Back before I knew the correct way to pin on Pinterest, whenever I saw a picture on there I just pinned it. There I was for months pinning away willy nilly whatever struck my fancy, didn’t matter. If it looked good I pinned it. Then I met some bloggers on a closed group called the Food Bloggers Network. I met many but four of the women in that group have become very special to me: Anita at Hungry Couple NYC, CJ at Food Stories, Stacy (our world traveling friend) on Food Lust People Love, and Joan at Chocolate, Chocolate and more. I will tell you why too!
Anita of Hungry Couple NYC besides having THE BEST macaroni salad recipe on the face of the earth, is one of the funniest and most talented women I have met on the Interwebs. She lives in New York City and taught me the value of cooking with buttermilk. She gives us a glimpse of Mr. and Mrs. Hungry Couple’s life in the Big Apple all the while cooking up healthier-for-you food and photographing it in beautiful hues of hot dog and apple pie almost like it was an afterthought. Meh – no big deal . Ha! It is a VERY big deal to take pictures like that. I think she is the Hua Mulan of NYC. You know, Mulan from the Ballad of Mulan, not the Disney character.
CJ whose blog is Food Stories, lives in California and is a nurse. In fact, she is a nurse boss nowadays. Her blog is where she showcases other’s food photos and allows them to tell their own story about food. She is meticulous about her own diet and her photography makes that healthy food look tasty. Humbleness is CJ’s character trait. My co-workers are now laughing – our agency supports this company that promotes the “good” character traits and also tells us what the opposite one is. Sort of like Gus and Gallant from childhood “Highlights” magazine. Our division director gives us a certificate with what he deems as our good character trait each year on our work anniversary. I nearly always get “Creative”. I suspect after all these years he must not see anything else redeeming about my sparkling personality.
Stacy currently lives in Dubai writing her blog Food Lust People Love. She has lived all over the world I think and the coolest thing about her blog is that she prepares dishes from all those places doing great tutorials so you aren’t afraid to make it too! She is so kind and generous. I’ve never even heard her be snippy. Her oldest daughter just graduated from art school – it happens to be a place I dreamed of attending as a teenager – we were invited to watch the graduation online so I, Mr. Picky Eater and Rocket watched. Rocket stood on the floor holding onto the couch dancing during the entire professor’s processional as well as the student’s. This was not your regular Pomp and Circumstance march. When it was over, MPE said I really should have gone there – it was just my style. Now her daughter is living in Soho! Geez, I think her life is a movie sometimes!
Joan lives in Georgia so I am sure that in another life she and I were Julia and Suzanne Sugarbaker – I’m the older mouthy one and she’s the younger pretty one. She writes Chocolate, Chocolate and More baking sweets that actually make me get up and rummage around in the kitchen to see if I have the stuff to make some too even if it is midnight. Seriously. If it is chocolate, Joan can make it and it is going to be gooooooood! Joan is pretty. Wait, is that a character trait? Ha! I just made myself laugh. She makes homemade Nutella…….and some salted dark chocolate cookies that are both to die for! Actually her character trait is integrity. She’s got it in spades. I love her for it too – it’s not the fake sitting at the front of the class, spying and then telling on her classmates – it real down to earth honesty laced with brownies.
These four women taught me that when you pin, you should click through to get to the original post and pin it from there that way you don’t chance it being stolen material. Many of their recipes and photos have been high jacked by less than scrupulous Face Bookers, Bloggers and Pinners. But like I said in the beginning, I didn’t do that at first. While I have gone through and cleaned most of that up, I haven’t gotten to it all as in the case of this post!
A long time ago on my board “Food DIY” I pinned this really cool picture of bread rising on a heating pad. I thought that would be perfect at our house because we keep it COLD in here so unless I turn on the oven to 170 F and then turn off the oven when I put the bread in like Brandie at The Country Cook put in a post once, they just won’t rise. When I pinned it I thought I would come back later and read how it was done. This weekend I did just that and when I clicked on the picture the big exclamation point came up telling me the post had been reported stolen or spam. No directions! But I soldiered on deciding I would just make it up as I went.
Here’s how it went:
Bring out the heating pad and turn it on high.
Then drop the frozen Rhodes dough balls into muffin cups that have been liberally sprayed with non-stick spray then cover with sprayed Saran Wrap or non-stick Reynolds Wrap for 2 hours.
Uncover it.
Cook in a pre-heated 325 F degree oven for 15 minutes and you have rolls!
I love cooking with my heating pad!
Show Me the Goods Party!
Sweetie, you are gorgeous both inside and out, I loved the show Designing Women, I’ve always said we should have been sisters!
I love this idea and I can’t wait to try it, I keep the house on the cold side in the winter. I’ve actually had to rise dough in the bathroom while getting a shower, letting the steam help it along, hehe
I loved that show and it’s the only sitcom I own (some) of the seasons. I could watch them over and over! This really does work, I’m happy to say!
I don’t think I do Pinterest right. I really have no clue.
I sure didn’t know – but not too long ago a friend on FB shared a picture and it was MINE! I kinda’ threw a fit – in the house and then went over to the site and this woman had over 100,000 FB follower and that picture had been shared hundreds of times! I contacted FB and they made her take her FB page down but within a week she was back up again. She posts things from pinterest and pretends like its hers. So, I just click on the picture and keep clicking until a blog comes up and then I pin from there. 🙂
Oh, I see.
Thanks for the explanation.
You are just darling! It has been my utmost pleasure to become friends with you and I am honored by your kind words. Thank you so much!
You never told me you wanted to go to RISD! I am with your husband; you would have fit in beautifully there! I would have loved to see Rocket dancing to that Pomp and Circumstance. It was such a fun ceremony.
When we lived in Paris, I used to get bread to rise by floating the pan in a sink with some hot water, covered by my cutting board and a couple of towels. Why did I never think to use the heating pad?! Genius!
Wow Stacy – you REALLY wanted to bake some bread! Yes, I really wanted to go there and almost got my dad to agree but it was a losing battle. So, I got married instead! 🙂 I look at it like if I had gone there or the other school I picked out I would not have Top Girl.
There can never be regrets over any marriage when you end up with a beautiful child or children. I was saying that to a friend just the other day. 🙂
It looks really good! I’m a vegetarian and I so would eat that 😀 hahah and by the way I think I would do the same if I had Pinterest…
If you don’t mind me asking, can you visit my blog? I think I posted 4 times, and I started it a few days ago, I could use some helpful hints or just thoughts about it.
Thank you!
sure! I would be happy to – although, I’m not all that great at it, I just do my best but I will come over and take a look. Thank you for asking!
Thank you so much. Any comment, would be great. I’m new at this and not very good at it.
What you ARE good at is photography! Those are amazing photos of Brazil! I’m following you now.
So am I 🙂 looking forward to see what you’ll post next! If you feel like doing something vegetarian, please, I’d love to try it at home!
I do make some vegetarian dishes. My daughter’s grandparents have been vegetarian for about 35 years – back before it was cool to be vegetarian so I sometimes make something they would like – there are some on here already. Maybe I should put a vegetarian category on my recipe index!
I use the heating pad on big holiday dinners. Just plug ’em in and set the bowls of gravy, or vegetables, or WHATEVER you want to stay warm. Heating pads are the best thing EVER – good for all kinds of things!!
I NEVER knew about this! I’m glad you mentioned about the gravy because I hate cold gravy and I could set that and the basket of rolls on it. Thanks Deanne!!
Well, I certainly do love being compared with a legend. 🙂 The heating pad trick is fun but I hate being cold so I keep my home at optimal bread-rising conditions year round. 🙂 Seriously, you’re such a doll and I’m so lucky to have “met” you. All of you. I can’t believe that, because of a little blog, I now have all these darling friends around the country and the world. I’m very blessed.
Thank you! I feel the same way!
I have never tried a heating pad but this is so brilliant 😀
A lovely recipe 🙂
Cheers
CCU
great stories and it looks like you’ve met some fun and like-minded ladies! Who’d a thunk about the heating pad and rolls? I recently used an electric blanket to incubate a batch of DIY yogurt a la Alton Brown. Definitely good to think outside the box when you’re in the kitchen 🙂
Hey Liz – yep, it is and I love to use things not thought of in the kitchen!!
Wow, you are one of my favorite people, too … Thanks so much for your kind words and for sharing your foodie wisdom & tips 🙂
You kill me!!! “The older mouthy one…” I am still laughing at this post. Love C.J. and am now checking out your other blogger sisters! 🙂
Great! You will love them – all!
I’ve been having trouble making yogurt in my country house because the oven isn’t insulate well. The heating pad on low should work perfectly! Thanks!
Now don’t these look yummy!! Thanks so much for visiting!!
Hugs,
Deb
I have a proof option on my oven but this is a terrific idea. I also love the idea of using it to keep food warm. 🙂
I thought it was pretty cool too Karen!
I didn’t know such a setting existed, Karen! I am in the market for a new oven so I will be on the lookout for that feature. Not that we need it most of the year in Houston! But still.
I remember when Pinterest first came out, and everyone was confused about recipes. If the directions weren’t in the comments section, people would comment asking for the recipe! It was pretty funny. It took me a while to get into pinterest, but now I love it!
And, that’s ingenious! I don’t bake a lot, but I’m definitely going to have to try it!