Friday, July 16, 2010

My first award (blushing)

How very exciting to check your comments and find that someone has given you an award!  I am always scooting around checking out all the beautifully crafted blogs, the amazing photos and recipes of other bloggers and I feel woefully inadequate in the IT department...LOL

Fortunately for me, technical expertise is not a prerequisite for people to enjoy my blog.  If it was...I'd be in deep water.

Let me just say, to win an award from such a gorgeous site as The Ardent Epicure is high praise indeed.  I was not aware that several on my list of favorite bloggers are all contributors (and related) to the site.  So, I thank you most humbly and kindly for the recognition.



The rules state that I must reveal seven things about myself...what a double-edged sword that could be eh?? 

1.  I am a complete techno-phobe (big surprise there huh) and have been known to throw abberant electronic devices across the room, in the pool, or just sweep them off my desk into the floor.  I once thought about shooting my computer tower with a 9mm handgun.

2.  My 27 year old daughter had to teach me what a blog was and why one would want to have one.

3.  I have asked Santa Clause to put Johnny Depp in my Christmas stocking for over 10 years now and it has never happened.

4.  I can resist any evil temptation save good dark chocolate.

5.  I am a raging, wild-eyed germ-a-phobe and clean freak.

6.  I have no formal culinary training, though I have devoured every book, magazine or article I can find on cooking.  My favorite show was a PBS series called "Great Chefs of America" over 25 years ago...and I watched it religiously.  As a child, I stood on a kitchen chair and made biscuits, pies and other goodies with my grandmother.

7.  I won the Kentucky Cattlemen's Association Beef Cook-off in 1996 and competed at the University of Kentucky at Bollingreen's culinary school for a chance to win the National Title.  There were 50 competitors...one from every state.  I took second place in the Nationals. 

The next requirement for accepting this award is to pass it on to 15 other bloggers.  That will be a hard choice because there truely are SO many wonderfully talented foodies here.  However, I will do my best..

1. Stella at http://thewitchykitchen.blogspot.com/  who was one of the first people to find and begin following my blog.  Her site is lovely and her recipes are always bewitching!

2. Rick at http://bittersweetsugarandsarcasm.blogspot.com/ who is just a hoot!  He was also one of the first to find and follow my blog.  His posts are so adorable and creative...I still get a kick out of the Nyquil thing...

3. Drick at http://dricksramblingcafe.blogspot.com/ whose garden fresh creations remind me of my childhood.

4. Kristin at http://wiseanticsoflife.blogspot.com/ (Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker) for her make-it yourself attitude and because I understand what its like to be the chauffer, laundress, cook, maid, teacher, bookkeeper etc etc etc.......

5. Chef Dennis at http://morethanamountfull.blogspot.com/ whose recipes are inspired, photos amazing and his obvious commitment to the girls who have been placed in his capable charge. 

6. Claudia at http://pegasuslegend-whatscookin.blogspot.com/ whose every recipe comes with a family story.  It is a lovely and tasty legacy!

7. Biren at http://rotinrice.blogspot.com/ because I am so envious of her photography skills and...her creative and beautiful recipes.

8. Jacob at Jacob's Kitchen ...Im sorry, I can't find the url for his site.  I know you can find it on facebook but I don't know the blog server.  All I can say is...WOW..that man can bake!  I don't know if I ever seen such mouthwatering baked goods.

9.  Chef Ryan (Cajun Chef Ryan)...again, I don't have the url but you can catch his posts on foodbuzz.com  I love his simple approach...great ingredients, homemade...and always fresh.

10. Lazaro at http://lazarocooks.blogspot.com/  I am endlessly amazed at his creativity and presentation.  If he's a practicing home cook...I'm in big trouble!

11. Roxan at http://kitchenmeditation.blogspot.com/ for her creative use of healthy ingredients and wonderful writing.

12. Kristin at http://motherrimmy.com/wordpress/ who is a prolific poster of delicious and healthful recipes.

13.  http://sophisticatedpeasant.blogspot.com/  I'm sorry I don't know her name but this blogger is a wealth of information on healing foods.

14. Vegan Aide...no url on this one either but find on foodbuzz.  An amazingly talented vegan cook.

15. Healthy Exposures...that girl makes oatmeal look like a 5 star meal.  I'm truely impressed with her very healthy eating habits.

That about raps it up...thanks again to The Ardent Epicure (and all it's contributors) for the award!

Look at these photos I took at the Edison Ford Winter Estates (in Fort Myers) a few weeks ago.  Why can't my food photos come out like this?













"Seminole Lodge" Part of the Thomas Edison Winter Estate in Fort Myers

Wisteria covered trellis that conects Edison's private home to his guest house, The Seminole Lodge.

27 comments:

  1. I am honored to be among this list of fabulous and talented bloggers along with yourself!, thank you so much! You are very well deserving of your award and congratulations . I appreciate your kind words and thoughtful gesture. thank you so much!

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  2. congratulations on such a well deserved award, and I am deeply honored that you thought of me to pass it on to! great facts about yourself...I just love my blogger friends, and learning more about them is my favorite...thank you for sharing! (I had to have a teacher walk me through the blog set up last year, her comment at the end of the year was she had created a monster...lol) Your pictures are beautiful and make me wish I was down there with you!
    have a great weekend!

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  3. you're welcome Dennis...and thanks!

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  4. (I commented a while ago, but I think in my haste it bounced back... hehehe)

    Wow. Thanks so much! I am flattered, and humbled. I only started blogging about two months ago, and in that time I have been welcomed so graciously by people whose blogs I consider to be crazy good (yours included!). So thank you for thinking of me and my little site that could. Congrats on your first blog award! It is definitely well deserved!

    My URL (btw) is : jacobskitchen.wordpress.com

    Thanks again!

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  5. ahh...great...thanks Jacob. I just go to your blog directly from foodbuzz so of course it has the foodbuzz url in the search bar. Sorry, I couldn't post your url but I will later. Thank you...

    You are most welcome for the award. I think everyone should check out your blog. It's absolutely lovely!

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  6. Congratulations Jillyann on your well deserved award. I am honored and touched that you are sharing this award with me. Thank you for your kind words.

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  7. Jillyann, we were more than pleased to pass this award on to you. Love your fun insights and beautiful food. I also am pleased at your choices for passing the award on to:) Have a wonderful weekend, and the photos are beautiful:)

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  8. Thanks and you're welcome Biren. I really am envious of your photos! LOL

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  9. Thanks Alisha...I really appreciate the award. Oh and I finally took some gorgeous pics...too bad they aren't of food huh?? LOL

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  10. Hey Jilly, you certainly deserve this as you are also a wealth of information (I'll check out the sophisticated peasant though too.) Quite a few things have changed in my kitchen since I started reading your blog and learning some of your witchy tricks, and I mean that too. It's true. So thanks Jilly. You've brightened my morning & my kitchen.
    p.s. I want Johnny Depp's perfect features on my offspring. Beautiful man that he is (smile)!

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  11. Thanks and you're welcome Stella. I'm glad that you have gleaned something from my ramblings!
    (Sigh)It is too late for my offspring as they are already grown and I cannot produce any further progeny (not that I'd want to even if Johnny Depp was the baby-daddy!) LOL My ex strongly resembles DR. PHIL...so I am thankful that my daughters do NOT!!!

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  12. Wow! An award from you... I am humbled. Thank you so much. I'm still in awe. Let me go and find some words...

    I've been to your site so often in the past few weeks since I have found you and your very neat videos, that it is a thrill that this comes from you. I love all your wisdom and appreciate you sharing it.

    Thanks very much again!

    My url is:

    www.weeklyveganmenu.blogspot.com

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  13. Thank you for providing the URL...I will add you to my list of blogs that I follow. I know lately I haven't made many vegan dishes but I generally DO. It's been a bake-a-thon around here the last few weeks due to company and contests etc. I hope to make some new youtube videos soon and really appreciate you subscribing to my channel! What is your first name??

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  14. Congratulations on winning that award.
    Hopefully it is only the beginning.
    John Shoup CEO
    Great Chefs Television
    shoup@greatchefs.com
    www.greatchefs.com

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  15. Congrulations JillyAn! Your award is well deserved and I am honored that you would think to pass it along to me!

    I loved learning so many things about you. I am the opposite of a techno-phobe. By day I am an Apple technician for our local school district. Still blogging has been a whole new world for me. I have to say, there have been a few times I could have chucked my computer into the hot tub. The only thing that stopped me was the thought of having to replace it.

    Love your blog, and thank you so much for the award. :)

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  16. Apple Technician?? Oh my.....lololol Now I REALLY feel like techno-peon!!!!

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  17. Thank you so much! You put me in a list with some power house, wonderful bloggers. I appreciate it!!

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  18. Congrats on your awards and thank you for thinking of me. I value every blogger award. It is very kind of you!

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  19. You're welcome...great blogs one and all.

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  20. Congrats on the award! I'm still chuckling about your Christmas wish. He hasn't turned up in my stocking yet either... :-(

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  21. Im shocked to learn that so many people ask for him Ruby...lol

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  22. I am so sorry for the lateness - I have been on a working vacation this past week and not attending to posting matters... thanks so much for the award, you are a sweetheart.... and about Johnny, we had drinks last nite on the patio, so sorry, I wish I would have read this earlier as I could have passed your wish on......

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  23. JillyAn, thank you so much for including me, that's so sweet of you! Sorry it took me so long to get back to you, i've been out of town. I do love reading your recipes and entries too! :)

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  24. Wow! I just found this award for my blog! Thank you so very much!
    The URL is http://cajunchefryan.rymocs.com/blog2/

    Bon appetit!
    CCR
    =:~)

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  25. You're welcome Chef...thanks for providing the URL!

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  26. Wow, JillyAn, thanks sooooo much for naming me worth of an award! My name is Sharon A. Kane, (you said you didn't know my name. It took me a long time to realize I had been named! Thanks again, and keep writing and photographing!

    sincerely,
    sharon

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Fort Myers, Florida, United States