Sweet Stuff at SGCC

I'm not going to tell you any sad stories today. I'm locking them all in my Sad Story Box and they are not allowed out until tomorrow. Today is my birthday and I just want to think about happy things! Don't ask me how old I am, though. If I told you that, I'd have to kill you!
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I've shared a lot with you all on this blog; the good, the bad and the bittersweet. Writing has always been cathartic for me and it is sometimes easier to express my feelings this way. I think that is true for many of us. Someone asked me not too long ago, how I could spend so much time talking to nameless, faceless strangers on the Internet. She said that interacting in this way was not true communication. She also claimed that because of the anonymity of the web, most of the people I've met online are probably not even who they say they are.

I tried to explain to her about this wonderful world of food blogging - about all of the terrific people I've come to know and how much I look forward to visiting them and their blogs. I told her that some of the connections I've made with other bloggers are are just as real as if I'd met them right here in town. We celebrate each others' successes, laugh over our failures, cry over our losses and support each other in our endeavors. She didn't get it. I guess people often can't accept what they don't understand. That got me thinking. How do you feel about this? Is what we do true communication? Can you really forge a strong bond with someone you've never met? Hmmm. Food for thought.

There has been a lot of sweet stuff going on here in SGCC Land and I couldn't be more thrilled! I've been saving it up to share with you all at once. I had planned to write this post a while ago, but with all of the craziness, I just never got to it. In the last several weeks, I've won a few contests and have been honored with some great awards!

Last month, I submitted an entry to Holly at Phemonenon for her Little Wonders, Blogging for Babies event. My Lemon Yogurt Cakelets was chosen as one of the top three entries! I was stunned! I was happy just to be able to participate in such a worthwhile event. To actually win was the icing on the proverbial cake! For my efforts I received a copy of Govind Armstrong's excellent cookbook, Small Bites Big Nights. Thank you so much, Holly and everyone who voted for me.

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Around the same time, I submitted an entry in the The Great Peanut Butter Exhibition #1 - Cookies, hosted by The Peanut Butter Boy, The Chocolate Peanut Butter Gallery and Foodaphilia. I entered my Holycraptheseareamazing Cookies and lo and behold, I won! WooHoo! I was too excited for words! My sincere and enthusiastic thanks go out to Nick, Kristina and E! Check out my cool badge I get to display!


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When it rains, it pours, this time in a very good way. Patsy at Family, Friends and Food has passed on the Blogging With a Purpose Award to me. Patsy is one of the sweetest bloggers around. She writes about her adventures in the kitchen with humor and charm. Not one to shy away from a challenge, she features lots of interesting and diverse recipes. Take a moment to check out her blog. You'll be happy you did. Thank you Patsy!

The Blogging With a Purpose Award was originated by Eric at Blogging With a Purpose. The rules are, that recipients must nominate five people who have not yet received the award, and that the blogs that receive the award must serve some purpose.

My good friend and fellow legal eagle, Cakelaw at Laws of the Kitchen has bestowed the Yummy Blog Award upon me. Cakelaw is one of my favorite bloggers. She is also one of the most prolific! I'm always amazed at how she manages to work full-time as an attorney and yet still find the time to create so many wonderful dishes and post about them to boot! She never seems to miss an event. Plus, she recently completed a class on cake decorating. You really need to visit Cakelaw's blog to see the lovely and tempting things she has been churning out in her kitchen! I am honored that she thinks my blog is yummy!

This award was started by Roopa of Kitchen Treats. Here is Roopa's decription of it in her own words: " The Yummy Blog Award is the award given to the blog with most yummy recipes/photos. The receiver should also quote their favorite yummy-licious dessert(s) that they have ever prepared/eaten...Also the receiver should pass on the award to four other bloggers who’s blog they find “yummy” and let them know about the rules." There are so many "yummy-licious" dishes that I've posted about. After all, if I don't love the food I make, I usually don't bother writing about it. If I had to choose one, I think it would have to be my Thank Heaven for Little Girl(Scout)s Samoa Cheese Tart. With all of that cream cheese, dulce de leche, toasted coconut and dark, rich chocolate, it is the quintessential Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy dessert!
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Both Gretchen at Canela & Comino and Val at More Than Burnt Toast have honored me with the You Make My Day Award. I've gotten to know both of these terrific women pretty well over the last several months and my life has been richer for it. They are generous and kind and incredible cooks! Gretchen features many mouthwatering Peruvian dishes on her blog and very charming and poignant stories to go along with them. Val's blog is like the United Nations of food! She presents delicious recipes from all over the globe, including her native Canada, often imparting valuable nutritional information too. She also shares lots of great pictures of all of the exciting and exotic places she's been. It's worth a trip to both of these blogs to see what they're up to. My sincere thanks goes out to both of these special ladies.

The Rules of this award are to give the award to up to 10 people whose blogs bring you happiness and inspiration and make you feel so happy about blogland! Let them know by posting a comment on their blog so that they can pass it on. Beware! You may get the award several times!


Last but certainly not least is the Arte y Pico Award that I received from Nikki from Canary Girl. I have to admit that when I first saw this one floating around the blogoshere, I was secretly hoping that someone would pass it on to me. I really, really wanted that lovely badge! I'm so very happy that Nikki thought enough of me and SGCC to send it my way! Nikki is one of the most fun bloggers around. Her sunny smile is infectious and her breezy writing style makes for a great read. Nikki lives in the Canary Islands, which is too cool for words! Her recipes are a great mix of different cuisines, but I especially love all of the Spanish offerings. Stop by and check it out. Thanks, Nikki!

The Arte y Pico award originated with Eseya at Arte y Pico. The rules are as follows:

1)You have to pick 5 blogs that you consider deserving of this award with respect to creativity, design, interesting material and contribution to the blogging community.

2) Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.

3) Each recipient has to display the award and link to the blog that has given it

4) The recipient has to link to the originator of this award.

5) These rules are to be posted.

Now comes the hard part! How in the world do I narrow down my list of deserving bloggers to so few? I can honestly say that I find enjoyment and inspiration in every one I visit. They all deserve these awards. But, since I must name some names, here goes. This post is already way too long, so you'll just have to go visit these blogs to see why I love them! I tried not to duplicate, and if I did, I apologize. It wasn't easy!

The Blogging With A Purpose Award goes to:
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Barbara at Winos and Foodies

Cathy at Noble Pig

Holly at Phemomenon

Jen at A2EatWrite

Susan at Food Blogga
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The Yummy Blog Award goes to:

Aran at Canelle et Vanille

Kevin at Closet Cooking

Heather at Gild the Voodoolily

Marc at [No Recipes]

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The You Make My Day Award goes to:

Stacey at Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Ho-Hos

Tempered Woman at Tempered Woman

Rachel at The Essential Rhubarb Pie

Mike at Mike's Table

Michelle at Thursday Night Smackdown

Grace at A Southern Grace

Mark at No Special Effects

Patricia at Technicolor Kitchen

Rita at Mochachocolata Rita

Lori at The Recipe Girl

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The Arte y Pico Award goes to:
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Jessie at Cakespy

Michelle at Bleeding Espresso

Diane and Todd at White on Rice Couple

Jen at Use Real Butter

Nicisme at Cherrapeno

Whew!

Comments

Manggy said…
Happy Birthday Susan!!! I hope you have a lovely day and things will be looking up for you :) xxoo (hey... can guys do the xxoo thing? hahaha.) Small details kind of give away your, ahem, experience (career, teen daughter, etc.) but I could almost swear your energy is very youthful indeed :)

Thank you for the award. Reading SGCC makes my day too! :) You don't have to be anxious at all with me-- I am almost the same in person, albeit a little shyer and cheekier :) Congratulations on the wins, too! w00t!
Jen said…
Happy Birthday! I hope it's a delightful one! What a wonderful blogging year you've had.

And thank you so much for the award! I'm completely stunned and delighted.

Enjoy the rest of your day!
Nic said…
OMG - I saw my name - thank you so much for the award and congrats on all yours too, well deserved I must say - your photos are awesome!

Happy birthday to YOU! How old did you say you are?
(LOL, couldn't resist!)

I know what you mean about people not understanding the world of food blogging - I have a few friends who 'just don't get it' - it's their loss.
Wow Susan where to begin. First of all congratulations on all your awards, so very well deserved. Thank you also for your kind words. I think that in the blogging world we can forge true friendships. People connect over the internet all the time and some even move beyond friendship in the dating world. So to your friend who just doesn't get it, get her to start a foodie blog, she will never be sorry:D
test it comm said…
Happy birthday! Congratulations on the awards. They are well deserved. Thanks for the award! :)
Peter M said…
Happy B-day and I too have my baby pic in B & W...so I know what age bracket you're in...SHHHHHHH!
CookiePie said…
HAPPY BIRTHDAY and congrats on all the fabulous awards!! xo
Anonymous said…
First, Happy Birthday!! Writing and baking are very therapeutic and judging from all of your awards you are obviously very good at both! Congratulations!!
Anonymous said…
It just so happens that we SHARE THE SAME BIRTHDAY!

At 66, I am much older than you, however. Perhaps you and my wife are the same age, though.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
PheMom said…
Happy Happy Birthday! Thanks for the sweet award! I just recently received it from Melanie at My Kitchen Cafe, but I am so grateful and flattered that you thought of me. I'm glad the cookbook got there ok.

As for the friend who can't ubderstand the food blogging community, I feel very sorry for her. This community has absolutely been my saving grace this winter and I think the bonds we all share are very real. I just wish we were all able to live within meeting distance of eachother! The world would see a party like they've never seen before!

I hope your birthday has been fantastic!
Gretchen Noelle said…
Oh! Happy Birthday!!! I hope you were able to spend some time to celebrate.

What a great time to celebrate these fun awards and prizes. Hope your week is going well.
Heather said…
Happy birthday, gorgeous! You look fantastic - have you had anything done? ;)

Thanks for the award, Susan! You're pretty yummeh yourself. I'm gonna go celebrate your birthday by eating some good vanilla ice cream with canned dulche de leche and some Maldon on top.
Anonymous said…
LOVE your blog. Just found it and feel a connection to your view of the world. Happiest of birthdays. I catharse on my blog too as I cook, plan my meals and try to balance my life. Come visit me and let me know what you think. Your pics are fantastic
Cheers,
Julia
www.backcounterbuffet.blogspot.com
Hope you had a great birthday! And thanks so much for that gorgeous award...you're right...it's definitely one of the prettiest out there ;)
grace said…
happy, happy, glorious belated birthday! i hope you had a great day! and thanks for the award--you make my day, too. :)
Peabody said…
Happy birthday.
I do think you can form bonds with people over the Internet. I met my hubby that way and some other really great people.
Anonymous said…
Happy HAPPY Birthday, Susan!!! :)

Congratulations on all of your awards and winning the contests!! That is amazing, girl. I couldn't think of anyone more deserving. Rock on, sistah! :D
Anonymous said…
Being on the other side of the Atlantic means that sometimes I see posts a day late. So, a day late, but no less sincere ...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAAAAY DEAR SUUUUUSAN
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU

And congratulations on all the blog love and recognition you received!
Hey, beautiful, happy birthday!!! I'm sending you loads of happy thoughts from here, and lots of love.

And, just for the record, YOU ROCK AND YOUR BLOG KICKS A**, so all the awards and wins are more than deserved. I'm glad you could show the world how talented and gifted you are!

Thank you for the award - I'm so glad we have met through blogging, Susan!

xoxo
Jen Yu said…
Well Happy Belated Birthday, my dear friend!! I hope you had a very special, very love-filled day. Thank you for that award... I think it shows just how popular you ARE with all of those to pass along ;) As for you friend wondering about friendships over the internet...

I don't think your friend has a very good grasp of what communication is in the first place (the transfer and exchange of information). But that aside, this is an interesting phenomenon that I have discussed of late with a few other food bloggers. Obviously we make friends with one another. I have never met you, but I'd welcome you into my house if you ever ventured out this way. Of course, I don't feel that close to most of my blog readers. And then there are the creepy stalker types... ;) What I find interesting is that as a blogger, you (can) put yourself out there for all to see and feel like they know you without ever really getting to know them (the celebrity thing). However, when you have two bloggers who read one another... that's where you get this exchange, this rapport. I've been wondering about posting on this topic but, it can be a touchy subject. In anycase, you are my friend and I wish you a Happy Belated Birthday and I wish you a good day EVERY day. xxoo
Anonymous said…
Happy belated B-day! And thanks for the award, you are awesome!!
LyB said…
Congratulations on the awards, they are well deserved indeed! I do hope you had a great birthday, all the cake you could eat, and here's to wishing you a wonderful year ahead! :)
Susan @ SGCC said…
Thank you all for the birthday wishes! I had lovely day! My family took me to a wonderful new tapas restaurant that recently opened in town with great food, wine and...flamenco dancing! After a few too many glasses of sangria, my computer screen looked a little blurry, so I took the night off. ;)

Manggy- Okay, Smartypants! I'm actually a child prodigy and was married at the age of twelve. ;)

Jen- You are very welcome! You deserve it! I really enjoy your writing.

Nicisme- You're welcome and thank you right back! You deserve that award. Your recipes and photos are both "delicious"!

Val- Thanks! Every word is true. Terrific people like you give bloggers a good name!

Kevin- Thank you! Right back at you. I'm so impressed with your culinary creativity and beautiful photos.

Peter- Uh oh! :O

CookiePie- Thanks on both counts!

Megan- Thank you so much! You're very sweet to say that.

DocChuck- What a coincidence!Happy birthday to you too! Hope you had a great day.

PheMom- You're welcome! Sorry about the duplication. After checking about 50 blogs, I gave up and just went with who I wanted. You definitely deserve a double dose!

I wish we were all closer in proximity too. It would be great fun to have a wild blogger party. Can you imagine the refreshment table? :)

Gretchen- Thank you so much! I can't tell you how much I appreciate your support and friendship. You are a gem!

Heather- Lol! I asked for some Botox for my birthday, but I got Shun knives instead! My derm says my skin is 10 years younger than the rest of me, so I guess I can live with that. ;)

You are very welcome! You deserve it. I love visiting you for the great food and intelligent commentary!

Julia- Welcome! I'm glad you found me. I will definitely be over to visit. :)

Michelle- Thanks! I knew you'd like this one. It is sooooo pretty! You really deserve it, Michelle. Your blog embodies everything the award stands for.

Thank, you Grace! I think you're a doll and I enjoy visiting you so much!

Peabody- How cool is that! I know a few other married couples that met online too and they are all extremely compatible AND happy!

Canarygirl- Awwww! You're making me blush! Thanks for the kind words and all of the smiles. :)

Joanne- Lol! Thank you! Not to worry. I'm a day late in responding to all of these sweet birthday wishes anyway. :)

Patricia- Thank you so much! You are such a sweetheart! I'm really glad we met too. :)

Jen- Thank you, dear one! I had a lovely day with my family and a few of my BFFs.

I agree with your take on this issue. I think that the continuing back and forth exchange among many of us gives us the opportunity to really connect with each other. Obviously, this isn't the case with everyone, but I, like you, have formed some strong attachments with some of our fellow bloggers. I look for their posts and I miss them when they aren't around for a while.

That being said, I'm so glad that I've had the opportunity to get to know you and call you my friend. You are just as special to me as if you lived next door. You never know. Mr. SGCC is still talking about moving to Colorado. Any houses for sale in your neighborhood? ;)

Noble Pig- You are so welcome! You're awesome too! The award is well-deserved!

LyB- Thank you! I did have cake and a lot of sangria!
Mansi said…
COngrats on all the awards! you deserve all of them!! aah, visiting your blog is culinary bliss!:)D
I love all the food blogs - I read about 20 faithfully. I blog mostly about life and my son who has autism. Just to let you know - my very best friend in the whole world (we've been best friends for over 20 years now and an article was written about it in her local paper) have never met. We met via mail when I was looking for books and she being a bookstore owner came up on a search I did. We talk nearly every day and we have never met. Actually, we are fearful that if we did meet we might not like each other :-). My husband and I met on the internet (in a chat room). There are a whole world of people out there and the internet gives us a chance to meet some great folks that don't happen to live right down the street. (I know there are some wackos out there - but there are wackos right down the street too). And, yes, I have many friends who I "see" regularly - but you can have friends that you never meet face to face!
Anonymous said…
Happy Belated B-Day Susan! And thank you so much for the award! We really feel so honored and a special big congrats to you!! We all love you, your blog and everything that you do for the blogging world. Thank you for being you!
Oh, BTW- congrats too on those holycraptheseareamazing cookies!
Happy belated birthday and many congrats on all of the recognition! Its well deserved. Also, thank you very much! :-)
Susan @ SGCC said…
Mansi Desai- Thank you very much! You are too kind! I'm glad you enjoy visiting here.

Andrew's Mom- Welcome! Wow! You are a walking testemonial for the point I was hoping to make. You are so right too. There are nice people and wackos everywhere. The web does give us a great opportunity to connect with people who share like interests that we would otherwise never find. Thanks for your input. :)

WoRC- Thank you so much! I love you guys too! That award was tailor made for you. Your blog is entertaining, educational, creative and inspiring all at once. Your videos are amazing and your photos are simply stunning! And, you are two of the nicest people I've ever met- on or off the web!

Mike- Thanks and you're welcome. I am always delighted and impressed when I visit your site. I love your food! You do such a terrific job presenting it. And, your a heck of a nice guy too! :)
HAPPY BDAY!!! Thanks for the award. I am turning 38 in July and for some reason having a VERY hard time with it. I have been walking around with a lump in my throat for months and on the verge of panic attacks. It is ONLY 38 and I guess having birthdays is much better than not having them, eh???
Anonymous said…
Happy belated birthday! Thanks so much for the award. When I'm looking for something yummy your blog is always on my list:-)
Susan @ SGCC said…
Obsessive- Thanks, and you're welcome! I'm a few years older than you and I know how you feel. I thought that the big 40 would be the bad one for me, but actually 39was far worse. Trust me, it passes. But, you're right. Having birthdays is definitely better than the alternative.

Marc- You're very welcome! Reading your blog is a real treat and very inspiring. I just wish I could find some of those great ingredients you use!
Congratulations on all of those awards Susan!! That is fantastic... Thank you for sharing it with me. I'm honored. I hope I don't seem ungrateful if I don't respond to the awards right away. Life is busy for me right now. I am blogging and baking a lot but that means it doesn't leave much time to visit other bloggers. I apologize for that. I'd like to visit more often but the little time I have to sit in front of the computer, I manage my photos, write my recipes and post in my blog. One day I will have to recap all of the awards and do like you did here. Thank you so very much and happy birthday!
Anonymous said…
Congratulations to ALL of your well-deserved awards and, more importantly, Happy Birthday!

xoxox Amy
Sophie said…
Congrats on all your awards, and a very happy b-lated birthday to you :).
Joy said…
Happy Birthday (late) and congratulations on all those awards! 39 was harder for me than 40. I liked my 40's and would like a do-over. Oh well.

I enjoy your blog and know some people I met online and haven't met some of them but consider them friends.
OMG! OMG! My first blog award. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!

Sorry I didn't respond faster, but I had to bolt out of here for a business trip. You certainly made my day.

I'm glad you had a wonderful birthday. Belated good wishes to you and many many thanks.
Cakelaw said…
Congratulations on all of the prizes and awards Susan - you deserve it! You crack me up and post some damn fine recipes to boot.

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