I have quite a bit of catching up to do as I have been a bit blogging lazy lately. So first to the nice bits. Thank you so much to Marye of Baking Delights, one of my favourite reads, not least because she always does great roundups of what’s worth reading in the blogosphere. This is not what the thanks are for though. In a moment of rare (?) insanity she has seen fit to grace me with an award, for excellence no less.

Marye this is really appreciated and is in fact my first award! Grazie! Marye is the author of several blogs which she manages to post to more than I do to my one! Despite cooking and baking up a storm and looking after a family of 3 million (or something close).

Sorry, make that second award. A while ago, a lovely lady and someone else who has become a friend (as well as a blogging event co-host) gave me a nice matters award. Jeni, if I didn’t thank you then I thank you now. I agree, nice really does matter and I’m glad you include me in that group. Jeni’s blog is not only about food, but about living life with passion, so thanks Bella for allowing me to come along on your journey!

And thank you for joining me on what is proving to be a great journey with Apples & Thyme. I’m so glad we started this event. Don’t forget all you nostalgic cooks out there that this month Chris from Mele Cotte is guest hosting!

Never raining, but pelting down like cats and dogs, I’ve been tagged for a meme by one of my favourite and first blogs that I ever discovered. It was Anne’s clear, cheerful style and consistent high quality that encouraged me to have a go myself. And she, along with other first discovered blogging divas, Sognatrice of Bleeding Espresso, and Jeanne of Cooksister, never tired of helping me out with basic blogging questions and general advice. Thank you all ladies and Anne, I loved your meme and will get right onto mine. Thanks for tagging me.

Another amazing blogging mama is Andrea of Andrea’s Recipes. This woman really knows her stuff. Not just cooking but computers too, and I really have to send her a long overdue thanks for all her technical help with my new site. She hosts the Grow your own event which I always enter in summer when I have home grown produce. But the blogosphere being global I still get to enjoy the roundups being dished up by the other half of the world.

I also need to say thank you to Andrew of Spittoon and Spittoon extra. Andrew is one of the three rotating hosts of WTSIM… . This month (last month) the dish was salad and although I’ve made one I haven’t posted. I may just try and sneak it in to Andrew if he hasn’t already done the roundup. Still, I’m not trying to suck up, I’m trying to thank Andrew for always being helpful in adding my events to IMBB, and also for his willingness to experiment in pairing some of his wines with my cooking. I’m not quite sure how it is going to work as I’m not nearly as organized as he is. If I get it together he will have a chance to cook a dish I’ve done and choose a wine. If I don’t I may just post and he can add a recommendation afterwards. Either way I’m grateful to him. Considering I virtually grew up on a wine estate my knowledge on the subject is pretty pathetic.

Andrew is also involved with a site called The Foodie List which in his own words was set up to offer a unique UK-centric food news blog. Coverage is quite wide and ranges from highlighting new cookbooks, food and wine tasting events, major food shows and new food products. Topical news stories and so on are also included such as backing the Organic Chicken campaign. This is a great blog to keep you up to date with the issues you should know about.

And last but not least I was really touched to receive an email from Graham McCallum. You may recall that I used a pattern from his source book ‘Pattern Motifs’ for my bramble cage. He just dropped me a line to say that he’d come across it by accident when surfing for desserts for his mother and how pleased he was to see his work in practical application. It never ceases to amaze me, this blogging stuff. I know some bloggers are rude, exclusionist etc. but I have truly never come across a more polite, caring, encouraging (and obsessed) lot, willing to share their ups and downs, creations and triumphs, and I am really pleased to number myself among them!

Y’all have a nice day hear!

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