Holy smokes kids, it’s a red-letter day in my food blogging career.
A little after 12 noon today, I was sitting at work, responding to an email and contemplating lunch, when I saw that people were tweeting about the Saveur Best Food Blog Awards. I followed a link over to that site, logged in and began placing my votes. I was methodically working my way through the categories when my universe shifted every so slightly. I clicked on the page for the Best Special Interest Blog, scrolled down and spotted a familiar site (sight).
This site. My site. Food in Jars.
I think I incoherently chortled first. Then I mumbled a few choice words that my grandma Bunny would have called “work language.” There was a tweet too.
Earlier today, a co-worker asked me if it was true what they always say. Is it really good just to be nominated? So far, my answer is an unequivocal yes. I am delighted. Honored, in fact, that those arbiters of delectability at Saveur think that this blog is worth their attention.
However, as much fun as I’m having being nominated, I can’t help think that it might also be nice to win. If you’re interested in helping me find out what winning might feel like, you can go here to cast your vote (yes, you do have to sign up for a Saveur membership, but it’s fairly quick and quite painless). While you’re there, make sure to vote for the other categories as well. Some of my favorite blogs are up for awards as well, like Homesick Texan, Ezra Pound Cake and The Kitchn.
Oh, one more thing. So many thanks to all of you who come back day after day and read about my canning projects, Dark Days meals and sundry baking endeavors. I couldn’t do it without every one of you.
I hope I’m the first to say CONGRATULATIONS! What a day! But I’m not surprised. You’re blog is fantastic and I follow along regularly so I won’t miss a think. Hope you win… you deserve it!
Well-deserved! CONGRATULATIONS!!
You make canning fun! Congrats!
Congratulations! Good to see food preservation being recognized.
Many kudos on you nomination, it is well deserved! It’s been great to discover your blog and gain some online friends who share my enjoyment of canning, not to mention who validate my constant collecting of jars, tins and bottles. Thanks!
I cast my vote! Congratulations on being nominated 🙂 I love your site and you deserve it.
marisa, i am so excited for you! i was traveling & working all day in miami yesterday so am just able to get to some ‘fun stuff’ on the web for a bit this morning. i rushed on over to saveur to vote for you right away of course. fingers crossed! you deserve it! 🙂
Congrats to you…although I’m not at all surprised. I’ve learned a lot in this space so I think it’s a well deserved honour.
Congratulations, Marisa. That’s just wonderful. I think you have THE BEST one, and I just went over to vote for you. Way to go!
Crazy Congrats, Marisa. You make it worth coming back day after day.
A gallon-sized Mason jar full of congrats to you!
WOW – how awesome! Good Luck!
Many congrats on the nomination & best wishes for a win!
Congratulations and absolutely deserved: this is one of my favorite blogs and while I rarely comment, I always am inspired.
Congratulations! Great news!
Totally well deserved! All sorts of crazy congratz to you! Totally voting 🙂
Voted for you – hands down the best thing in your category. Good luck!
Congratulations. 🙂 Your site is just beautiful. I only just discovered it off the Saveur page. We were shocked to be nominated too – we’re just a small little blog. We seem to have a lot in common. Eating locally means preserving – it’s hard to get people invested in it, but that’s the key to year-round local eating (of course). Thanks for posting all your good info. 🙂
Congrats to you! Honestly, I could use some instruction on how to can. I’ve never even tried. How sad is that? Saveur led me here, and I’m so glad. Lovely work!
Oh my goodness! Congratulations!!! I can’t say that I’m surprised or anything–your blog is wonderful. I’m incredibly happy for you, though. Well-deserved and very exciting!
Congratulations! A well deserved honor.
And since you love canning questions – I hope you don’t mind me adding a question to my comment. I see many people mention that with BWB – you are supposed to turn off the heat and take off the lid when your processing time is done and then let the jars sit in the water for another 5 minutes before removing the jars. I don’t recall seeing this in USDA recommendations. Could you comment?
Wow! Thank you all for your lovely words. I’ve been blushing continually under the weight of all the praise!
In response to Daisy Mae’s question. I have been taught that you always remove the jars from the boiling water bath as soon as the processing time is up. You do this for two reasons. One is that you don’t want your product to become overcooked (this is particularly vital when processing pickles). The other is that removing them from the pot and allowing the cooling process to being is a vital step in ensuring a good seal. Jars seal because as they cool, the heat escapes from the jar and in the process, carries the remaining oxygen from inside the jar out with it. As the oxygen exits, it pulls that lid down, creating your airtight seal. This works best if the jar is super hot when exposed to cooler air outside the canning pot.
So I don’t recommend leaving the jars in the pot for an additional five minutes.
Congratulations! Two of my favs in the running. Very nice.
Another of those who rarely comment, but always read. Found you from Homesick Texan, so there you go.
Happy voting everyone! Have already suggested to a few folks that they go vote as well.
Congratulations! You have my vote!
Hi Marisa, I’ve been following you &
Scott since the beginning of Fork You. So happy to see you nominated. Congratulations!
Hot damn! I just told our whole department!
Mazel Tov Marisa!!
I am thrilled for you, and of course you have my vote.
Janice
Just voted for you! Way to go, you deserve it
Congrats! And don’t be so surprised…your site is fantastic. Love it.
Yay! Congratulations! I adore Saveur.
So very excited for you! Well deserved, I must say.
I think you are already a winner, just by being nominated. =)
Hey BIG congrats! I’ll go vote for you now!