OK, I think we all know the drill by now.  If you’ve been reading my blog for the past three weeks, you’ll know that I’ve been making it my job to meet new people online (no, not for that!).  And if you’re new around here, just to bring you up to speed, I’ve been challenging myself to meeting new bloggers every week.  Last week, I met a few new bloggers, introduced myself to them and spotlighted them on my post.  In addition, I spotlighted a few bloggers who have been doing what I’ve set out to do and introduced themselves to me.  I figured if we’re attending all these festive holiday parties offline and meeting new people, why not do the same online?

Image Credit – parkavenuebistronyc.blogspot.com

Week 4 of Healthy Chow’s-a-Makin’-Some-New-Friends

• Lucky Taste Buds! – Michelle is a 20-something foodie who introduced herself to me a few days ago.   She is funny and has such an upbeat vibe to her.  I especially love how she has a ‘food-tittude’ and loves to eat, create and experience new foods.  And she believes in economical food – just check out her ‘Faithfully Frugal’ page!  My favorite tip is knowing how long food can go for after its ’sell-by’ date.  I mean, why throw out food if it’s still perfectly fine?  And if you love breakfast, you must check out Michelle’s recipes for Hemp-ed Up Mango Macadamia Buckwheat Pancakes and Honey Apple Curry Tofu over Soba.  Ah-mazing! I love Michelle’s pictures of all the Chinese-inspired dishes she eats and cooks; they make me drool!  And, Michelle does restaurant reviews, too.  Not only is she hilarious, but she’s brutally honest.  This gal rocks and I’m so glad she introduced herself to me.  Nice to meet you!

• Nourished Fitness – Alyson is the owner of this fabulous blog, which makes sense because if you know anything about her.  She is incredible!  Just check out her fitness page and her video.  She is nothing short of phenomenal!  And a big congrats goes out to this lady as she just became a member of the 2010 class at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition – go Alyson!  When Alyson isn’t competing in fitness competitions (she recently competed in two), she’s getting her MBA specializing in Sports Business and Strategic Marketing at Arizona State University, enjoys her killer workouts, practices yoga and is constantly nourishing herself mentally, physically and emotionally.  It seems that Alyson gets pretty creative in the kitchen, too.  Check out her Stuffed Acorn, Crunchy Kabocha Delight and Chocolate Chip Pie with Rum Butter Frosting – delicious!  Like I said earlier, she’s phenomenal!

• Tri to Cook – Let’s face it.  We’ve all been super busy lately.  That said, I hate to admit that I’ve been lagging in the reading and commenting on blog posts department.  So instead of just introducing myself to ‘new’ bloggers this week, I’m getting re-acquainted with ones I haven’t caught up with in awhile.  Shannon is a fantastic person I met earlier this summer at my first blogger meet-up.  She inspires me with her dedication to training and competing in triathlons, as well as with her creativity and skill in the kitchen.  Just take a peek at her recipes for Blueberry Lavender Butter Cookies, Silken Chocolate Cheesecakes and Fig Ice Cream.  And I’m not the only one who thinks Shannon is fantastic.  Nature’s Pride was so impressed with her Savory Pumpkin Bread Pudding that they selected Shannon to attend the 1st Annual Foodbuzz Festival as one of their Bread Ambassadors.  She got to prepare her recipe during the Tasting Pavilion.  Woo-hoo Shannon!  It’s good to ’see’ you again!

• Nifty Eats – These nifty eats belong to Nicci.  Nicci is another blogger I met a few months ago and haven’t had the chance to chat with in a bit.  Living in the North Texas area, Nicci is a 20-something young woman working as an Executive Assistant for a Non-profit agency.  Her nifty eats include Spicy Salmon Patties, Easy Smashing Pumpkin Soup and On-the-Go Smoothies.  I really admire Nicci’s willingness to try new things and to challenge herself.  In fact, wish Nicci good luck as she’s training to run in a half-marathon in March.  We know you can do it, Girl!  And apparently, I’m not the only one who thinks Nicci is nifty, check out all the awards she recently received from other bloggers.  And being the giving person herself, Nicci created her own award and gave it to all her loyal readers.  She’s a riot, she sweet and if I haven’t said it enough before, she’s a blogger that lives up to her name – nifty!

• Loser for Life – This self-proclaimed, loser for life, is Marisa.  Marisa has lost 67 pounds to date and started her journey with Weight Watchers, but now has turned to a more intuitive eating approach.  Whatever you’re doing, Marisa, keep it up!  It’s working and you look great!  Not only does Marisa’s perseverance move me, but her recipes for Banana Walnut Breakfast Cookies, Chicken with Red Pepper and Artichoke Sauce and White Pizza with Zucchini and Broccoli aren’t too shabby either.  This lady does it all!  Check out her recent article on ways to relieve stress during the holidays – it’s a helpful and great read.  I love how Marisa concludes many of her posts with a ‘One Good Thing’ about her food day.  No matter what happens throughout the day, she always manages to find a positive and something to learn from to take her to the next day.  You’re an inspiration!

And yet another extraordinary group of bloggers who I had the pleasure of meeting this week and with whom I had the pleasure of reconnecting.  I’ve noticed that when you take the first step in putting yourself out there in meeting new people, not only does it become easier with time, but people start reciprocating.  I can’t tell you how many new bloggers have introduced themselves to me over the past three weeks and how many have commented on how much they are enjoying this challenge.  Many tend to think that a gift has to be something tangible or something expensive in order for it to be wonderful.  I think I’ve proved that this is certainly not true.  Inviting new people into your life and being able to reconnect with some old ones, is truly the gift that keeps on giving!

Image Credit – giftideas-365.com

Do you have any crazy last-minute gift stories?  My mother forgot to get my grandmother a stocking stuffer one year and the only store that was open was CVS.  We ended up finding some Q-Tip and cotton ball holders and she loved them!

Namasté,
Nicole