Praise and Thanks to - Gypsy Girl, Jumpin Jungle, Cooking Tip, Anncoo's Hobby, Cooking Stuff, MommytheCook

OK, Great news, My followers section is back from software update hell. And in the last two days while it was gone, 6 new people decided to follow my blog. All those little faces in the middle column says something. Not sure exactly what it says, but it does make me think about my blog more. I feel a sense of community, growing group of friends that want to enjoy my blog. I am thrilled and humbled by everyone that chooses to come back more than once, and I want to give a shout out to my new friends in the making...

First to join was GYPSY GIRL GOURMET (click on the colored words to get a link to her blog). Gypsy Girl lives in HAWAII!!! Just that makes me jealous. She also is fairly new to the blogging world. Only 24 posts, but each one is very informative. She does a terrific job with her presentation photos, and her recipes are terrific. I had a question about one of her current postings and she answered very fast. She is the kind of blogger I want as a friend. Like her boyfriend, vegetables have not always been my "go to" food. But her Green Beans with paprika and pine nuts sounds perfect. And wait til you see how she made her presentation for the beans. This is Church Basement Ladies quality (and if you have ever been judged by the Church Basement Ladies, you know that is high praise). I signed on to follow her, she is added to my blogroll, and I will look forward to her every post. Thanks for hunting me down, and I hope we can inspire each other.

Next up is JUMPIN IN THE JUNGLE, or JANE IN THE JUNGLE as she calls herself! Living in Southeast Tennessee Jane is a stay at home Mom, homeschooling 4 kids (when does she have time to blog?). She has found a very peaceful place in the world, with loving family, wonderful children and a faith in God that shines in her every posting. She is packing the youngens up for a trip to Pigeon Forge this coming week. I remember vacationing there with my parents when I was only 8 or 9 years old. Still remember feeding the bears McDonald's from a mostly closed window. Thanks for those memory flashbacks! She has an online business called JEWELSBYJANE, featuring some pretty crafty wreaths that will match any home decor. Take a look at her wreaths. Any stay-at-home-homeschooling-mother of 4 will appreciate any looks we may give her (and if you like em, any purchases will really be appreciated). Didn't see much foodie content, but if you are looking for some inspiration to add God themed joy to your day, her site is the blog to check out!

Next COOKING TIP OF THE DAY Joined. My Lord, when i saw this site, I was really humbled that they thought I would possibly add to their world. This is one of the best foodie blogs I have ever seen. The photos are always clear and visually appealing. The recipes are clear and easy to duplicate (I only made one so far, a very easy dessert of Recipe: Mini Cheesecakes)! They came out great, and I thank her for that... BUT, if you only look at her nearly daily updated recipe posting, you are missing some of the best information on the web. Take a look at her sidebars. Some of her favorite recipes, as well as great tidbits of information. Ever wonder what food day celebrations are held this month (Did you know that Saturday is National Pancake Day?), you can find that information here. Great tidbits of information, measurement conversion charts, internal safe temperature charts, ideas for menus, and much more. She is a frequent poster, with 365 posts already this year, and easily topping 500 posts in her career. Linda is the owner of the site, but she lists a staff of 4 additional people (I suspect her family, but she does not make that clear). This is really a great looking site, and one that every blogger should take a look at. Once there, I would guess that, like me, you will be back often!


The next one was a shock to me... ANNCOO'S HOBBY, run by an Aquarius homemaker from SINGAPORE (is this an amazing world we live in or what?)! It is so exciting to see foods from around the world, and this site is among the best international site I have ever seen. On her site, I could not find a name, but I am going to assume it's a she and I am also going to assume, ANN. Ann has incredible photos, of mostly pastries. Her cupcakes are storefront quality and a joy to behold. Her ingredients are Asian, so many will be hard to find. She also lists her quantities in metric, which this stupid American needs to find a chart to convert, but the site sure is pretty. BUT WAIT, she provides a convenient conversion widget on her site, so there is one drawback to her site that she has addressed just for us fumble minded Americans! But there are many recipes that are "Western" Friendly. I know next time I make fish, I am going to have some of her Wasabi Mayonnaise handy. That sounds like something I will have on hand from now on. It's a change of pace, and because of the ingredient list, unlikely that I will be making many of her recipes, but it sure is interesting and pretty. An experienced blogger only a few posts away from 200. Worth a visit every few days.

A GUY...A MALE...Solidarity with my cooking brothern! And his followers section has a tag line from an obscure movie of the 30's... "One of us, One of us" Worthless brownie points to anyone that identifies the movie without google... But I digress...

COOKING STUFF, Bob, I have seen several places commenting on others sites. Always friendly, with a terrific sense of humour, and I am very happy to have him drop in. He is a cat lover, and features photos of his cats often... But he is also my kind of cook. Nothing oddly complicated (but nothing painfully simple either. Lots of meat dishes, and lots of comfort food (but with a great twist, like CASHEWS IN BANANA BREAD! come on, cashews in banana bread)! His photos are clear and plentiful (idiot proof easy to follow, like he made this site just for me), and his recipes are equally easy to follow. I am a big fan of this site, of course I am following him also, and he is on my blog list (as are all of these fine folks listed above). I am thrilled to be included as "One of Us, One of Us" when Bob is around. Great site!

~mommythecook~

Mommythecook recently joined me, and she needs some helpful encouragement. I followed her for a month or so, and recently she announced she had quit blogging. Near as I can tell, she deleted her archive, as I can't find it. BUT, the great news is that she has decided to return. Not much details on her first post after her return, but I certainly want her around. She was entertaining, and challenging. her recipes were family friendly and I looked forward to her posts. I am thrilled to have her back, and I hope she sticks around for a long time to come! Do me a favor, drop by her new site, drop her a comment, commit to seeing her next dozen posts and I think you will be happy. Be nice, reading between the lines, I think she had a few negative comments. Remember what your Mom taught you, say something nice or nothing at all.

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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 great ideas from everyone!

Thank you all!