I did consider declaring myself an award-free zone and hiding in the kitchen but while I’m shy about accepting awards I also love any excuse for mutual recognition and celebration!  So bring out the cava (Spanish champagne) and I’ll try to catch up with the backlog quickly!  And as a reward for turning up to this award ceremony I’m handing out slices of a lovely light Polish Easter bread:  chocolate and cinammon Babka!   Have a couple of slices, it’s a bit like panettone but seems softer and isn’t that sweet, with 70% dark chocolate streaked through it.  It will go very well with the cava at our blog award fest don’t you think?  Let’s celebrate! 🙂

BLOG AWARDS

Feel free to scroll right down to the Polish Easter bread if you like.  Trust me, if I wasn’t writing this I’d be tempted to go straight to the Babka too!

Having said that, I’m honoured and touched by the nominations and support shown by my fellow bloggers who thought of me for these awards.  Not only have they nominated me but we’ve also had lovely online conversations, supported each other with encouraging comments and followed one another’s progress.  And the same goes for my nominees and absolutely all the bloggers I know who I would now like to ‘unofficially’ nominate (and I include those who usually avoid awards) for the ‘Wonderful Blogger’s Award’ – for which you don’t have to do anything!  And I’ll throw in another unofficial award for everyone that can include non-bloggers:  the ‘Fantastic Reader’s Award’ to thank you for reading! 🙂

Okay, now for the ‘official’ awards:

• Thank you Lucy of Wood Kitchen where you can find some great food.  We’re always looking at each others’ recipes and ‘liking’ them!  Same goes for Nina (thank you Nina!) of Healing with Food where you can find delicious gluten and dairy-free recipes for stuff that’s good for you!  And many thanks ten.times.tea, where you’ll always see exciting recipes with alternative flavours and ingredients, and good cake conversation.  The three nominated me for the Liebster Award, which I already had but I truly appreciate the thought and hope I’ll answer some of your questions in this post.

• Thank you SKD of Aromas and Flavors from my Kitchen with its lovely interesting recipes and quirky style of writing.  SKD is also part of my food community and always encouraging about everyone’s baking.  She nominated me for the Lovely Blogger Award!

• Thank you Nimmi of Soulmates – so near, yet so far,a beautiful blog full of poetry and feelings, and a warmth that welcomes everyone.  She makes lovely comments about my cakes, requests virtual ones to eat and nominated me for the Blog Tour Award and the Creative Blogger’s Award!

• Thank you Sarah of Chilly Bella Photo Art, an inspiring professional photographer’s blog with amazing photos.  She nominated me for the Creative Blogger’s Award, kindly encouraged my attempts at photography, was very positive and advised me to buy a white umbrella which I now use regularly! 🙂

Eight facts about myself (because 5+7=8) for the Lovely and Creative Blogger’s Awards:

I grew up in London but left to see the world in 1997.  I lived and taught English in Chile, Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, Jordan, Italy and Madrid before finally settling down in Barcelona.

I love rock-climbing but have a total fear of being underwarer and scuba-diving (I did try).

If I love a song I can listen to it over 20 times in a row, especially if there’s a loop function.

I love cakes and chocolate, but I’m not a big fan of chocolate cakes!

I have all the Star Trek and Babylon 5 DVD collections.  Love science fiction when it’s based on interesting concepts.

I now spend too much time blogging in front of the cooking channel (Canal Cocina).  Just having Jamie Oliver’s voice in the background brightens up my day! 🙂

My favourite way to relax is reading in bed under my duvet – sheer escapism and comfort!

I’d love to go up in a hot air balloon, preferably with a supply of cakes and cava or champagne!

My creative process for the Blog Tour Award

At the moment I’m baking and posting recipes, as usual, with a balancing act between healthy and decadent cakes.  My ambition is to create healthy cakes that look and taste decadent!  After an Easter extravaganza I’ll do more healthy stuff and continue experimenting with different international flavours and spices.

Maybe my blog differs from others in the genre because of the varied content and it’s a bit weird?  There are cakes but also cartoon drawings, songs, videos, humour, wackiness and stories.  Plus climbing, photos and Barcelona!

I write and create what I do because it makes me happy.  I love cakes and sharing stuff about them.  And other people seem to enjoy the blog so our friendly and positive communication encourages me to continue.  Also, posting on a blog and participating in the Fiesta Friday link-party event is inspiring me to explore, improve and experiment with recipes, which is great!

My writing and creative processes:  I write posts over a few days and revise drafts many times to double-check stuff (like the number of eggs used!) and make language flow smoothly.  I was trained by English teachers who loved literature and paragraphs!

Cake ideas run around my head but there’s no plan.  I follow my instincts and stomach.  I’m inspired by my fellow baking bloggers, cookery programmes, books, cakes in bakeries and restaurants and reader’s requests. And by seasonal fruit or what’s in the kitchen.  A friend told me about avocado in a cake, which inspired me to make avocado mousse.  Oh dear, I’m just constantly thinking and talking about cakes with people!!  I’ve always been like this but now it’s just got worse!!! 🙂

Nominees

Note to the 21 nominees (because 15+4+15=21):  you’re free to choose whichever of the three awards you prefer!  The badges, instructions and rules (which you can bend, as I have) are on a page here.  You can also choose no award.  No problem at all.  You’re nominated in the spirit that I enjoy your blog and admire your work, which I will of course continue to do whether you accept an award or not.

People with a passion for:

baking and cooking

• Linda at La Petite Panière
• ten.times.tea
• Eugenia at Eat yourself Greek
• Jong at Hello Sweet Dessert
• Ginger at Ginger&Bread
• Angie at the Novice Gardener
• Sridevi at Coconut craze
• Natascha at Natascha’s Palace
• Christina at Christina with Caramel
• Lily at Little Sweet Baker
• Dragonflyhome

photography, fun and other stuff

• Frank at Picture This by Frank
• Marianne at Exploring the World
• Sarina at Sari’s Corner
• Alba at Alba10
• Dookes at Hogrider Dookes
• Rachel at Rachel’s Whims

make up tips – no I haven’t started wearing any but I will soon! 🙂

• Sharon at Sharon Beauty Prime

pop culture

• Ally B Jones at My Kind of Pop Culture

books and more (and last but not least!)

• Tine at The Dictionary of Victorian Insults and Niceties!
• laChouett

Babka

Now for the Babka!!! Hurrah!  But I’ve already written over a thousand words!  Tarnations!  Oh well, here’s another photo of the cake and I’ll post the recipe soon!  Sorry, and let’s all mumble dissatisfaction but not anti-award sentiments (you know you love them really!?).  I know it’s all very disappointing.  But never fear sweet reader, one day there WILL be more Babka!!

So thank you for coming to this award ceremony, glasses of cava all around and time for a toast and one more round of applause for the nominators I’ve mentioned and the new nominees!!!  Woohoo!!  Clap clap clap and cheers of ‘bravo!’  Lots of bows all around people, and I mean absolutely everyone here because we’re all stars in our piece of sky.  Happy blogging, baking and eating!  Stay twinkly!!! 🙂

P.S.  I’ll also take this opportunity to announce my early retirement from the award scene, because the kitchen calls!  No more awards pretty please! 🙂