Vegan BBQ Plate

by Sarah on May 17, 2012 · 10 comments

Even on a vegan BBQ plate, the only thing that needs to be green are the pickles.And what delectably sour pickles they are.

[No wonder the mysterious food thief in my home ate twelve of them, leaving me the shock and surprise of opening the jar to discover only five of the original eighteen (according to the label) remaining. I had eaten one. But enough about that...]Now, I don’t care what y’all say. There is no vegan substitute for BBQ. I might not eat it now, but I know my meat. And I know that it is simply not possible to use beans, grain, or vegetables to perfectly recreate the taste, texture, and smell of the Carolina-style pulled pork that still stirs up carnivorous cravings within me.

But I will try. I will so valiantly try.

I knew this was a faled experiment from the start, but when you have an excess of tempeh on your hands, you might as well mess around a bit.

But slicing it as thin as you can does not stringy meat make.Neither does Mesquite BBQ Seasoning. [Although that does make it taste quite good.]

And when I pulled out the mushrooms and onions, well, southerners countrywide kind of cringed a little at the thought of me adding vegetables that weren’t shredded into slaw to my “BBQ.”But, you know, there’s a lot that can be saved with a good sauce.And I’d be lying if I said that 90% of the reason I love BBQ is it is a means to eat BBQ sauce.

Oh, Annie, you DO have a good (vegan) thing going on here...

[The remaining 10% is divided equally between my love for pulled pork and my loyalty to the Southland where I was wasn't really raised.]While it was certainly no pig, and certainly nowhere near authentic, it was still pretty darn tasty. [Despite my negligence at cracking open a can of Busch's Vegetarian Baked Beans to add to the feast.]And for those of you who are thinking, “The only thing green I usually see on my BBQ plate is the slightly green tint of some cabbage slaw,” well, we’ll talk about this tomorrow:

—————

What does ‘BBQ’ mean to you?

Have you ever successfully made a veg or vegan interpretation?

You Spin Me Right Round (WIAW)

by Sarah on May 16, 2012 · 17 comments

Despite the aura of food bloggerdom I hold in my household and among my acquaintances, those who know me well know that on most nights, this single lady doesn’t really cook.

And not only do I not spend a lot of time cooking…I also get stuck in what some might call food ruts, but I prefer to call food fixations because ‘rut’ indicates that if you could get out quickly, you would.

So for this week’s What I Ate Wednesday, I present to Jenn and all of the much more adventurous weeknight chefs out there, an ode to my latest broken record obsession.What was the source of my latest ‘caught in the undertow’ drifting out to the sea of recycled salads? This teasingly addictive triumvirate:

  • Newman’s Own Lighten Up! Honey Mustard Dressing
  • Trader Joe’s Mediterranean Hummus
  •  and Victoria Gourmet Tuscan Seasoning*

*Just when I thought nothing would ever surpass her Herbs de Provence!I didn’t care what was under it, just so long as I could eat this odd result of “maybe I should add THIS” whimsy that happened one night–as these things so often do–in The Smart Kitchen.Sure, I might have tossed on a Morningstar Black Bean Burger and added a little variety with some TJ’s Tomato Basil Hummus in the mix.

Oh man. That really was good.

And sure, I might have gotten even crazier one night and crumbled on some nutritional yeast and the broken remnants of the Trader Joe’s rice cakes I had left over in the pantry. Talk about things you want to eat over and over? Leave it to the Trader to make a sterotypically styrofoamy rice cake into something that is actually addictive.Now, I’m not saying my latest food fixation was pretty––or that I ever managed to eat all the veggies before I gobbled up the dressing soaked lettuce or spinach.But I loved every minute of it. [And there were a lot of those minutes in the week leading up to BLEND.]And I’d probably still be eating it now, if my hummus hadn’t run out I hadn’t discovered my latest mix of Asian-spired adoration.Watch out steamed mukimame, World Market Thai Seasoning, and Annie’s Naturals Lite Gingerly Dressing…my record player’s getting stuck on YOU next.

Mukimame Hummus & Eggplant “Fries”

by Sarah on May 15, 2012 · 11 comments

Once a month, at the school where I’m long-term subbing, each grade level team puts on a “Fun Friday” gathering for the rest of the staff. Ours was Friday, and as the entire first half of May is usually set aside for Mexican-themed Cinco de Mayo celebrations, we agreed on that. [So what that it was actually Once* de Mayo?]

*oh-n-say as in ‘eleven’…not once, as in ‘upon a time’ :)

And I promise this was SUPPOSED to be Mexican Hummus.

It just ended up Asian instead.

You see, I’ve been dying to recreate Wegman’s Edamame Hummus for months now. And I swear, there is cumin in it, and another little kick that always made my tastebuds turn on the mariachi music and start shooting tequila.*

*Forgive me, all of Mexico, for that horrible stereotype.Since I like to test out recipes on unassuming parties of individuals who are generally not super critical and just happy to be fed, I figured our little ‘Once de Mayo’ Fun Friday was as good a place as any to try my hand at Wegman’s-inspired wizardry.

First step? Garbanzo beans! [Without 'em it's just bean dip.]Second step? Edamame! [Without them it's just hummus.]

Or in this case, mukimame, also known as edamame posing for Playboy. [Think about it for a second. Go on...]

And if you think I didn’t immediately decide that Mukimame Hummus was much more awesome than edamame hummus ever could be…well, you obviously don’t understand my juvenile language sensibilities.

And if you think these aren't my new favorite salad topper, well, you'd just be wrong.

And, it was there, in the moment after I had added the usual tahini, garlic, and salt, that things veered horribly (but yummily) off course.Because as I thought about tahini, and how it is really just sesame butter, my mind went to the idea of sesame oil, which is oh-so-important in Asian cooking…and Hey, aren’t soybeans an Asian treat usually? And well, if we’ve already got garlic and sesame, we might just bring in ALL of our friends from the stir fry.

And if we are going to go there…well we should GO there.

And that is how my well-intentioned cumin-infused hummus took a trip around the world, rather than just South of the Border.

But I ain’t mad at it.*

*I want this to become my new, grammatically incorrect, catch phrase. Right after “Oh my goll, y’all.”And it is incredibly good. I suggest pairing it with Asian crudite. Which really just means anything you might use in a stir fry.

Which, if you come from a family where “stir fry” is a term used to indicate random vegetables from the fridge have been sauteed in some vaguely Asian marinade made so only by the presence of soy sauce, could be a lot of things.

Just watch out for fallen mushrooms.

Mukimame Hummus

(Makes about 2 1/2 cups)

  • 1 can garbanzo beans/chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup steamed mukimame (shelled edamame)
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh ground sesame tahini
  • 1/4 tsp, minced fresh ginger
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 tsp. Chinese 5-Spice powder
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 Tbsp. Mae Ploy sweet chilli sauce (optional, but recommended)
  1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor.
  2. Process until well chopped and mix.
  3. Add water in small increments to smooth out your hummus to desired consistency.

[Note: It will thicken up in the fridge!]

————-

If raw or lightly steamed veggies don’t get you all hot and bothered like naked edamame do,* I have the solution.

*Although, how could they not?

Eggplant “Fries”

Really just what to do if you like eggplant skin but you don’t need it for the recipe, these eggplant “fries” will only work to dip if they are showing lots of skin. [A perfect match for the stripped down edamame hummus, no?]Toss with a bit of Chinese five-spice powder and a drizzle of tahini oil (what settles on top of your freshly ground tahini)…Bake for about 15 minutes and then try to actually get some to the plate for photographing.

Trust me. It’s harder than you think.

Sweet Potato Fry + Seitan “Chorizo” Hash

by Sarah on May 14, 2012 · 11 comments

As is the nature of my life, I had a plan and then got interrupted. MONTHS ago I was sent a coupon for a free Alexia product of my choosing through Foodbuzz‘s Tastemaker Program––as well as a free Cephalon oven mitt and another apron to add to my growing collection–

My middle name is "Gour-Maybe on a Good Day."

–and although I utilized the coupon AND have cooked up quite a few meals with my purchase, weeks have passed without me telling y’all about it. [You'd think I came back from a life-changing blogger retreat or invented the most incredible nut butter ever or something...]Considering how I feel about sweet potatoes, y’all, it should not be a surprise that I went for some sweet potato fries. And considering how my time in Texas turned me on to the delicious smoky spice that is chipotle, well, I had to go for the amped up version of the original.Although I was misled by the given serving size…–turns out 3 oz. of fries is more like 12, unless there is disparity with post-cooking weight, which just serves to confuse me even more…can I get a “we need clear nutritional labeling in this country!”?––the fries had served their purpose as both a delicious side for Vegan Migas……an unassumingly wonderful salad addtion (because what won’t I put on salad?)……and proved to be most delicious when dipped in Trader Joe’s Guacamole Hummus.However, I couldn’t get a lingering culinary musing out of my head……and that, my little chickadees, is how you end up with genius in the kitchen.You see, way back in February, when Mama Smart came to town, we went for breakfast at Bluegrass Grill & Bakery, where I feasted upon the most delicious vegan hash, featuring soy chorizo, mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach, and incredible pepper potatoes. I have been thinking about it ever since, and, although I didn’t have soy-rizo, I did have my Seitan “Chorizo” Crumbles……and who needs spinach when you’ve got manager-discounted baby kale?The taters might not have been peppery–unless you want to describe the use of chipotle pepper as peppery, but I don’t :) –however they sure were spicy.And, well, I’m just saying it was pretty darn delicious. (And, well, I didn’t actually eat it for breakfast. But a hash is good anytime, right?)

Thank you, Alexia, for the use of your yummy fries.

Now, will someone please pass the ketchup?

—————–

Sweet Potato Fry + Seitain “Chorizo” Hash

[Serves 2]

  • 1/2 cup sliced sweet onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup sliced baby bella mushrooms
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
  • 2 cups baby kale or spinach
  • cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper (to taste)
  • 1/2 cup Seitan “Chorizo” Crumbles
  • 6 oz. Alexia Spicy Sweet Potato Fries, prepared and chopped into bit-sized pieces
  1. Saute onion and garlic in a frying pan in a wee bit of olive, canola, or grapeseed oil until softened.
  2. Add mushrooms and tomatoes to the pan, stirring regularly until nearly cooked.
  3. Stir in kale or spinach and cook until wilted.
  4. Season to taste.
  5. Add crumbled seitan “chorizo” to the pan. Allow to heat through.
  6. Serve over chopped sweet potato fries (or stir the fries directly into the pan).

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Nutty Butter

by Sarah on May 11, 2012 · 35 comments

Nutty Girl, here.Your one and only source into the scandalous life……of nut butter’s elite.In life, as in art, sometimes you have to know when to edit yourself.And sometimes, you need to know when to throw all inhibitions out the window……and just go there.But how do you make it?Well, that’s a secret I’ll never tell.You know you love me.XOXO,Nutty Girl.

Foodie Turned Fit

by Sarah on May 10, 2012 · 21 comments

When I showed up at Blend, I spent a lot of time during the Friday night welcome party proclaiming that I was a food blogger, not a fitness one. The idea of participating in a boot camp was daunting, and, although I was excited at the prospect of a hike on Saturday and the opportunity to finally try yoga, I envisioned myself languising behind the much more fitness-focused bloggers in their cute, matching workout gear.

(They really are cute, aren't they?)

But, guess what, y’all?

I used my all-purpose hiking [slash] running shoes for more than just stuffing swag into to save space packing on the way home.The Saturday morning Boot Camp led by Lindsay and Tina (sponsored by fimixer) kicked my butt, but in a good way. I couldn’t believe I was running (!) in mountain air (!) and I was at the front of the pack (!) keeping up (!)I thought I wasn’t a “group fitness girl,” but being in a large group of women whom I instinctively trusted brough out a mini warrior in me. I wasn’t afraid to look like an idiot should my form be slightly off or I wasn’t able to eke out the last few reps.  I might not have had the highest number of reps in any of our challenges, but I was SO proud of myself for keeping relative pace with the super-fit foodies around me!Maybe it was the (highly addictive) fitmixer aminos that I started Saturday’s boot camp with…

Fitmixer: like a sweet (healthy) Hawaiian (protein) Punch...

…but once I got going I just couldn’t stop! Riding on a high of personal physical accomplishment, I lathered up on sunscreen and joined the pack for a hike up a mountain.This was no ordinary hike. The ladies had warned us it would be pretty strenuous…but oh my goll, y’all, you have no idea.It was straight up or straight down that mountain, meaning on the way up we were climbing a rail-less staircase, and on the way down we were walking down a playground slide. (OK, maybe not THAT extreme…as there were rocks to grip on to. :) )

Thank you, Janetha, for proof of my hiking. :)

There were moments where I thought about turning back, when I was so out of breath I didn’t know if I’d make it. But like Jamie Foxx + T-Pain, I chose to blame it on the alcohol altitude.I had entered into competition with myself–”Can you do it, Sarah? Can you keep up?”–and so I kept on posing pushing.And against all of my beliefs and odds, I made it to the top! (Perhaps those hours working the “Hill Climb” setting on the elliptical helped?)Thank goll for my dear friend, Maria, without whom I’m sure I would never have pushed on. Together we walked up, and together we crawled walked down…slow and steady and never giving up. :) We did, however, get a bit lost on the way back…but it was a blessing in disguise because I stumbled upon this:And if you think that finding this toilet wasn’t one of the greatest moments of the day, well, I mean, you obviously haven’t met my bladder. [And did I squeal through the window while Maria stood outside? Yes. Yes, I did.]If you think the fitness fun ended there…well…you’d be wrong. Despite my physical exhaustion, I had been looking forward to using Blend as a “safe space’ in which to try yoga for the first time…and gosh darn it, I was getting to yoga.I kid you not, I’m pretty sure it was the fitmixer aminos–a second bottle of which I stole from the morning’s boot camp and polished off on the hike–that fueled me through the day. I was never famished, just tired in a “it feels great to use my body like this” way. [And you know that if this perma-lliptical darling can get into aminos, they've got to be good.]Whatever it was, I made it through my very first yoga class…and I was exhilarated! I am now on the hunt for a Vinyasa Flow class in town and cannot get over the feeling of joy from stretching and balancing and proving to myself that yes, yes I CAN do this.*

*There was one moment where I thought I might pass out…but you know, whatever.I told myself I wasn’t going to do the Sunday Boot Camp. I was going to wake up and make coffee in our cabin and sit on our porch with my book until breakfast. I’d even packed up my workout clothes.

But I went back for more.*

*This might have been the result of consuming an entire bag of Oogie’s popcorn the night before, but I’m choosing to believe it was my new inner fitness bug. [I even got to play Rocky and count out reps for my group. I may have gotten a little squealy there at the end...but I did it nonetheless!]I wasn’t the only person who did all four of the fitness ‘events’ at Blend, but I was ONE of the only ones, and this was an accomplishment I didn’t even know I wanted to achieve. Having never been an athlete, I am not in the habit of considering myself to be very fit, but I finally gave myself credit for what my body was capable of doing, and I’m not sure I would ever have done so were I not surrounded by a group of women I knew had my back and wouldn’t knock me down, only lift me up.

Just another reason to love Blend. :)

Bookending Blend

by Sarah on May 9, 2012 · 11 comments

I figure that there might be quite a few What I Ate Wednesday posts regaling y’all with the food intake at the Blend Retreat this weekend, but I thought to liven things up for Jenn and everyone else at this weekly food porn party I’d go ahead and focus on the creative consumption that bookended Blend. While these might not go down in history as my most bizarre travel snacks, I do feel they are worthy of being added to the long line of insane attempts at smuggling food through security or filling nooks and crannies of my car with cereal boxes so as not to spend a dime in transit.As has become custom, I began my day of travel with oats in a jar (or its cousin, oats in a mug). Although I sent a silent prayer in my song about leavin’ for Blend that these oats would stay warm, I actually made them the night before–yes, for photography purposes–and chose to eat them cold in the car on the way to the airport.

Hey. It’s weird, but it’s really just cooked overnight oats, right?I, of course, was well stocked for the trip.

My bag is usually 75% food and 25% entertainment. (Sometimes I reduce the number of books and DVDs in order to actually accomodate clothes or toiletries.) Guapo really wanted to come along to Blend, so I allowed it. Goldie (his girfriend) has sadly been a missing person goldfish for months now…I’m considering taking an ad out on the side of a milk carton.I stuffed him full of Wegman’s Fiber Essentials with Flakes cereal….so yumalicious (especially the little puffed rice clusters seasoned with chai spice)!Between the presence of Guapo and the fact that I was reading Charlotte’s Web, I’m pretty sure everyone was aware that I might be 27 years old, but at heart, remain a third grader.

I swear I was lesson planning!

I had been anticipating my in-flight indulgence of a Diet Coke for days…but unfortunately for all, my newfound habit of drinking lots and lots of water (and my newfound love for the acidic cleansing of kombucha) has somehow made it less appealing than it used to be.Charlotte’s Web wasn’t the only book I’d brought with me, but I did continue with the kiddie snacks.

When you are reading something as intense as a book about a 50-year-old diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, you need a good cartoon-emblazoned 18 Rabbits Mango Strawberry Bunny Bar to lighten the mood a bit.

And finally, I was welcomed to Denver––where I found a very hungry Lindsay, with whom I shared an orange from my fruit bag.

Cue a Wayne & Garth-style time travel motion, where the delicate waving of my hands in a vertical motion will somehow transport us through my adventures on Love Grown Foods’ Love Bus and the entire Blend Retreat to find me back in the airport.I, of course, had managed to  get to a grocery store over the weekend and stock-up on some travel snacks (and kill a constant kombucha craving). And, also not surprising, I had managed to smuggle out a number of food items from various Blend breakfasts and repacked them for my trip…

…making moments like this possible.Sometimes Jif is just a really good idea.

The entire first season of Parks & Recreation, a wee bit of time spent on writing a post of my general adoration of the weekend–

–and two of Laura‘s DELICIOUS granola cookies later–

–I found myself back in another airport…with an orange. (What is it about air travel that makes me crave citrus?)By the time I made it home, it was late, and I was tired, but still too jazzed to go to sleep. I paired uploading photos with some Trader Joe’s Cocoa Almond Spread. 

It started off civilized, yes–

–but then the chopstick came out…and, well, I don’t know if we want to talk about what happened next.Let’s  just blame the nearly empty jar on emotional turmoil from having to leave behind Blend, shall we? :)

Colorado is for LOVE(Blogge)Rs

by Sarah on May 8, 2012 · 12 comments

Last winter, when I won the competition to become one of Love Grown Foods newest LOVE Bloggers, I knew it would be a fun way to be more involved with a company whose message I LOVED and perhaps a LOVELY opportunity to share a product I LOVED with others.

What I definitely did NOT foresee?

The moment when this big, beautiful LOVE-covered bus came pulling up next to a gathered group of bloggers at the Denver Airport last Friday.We were ready with our cameras, of course. [We are all LOVE Bloggers, after all. :) ]Knowing that a number of LOVE Bloggers were coming into town for the Blend Retreat, Maddy [Founder & Chief Love Officer ;) ] had arranged to pick us up from the airport and transport us to Boulder for the retreat.Of course, it wouldn’t be right not to stop by the LOVE Pad first.

Alex, Courtney, Alyssa, Lindsay, Maddy, Me, Bobbi

It was LOVELY to see where so much LOVE was made and shipped around the country. We did not, sadly, have time to play ping-pong on the LOVE table.Although we did take a minute (or ten to twenty) to indulge in the LOVELY scent of Raisin Almond Crunch that permeated the air, prompting us all to contemplate the reasonableness of introducing a granola-scented air freshener for the market.I don’t know why I was even surprised that Maddy and Alex had put together overflowing boxes of Colorado treats for us, as they are constantly willing to send bags upon bags of LOVE to our doors on a regular basis.

But seriously, they were too kind.Can you feel the LOVE (tonight)?You might say I was a little excited.OK. Fine. A lot excited.

Of course, after we’d all traded around this Colorado LOVE to make the boxes meet our personal points of perfection, the elementary school teacher in me required that we all label them so as not to cause a mix up later. ;) If you think that was enough LOVE for one day, well, you obviously haven’t ever met Maddy and Alex. (They are the kind of people that carry your luggage and gifts that they gave you up hills and around corners on a confused search for Blend Retreat check-in.)Love Grown had recently moved from its smaller production facility (itself a huge step up from the ‘large bowls in the kitchen’ the company began with) to a large scale food production warehouse. Maddy and Alex had arrange for us to have an official tour of the plant, which also maked Larabars, Rocky Mountain Popcorn, 34 Degrees Crisps, Boulder Ice Cream, and Justin’s Nut Butter.Although our LOVE boxes of Colorado treats had contained some exciting NEW products from those companies…

[Why yes, Justin's IS going to be selling candy bars...]

…nothing could beat the taste of a Larabar–intended for Canada (hence the francais)–straight off of the line! We were lucky enough to watch them cutting and packaging the bars, learning that freezing the date paste helps to make the product easier to work with. It also results in a cold bar when pulled from the line that is positively gooey when you open and eat it.

(Gooey like it was a block of slightly hardened, crunchy cashew butter.)

Um. Oh yeah.

Did I also mention that JUSTIN, the God of Nut Butter himself,* just happened to stop by while we were there and give us a personal tour of his production room?

*This yellow sweater is clearly my “meet famous male foodies by accident” sweater. Remeber TyFlo at Foodbuzz???Don’t worry, y’all, I did not fail you. I definitely proceeded to say lots of awkward things like “Maple Almond is my favorite! (Giggle, Giggle)” and “I totally have a pack of Chocolate Peanut Butter in my purse right now.” When he said he was a vegetarian, I might have swooned silently.Dearest Maddy and Alex, we could not have been welcomed to Colorado in a LOVELIER way! Thank y’all so much for everything. And to answer your (or Elby’s?) question:

Pretty darn LOVE-ulous.

Blend 2012: Miss Smart’s Perspective

by Sarah on May 7, 2012 · 34 comments

Describe Blend 2012 in one word?

Amazing.*

*Highly generic and what most elementary school teachers might call a “dead” adjective, needing to be buried in favor of something jazzier, inspiring 10-year-olds to tear through thesauri—yes, that is a word—in search of a word whose meaning they don’t understand, but that both Merriam AND Webster assure is an equivalent match, not factoring in the need to account for connotation as well as definition.

Given more words, I’d also add:

Uplifting

Blissful

Relaxing

Warm

Challenging

Inspiring

….and FUN! (of course)

From me, and from the other bloggers who attended this Boulder-based blogger (and blog reader/supporter/friend) retreat, organized by the even-more-lovely-in-person Lindsay, Janetha, and Katie, I’m sure you’ll be reading posts about various aspects of the weekend focusing on different events or meals, and written from different backgrounds, viewpoints, and perspectives.

But for now, I will just say this*

*Mostly because I’m writing this on the plane, sans pictures, and by the time I get home to import some, it will be late on Sunday night. 5:45 comes all too quickly, and first graders don’t understand the sentence, “I’m exhausted. Please work independently for a minute at your seats so I can sit down.”

This past weekend was just what I needed.

I was able to reconnect with old friends, meet bloggers in person for the first time who I’ve only just begun to “know” through twitter and blog reading, and find kindred spirits in both them, and people whose names and faces (and online musings) were entirely new to me.

The feeling of it all was simply one of community and friendship. We were there to connect to one another outside of blogging, despite it being the one commonality we all shared.

I laughed with people about the quirky foods I like to eat and tried to convince people that dill pickle cashew butter or nutritional yeast on top of pomegranate salsa really are delicious  concepts.I had conversations late into the night about life and change and insecurity.

I felt no judgement in what I looked like, what clothes I was wearing, or what my job/relationship status/income was.

I didn’t get left out of any cliques, because there weren’t any.

I wasn’t looked down upon because I only have 400 hits a day on my blog to someone else’s 4,000.

The support and enthusiasm of everyone uplifted me to accomplish some incredible fitness feats that I never thought I could tackle.I ate vegan cupcakes and hiked a mountain and did yoga and went to the Farmer’s Market and had my picture taken with a giant metal rooster.

 This was no ordinary blogger conference.

Yes, I did get a lot of free food and fitness-related goodies, and yes, I DID spend three hours trying to figure out how I was going to fit everything I wanted to take home into my bag, with the conclusion that I could always “feed the airport” if I was over the weight limit.

(Just under 50lbs! I totally could have fit in another bag of granola….)

Yes, I took an insane amount of pictures and handed out business cards and made connections to PR execs and sponsors.

 And yes, I was there because of my blog.

But there were no ‘sessions,’ no feeling of ‘what can your blog do for MY blog?’ underlying my conversations, and I spent so much time in workout clothes, without make-up, that when I finally attempted to ‘do’ my hair I don’t think people recognized me.

They said we wouldn’t learn anything about ‘how to improve our blogs,’ or ‘how to become a better blogger,’ but ladies, you were wrong.Because what I took away from Blend 2012—aside from the excessive amount of Probars that I won in the raffle—was this:

The best way to be a ‘better’ blogger is to blog because you love it, stay true to yourself, and know that the best thing about blogging isn’t how many people comment daily or how many opportunities to review products come your way…it is the community you become a part of the moment you first start writing.*

*Or reading! ;)

Leavin’ for the Blend Retreat

by Sarah on May 4, 2012 · 10 comments

Leavin’ for the Blend Retreat

(to the tune of “Leavin’ on a Jet Plane”)

 ———————–

My snacks are packed, I’m ready to go.

I’ve got an extra bag for swag to take home.

I’m prepared to smuggle food through security…

———————–

The dawn is breaking, it’s early morn–

I hope my oats in a jar will stay warm!

This photo is what we call a "pre"-enactment.

But right now my mind is solely focused on coffee…

So tweet me and facebook me,

Tell me that you won’t laugh at me,

When I try to run or act like a yogi…

——————-

Leavin’ for the Blend Retreat

Food and fun and lots of bloggers to meet

 Oh my goll, y’all, I can’t wait to go…

———————-

Watch out, Boulder: here comes Miss Smart!

She’s got packing nutty butter down to an art…

Let’s hope her gifts make it without an explosion!

Every meal we eat, we’ll photograph

Every shared food quirk will make us laugh

When we go home our non-bloggin’ friends probably won’t understand…

Leavin’ for the Blend Retreat

Food and fun and lots of bloggers to meet

Oh my goll, y’all, I can’t wait to go…

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