BLOG AWARDS!!

The adorable Dairy Free Betty gave me a Blogger Award!! Thank you thank you thank you, my dear :)

There are some Rules and Guidelines for this Award:

1. Thank the beautiful person who presented you with this award
2. Tell 7 things about yourself
3. Pass the award on to 10 bloggers who you have recently discovered, and think are fantastic!

So here goes!
7 things about me:

1) The ocean both fascinates & terrifies me. I have to live near it, but I don't often go in it.

2) When it comes to junk food, I've never been a big fan of chips & crackers. I love chocolate, caramel, & fudge. My sweet tooth is disgustingly passionate. Confession, though: I used to live off of french fries dipped in mayo, & lots of microwaved Kraft Dinner. My liver hurts thinking about it.

3) I have some pretty bad ADD issues...haha. At night, I can't shut off my brain & sleep unless I drink Earl Grey tea & count backwards from 300 by 3s. Otherwise, I'm up all night with a racing mind (ooo, a squirrel!) Also, when someone is talking to me, I'll start thinking about something they said...& not realize I'm no longer listening to whatever new thing they are talking about! So bad :/ If I ever do it to you, please know I am not intentionally ignoring you :)

4) I have a black cat named Mischief, but more often than not I call her Mowzers...she responds to both names. She's Mowzers when she's being cute, & Mischief when she's being a brat :P She knows the difference, haha.

5) I love to travel; I've been doing it my whole life. Every time I go somewhere I learn a lot about myself. I believe it's part of what has helped me to grow up so fast.

6) When I was 10-13 years old, I was obsessed with collecting Pokemon cards. I'm not joking. I spent hundreds of dollars to get the whole collection of 151 Pokemon (including First Editions, holographics, etc). Is there a geek award?

7) When I'm at home, I live in my fuzzy yellow robe. To mom, I am 'Honey Bear.' Wearing her fuzzy white robe has earned her the nickname 'Vanilla Bear.' I love my Mommy.

And onto the 10 bloggers! (in no particular order)

1) Maybe it's "against the rules," but I'm giving a shout-out to Dairy Free Betty anyway. Her dedication to her blog is obvious in her frequent posts about whole, healthy food recipes. I enjoy her passion for food & life, & look forward to her posts.

2) No surprise here: I totally adore Melissa Ramos of Sexy Food Therapy. Her quirky & fun approach to her blog & sexy food make for a fun read. Like Sex & the City? You'll love Melissa.

3) I've recently discovered Chris Kendall of The Raw Advantage, & I loooove watching his video blogs. He's funny, positive, & upbeat. His passion for whole, raw fruits & veggies is inspiring, & has further encouraged me to pursue a lifestyle of lowfat raw foods.

4) Mike Dillman of Real World Raw: Mike's website was the first place I'd really read about the benefits of a lowfat raw vegan lifestyle. When I discovered his website, most of my diet was high-fat, & I wasn't feeling very well. Mike's information helped re-direct me to a lifestyle that made me feel more vibrant & healthy.

5) Sarah-Lyn makes two blogs: one is called iBake Cupcakes, & the other is Besides Cupcakes. Though her cupcakes aren't vegan, I can easily take any recipe & make it so. Her treats are as eye-appealing as they are delicious. Her Besides Cupcakes blog focuses more on whole, healthy vegan foods to get her in shape for competition (she's a boxer). I lovelovelove her recipes :)

6) Wholefoods Vegan Momma feeds her 3 children (with a 4th on the way!) a healthy, wholefoods vegan diet. Her kids are not scrawny or lacking in nutrients; her family is thriving!! If I ever have kids, they will be raised this way. This woman is an incredible role model, for her children, as well as other women.

7) Shannon's blog is titled VeganWitch; check out the Mac-N-Cheese she made! We met not too long ago, & she has been a total sweetheart from day one :) I love making blogger connections with friendly foodies. Her website is definitely one to check out; she even gives cost evaluations of servings in her recipes. On a budget? Follow Shannon!

8) Though more about life than food, my cousin Leah writes an amazing blog called Canadian Eh! Dedicated to photography & family, it's a comforting & uplifting blog to read. (Her photos put mine to shame! But she is a photographer :P)

9) Heard of SleepTalkin' Man yet? This mild-mannered English fellow apparently says some weird, hilarious, & downright crude things in his sleep. He & his wife leave the tape recorder on at night & post updates in the morning. These are always good for a laugh.

10) Chloe Coscarelli, or Chef Chloe, created the winning cupcakes on Food Network's 'Cupcake Wars'...& they were vegan :) Chloe is adorable, & brings fun to vegan cooking & baking. She's already a young success (she's 22) & will be going far. There's no doubt about that.

I hope you enjoy these 10 bloggers as much as I do :) Enjoy your beautiful summer!

Much peace, love, food <3

Char, xo