Blog Awards

So there is this fun little award thingy going around the blogs. The Blog Awards. Here are the ground rules:

1 - You have to thank the person who nominated you.
2 - You have to tell 7 things about yourself
3 - You have to nominate 15 other awesome bloggers

So to start off I must thank the lovely Rikki Cupcake from Seitanic Vegan Heathen. Rikki and I met at Trader Joe's where she was working. She is fun, creative, compassionate and all around awesome. I am hoping we can hang out more when my life gets a bit less crazy. In the short time I've known her I can tell she is going to be a great friend.

The lucky seven.

1 - I was once arrested for beef theft. Actually I was an accomplace. When I was in high school I dated a very bright, artistic, slightly obnoxious guy who would occassionally steal things when he was bored. I honestly don't think he was a clepto, but just liked the adrenalin rush. We lived in a small town, so there wasn't much excitement. The story goes something like this. We have a day off of school because president Reagan got shot (yep I'm dating myself). We decide we're going to cook. We head to the grocery store to pick up supplies.

J: Wow! Look at all of that beef sitting in the back of that truck. (This is in front of a huge glass store front).
Me: Yeah.
J: Do you know how easy it would be to steal that?
Me: Yeah. (laughing)

We buy the supplies and I am carrying them to the car walking in front of J. I get to the car and hear him coming towards me. I turn around and he is carrying a hind quarter of beef on his shoulder. He throws it in the back seat of my friend's car who is waiting for us and says "Go!". She's shocked and just takes off. Later on J feels the urge to return to the scene of the crime. Of course because the truck was in front of a plate glass window, the store employees witness his crime. He gets arrested and we all get taken in to the station as his accomplices. I'm a minor and they release me to a very unhappy mommy. This is the story of the "Great Beef Caper". Another reason it is fate that I no longer eat beef.

2 - When I was 1 1/2 years old, I fell of a top bunk. On the way to the floor I hit a air conditioning vent that had a little handle on it. The little handle went through my cheek from my ear to very close to my mouth. I have a nice scar that gets bright red if I get a lot of sun.

3 - My parents owned a pet shop when I was a kid. My job was to clean all of the animal cages for 50 cents. I used to buy penny candy and 45 records with my earnings. Sadly, it burned down when I was in 4th grade. My dad was amazing at nursing sick animals back to health, but oddly was very afraid of dogs. My love of animals started at a very young age.

4 - I have an irrational fear of malfunctioning toilets. As a kid I feared all toilets working or not. It is a deep seated, irrational and intense fear that has thankfully gotten better over time. When I was a kid, I refused to go into public bathrooms. My 1st grade teacher was so concerned she sent me to the school counselor. I had to talk to an imaginary friend any time I went to the bathroom so I would not be scared. I can name several times as an adult that I ran from a malfunctioning toilet screaming for my life. I'm pretty sure this manifested from my brother always threatening to flush me down to the poo plant.

5 - I arrived for and left my wedding on a jet ski.

6 - I am a 10 year breast cancer survivor and thriver! I organize the Joanne Wood March Madness for Mammaries Hike to benefit the Breast Cancer Fund and the Wellness Community - Arizona to honor the memory of my Aunt Jo who lost her battle in 2006.

7 - One of my friends calls me Potato because of an incident we had waiting tables together. Never put two alpha dogs on a waiting team together. Your guests are likely to wait a long time to get a freaking potato. Long story.

Well this was a fun little trip down memory lane. Hopefully you are still willing to read my blog now that you know I am a criminal and a crackpot. I hope you stay with me, but just in case you need some new blogs to haunt, here are my nominations for the Blog Awards. These are blogs I find great resources for recipes and cooking ideas. All of them are food related, because, well, you know, I love food and cooking. Enjoy!!

Vegan Appetite
Cooking the Vegan Books
My Veggie Kitchen
The Year of the Vegan
Seitan Beats Your Meat
Vegan Dad
Chicos and Beans
Maple Spice
Vegan Explosion
Get Sconed
Every Day Dish
Vegan Crunk
The I-40 Kitchen (he hasn't updated in a while, but I follow him on FB and PPK. Awesome creative cook.
Cake Maker to the Stars
What the Hell Does a Vegan Eat Anyway