project food blog 1st challenge: ready,set- blog!

Here it is. My first “official challenge”. Do you have butterflies? I do… and I haven’t eaten one, either. Maybe later…keep reading. I have edible ones.

Most of y’all know what’s going on, and some of you are in it with me (are you as nervous as me about the video segment?! Eeek!)

If you aren’t, let me briefly tell you about this competition. Out of 2,000 food bloggers, Foodbuzz and their panel of judges AND readers like you will determine ONE winner.

What does the winner get?

A feature on Foodbuzz for a year and $10,000.

Pretty cool.

With each challenge, the number of bloggers involved will get reduced. (gasp!)

Can you guys help me?

Please?

If you do, I will do my best to not let you down and bring you some domestic craziness everyday.

Now, that’s just fun.

Now, with that being said- here is why on earth I am even doing this:

I love it.

Those of you that have “followed” me from my early “days” full of bad photos and ramblings and those of you that have joined me for the better photos and even more ramblings certainly know that.

I post almost everyday. (I admit I may go fishing one day a week. Literally.)

But if I didn’t go fishing- I wouldn’t have sushi. Then I may go really crazy. I’m too cheap thrifty to go out for it.

I know y’all understand.

Back to why I do this- to be blunt, I do love it. It’s my highlight, my work, my passion.

Days I don’t post make me feel like I forgot to brush my teeth. I walk around feeling all discombobulated. Unless I catch a fish. Then I’m excited to tell you about it.

My concept behind this blog- is simple. A few ramblings and a recipe. Just enough to make you smile and encourage you to go make something in your kitchen. I’m not one to write long winded paragraphs. I am capable of it- but I would rather keep it short, silly and simple. I know a lot of you don’t have the time to read about my search for the perfect mango- and, let’s face it- it’s not that entertaining. I got a good one, let’s get cooking. I try to give you ideas and inspiration from my world, and do my best to lighten your mood. I also don’t have a “theme” here-it’s a mixture of sweet and savory, healthy and decadent. Something for everyone, and life in between.I know there are parts of life that are lame, I am just one of those people that tries to focus on the “better” parts of life. Everyone knows I have had my share of lame times, my mama has, too.

black-pepper cheddar scallion beer bread

Why should I win this?

Redundant I know- Because I love what I do. I’m consistent. I make you smile. I give you good ideas and recipes… I help you decide what to make for dinner… or for you’re friend’s BBQ. I help you feed your meat-eating-cave-man husband, and your picky toddler, and even your vegetarian neighbor. I’m there with you-I battle weeds. I do dishes and wash windows, whether I like it or not. (for the record, I am not a fan) I don’t try to be who I am not. For me, preparing and cooking food (and making a mess in a kitchen) has been therapy since I was 9. It’s good therapy. Even when I cook up things and they… well, suck– I will tell you that, too. So we both don’t mess up next time. We’re all in this world together. Might as well do what we love, and love what we do. And figure out the best and tastiest way to do it.

Now if you need to know what made me start this:

I don’t know.

That’s the worst answer in the world.

I hate to even say it.

I guess at first I had a dream of writing a cookbook. Don’t we all have that book that lives in out soul? I think everyone does. The great American novel. The great American cookbook.

But… something funny happened.

This blog became my book. Nowadays, I don’t care if I never see it printed- the point is it’s here and it exists. People read it. People like it. That’s all that matters. If I had a book that was published, I couldn’t add to it everyday. Then, I would walk around all discombobulated.We all know that there’s enough discombobulated people in the world, let’s not add another one to the mix! This little blog fulfilled my dream without me asking it to. (I know, you can’t really talk to a website, but you know what I mean.) This site not only became a cyber-cookbook, it also became the chronicle of my life.

That’s it. Well, there’s always more, but I am on a word limit here.

For my butterflies and everyone else that has-or ever had butterflies:

Now you can have your butterflies, and eat them, too.

I had the worst time with these.

I debated even placing them here. They didn’t turn out as I wanted, and the pictures were unimpressive.

It was a humid day.

The dough stuck.

Decorating them was even worse.

I need an air conditioned kitchen.

But- being true to my spirit, here they are.

The dough stuck so bad that I just made little caterpillar logs . I sliced up some marshmallows and dipped them in colored sugar for the wings and “glued” them on with royal icing. For the coating I used some candy melts leftover from this cake.

I would like to share a recipe-but that dough needs tweaking first.

Bottom line is- there is a reason cut out cookies are most popular in winter. That reason? Humidity.