Praise and Thanks to - GIRLICHEF

First, a couple of bookkeeping details...
I need some help, yesterday I had a new follower...

SHELLY W... Who also follows

* Ordinary Recipes Made Gourmet * -

18thC Cuisine -

A Brit's Dish a Day -

decided to follow my blog. I appreciate to no end those that think I am worth looking in on, and I would like to get to know her. But, I can't find a reference to her... Shelly, do you have a blog, let me know, I want to see who you are. Does anyone know Shelly W (does not have a photo connected to her name)? Any clues to who she is? Let me know.

Next, this is my second post of the day, so I want to make sure that everyone seeing this also looks in on my earlier post...Orange Juice ICE CUBES flavored with BOCCE BALL cOcktail for Ovarian cancer awareness Which you can view by clicking HERE. It is a fun post, great recipe, but also an important message.

And now, a long overdue celebration of one of my earliest and best blogging buddies... GIRLICHEF, the hardest working girl in blogdom! You can find her blog by clicking HERE.



Girlichef and I have had a strange and wonderful relationship (she's wonderful, I'm strange (flashback to junior high) since the very early days of my blog. For some reason I was captivated by one of her postings for WALNUTS + MAPLE SYRUP + PHYLLO = HEAVENLY BITES (which you can find by clicking HERE). I attempted to honor (steal) her fabulous recipe by altering (stealing) her idea and claiming originality. You can see how I butchered her beautiful thing by clicking HERE to find...Recipe #12 - Desserts - Vermont Pecan Praline Cups with a Whiskey Sauce. But equally important, I celebrate elevating her to Deity status when she has been documented twice altering weather patterns in eastern Kansas just to make my cooking life easier. I first discovered her godlike powers when I jokingly asked her to pray for rain so that I could duplicate her recipe for homemade potato chips in black truffle sea salt (click HERE for that incredible post of hers). Sure enough, next day the Sky opened up and the rains came down (and I got a bowl of chips... I learned long ago not to toy with the whims of deities. You can find my version of that story by clicking HERE. I was hosting a back yard party with the forecast reading 60% chance of rain. I asked Girlichef to use her powers to make a nice day, and low and behold, blue sky. Click HERE for that story. I am not sure if her godlike powers are limited to affecting the weather in an obscure corner of northeast Kansas or can work worldwide, but getting on her good side cannot hurt.

Coincidentally, those two posts are among the favorite things I have ever written on here. Girlichef inspires in many ways.

I am not sure why, but she seems to have taken her "about Me" section off her blog. But I remember she is a Midwestern girl, living in Fort Wayne, Indiana (go Irish). She has a family, and I seem to remember a part time job connected to the college in some way (keep going Irish, they are currently 3 wins, only 1 loss for the season... Is Girlichef's godlike power expanding???). On rare occasions she does grill, but mostly it is just great way above quality average daily cooking. She takes everything to the next level. For example, recently she posted about stuffed peppers wrapped in bacon. A great item, many people do regularly (including me). BUT, she takes it to the next level by making her own cream cheese to stuff em. You read right, SHE MAKES HER OWN CHEESE! Just in the last week, she makes cheese, bakes bread (twice if rolls count), forages for mushrooms, fancies up something as mundane as popcorn and nuts party mix. This girl has chops.

She is also a big lover of blogs. She comments regularly on whatever I do, but also many bloggers can count on her reading, enjoying and encouraging their work. She has a following list larger than just about any blogger I have ever seen at 175, her posts regularly have dozens of comments and she is friends to many people.

Her blog is very clear and easy to follow. She regularly has several photos illustrating her technique and her recipes are all tested and you can count on them being the real deal.

I recently discovered she is expanding her blogging world with additional blogs...
From fabulous photos to cookthrough book club to a new (this week) blog about making her own cheese to her non food thoughts, these are all worth a look.

As i have said before, i try to write my blog in a conversational manner. I really do picture a dining room table, me and my blogging friends having a cup of coffee and me telling my story of the day to them. Imagining Girlichef at my coffee table makes me a better blogger. She helped me find my voice early on, and I am glad I stumbled (or she stumbled on me) onto her. Whoever found whoever first, I am so glad we found each other. My praise for Girlichef is heartfelt indeed, and you should make friends with her as well. One of the good guys indded.

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I have said it before, and I will say it again... I LOVE Blogging and Bloggers. Having followers is a great way to let me know that you are out there. My blog improves with each new follower. I feel a connection, as well as an obligation to be witty, entertaining, informative, accurate and consistent. Knowing that I am being looked at makes me a better blogger and I hope you will be patient as I continue to improve. Looking at all these terrific sites shows me how far I have to come, but gives me great ideas from everyone!

Take a look at these guys. If you like what they have to say, come back for more. Drop em a note (comment) of encouragement. Newer bloggers need to know someone is out there, and older bloggers need fresh blood to feed on, let em know you were directed to their site from me and you may make a new cyber friend too.