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Time to vote for ME as the next food blog star: Challenge 2

The 2nd challenge is under way for Project Food Blog and its time to vote for me as the next food blog star! Challenge 2 focused on tackling a classic dish from another culture- I picked a mainstay of the Maya.

Go to http://www.foodbuzz.com/project_food_blog/challenges/2/view/940 and at the top you will see a red link to join Foodbuzz- you have to create an account in order to vote. Then once you are signed in you can click on the button with the heart and says vote for this entry.

Voting ends September 30th! Thank you!

Time to cook

Thank you to everyone who voted for me for round 1 of Project Food Blog!  I was one of the 400 people selected to continue to round 2 and tackle a classic dish from another culture.   This ethnic classic is to be outside your comfort zone or are not as familiar with- and this is were I couldn't make up my mind.

When I cook I tend to cook a variety of Asian, European and Italian dishes.  We were encouraged to stay away from the French and Italian dishes.  After some thought and pondering I narrowed it down to either a South African dish or a dish from the Yucatan.  Why these places?  Well we are to include how you arrived at this decision so what other way to incorporate my travels and memories into it.

So this morning will consists of me cooking away in out tiny kitchen and making the Husband do his magic with the camera as I work!

What did I pick?  Well you will have to check back tomorrow to see what I picked and vote for ME!

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Time to vote for ME as the next food blog star!

Ok the 1st challenge is under way and its time to vote for me as the next food blog star!

Go to http://www.foodbuzz.com/project_food_blog/challenges/1/view/355 and at the top you will see a red link to join Foodbuzz- you have to create an account in order to vote.  Then once you are signed in you can click on the button with the heart and says vote for this entry.

Voting ends Sept 23rd!

Life is a roller coaster!

Seriously- life is a roller coaster!  Its goes up and down, up and down on a never ending loop!  This week has been full of ups and downs. I am trying my best to not let the downs get to me but it's really hard.

I have a pet peeve- I consider myself a good friend and listener but every relationship is two sided and both people need to be mindful of that- it can't be all about you!!  (No "A" I am not talking about you!).  I hate when people call, email or whatever for something about them and don't even bother to ask about how things are with you!  I mean seriously I don't care how uncomfortable it is for you or you don't know what to say but honestly I would rather you be awkward about it then not do anything and come across like you don't give a care in the world about it! Especially when I personally go out of my way a lot of times to check in on you and share with you!

The downs- I don't feel like explaining right now....

As for the ups- Friday night after some shopping and dinner at one of our favorite Chinese restaurants we stopped for some ice cream on the way home.  As we are sitting at a red light the Husband makes some comment and I reach over and "bump" his elbow as he licks his cone- ice cream goes all over his face!  So of course this was war!  Except he never got me and I got him GOOD about 3 more times.  Reminded me of our wedding day when he won a similar war with our cake! We had agreed no smashing but while were were kissing he put his hands on my face and rubbed!  I got a small amount on him but my one side was covered!

This weekend's movie was...

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Can I be the next food blog star?

Can I be the next food blog star? I sure hope so- I am competing in Project Food Blog with my blog Adventures in Baltimore Restaurants!

How does project Food Blog work? 

There are Challenges- there will be 10 official Project Food Blog challenges. Challenges will focus around different culinary and blogging skills. Challenges will focus on key culinary and blogging skills from writing to cooking to photography, which are the foundations of any great food blogger.

How do I advance to the next round? 

A number of Contestants will advance after each challenge, based on the highest scored entries as determined by industry judges and Foodbuzz Featured Publishers. The Reader's Choice winner automatically advances to the next challenge (except for the final challenge). The Reader's Choice winner for each challenge is determined exclusively by the public vote (non-featured publishers or judges). You are my biggest fans and you can help you win the coveted reader's choice -- and automatic advancement to the next round!

If I become the next food blog star what do I win?

The winner of Project Food Blog 2010 will be awarded the grand prize of $10,000 in cash and featured in a special section on Foodbuzz.com for one year.

The first challenge has to be posted by September 19, 2010 – so stayed tuned and make sure to vote for me for the reader's choice!

The nerves are starting to kick in

So week number two of school is done and over with.  My Spanish class with 7th and 8th grade is going well (and no I don't know Spanish).  The program we are to use hasn't come in yet so I have been figuring out things on my own.  We have learned the numbers 1-20.  Oh and I am also teaching French to one student who is fluent in Spanish already (I do know some French). We had a 4 day week this week and we also have a 4 day week next week!

I had to call to order my shots for IVF today.  There are only so many places that carry the meds, and thankfully one of the places is near me.  So in about 2 weeks things are getting under way- starting to feel a little nervous! On a side note with this all, I was to ovulate this week but I don't think I did.  I wasn't taking any medications this month but I still was charting my basil temperature and it really didn't spike like it has the last few months.  So I am not sure what to think about that.

Tonight was "Date Night" and we actually got dressed up and went out for a nice Italian dinner to Sotta Sopra (The Husband actually wore a tie).  Then we came home and snuggled up in bed and watched out Netflix movies with the dog wedge in between of course!

When was the last time you laughed so hard you couldn't breathe? I love those laughs and moments! Last weekend the Husband, my friend A and I went to the MD State Fair- of course we ate our way around it and enjoyed roasted corn, corn dogs, pulled meat sandwiches, funnel cake and friend Oreos.  Well A and I had one of the laughing moments- we went on the Tilt-a-Whirl and once we got spinning we never stopped.  We were both laughing so hard I am surprised we didn't fall over when we got off the ride.

And for some laughs and chuckles...

You have to be very thankful for what you have because you are blessed- take my long time friend Heather and her son Jack- Another Year

Movies for "Date Night" included...

 

Back to school in more ways than one

Well this week was the 1st week of school with the kiddos- so far not so bad. 

The one thing that is kinda got me thrown for a loop is that I am running a Spanish class for the 7th and 8th grade.  Now I only know some BASIC simple Spanish and I took French for 5 years- but the program is just to expose them to it.  Its a DVD based program and I have yet to see it and I meet with the 7th and 8th grade class tomorrow. I got a Spanish word set that has pictures and started labeling thing around the room.  I am keeping a positive attitude about it and look forward to learn along with the kids.

I also had to attend an IVF class.  The class was taught by one of the nurses at the place I go to.  It ended up being myself and another woman.  She went over step by step for each day of the cycle and all over the details of the IVF cycle.  We even had to practice the different types of shots that we will have to give ourselves (no we did not shoot ourselves up).  They explained the progression step by step.  Basically for a period of time I will be going in before work about every other day or so to get measured and have some blood tests done.  Then once things are the correct measurement I will be knocked out to have the eggs retrieved with a VERY long needle.  Then after few days past and then I go back in to have 2-3 embryos placed back into and then have to be on bed rest for the rest of that day.  Then come back after a time period for a series of days to take 3 blood pregnancy tests.  There are much more details but this post would be a mile long.

Just keep me in your thoughts and prayers that when we start IVF this next cycle it works the FIRST TIME!

I also have been doing some research about things to do while the baby is in the womb since I am a firm believer in reading to the baby while in the womb and playing music to them also.  I came across the BabyPlus Prenatal Education System and became very intrigued by it and how it is a set of sound lessons meant to be played for a prenatal child which are said to strengthen earliest learning capabilities. It claims that infants are born more alert and responsive, nurse better, sleep better, and later in life, enjoy improved school readiness. What do you think?  I also came across a CD that might be useful called Mozart for Mothers-to-be: Tender Lullabies for Mother and Child and Beethoven for Babies: Brain Training for Little Ones