Academy, I mean Premio Dardos Awards ... (+ 2-day countdown)

Meet our dear friends, Kim & Joe: I will tell you more about them in a second here, after I thank Kim for awarding me the Premio Dardos Blog Award going around! (By the way, my birthday is in 2 days) The Premio Dardos Blog Award 'acknowledges the values that every Blogger displays in their effort to transmit cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values with each message they write. (It's the big 27!) Awards like this have been created with the intention of promoting community among Bloggers. (You don't mind subliminal messages do you?) It's a way to show appreciation and gratitude for work that adds value to the Web." (Because you're getting them & you don't even know it! ... Two days from now marks the day my mom gave birth to me 27 years ago! ... See, you didn't even know you read that did you?) Now I get to award 3 blogs!!

And I choose: Drum roll please .... (my dad being a drummer always provided the best drum rolls, using car dashboards, kitchen tables & counter tops, books & magazines or the always handy knee) ... (Perhaps I should do a birthday post for myself asking for 27 comments like Marie did last week, what do you think? I would like that. If I don't, will you still leave me 27 comments?) (I like cards, phone calls, blog comments, diamonds, luxury cars, new wardrobes, cupcakes & flowers on my birthday; can I count on all of you for these things come Thursday? My expectations are pretty low, so it should be pretty easy for all of you to stay friends with me)

A. All of us who know or read Jana's blog, It's the Little Things, would be quick to think of her on a blog award. She is as witty and hilarious as they come, a wonderful writer & photographer and has a way of bringing the most interesting conversations in her comment rooms!

B. I mentioned Three Bay B Chicks recently when they gave me some shiny attention, and now I will return the favor - because they are wonderful. If you read their blog (three friends write this blog, including my lovely sister-in-law, Kacey), you will laugh-laugh your little head off (what a weird expression we use there huh?), and you will find helpful and hip tips, as well as relatable moms telling relatable stories about their cute to boot little ones. They also share their cultures, including Japanese, Italian, & Vietnamese traditions. AND, they help me fill my little heart whole that misses living in Northern, California, not far from San Francisco (where they reside).

C. I wish I could be short & concise, yet SO funny and clear in my writing like Kathryn is on her family blog. I've never met Kathryn in person, but I think if we lived by each other we could be great friends having lots of fun together. Kathryn's husband created our oh-so-favorite mobile for Taya's nursery. We ordered it like a normal online purchase with some phone calls made here and there about timing and custom details. Eventually, Kathryn & I connected over the phone and soon became blog friends! I am always thoroughly entertained by her posts & think that Taya & her daughter, Riley would make great buddies! Thanks for sharing Kathryn! Hope you don't mind the attention!

Check all three blogs out if you haven't before. You'll be glad you did. And I could have chosen many more blogs to award! You all help me keep my sanity, what little there is anyway.

Now to you THREE blogs I just awarded:

1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who granted it to you, along with his/her blog link.
2. Pass the award to other blogs that you feel are worthy of this recognition. Remember to contact each of them to let them know they have been chosen as recipients.

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Now to tell you a little more about Kim & Joe. Paul & Joe grew up next door to each other and know each other's families like their own family, walking in each others' houses without even a knock (or at least Paul doesn't knock). Joe is an AMAZING chef, seriously - he is really, really talented. I had meant to post about our recent excursion to his top notch restaurant, when for some reason it got away from me, so now is my chance - and I can't even do it justice! When we took our first little getaway without Taya right after Halloween a few months back, we stayed in an adorable, eclectic bed & breakfast near the Sugar house district of Salt Lake City. We were very excited to visit Joe's restaurant, Baxter's American Grill, so we gave him a head's up when we got into town. When we sat down to eat, he (being the executive chef - and visiting our table - we felt like A-list Stars) told us only to worry about the entrees and that he would take care of the rest! This turned out to include 4 incredible appetizers, 1 full entree each, and 2 deserts!! He just kept bringing out more and more of these plates topped with beautifully stunning menu items that tasted uniquely mouth watering, and seemed to be the most creative food creations I had ever seen. We came starving, and left fuller than Thanksgiving Day-Full. Take a look at some of the creations we had that night (my camera battery died that night, so I didn't get them all!) ...

My entree: Philly Cheese steak - gourmet style!
Paul's entree, upon chef's recommendation: Roasted Duck (and those roasted grapes were SO good!)

We will literally be forever indebted to Kim & Joe, seeing as they slaved away in my sister's kitchen for our wedding dinner of 65 people 4 years ago, creating food even more beautiful in presentation & amazing in taste than I had imagined. And they would not accept payment other than cost of food; like I said, we are seriously indebted & hopefully someday we can truly find a way to repay them. It is one of my favorite memories from our wedding day, having amazing food creations by a dear life long friend of Paul and his family. Thank you again Kim & Joe. Kim, we missed seeing you when we were there!

Cheers to great friends & great blogs & great food!