Blog of the Year 2012 Award 04 and Happy Hogmanay!

What a lovely way to end the year. Fae, of Fae’s Twist & Tango has very generously awarded me for the second time. Wow! And a huge thank you, Fae! This time around I was going to start describing the blogs that have nominated mine (which I will do in future). However, there is a reason for not doing so here as – Fae, you absolute charmer – I’m right back at you! I’m going to relish nominating more for this award. Partly as I’ve found several absolute finds recently. And I don’t use the noun ‘finds’ without reason as there really are a lot of gems to be discovered in the blogosphere. And also as there were several that I had shortlisted for my previous two stars, even though I felt ten nominations were okay to go with. Especially as it was Boxing Day and doing all of the necessary links and spellchecks (I’m using British English and there’s a red line under spellcheck?!?) can be daunting, for me anyway. So, as it’s New Year’s Eve let’s get on with it! I’ve other celebrating to do, too…

This time, like last, I’m going with my nominations (alphabetically) first with rules about the awards at end of post:

Acorn in the Kitchen~ Food
This is a blog written by someone from Spain that’s now living in Southern Ireland. Outside of the UK Spain is the one European country that I just can’t get enough of, having visited over thirty villages, towns and cities (that doesn’t include the Canary Islands, only three of which I’ve been to). I’ve yet to travel to the North Western provinces of The Asturias and Galacia, so I’ve a lot more to see. Having said that I don’t know much about Spanish cuisine (except to say that I’ve had some amazing food experiences in Andalusia, the Basque country and Catalonia). Which is the perfect reason to follow and appreciate this particular blog – yes, I happen to like my food!

A TASTE OF WINTERGREEN Local, seasonal, real food
Lindy Mechefske is, by all accounts, a professional and published writer. Although, I prefer the idea of introducing Lindy as having been in the kitchen from the age of three. Love it. I was never encouraged, until much older. By the time I was fourteen I was allowed to cook anchovy pizza and moussaka, both from scratch (even though it took me about a month to find authentic ingredients, then). I’m fairly new to A TASTE OF WINTERGREEN, and as yet haven’t ventured any further than recent posts. Just don’t have the time most days. Soon, I must!

Chef Mimi Blog so much food. so little time.
Chef Mimi has worked within catering. How much of that is reflected within Mimi’s blog I wouldn’t know about as I only ever trained as a chef, never having worked as one. Like several other recent finds I’m avidly reading Chef Mimi’s posts – and can’t quite get over Chef Mimi’s knife collection! Positively-green-with-envy-or-what!

Fae’s Twist & Tango Magazine of a Storyteller…articles about travel, food and recipes, with a twist and tango!
Fae’s posts are always beautifully written. And I’m still chuckling over a particular Principality visited whilst touring the Antipodes (Australia and New Zealand). Chuckling at Fae’s expense, I hasten to add. Funny, I don’t recollect recommendations!?! Anyway, I’m especially thrilled to nominate Fae as I’d hoped to do so last time. Yet, as Fae had nominated me I didn’t feel, then, that it was appropriate. Now I do, quite simply!

LOVE – the secret ingredient -
‘Mary is a designer, creative director, painter, wife, mother and cook’, according to About. Again, this is a very recent find, and if Mary’s Christmas Day lunch post is anything to go by I’m certainly going to be reading through archives. And, no doubt it’ll be an absolute treasure trove. I bet everything was beautifully presented on Christmas Day, too…sighs!

7 legs maybe I’ll pour my heart out
I had to think twice as to where I should put this as 7 possibly should precede A, or should it? Yes, that crash course needed in grammar, yet again (see the next nomination for explanation). Anyway, I’ve gone with the spelling of the number. Do try and forgive me, all of you that know better! This is the second non food related blog I’m going with, especially as I adore Azita’s illustrations and animated Gif’s. It’s also one of two blogs where I couldn’t help but notice Fae’s Gravatar. The other blog is Fig & Quince which is written by Azita and her Mother about the most wonderful Persian recipes (and one of the blogs I’ve already awarded this to). Quite simply drool worthy! Definitely recommend checking out both absolute gems.

The Crafty Cook Nook Preserving Food, Stories, and Place
This is yet another blog that’s incredibly well written and structured, as a diamond should be. Which leaves me  toying with the idea of doing a crash course in grammar! I know I use way too many commas. And I’m never sure where to use them after several adjectives. Perhaps Gwynnem will let me know.

The Tarnished Spoon Musings of a former picky kid discovering food in its numerous forms
Jona certainly has a love of food, and it sounds like it runs in his family. How wonderful to be able to gain culinary advice from family, including his Grandmother. I never knew any of my Grandparents. And as for the Muttering Patriarch I doubt the MP knew how to boil an egg. As for the Matriarch, it was always a case of: oh, a pinch of this and some of that – always useful to know, Matriarch! Thanks for sharing (oh, catty miaow!).

Through A Lay(wo)man’s Lens The photograhpic ramblings of an amateur
That’s Kiki’s description of her photographic blog, not mine I hasten to add. This is the second non food blog I’m nominating, partly as I’ve always had a love of photography – long, long before digital. And have phogged (Twitter term that I happen to like) my way through life. I do love popping into Kiki’s blogs as they’re always so well thought out. I’ve also awarded Kiki’s food blog Dinner for (n)one which I highly recommend, like all of the others nominated here.

TORTORE Recettes favorites – Favorite recipes
Darya seems to have found cooking quite late, but seems to be catching up – fast! I’m loving several blogs, atm, that either post about Persian cuisine or are influenced by it. Like last time where I’d nominated several blogs due to my learning about Italian cuisine for the first time so, too, with Darya’s love of Persian cuisine. Tortore is beautifully written in both (alphabetically!) English and French.

Here are some rules that will help you understand how this award works:

1. Select the blog(s) you think deserve the ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award.

2. Write a blog post and tell us about the blog(s) you have chosen – there’s no minimum or maximum number of blogs required – and ‘present’ them with their award.

3. Please include a link back to this page ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award (
http://thethoughtpalette.co.uk/our-awards/blog-of-the-year-2012-award/
) and include these ‘rules’ in your post (please don’t alter the rules or the badges!).

4. Let the blog(s) you have chosen know that you have given them this award and share the ‘rules’ with them.

5. You can now also join our Facebook group – click ‘like’ on this page ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award Facebook group and then you can share your blog with an even wider audience.

6. As a winner of the award – please add a link back to the blog that presented you with the award – and then proudly display the award on your blog and sidebar … and start collecting stars…

Yes – that’s right – there are stars to collect!

Unlike other awards which you can only add to your blog once – this award is different!

When you begin you will receive the ‘1 star’ award – and every time you are given the award by another blog – you can add another star!

There are a total of 6 stars to collect.

Which means that you can check out your favourite blogs – and even if they have already been given the award by someone else – you can still bestow it on them again and help them to reach the maximum 6 stars!

‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award Badges
Here are the six badges for you to collect – you can either ‘swop’ your badge for the next one each time you are given the award – or even proudly display all six badges if you are lucky enough to be presented with the award six times! ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award – http://thethoughtpalette.co.uk/our-awards/blog-of-the-year-2012-award/