Sticky Cinnamon Figs - Guest post for Magnolia Days

Figs are sweet all on their own but add a little butter, a little honey and a little heat and they turn even sweeter and syrupy, the perfect accompaniment to mascarpone and pistachios. 

Guest posts are hard.
I don’t know if it’s just me but when I am writing and cooking and taking photographs for someone else’s space, I feel a lot more pressure than when it’s just for me. Not that I don’t care about you, my own readers. I do! And I want the dish to be as tasty as possible, because we are going to eat it. And I want the photos to be wonderful and draw you in. But, if you are here reading, chances are you like what I make or write or the photos I post, or you at least forgive me my mistakes because you know I mean well. Or you are my mother and would love me anyway. (Hi, Mom!) But as a guest writer on another blog, I'll have new eyes on my work that don’t know me. And I’d hate to be found wanting. Call it the middle child syndrome, perhaps, but I want people to like me! I want to be good enough. Can anyone else relate?

So go read my guest post, okay? 
All this moaning is my way of telling you that I have a guest post up today on the wonderful blog Magnolia Days, for my friend and, dare I say, blogging mentor, Renee. Renee has been endlessly generous with her knowledge and advice and kindness over the past three years of my blogging journey. When she asked if I would guest post as she takes a dual milestone birthday celebration trip to Germany with her mother, I jumped at the chance. And then repented in leisure. (See paragraph one above, re: Guest posts are hard.) I made three different recipes because I couldn’t decide what was good enough for a guest post. And, fellow bloggers, just in case I’ve done a guest post for you, know that the anguish was the same. But this time I decided to come public. The chosen recipe is for sticky cinnamon figs and they made the cut because they are sweet and southern, just like Renee.

Check out the figgy honey syrup in the bottom of my baking pan!

Payback is only fair.
Renee has helped me so much that an emphatic “Sure!” was the only right answer. She is instrumental in the smooth running of Sunday Supper and is my partner in crime for Bread Bakers.  If you haven’t met her yet, I encourage you to browse through her extensive list of recipes. Everything I’ve made from Renee’s blog has been great but we especially enjoyed her sesame noodles from a couple of years back and more recently, her No-bake Bourbon Pecan Cookies and Asian Pork Lettuce Cups.

Seriously delicious sesame noodles!

Now please go visit my Sticky Cinnamon Figs and meet my friend, Renee!

Pimm's No.1 Cup - Guest post for Hungry Couple

 

Happy Wednesday, lovely people!  Today I am mixing cocktails in New York City.  Okay, not actually, but virtually.  The funny and talented Anita from Hungry Couple NYC is off to Maine on holiday this week with her husband and furry sous chef and I am guest posting over at her place.  Anita is known throughout the blogosphere for making fabulous cocktails.  In fact, she has an entire section of her blog devoted to fancy and delicious libations.  So when I agreed to write a guest post, I knew a pretty drink would be most appropriate.  I’ve made a British classic, the Pimm’s No. 1 Cup, as taught to me 25 years ago by our dear friend, David Sutton - sailing boat captain, raconteur, gentleman, engineer and all-around good guy, despite being English.  Or perhaps because he's English.  On this blog, when you hear me speak of sailing in Abu Dhabi or you see photos of sailboats, you can bet that David is involved.  Much to our delight.

Head on over to Hungry Couple to see how you, too, can enjoy this delightful beverage.  I’m mixing one up for you right now!

Deep-fried Oreos - Guest post for Noshing with the Nolands

When fellow food blogger, Tara Noland of Noshing with the Nolands, put the call out a couple of months back for guest posts during Stampede, the Calgary equivalent of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, you know I had to step up.  Calgary and Houston, my hometown, have much in common.  Both are cities that oil built, with a great heritage of cowboys and rodeo.  And Houston and Calgary have fabulous carnival food, including barbecue of all kinds, things on a stick, and heart-stopping fried everything.  My younger sister and I were researching and brainstorming (imagine dueling banjos but with laptops) what I should make and deep-fried Oreos came up.  They sounded perfect for this post. 

Deep-fried Oreos.  Roll that around on your tongue for a bit.  Uh-huh.  That's what I'm talking about.  Doughnut batter engulfing an innocent Oreo, deep-fried till the melty double stuff melts.  Yes, I said melt twice.  Have another quick look at the photo above. That's right.  This is a guest post, so that means you have to head on over to Noshing with the Nolands to read it.   Follow this link and git along now!  

Enjoy!