elliptical-ing is best accomplished while watching reruns of The Office.
• I like to read mystery/spy/thriller books by authors like Robert Ludlum (Bourne series), Stephen Hunter (Point of Impact series), Steig Larsson (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Raymond Khoury, and Alex Berensen.  Once I determine that I like an author I buy everything that they’ve written (used on Amazon) and then read and sometimes reread the series.
• Every Friday Matt and I go out to lunch together.  Our favorite lunch restaurants are Sang Kee Noodle Bowl, Spice Indian Thai Bistro, Teikoku, and La Locanda.
• When I was growing up we’d spend every Christmas Eve at my grandma’s house and she’d always make us Contadina Cheese Tortellini with Alfredo Sauce, yum!
• In college I was in an all girls a cappella group called The Oxford Blues and my solos were Criminal by Fiona Apple, I Want You Back by the Jackson Five, and Moondance by Van Morrison.
• Also in college (and high school) I was on the track team and my specialty was the hurdles (55m and 100m).  Now I just live vicariously through Bailey who does quite a bit of jumping in Dockdogs and Agility.
• Last year our oven stopped working in May so we cooked everything (even enchiladas, strawberry-rhubarb crisp, peach cobbler, and pizza) on our grill.  By December it was too cold to grill so we finally fixed our oven.  🙂

And here are the 15 blogs that I nominate for the Versatile Blogger Award.  I realize that many of these bloggers may have already gotten this award but they’re my top 15 nevertheless!

• Natural Noshing
• Running Noodle
• Back Road Journal
• Afternoon D Lite
• Kitchen Convivial
• The Recovering Overachiever
• Pasta Princess
• FrugalFeeding
• The Diligent One
• Food, Fun & Life – It’s Amazing
• The Soulsby Farm
• Sarah the Gardener
• Rantings of an Amatuer Chef
• Skinnytaste
• unwind cooking

I’ll be posting comments on everyone’s blogs so you know that I’ve nominated you.  Thank you again to TheWindyKitchen!