It’s Raining Awards! The Liebster Award!

It’s Raining Awards!!!! ☔️☔️☔️☔️
“The Liebster Award!”
I feel privileged to receive my 4th Liebster Award nomination. My friend, Priti, nominated me. Her blog, http://mypinchofyum.wordpress.com connects with me simply because we are kindred spirits who love to cook. Her creativity is apparent in her mastery of recipes as well as her presentation afterwards. I mean, if it doesn’t look good on the plate, how can we instill anticipation? Priti captures all this in her blog. When you visit her, you will come away with a taste of international flavor.
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These are the Award Rules:
1. Once you are nominated, make a post thanking and linking the person who nominated you.
2. Include the Liebster Award logo in the post as well.
3. Nominate ten (10) other bloggers who you think are worthy of this award. Let them know they have been nominated by commenting on one of their posts. You can also nominate the person who nominated you.
4. Answer the ten (10) questions asked to you by the person who nominated you and make ten (10) questions of your own for your nominees.
5. Lastly, copy these rules in the post.
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I like the idea that the questions can be as simple as a favorite color to as deep as an unspoken desire. When shared among friends, it gives us a glimpse of the inner spirit and a connection that strengthens us all. Blessings!

Priti asked me the following ten (10) questions:
What do you value most in your life? 🍓 My Faith.

What inspired you to start your blog? 🍓 My husband, my family, and my friends were my champions in nudging me to express myself. The “catapult” was my father’s death.

Do you speak any other language apart from English? 🍓 No, but “Je parle un peu le Français, pas trés bien.” (I only speak a little French, but not very well.)

What do you like the most – vegetables, chicken, pork, beef, lamb or seafood? 🍓 Lobster & Shrimp are my best friends!

Which is your favorite spice? 🍓 Tough question. It’s a three-way tie between Basil-Cumin-Red Pepper Flakes!

Best moment in your life? 🍓 My wedding day, October 15, 2011.

Is there any food ingredient or dish that you will never eat? 🍓 I’ve tried repeatedly to eat Brussel Sprouts but they refuse to agree with me.

Which is your favorite cuisine in the world and why? 🍓 Oooh, La-La! French! Everything wonderful is made with French butter!

What is your signature dish? 🍓 I make a French Silk Pie that is to die for!

Where would you live if you could live anywhere you wanted on the Earth? 🍓 I would live in the south of France, inhaling the lavender fields at sunset.

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I wish to nominate the following talented bloggers:

http://momoseita.wordpress.com
http://carolettastreats.com
http://explorenewness.com
http://dreaminginarabic.wordpress.com
http://fightalone.wordpress.com
http://teaisfun.wordpress.com
http://isetthetable.wordpress.com
http://forbiddenjungleexplore.wordpress.com
http://eatliveescape.wordpress.com
http://gardentokitchenwithsuz.wordpress.com

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Please respond to the following ten (10) questions:
(1) Have you ever won a prize? If so, what was it?
(2) When you read a book, do you rush through it or do you savor every chapter?
(3) What would be the title of the story of your life?
(4) Are you cool-as-a-cucumber or hot-blooded?
(5) Name three places you would love to visit.
(6) Given the opportunity, would you take a trip into outer space?
(7) If you had to give up one of your senses, which one would you choose?
(8) Do you like cotton candy?
(9) What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
(10) Relaxing at home, do you wear socks or slippers?
I look forward to your responses. Have fun. Blessings! 🍓

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter L

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Loco Moco! Living up to its name, this breakfast food is actually one of Hawaii’s local favorites. The serving size is so generous you might think it’s way too much for breakfast. I didn’t eat the rest of the day after trying it at a local restaurant there. However, when you prepare it at home, you have more control over serving sizes as well as the time of day for this meal. Basically, it is composed of four layers. The bottom is fried rice, the middle is a beef patty, the next is an egg over easy. And the top layer is a ladle of gravy. Don’t knock it till you try it!

LOCO MOCO
Ingredients for Rice Layer:

1 cup prepared brown rice

1 strips bacon, crisp and crumbled 

1 sausage patty, crumbed*

2 ounces smoked sausage, 

cut-up

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons onion, cut-up

*Hawaiians favor SPAM. 
Instructions for Rice Layer:

In large skillet add sesame oil and sauté onions. Add remaining ingredients. Stir fry to blend flavors. Set aside. 
Ingredients for Beef Patty Layer:

4 1/4-pound beef patties 

1 can beef consommé 

Dash of pepper
Instructions for Beef Patty Layer:

Cook beef in consommé until tender. I did this the day before in my slow-cooker. It’s worth the effort! Save the broth for turning into gravy. 
Ingredients for Egg Layer:

4 fresh eggs
Instructions for Egg Layer:

Cook on stove to make eggs over-easy (or sunny-side up) so the yolks are still runny. 
Ingredients for Gravy Layer:

1 cup beef consommé*

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons butter

*Add water if necessary to make one cup of liquid. 
Instructions for Gravy Layer:

Melt butter in saucepan. Add flour to the butter and stir to make a roux. Cook over medium-low heat until the flour is lightly browned, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the consommé juices and stir until thickened. 
Now serve by assembling the layers in a shallow bowl: rice, beef, egg, and gravy. Loco Moco!

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter K

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Kolachy Wedding Cookies! The beauty of this wedding delicacy, popular in Central Europe, transforms every bite into a puff of pastry. Taste the splendor. Choose one or more of your favorite fruit toppings, sprinkle with a few chocolate morsels, and let the celebration begin! I made mine into Cherry Chocolate Chip Kolachys!
KOLACHY WEDDING COOKIES
Ingredients:

1 cup butter

1 8-ounce package Neufchâtel cheese

1 tablespoon milk

1 tablespoon sugar

1 egg yolk, beaten 

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder 

1 can pie filling, any flavor

1/2 cups semi-sweet mini chocolate morsels

Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions:

Cream together butter, Neufchâtel cheese, milk, and sugar. Add beaten egg yolk. Sift together flour and baking powder. Add to the creamed mixture and blend well. Refrigerate until the dough is thoroughly chilled (4 hours or overnight). Preheat oven to 400°. Roll out dough to 1/4″ thick on well-floured board. Cut with a 2″ round cookie cutter, or small glass. Place cut-outs on an ungreased cookie sheet. Make a depression with the back of a spoon in the center of each round. Fill the center with a dollop of fruit filling. Sprinkle chocolate morsels on top. Bake 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar before serving. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter J

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Jarlsburg Grilled Cheese! This is a perfect fusion of buttery, crisp, lightly salted Swiss-style cheese and dense artisan bread. Grilled at the correct temperature is crucial. It will result in a golden-brown crunch followed by a warm flow of oozing cheese with a sweet-tangy finish. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? It really is!
Ingredients:

8 ounces of Jarlsburg cheese, grated

4 tablespoons mayonnaise 

2 tablespoons red onion, chopped

Artisan bread of choice, sliced (sesame bread is pictured)

Salted Butter for browning
Instructions:

Combine cheese, mayonnaise, and red onion in a medium bowl. Mix well. Refrigerate in a covered container for one hour. Slowly melt a dab of butter in the skillet over medium-low heat before adding the bread. Do not let the butter burn. If you brown the bread on both sides first, it will hasten the melting process of the cheese inside. Once the bread is browned on both sides, spread a spoonful of the Jarlsburg cheese mixture over one piece of bread and then place the other slice on top of the sandwich. Apply light pressure being careful not to squeeze the filling out onto the pan. Swirl the sandwich to get a nice brown color, about 2 minutes. Gently flip and repeat. Serve immediately. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter I

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Indiana Sweet Corn! With July on the horizon, already the taste buds begin yearning for that extra juicy sweet corn freshly picked straight from the farmer’s field. After all, it’s best eaten the day it’s picked. There’s no taste quite like it. Get connected to the Farmers Market in your area for the best produce. 
INDIANA SWEET CORN
Ingredients:

4 ears of Indiana sweet corn

Sea salt to taste

Butter for slathering
Instructions by Boiling:

Fill a stock pot with enough water to cover the corn. Bring it to a boil. Dissolve a tablespoon of salt in the water. Remove outer husk and silk from corn. Rinse corn. Carefully drop each ear into boiling water. Cover with lid and lower heat to medium. Cook 3-5 minutes. Remove with tongs and serve immediately with butter and sea salt. 
Instructions for Microwaving:

I cook one ear at a time when I’m only preparing a few ears for a meal. Leave corn in husk. With a sharp knife, cut off the pointed end of the corn cob. Rinse under running water. While the ear of corn is wet, wrap a paper towel around it. The water will moisten the paper towel. Place the ear of corn in the microwave and cook on 100% power for 2-3 minutes. The husk will trap and steam the corn. Watch! Remove from microwave and let sit for a couple minutes. Use the paper towel to carefully shuck the corn. The silks come off easily. 
Whichever method you choose, the reward is a taste of sugary-sweet Indiana heaven. Enjoy!

The Delicate Daisy

“I think scent is sensual. I guess evoking a mood or a spirit is key, and I think with the women’s fragrances we have evoked different types, moods, or sensibilities of a woman – whether it’s Daisy with the sweetness and the innocence or Lola which is more provocative, sexy, and sultry.”

~ Marc Jacobs

A Triple Crown!!! 👑👑👑 “The Liebster Award!!!”

I received the “Triple Crown” (my 3rd nomination of the Liebster Award) from Lina of http://lins239.wordpress.com who has this amazing theme she has cultivated entitled, “The 7 to 9 Chef—Fiction in the Kitchen”! It’s a different chapter of a story accompanied by recipes of fabulous foods. What an ingenious idea! You really should take a look. Great writing 📝 and Great food!🍴
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Here are the Award Rules:
1. Once you are nominated, make a post thanking and linking the person who nominated you.
2. Include the Liebster award sticker in the post, too.
3. Nominate 10 (10) other bloggers who you think are worthy of this award. Let them know they have been nominated by commenting on one of their posts. You can also nominate the person who nominated you.
4. Answer the ten (10) questions asked to you by the person who nominated you and make ten (10) questions of your own for your nominees.
5. Lastly, copy these rules in the post.
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Without further ado, I hereby nominate these ambitious bloggers for the award:

Lina asked me these ten (10) questions:
Your signature dish? 🍓 French Silk Pie. Oooh, La-La!

Will you choose strawberries over mangoes or vice-versa? 🍓 Strawberries, a favorite since childhood. 

Books or movies? 🍓 Books, then the movie version.

Favourite genre of books? 🍓 Call me old-fashioned, Historical Romance.

Favourite Chef? 🍓 Julia Child.

An impossible dream if you have one? 🍓 To live in the south of France.

What do you when you want a break? 🍓 Ride my bicycle.

What does happiness mean to you? 🍓 Sharing my life with my husband.

What is the thing that you really cannot tolerate? 🍓 Being unorganized.

How much do you respect everybody’s opinion on a decision. 🍓 I try, but it’s not always easy. With age comes Wisdom and Respect. I want others to learn from my mistakes, but it doesn’t work. I guess everyone has to do what they feel is right for them. I get that, and also respect that decision.

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My nominees are asked to answer these ten (10) simple questions:
(1) Are you a “Taste Tester” when you cook in the kitchen?
(2) What is your favorite vegetable? And Why?
(3) Do you have a Sweet Tooth or a Salty Palate?
(4) Are you currently on a diet?
(5) Which do you prefer: a nighttime snack (food) or a glass of wine (beverage)?
(6) Do you skip Breakfast more often than not?
(7) How often do you eat outside the home in a week’s time?
(8) If given the choice, do you prefer meat or fish?
(9) Whenever you eat bread, do you feel guilty?
(10) When at home, would you rather dine at the table or in front of the TV?
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Here are the lucky “Chose Ones” nominated The Liebster Award:

http://amusebouchesite.com

http://touchofmysaint.wordpress.com
http://almostfreenyc.com
http://amsterdamming.com
http://aniketsharmaphotography.wordpress.com
http://axelthekey.com
http://bepositiveyaroon.wordpress.com
http://creekviewcarol.com
http://duckpie.com
http://dinnerbank.com
Have Fun and Happy Eating! 🍓

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter H

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking featuring a Happy Hobo Picnic! The best thing about this recipe is ANY combination of meat and vegetables can be used! No more picky eaters. Everyone chooses the vegetables they favor that appeal to their personal taste buds. And clean-up is a snap leaving more time for outdoor fun!
HAPPY HOBO PICNIC
Ingredients:

2 pounds of beef tips, marinated 

1 onion, sliced

4 new red potatoes, sliced

1 pound of carrots, peeled and cut up

2 ears of corn, cut into thirds

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence 

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 

Dash black pepper

6 tablespoons butter, sliced
Beef Tip Marinade:

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup garlic wine vinegarette 

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce 

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Combine marinade ingredients and pour over beef tips. Cover. Allow to marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Remove tips and discard marinade. 
Instructions for Hobo Packets:

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Prepare foil packets for single serving. Layer beef, onion, carrots, corn, and potatoes. Season with spices to taste. Place 1 tablespoon of sliced butter in each packet. Wrap foil around food and seal tightly. Grill 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Carefully open each packet and serve. Caution: Steam will escape packets when opened. 

The Second Invitational~”The Love 😻 / Hate 😼 Blogger Challenge”!!

All things bright and beautiful….I received my second invitation to the L/H Challenge by the enthusiastic author of  http://awanderingstoryteller.wordpress.com who is not only quite personable, but has interesting stories to share. It’s worth your time.
These are ten (10) things that I love: 😻
I love perusing through antique shops.

I love the smell of old hard cover books.

I love heirloom cameo brooches.

I love hand-painted Quimper porridge bowls form France.

I love taking time to catch up on long distance relationships.

I love to giggle and laugh with my husband in the kitchen.

I love to break open the sand dollar to release the five white doves inside.

I love the symbolism of the fleur-de-lis: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

I love to hear the chiming of a grandfather clock.

I love that homemade potato soup is one of my comfort foods.

These are ten (10) things that I hate: 😼
I hate dull scissors when I’m in a hurry.

I hate to get a broken nail right after a manicure.

I hate it when I tear a contact lens.

I hate to see people with too much carry-on luggage. Check it!!

I hate to see underpaid and unappreciated employees.

I hate it when parents leave an atrocious mess from their kids in a restaurant and then expect the waitress to clean it up.

I hate it when people think it’s okay for their dog to poop in other people’s yards.

I hate the sound of a bird hitting the window.

I hate to parallel park my car.

I hate to see road rage.

Now that the two lists are complete, I submit to you the ten (10) nominees for the next round of “The Love 😻 / Hate 😼 Blogger Challenge”:

http://eatdrinkseeaus.com
Ralph
Charlene
http://pamobieta.wordpress.com
http://kitchenspells.wordpress.com
http://deadcatcomesback.wordpress.com
http://enaamshealthandhappiness.com
http://hungrycookie.net
Magdalena
http://eloisesedibles.com
Congratulations and enjoy the challenge!

Gail