Using a random number generator here the winner of  “The Pastry Queen Christmas” is Marie from Proud Italian Cook! Congratulations to Marie and thanks to all of you who posted a  comment here. Much love to you all!!!

 Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

1

Timestamp: 2008-12-15 17:38:28 UTC

 I hope to have a few more contests during the next few months so check back and enter again- you may be the next winner.

Some housekeeping notes as well- I haven’t felt too much like posting lately- getting sick seemed to through me off of my track. I am going to be “retooling” and focusing on more healthful fare in future so I have  suspended my participation in a few groups such as the Daring Bakers, Tuesdays with Dorie and The Cake Slice Bakers. I will miss being a part of these groups of lovely bakers but -although I think a treat now and then will be doable -I still can’t be making treats every week. I will be staying with Craving Ellie in my Belly, Tyler Florence Fridays and You want Pies with That? - because one is more health focused, one gives me latitude to pick recipes that suit and making a pie once a month will be something to look forward to. Even at that I am behind on all of my group posting from being sick so I’ll try my best to catch up on those.  Thanks to everyone who has been hanging in there with me.

I plan to do lots of exploration of healthful and delicious dishes during the coming months and I hope you’ll come along for the ride.

Love and Health to you all!

Gabi

I am a bad blogger. I am a bad blogger. I am a bad blogger…. I must repeat this at least 100 times!

I have been tagged three times for the 6 random facts meme and since I am a bad blogger I haven’t responded yet.  I really, really, really meant to answer but my procrastinating hesitancy to write about myself over rules my desire to be prompt about these things.  Finally my sweet friend Sally wrote (when she tagged me into finally responding)- “…I have tagged you -do with it what you wish- I shan’t be at all offended. ”

SO…  in the spirit of owning to my bad behaviour I must admit that two lovely bloggers tagged me during one week in July *blush* ! Now you do know the depths of procrastination to which I sink. I have nothing to say in my own defence except that as I began to mull it all over in my mind each fact I put forth seemed to be either too boring or too nutty,  so I kept thinking on it and as these things sometimes do it just kept lurking around the back of my mind and never actually made its way out. Dana of Vanilla Basil was the first to tag me, followed within the week by Charlotte of Taylor Loves Chocolate. I am so sorry dear sweet lovely women- I did not mean to go so long.  Then as I mentioned above, almost over a month ago Sally of Casalba News tagged me again- I promised that I would get to it. I really don’t know how the time gets away from me. So here they are with my apologies- three 6 random facts memes finally answered and sent on their way. We won’t call it 6/6/6/ we’ll just look on the light side and call it eighteen – a much nicer number.

This is me with Prince Charming (aka Rick)- because I’ve been told I should show you what we look like

As you wish, here are my random facts:

1. I’d rather eat bread than cake.
2. I’d rather have a cookie than candy.
3. I’d rather wear my pajamas than a cocktail dress.
4. I’d rather be married to my husband than to George Clooney.
5. I’d rather go to the sea than the desert.
6. I’d rather read classics than (most) new books.
7. I’d rather be a hammer than a nail. Yes I would….
8. I’d rather ride a horse than a motorcycle.
9. I’d rather have a few good friends than be popular
10. I’d rather listen to Jazz or Big Band than to Country music.
11. I’d rather cook than clean.
12. I’d rather have silence than listen to”talk radio.”
13. I’d rather watch old movies than new.
14. I’d rather wear vintage fashion than new.
15. I’d rather garden than shop.
16. I’d rather hike, sail or camp than sit by a pool.
17. I’d rather have a tea party than go to a posh restaurant.
18. I’d rather watch British mysteries and comedies than prime time television. I’m particularly fond of mysteries created by Brian Eastman, Anthony Horowitz and Brian True-May. Love David Suchet as Hercule Poirot- Michael Kitchen as DCS Foyle and John Nettles as DCI Barnaby. Give me Fawlty Towers, Monty Python and The Good Life ( The Good Neighbors in the US) and I’m set.

Bonus fact- I’d rather give away a Rebecca Rather cookbook to a random commenter than tag 18 blogs. So I’m opening this to everyone who comments and sweetening the deal too…

Leave a comment on this post by midnight my time (Mountain U.S.) on December 14th  and I will pick a random winner out of the eligible responses to receive “The Pastry Queen Christmas”cookbook by Rebecca Rather (owner of Rather Sweet Bakery in Fredericksburg, Texas) with Alison Oresman, photographed by Laurie Smith and published by Ten Speed Press. You can consider yourself tagged on the meme if you want to play- just link back to my post and tell us at least six things you’d rather do…

Good luck and I look forward to learning more about you all.

xo

Here’s how Tempered Woman mutated the meme:

“Here are the new rules (are you still following this garbage?):
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. Share 5 facts about yourself that:1. explain how you got your first or middle name,2. where you were born, 3. your favorite fruit, 4. something embarrassing about you and 5. answers the question “Your dream wedding would have to include…” You must also supply at least one funny photo that goes with one of your facts.
3. Tag as many people at the end of your post as you so desire and list their names (linking to them). You may tag the original sender if you change the rules.
4. Let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs. Or, don’t. Just link to them and wait to see who actually reads your blog. Now cry yourself to sleep tonight”

Here are my answers:

1. Legend has it that My name came from a rather “blue” French novel read by my dad. My mom wanted to name me “Lisa Marie” -my dad eventually won and I was named Gabrielle. My mom called me Baby until she gave up on the other name.

2. I was born in a town in Southern Utah near the most amazing National Parks.

3. My favorite fruit – I love almost all of them, so who can choose? OK cherries, no wait pears, no wait….. see? I did hate pineapple for a long time but now I crave it sometimes.

4. Something embarrassing… yeah right- dream on- what? -you say I have to?, well  to that I say….- okay well I sometimes talk in my sleep and once I fell asleep in the movies when I was a teenager on a Drama club trip - I hate people who talk in the movies so I was doubly embarrassed.

5.  My next perfect wedding would include a ceremony by The Impressive Clergyman as follows: 

The Princess Bride (1987)

The Impressive Clergyman: Mawage. Mawage is wot bwings us togeder tooday. Mawage, that bwessed awangment, that dweam wifin a dweam…
[cut to Westley, Inigo, and Fezzik]
The Impressive Clergyman: And wuv, tru wuv, will fowow you foweva…
[cut to the trio again]
The Impressive Clergyman: So tweasure your wuv.
Prince Humperdinck: Skip to the end.
The Impressive Clergyman: Have you the wing?
[cut to the trio once more]
The Impressive Clergyman: …and do you,Pwincess Buwwercup…
Prince Humperdinck: Man and wife. Say man and wife.
The Impressive Clergyman: Man an’ wife.

 ….Oh and now it must also include a margarita fountain as a tribute to Tempered woman.

The one new rule is you must link back to one person who has tagged you for a meme and they must link back to whomever tagged them- reversing it up the food chain so to speak.

So I am tagging LisaRene at Unique Little Bits for this.

Also this meme is now open to all who read and wish to play. Just link back to me so I can see you’ve answered.

xoxo

This is the first meme I’ve ever partipicated in but since she asked, I will share 5 random facts with you and then I’ve tagged the people below to do the same.
Here are the rules:
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. Share 5 facts about yourself
3. Tag 5 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
4. Let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.

Since everyone else seems to be showing pictures of themselves as a child- I thought I’d give you two.

This first picture is me at one year old. Obviously I was taking my eating seriously hence the hard-hat.

This is one of my favourites -it’s me on my fourth birthday. It’s clear I was having a ball opening presents in my jammies.

Just the facts now – (really there’s more than five in there- but they’re grouped ’cause above all I’m a greedy guts :

1. My eyes are green-grey-blue and they change colour depending on what I’m wearing or my mood. If they’re blue watch out-it means I’m very upset.  My hair has also changed color it was black at birth and grew out white blonde from the roots -so I was a punk baby before my time. Now it’s naturally dark golden blonde.
2. I attended 17 different schools in Utah, Nevada, California and Ohio before I graduated from high school.
3. I catered my own wedding with help from my lovely aunt and mom. There were 150 guests and we had a 4:00 wedding followed by a cream tea- we had a whole lot of food. Our friends Jeff (the chef) and his honey Michelle- also brought two more of the most scrumptious dishes all the way from the bay area.
4. After my wedding I worked as the cake baker/decorator for a small patisserie. The worst mistake I ever made while baking cakes there was to leave the sugar out of  a batch of 25  lemon-poppy seed Genoise that I was baking.I just got distracted for a moment. They came out looking all shriveled like golden brains.
5. One of my favourite ways to spend a day is a “Jammie Day”- Where we get up, shower and put on fresh jammies, make a ton of brownies, cookies and other snacks  and watch our favorite movies all day. Old movies are my favourites.

That’s probably more than was needed. So now I am tagging:

April at Cookworm- she’s my Blogging by Mail partner, a fellow Daring Baker and her Chocolate Tangerine Semifreddo is next on my list to make. She has a great blog!

Melody at Fruit Tart is another fabulous Daring Baker- check out her Death by Chocolate! Mmmm!! She’s recovering from the flu so send her many get well wishes and let her know she gets extra kudos for playing whilst getting back in the swing of things. xoxo

Susan at Sticky,Gooey,Creamy,Chewy  yet another Daring Baker (we have so many wonderful members) her blog is SO amazing and she makes me drool with her Almond Brioche and other delights.

Tempered Woman- yep you guessed it another Daring Baker. Well she just plain cracks me up- I love her sense of humour and she has a fabulous blog. Check out her Rich Salty Sweet Peanut Butter cup brownies.

Dhanggit at Dhanggit’s Kitchen is just as sweet as can be, another Daring Baker as  well and you must see her Toblerone Mini cakes-oozing at the Heart. OOOh! A special thanks to Dhanggit because she’s already been tagged once and was sweet enough to let me get her twice. xoxo so she’s my honorary tag-ee.

Ruthie at Spoonbread for Hieronymus is also my choice -I love reading her wonderfully diverse recipes. Everything she does is a great read and I’d love to learn more about her. Check out her Coconut Curry Noodle Soup.

Love to you all- can’t wait to learn more of you.

xoxo