It was a real surprise to be chosen by fellow writer and blogger Jessie Calahin as one of her eleven candidates for The Sunshine Blogger Award. Thank you so much Jessie and I’m pleased to accept your challenge.
The Sunshine Blogger Award empowers bloggers to celebrate other bloggers who are creative and bring positivity to the blogging community. Part of the challenge is not only to answer the questions Jessie has sent me, but to nominate 11 other bloggers and send them my own set of 11 questions. This I’ve done at the end of this post.
Here are Jessie’s 11 questions:
Which three photographs would you present to capture your life?Â
Picture one reminds me that I had beginnings as a small baby with chubby hands and knees. What a journey it’s been since then. Picture two is of me and my OH on holiday. Settling down being another major milestone in my life. And thirdly the cover for my fourth novel to celebrate my life as a writer. It’s my absolute favourite
I believe laughter is one of the best tonics in life. When was the last time you could not stop laughing?
Lots of things make me laugh. But choosing a moment when I couldn’t stop, well it has to be Peter Kay’s Car Share where they went to a wildlife park and ended up with a monkey on the back seat. I think that was a totally classic moment. I’ve watched it on YouTube since and it still makes me laugh out loud.
Explain the last act of kindness you showed to a friend or stranger
Christmas shopping in Salisbury last year. I saw a woman on orthopaedic crutches about to enter the store we were in and could see she would struggle as she attempted to open the door. So I went back to help her.
Do you prefer the winter sun or the summer sun? Explain your response.
Oh it has to be summer. For me it’s a season of freedom, when I can get rid of jumpers and coats and all the other winter paraphernalia. It’s a time of being able to eat outside whether it’s a picnic by the river or alfresco dining at a pub or restaurant. Evenings are lighter, days are warmer and I find I have so much more energy
Describe your perfect Saturday evening.
A trip into Bath, a meal at one of the many wonderful restaurants and then a wander through the city. One of my best memories is of eight of us walking down the high street after a meal. The Abbey was head of us, beautifully lit and very atmospheric on a warm summer evening.
What sorts of characters do you prefer to meet in novels?
Spirited heroines and heroes who aren’t quite what they seem.Â
Give one sentence of advice to yourself when you were sixteen.
Be true to yourself.
Is there a friend from the past you would love to get in touch with and why?
No, I don’t think so. I’m lucky enough to have a good number of friends; some have been with me for most of my life, others are more recent. I’m quite content with this.
What is your food heaven and food hell?
For me food heaven is definitely chocolate. I have to admit to being relatively weak willed and can’t be trusted to pass shops like Hotel Chocolat without wanting to go in and buy something. However I have learned to curb my chocoholic tendencies and now only purchase as a treat. Food hell is elvers. I’ve never eaten them but have seen the competitions on TV where they have to eat as many as they can within a certain time frame. Okay they’re dead but just the thought of eating those tiny eels – yuk!
Share your favourite recipe.
ANTON MOSIMANN’S BREAD AND BUTTER PUDDING – a rich twist on a basic pud.
Serves 6
9 fl oz (250 ml) milk
9 fl oz (250 ml) double cream
A pinch of salt
1 vanilla pod (or a teaspoon of vanilla essence)
3 eggs
5 oz (150g) sugar
3 small bread rolls, thinly sliced and buttered
1 oz (25g) butter
1/2 oz (10g) raisins, soaked in water
3oz (75g) apricot jam
A little icing sugar
Bring the milk, cream, salt and vanilla pod (or essence) to the boil. Mix the eggs and the sugar together. Add the simmering milk and cream. Pass the mixture through a sieve (not necessary if vanilla essence is used instead of pod). Arrange rolls in a buttered, ovenproof dish and add the soaked raisins. Add the milk mixture, dot the remaining butter on top and poach in a low oven at 375 F (190 C), gas mark 3 for 35 – 40 minutes in a bain-marie (or a tray lined with newspaper and half filled with water). When golden brown on top, dot with apricot jam and dust with icing sugar.
If you could travel back in time where would you visit and who would you take with you?
I think it has to be Pompeii. I’ve been there and the sophistication of their culture, bearing in mind how far back we’re going, amazed me. As to who I would take, definitely my OH. I think he’d look great in a toga.
And now congratulations to the people I have nominated. I appreciate you may not have time to respond with a blog so do not feel under pressure. I am happy for you to simply enjoy the award and celebrate in whatever way you choose. Coffee, cake, prosecco, it’s totally up to you. Â
If you do choose to accept the Sunshine Blogger Award nomination, there are a few rules:
- Thank the blogger who nominated you and link back to their blog.
- Answer the 11 questions the blogger asked you.
- List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award in your blog post.
- Nominate 11 new bloggers & their blogs. Do leave a comment on their blog to let them know they received the award and ask your nominees 11Â new questionsÂ
Here are my eleven bloggers and their questions:
 And now for the questions:
- What makes you happy?
- What is your favourite holiday destination and why?
- If you could ask one question of an historic figure who would you choose and what would that question be?
- Sweet or savoury – what’s your favourite dish?
- If you could live anywhere in the world where would that be and why?
- What is your favourite colour?
- What is your all time favourite movie and why?
- How would you prefer to spend your weekend? Trekking in the Brecon Beacons or a relaxing spa break?
- If you could go back in time would you have chosen a different career and if so, what would that be?
- Are you happy with the name your parents gave you? If not, what would you have chosen?
- Who is your favourite actor/actress and why?
JO LAMBERT 