Awards and Accolades 2013

Awards 2013

One of the unexpected pleasures of blogging has been the new friendships I have formed with other bloggers who have been so welcoming, supportive and giving of their knowledge. It has given me the opportunity to read new material from bloggers all over the world as a result. How wonderful that we now have a platform upon which to share our experiences, express ourselves and grow in a myriad of ways that would have been unheard of 10 years ago!  As much as I dislike the insidious and intrusive nature of modern day technology, I am awed by the power of social media – the power of people really.

I am humbled, honoured and truly delighted to have been nominated for awards and I am just so sorry that I was unable to acknowledge them or pass them forward until now.

Shanna of Curls and Carrots has nominated me for the “Versatile Blogger” award. Shanna has two adorable children and a husband who works a ridiculous amount of hours a week as a surgeon. Her love for cooking and baking  is very beautifully expressed in her blog. Please do click on the link to have a read of her blog.  She also nominated me for the “Sunshine” award and “Blog of the Year 2013”. Thank you so much, Shanna!

Charlotte of My Little Moorish Cooking  lives between Kent and Paris and has a lovely blog which she writes up in both French and English, recounting travel adventures, places to eat and lots of gorgeous gluten free and dairy free recipes as well. Please do click on the link to be taken to her blog – you won’t believe what she has made gluten or dairy free.  Charlotte has also nominated me for the “Versatile Blogger” award. Thank you, Charlotte!

Dimple of Shivay Delights  documents her passion for cooking and baking on her lovely blog. Set on her cooking adventures by her dear aunt and her mother, her warm personality shines through all her posts! Please do click on the link to be taken to her blog. You will find lots of delicious bakes, great family food and some lovely Indian dishes too! Dimple has nominated me for the “Liebster Award” – thank you Dimple!

Fae of Fae’s Twist and Tango is one talented cook who is also incredibly supportive of and encouraging to so many bloggers on WordPress.  Fae has an impressive pedigree when it comes to her food heritage – Iran, Japan, Russia, Germany, Greece, the States and also very widely travelled! You will find the most amazing recipes that reflect this on her blog so please so click on the link and visit her. Fae has awarded me 3 stars for Blog of the Year 2013! Thank you so much!

Elaine of foodbod bakes and cooks up absolutely gorgeous, healthy vegetarian food on her blog. I am so pleased to have found her – she has introduced me to marinated chickpeas and potatoes that are so amazing – I will blog her recipe very shortly. Please do clink on the link to take a little wander through her blog. Elaine has nominated me for the “WordPress Family Award” – thank you so much, Elaine!

Accolades – My Nominees and the Guidelines

The Versatile Blogger Award

7 random things about me

1. I don’t have a driving licence. I used to have a Canadian one but when I moved to London, found driving to be fairly redundant as the public transport system is so comprehensive. And in any case,  traffic is horrendous and there is nowhere to park when you finally get to where you are going.
2. I am a huge Mad Men fan. I recently watched all the episodes again, stopping to read the re-caps and comments on The Guardian and Tom & Lorenzo blogs in-between.
3. I love antiquing/thrifting and anything old and with character.
4. I was invited to take part in  a French immersion course at the University of  Winnipeg, the summer before I graduated from high school. I was dreaming in French after the second day.
5. I have never bought a lottery ticket.
6. I am a Scrabble fiend. No one will play with me because I am so competitive. I have discovered Words with Friends which  is perfect as I play with like minded people – if you fancy your chances I am SJ7349
7. I cried so much through Marley & Me that I had to wear sunglasses to leave the cinema. Son was appropriately horrified and embarrassed! I love being a mum!

My nominees for The Versatile Blogger Award are:

Eve’s Apple

The rules for The Versatile Blogger Award are:

1  Visit and thank the blogger who nominated you.
2  Acknowledge that blogger on your blog and a link back.
3  Share 7 random interesting things about yourself.
4  Nominate up to 15 bloggers for The Versatile Blogger Award, provide a link to their blogs in your post, and notify them on their blogs.
5  Copy and paste the award somewhere on your blog.

The Sunshine Award

10 Questions about me

1. Who would play you if your life was made into a movie? Halle Berry

2. Where in the world would you most like to travel?  I would love to travel through the North America – on a road trip, as summer turns to fall so that I could also see New England in all its autumnal glory.

3. What is the best thing about blogging? Without a doubt, it has been the support and friendliness of the blogging community.

4. What is your secret indulgence? Dark chocolate. Inappropriately late at night – shhhh!

5. If someone handed you £1000 tomorrow what would you spend it on? Most probably my son.

6. What do you never leave home without? My keys, purse, phone and Oyster card

7. What’s your favourite meal of the day? On a daily basis, it is dinner but my favourite meal is Sunday Lunch with lots of friends round the table.

8. What makes you laugh?  The Graham Norton Show!

9. Who would be your ideal dinner party guests? I love having a mix of people round the table and my friends are very, very good at being fabulous dinner guests – they bring wine, chocolate and flowers, chat to everyone, regale with their stories, compliment the food and help clear up  – who could ask for more?

10. What was the last thing you Googled? The Dharvi Slums in India – quite the incredible story

My nominees for the Sunshine award are:

London Eats

The rules for Sunshine Award are:

1  Visit and thank the blogger who nominated you.
2  Acknowledge that blogger on your blog and link back.
3  Answer the same 10 questions given.
4  Nominate up to 10 blogs for the award, a link to their blogs in your post, and notify them on their blogs.
5  Copy and paste the award on your blog somewhere.

Blog of the Year 2013

My Nominees for Blog of the Year – go visit all of them, you won’t regret it – are:

ice cream magazine

The Novice Gardener

Chica Andaluza

The instructions for Blog of The Year 2013 Award are simple:

1 Select the blog(s) you think deserve the ‘Blog of the Year 2013’ Award
2 Write a blog post and tell us about the blog(s) you have chosen – there are no minimum or maximum number of blogs required – and ‘present’ the blog(s) with their award.
3 Let the blog(s) that you have chosen know that you have given them this award and share the instructions with them – (please don’t alter the instructions or the badges!)
4 Come over and say hello to the originator of the ‘Blog of the Year 2013’ Award via this link –http://thethoughtpalette.co.uk/blog-awards-2/blog-of-the-year-2013-award/
5 You can now also join the ‘Blog of the Year’ Award Facebook page – click the link herehttps://www.facebook.com/groups/BlogoftheYear/ and share your blog posts with an even wider audience.
6 And 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 start collecting stars…

The Liebster Award

11 Questions about me

• What’s the worst food item you’ve ever tasted?
I remember a brain curry (bheja) from when I was very young. Can I just say, ewwwww….

• What’s your favourite book?
One of my favourites is – I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

• If you could wake up tomorrow somewhere other than where you are right now, where would that be?
Cape Town – it is just magical

• Who (or what) makes you laugh?
The Graham Norton Show – the man is so quick and has amazing guests who all get in the spirit of things

• What thing do you do less, that you actually think you should do more often?
Go to the hairdressers!

• Christmas: yay or nay?
Absolutely YAY!

• Favourite quote, or piece of advice?
The days are long but the years go by very quickly…recounted to me when I had a newborn but it applies to life in general

• Marmite or marmalade?
Thick Cut Marmalade

• Rice or couscous?
Tough one but rice is just so comforting so rice it is.

• Favourite thing to do to relax? And, ahem, keep it clean, people…
Reading

My nominees for the Liebster Award are: (please answer the questions above)

food on fifth

Eat Now Talk Later

Fromage Homage

fati’s recipes

Digital Food Photography

The rules for Liebster Award are:

1   Visit and thank the blogger who nominated you.
2   Acknowledge that blogger on your blog and link back.
3   Answer the 11 questions proposed by the blogger who nominated you.
4   Select 5 ~ 11  bloggers for the award, who have a less than 300 followers, a link to their blogs in your post, and notify them on their blogs.
5   Pose 11 new questions to the new nominees.
6   Copy and paste the award on your blog somewhere.

WordPress Family Award

My nominees for WordPress Family Award are:

Deena Kakya Vegetarian Recipes and Cooking

Curls and Carrots

The rules for I’m a part of the WordPress Family Award are:

1  Visit and thank the blogger who nominated you.
2  Acknowledge that blogger on your blog and a link back.
3  Nominate up to  10  bloggers for I’m a part of the WordPress Family Award, provide a link to their blogs in your post, and notify them on their blogs.
4  Copy and paste the award somewhere on your blog.