Versatile Blogger Award

This week I received my first blog award nomination, and feel quite honored! My new foodie friend over at Just Add Cayenne nominated me for this award, and I am really grateful to him for thinking of me! I love his site - it is full of healthy cooking and eating tips. I hope everyone checks it out!! Since I've received the nomination, I've had a lot more traffic on my site, and I think it's a really fun way for bloggers to interact, and learn about other blogs. I love meeting people who share the same passion for food that I have, and want to thank everyone for the support!

Here are the things that go along with the honor of receiving this award:

• Thank the Blogger who nominated you.
• Include a link to their site.
• Include the award image to your post.
• Include the award image on your blog.
• Give 7 random facts about yourself.
• Nominate 15 other bloggers for the award, including links to their sites
• Let those bloggers know they have been nominated

So, here goes with the rest...

7 Random Leah Facts
* One of my favorite things about cooking is creating something beautiful. Instead of a paint brush, I use a pan and fresh food. I have a huge love affair with all things aesthetically pleasing - fashion, home decor, art, and dance, to name a few!

* I was a ballet dancer for 14 years. I still have a few moves, but I'm really out of shape now, haha.

* This isn't about me, but people always find it surprising that my brother is a tattoo artist. Maybe because I'm pretty clean cut, and he's wayyy cooler than me. He also makes beautiful paintings and does computer animation. Check out his work here. (And yes, I have one tattoo.)

* My dream job is having a food show because I love telling stories, teaching, and cooking. Someday it's going to happen.

* We all have guilty pleasures. Mine at the moment are The Bachelorette (only because I know someone who was on the show, I promise), "Call Me Maybe," and jelly beans.

* My favorite kitchen gadget is my blow torch, and one that is currently at the top of my "wish list" is an ice cream maker. 

* I was a pretty strange kid. When I was 8, my favorite channel was BBC. No one got my jokes. To this day, there are certain phrases I still prefer with a British accent, and have a lingering "quirky" sense of humor. Around 10, I became obsessed with office supplies, and would beggg my parents to take me to Office Depot. I had a decked out desk featuring an intense filing system (no files) and business card holders (no business cards). This may explain a lot.

My Nominations for Versatile Blogger
These are a few blogs that inspire me with wonderful and diverse dishes. I hope you check them out!

* Fresh, Local, and Best
* Ellen B Cookery
* Peas & Crayons
* One Perfect Bite
* Chop to Change
* Because of Madalene
* Adventures in my Kitchen
* Beer. Butter. Bacon.
* The Art of Cooking Real Food
* Une-deux Senses
* Angie's Recipes
* A Feast for the Eyes
* Feed Your Soul
* The Corner Kitchen
* All That I'm Eating

And that's all she wrote. For those I've nominated, you'll be hearing from me soon!

And the winner is...

Thanks to all the new followers, and for all the lovely comments! Keep 'em coming!

Ellen B: Please send me an email at leah.fiedler@gmail.com with your preference (Option 1 or 2) and your mailing address.

Thanks,
Leah

Bison Burgers w/ Cabernet Onions & Cheddar

  If you polled my friends as to what my "last meal" would consist of, I would be very concerned if a burger didn't top that list. There are times that I'm just minding my business, going about my life as usual, and all of a sudden, I'm side-lined. I can't function. The most undeniable of cravings comes over me, and I will stop at nothing until I get some BEEF. A thick, juicy burger, smothered with cheese, to be exact. Nothing matters until I sink my teeth in that burger and the grease hits my taste buds (and 9 times out of 10, dribbles down my chin). For those who have been present during these times, I'm sorry. While this recipe is obviously not beef, I have found something that comes dangerously close to satisfying my primal craving - Bison! 

Back to Basics

Hey all,

I really liked the Dynamic Template I previously had, but was having a few issues with some of the settings. So, stay a while and look around if you're a little disoriented. Also, I hope all Non-Followers can click "join this site" to become a member if you so desire! Also, it will enter you into the Giveaway! 3 more days left.

Thanks,
Leah

Avocado Egg Salad

SO excited to share this recipe with you! Overnight, this dish has become a go-to meal for me, and I hope it will be for you as well. It's decadent and creamy, with a pop of tang and crunch, but it's also wonderfully healthy -- AND super easy to make! You'll be happy to see that the directions are minimal -- because all you have you to do is mix everything together (seriously). I topped mine on a piece of toast and greens, and garnished with a little paprika, and it was SOOOOO good. Reallyyyy looking forward to eating some more tomorrow! :)

Creamy Avocado Pasta w/ Roasted Garlic & Tomatoes

To kick off my Avocado Especial, here is one of the most surprising and tasty avocado dishes I've made! For the past couple of months, I have seen avocado pastas popping up on pinterest and other blogs, and was very intrigued -- and once I made my own, I realized that it really is fabulous!! The recipe creates a healthful, yet decadent pasta, with the avocado providing the creamy texture, without the need for any butter or cream! I did a little twist on mine by adding roasted garlic and tomatoes. They complemented the pasta just perfectly, and even if you don't try the recipe, definitely read about the roasting technique; it is so easy, and can enhance many dishes!

**And don't forget -- the Summer Giveaway is going on now -- follow me or comment to enter** 

Avocado Especial

No school. No studying. Working, and doing what I love. Weekends off. Playing in the sun. Those are a few things that I love about summer, but what I REALLY look forward to is that all of my favorite foods are in season, including one of my very favorite foods of all time. That's right... the AVOCADO!!! Get ready to revel in all it's creamy glory, at it's very best, AND at it's least expensive. I urge you to take advantage of these blistering hot months, stock up on avocados weekly, and eat them up everyday!

Avocados are insanely delicious, and extremely good for you! I know a lot of people don't understand the good fat v. bad fat dilemma (I can't say I totally understand), but trust me, while avocado IS full of fat -- it is monounsaturated fat -- a fat that reduces bad cholesterol, and your body just loves (not to mention, it is rich in fiber and B vitamins). It is also SO easy to incorporate into your daily meals -- spread it on some toast, eat it with your eggs, put it on a sandwich or burger, try it in a variety of salsas and salads -- the possibilities are endless...

What I will be helping with, is providing some really fun, easy, and creative dishes that feature avocado. Over the next few weeks, check in for some avocado pasta, avocado hummus, avocado egg salad, avocado & chocolate pudding (yup!), avocado salsas, and so much more...

My only question is, what kind of avocado recipes would you like to see???

**And don't forget -- the Summer Giveaway is going on now -- follow me or comment to enter*

*Summer Giveaway* JUNE 24!! -- DATE CHANGE

How It Works
I'll enter all the eligible names into a drawing, and then randomly select a winner! Drawing date will be Friday, June 24! (4 days after the first official day of summer.) I will deliver or ship the goods to the winner.

** I changed the date because I got a little behind on my postings, and wanted to give people more time to comment -- it will definitely be on Sunday! ** 

How to Enter  
Followers
Simply comment on any of my posts (scroll to bottom of the post to comment). I love to get comments, and answer any questions -- so let me know what you're thinking!! Number of comments = number of times your name is entered (up to five).

Non-Followers
Become an official "follower" by clicking on "join this site" and entering your info - you should then show up as a member.

You can also "subscribe" via email, although I don't have access to who does this, so please become a member as well, so I can enter you into the Giveaway. If you do this, you will get email updates when I post.

The Goods
I was playing in Anthropologie's home goods area, and found this lovely summery stuff that I thought you all would enjoy as well! I fell in love with the Painted Spoon Rest, but thought it might be too pretty for the guys, so I added a second option.

The winner can pick from one of these two options:

Painted Spoon Rest & Striped Dish Towel

OR

Porcelain Produce Basket & Striped Dish Towel

And let the giveaway begin!! Tell your friends!

Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes w/ Lemony-Herb Paprika Sauce

For Memorial Day weekend, I went to the coast. (Yes, I have some serious catching up to do on my posts.) It was a wonderful weekend full of fishing, relaxing, and most importantly, eating!! I dined on lots of freshly-caught fish while I was there, and I stiiiilllll hadn't gotten my fill of seafood before I left, so, I swung by the local fish market and picked up some lovely Jumbo Lump Crab to bring back to H-Town. (Fantastic decision on my part.) It was also great timing because I was able to share my crab cake creation with some friends while we were watching one of the games of the Western Conference series. (Let's not talk about the end result). Sooo, here you have it! Some crunchy, savory, slightly sweet and spicy, and OH-SO-CRABBY crab cakes! Pour on a sauce that lightens, and complements the flavors of the crab cake, and you are really in for a summery treat. ENJOY!

Strawberry-Orange Yogurt Cake w/ Honey Whipped Cream