Sweetnesses: Hold the Sugar

As I float through the midst in a mist, there have been sweetnesses. During my tenure with the 52 kids and The Magic Fishbone, two lovely bloggers (Katherine at Smoky Mountain Cafe and Wanda at Moments of Mine) sent me an award, another blogger (Foodie with a Little Thyme) sent me a cookbook! And the cherry on top? My foodie-son cooked me a foodie dinner! Pork chops with blue cheese sauce. Heavenly. (Recipe is below.)
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None of this involved sugar and all of this was terribly sweet. I have been hard at work making deadline and leave for Ireland in the morning. I am one excited, nervous Nellie! And if my husband asks me one more time if I've packed the passport ... well ... never mind. This blog is about the sweetness.

I received this lovely e-mail from Foodie With a Little Thyme asking me for my address. While vacationing she found a program that a small children's theatre had or school had done with my name on it! Yep - it was my play (my old play, Little Red: Life in the Hood!). She offered to send me the program which I thought was generous. As it turns out, she was exceedingly generous! She sent the program tucked inside this:
How wonderful is that? I am itching to cook from it but I am having a hard time keeping track of it as my husband keeps putting it in his pile! How dare he? And it has the grandest stories and tales about the recipes and where they come from. (I do write plays about recipes! However, I have a friend who has a PhD in physics and he just wrote a play that was part Harpo Marx and part Quantum physics, so I don't feel odd anymore. Do check out Foodie with a Little Thyme. She has a grand variety from Curried Couscous to a no-bake Raspberry Chocolate Cake. Thank-you, Cassie!

The Kreativ Blogger is from Katherine at Smoky Mountain Cafe. I have made her pork chops (the sassy ones) her brownies, shrimp... this is one scrumptious website. Thank-you, Katherine!

In honor of the award, I am supposed to name seven people to turn it over to. The rules are simple: post the award, link to the blog and thank the person who gave it to you, and pay it forward to seven more people. Leave a comment on the blogs letting them know you have something for them! And then.... mention seven random things about yourself.

Oh dear.

1. I ... am a die hard New Yorker who never expected to live in "flyover country" but has happily made her home here in Minnesota for over 20 years.

2. I'm a manic reader. Really, I bring books home in grocery bags so no one knows I bought another book.

3. I don't have a favorite meal, favorite fruit, favorite color, favorite author, favorite music, favorite country, favorite state... well you get the picture.

4. When I work a lot of jobs, I space out and don't notice things. Like the giant Christmas tree set up in the middle of my living room as a surprise. ( I did finally smell the pine)

5. I lived in a 5th floor walk-up with a bathtub in the kitchen in Greenwich Village during my actress days and loved every minute of it.

6. When it was too late, I wished I had been a ballerina. Even though I didn't have the feet, the neck, the balance, the gait. I remain a loyal balletomane. Still enchanted by NYC Ballet and Ballanchine and Robbins.

7. I am going to Ireland tomorrow without my computer and will have withdrawal.

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I would like to pass this on to: Foodie With a Little Thyme (for generosity of spirit and recipes), Bunny's Warm Oven (try the strawberry-white chocolate tiramisu!), Unconfidential Cook (she made chocolate torrone! And her cooking lessons with her daughter are so special), Capricious in Cleveland (check out her rooftop garden and her commitment to growing and buying local), Figtree Appetizers (never did small bites look so good; my gazpacho in cucumber cups was from her), I Love Flavor Me who in addition to dishing up some wondrous recipes (chicken gougons!), she has some grand stories to go with them and to Katy at Food For a Hungry Soul for the sweetest of comments and chocolate crepes! If I wasn't going on vacation, I'd simply pass this to every blogger on my list because of all of your delectables and generosity. But I have to finish packing. Oh and tell my husband for the 100th time that I do have my passport (now, where is it?)

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And (I'm getting to the pork chop with blue cheese sauce, I promise) Wanda from Moments of Mine gave me this. So pretty and special. Thank-you, Wanda! I try to start my days with Wanda. Then I know I am off to a good start!

This award was created by Ces in honor of her dear friend Bella to "celebrate art, inspiration, friendship, sisterhood, sharing and caring."

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I would like to pass this on to Pat at Mille Fiori Favoriti. Her photographs, tales of NYC, her family, travels, and special insight to small crevices of my beloved city never fail to charm and make me wax nostalgic for the Big Apple. Even if you have no ties to NYC, you will appreciate what she shows you. Let her be your tour guide. You will not be disappointed.

And lastly from my son: a home-cooked meal, home-cooked not by me!

Pork Chops with Blue Cheese Sauce

I love blue cheese sauce. Tart, creamy, dreamy, smooth, biting and dancing on the tongue. A little corn or salad and noodles or rice. Tastes of heaven.

http://www.lundsandbyerlys.com/Recipes/Recipes/C/Chive-Crusted-Pork-Loin-Chops-with-Blue-Cheese.aspx

His roommate made it last winter and Matthew thought it scrumptious. It was to become my Mother's Day Present. And what a fine one it was! And a bonus? He didn't have to shop! All the ingredients were found in Mom's kitchen. Works well for a graduate student. Meanwhile, have a grand August week. The summer bounty is here! And I shall be dancing with the faeries and leprechauns in Ireland. Talk to you in a week.