HARD WORKING FOOD BLOGGER AWARD & SILICONE HEAVEN!

I'm baaack!

I just recently arrived home from a road-trip to Seattle. I must say, sharing a bed with an 18 month old isn't fun. I was kicked, pinched, slapped, punched and whacked during the night and Bebe would come over occasionally from the other bed next to us where she was sleeping with daddy, and say, "Mommy, daddy's bothering me with his snoring!"

Oy.

silicone heaven: cannelé molds

On the brighter side of things, I bought up a storm at Sur La Table at Pike Place Market and also at this nifty little store called Mrs Cooks, which I found in a mall in Seattle. I finally got the coveted silicone cannelé molds I so wanted. I had looked all over for them in Vancouver and couldn't find any. At Sur La Table, I found it and some half-sphere silicone molds too! I have no idea what to do with the demi-sphere molds yet, but if you have some good ideas (and pics) please do tell!

they're not copper, but they'll do!

don't these look like they would make good fake boobies?

I also purchased a silicone rolling pin...and added it to my collection of 3 at home. I already have an old-fashioned wooden one (my mom's), a wooden french-style rolling pin and a fondant rolling pin.

At Mrs Cooks, I bought 5 nifty shaped cookie cutters: a crown, a dragonfly, a butterfly, a cake with candle and a maple leaf ('cause I'm Canadian, eh!). I also found a cool gadget that's called a "recipe divider". I need this because I'm always halving recipes. All you do is spin the little stainless steel wheel and you get the correct measurements. Love it.

I don't think many bloggers know this, but I also do a lot of scrapbooking and card-making. I can't rationalize the economy of buying all the stuff that you need for this particular hobby 'cause long ago I exceeded the reasonable amount most people would spend on purchasing Christmas, birthday, wedding and thank you cards at the store. When I first started, I'd say to Stomach: "Look how cheap this is! Can you believe people actually spend 5 bucks on a birthday card?!" So I won't bore you with the details about my crafts purchases. The bill was ugly.

But enough about my weaknesses...

I have been awarded the "Hard Working Food Blogger" award by Sally at PinkBytes. She is such a sweet lady and her blog is a lovely extension of her personality. This award originated from Elle at Elle's New England Kitchen.

I am here now to pass on this award to a couple of fellow food bloggers for the hard work and dedication they put into creating and maintaining fantastic blogs. It is a lot of hard work and though I think many food bloggers are deserving of this award, I have 2 people that spring forth in my mind when I think of this Hard Working Food Blogger award.

[drum roll: brddddddddd: ching!] They are: Kevin, at Closet Cooking (a fellow Canadian!) and Mark, of No Special Effects.

Kevin posts and comments with such regularity that it amazes me. I don't know where he finds the time to visit all these blogs, make comments, cook and photograph his food and keep up his own inspirational blog. That's dedication, my dear! He's always got something delicious going on in his kitchen and he's such a nice guy!

Mark's always first to make a comment on lots of blogs (how does he do that?) and he's always got something interesting to say. He makes my day with his visits and I love reading his musings about food and life. He's a creative multi-tasking man of many talents! That, and who else could dispense for me free medical advice for carpal tunnel syndrome caused by piping 330 royal icing flowers?

If they were to come to Vancouver, I'd have to take them out for some major Dim Sum! We've got the best, 'cause all those top notch chefs from Hong Kong emigrated here! then, a visit to Granville Island Market, right?

Like Elle, I too think fellow food bloggers are a hard-working bunch. We do often eat our food cold, sending our pics to the etherworld in the hopes that someone out there will take note of our food and our ideas and possibly *gasp* be accepted at Tastespotting or Foodgawker...

Yes, we all deserve a pat on our backs and if you fit this description, I believe you too deserve this award and should help yourself to it! Go on! Take it! don't be shy! and spread the love.