The Liebster Award

So about two weeks ago I was nominated by Jenn Flynn-Shon over at Random Lunacy for the Liebster Award, which is an award for bloggers with smaller (less than 200) followers.  Thanks Jenn!  From the research I’ve done, it appears that the Liebster Award is a pay-it-forward kind of thing, and to accept it I must follow a few rules.  Which is what I’m doing in this post.

Rule #1:  Post the award on your blog.

Rule #2:  Thank the blogger who nominated you for the award and display a link back to his/her blog.

Rule #3:  Post 11 random facts about yourself.

Rule #4:  Answer 11 questions that the presenter of the award asked you.

Rule #5:  Nominate 11 more bloggers with less than 200 followers that you want to pass the award on to.

Rule #6:  Ask your nominees 11 questions.

So the award has been posted, Jenn has been thanked, and a link has been provided back to her blog.  (Though a link to Jenn’s blog resides permanently on my sidebar—she’s someone I’ve been following for a couple of years now!)

Now for 11 random facts about myself:

1.  I’ve burned a few suppers because I was paying more attention to writing a new blog post than monitoring the progress of the meal.

2.  I thought of my first random fact when I smelled a sudden charring along with the raisin sauce that’s currently simmering on the stove.

3.  Earlier today I coated the bottom of my oven with burned jelly when I was attempting my first ever blackberry turnovers.

4.  Despite random facts 1-3, I’m really a very good cook.

5.  I regularly bake my own bread (in a bread machine) and haven’t bought a loaf of bread since October 2011.

6.  The October 2011 loaf of bread was only purchased because we had a week-long power outage and didn’t want to run the bread machine on the generator.

7.  I don’t usually talk about food this much, but supper’s almost ready and I’m hungry.

8.  To date I’ve only written two blog posts about food.

9.  Last winter I participated in a local-ish CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) where I receive about 12 pounds of organic, locally and naturally raised meat each month, and am having trouble going back to grocery store fare now that it’s over.  The CSA stuff really did taste better!

10.  I’m researching other CSAs in the area, hoping to find one that has a pick-up location closer than an hour and twenty minutes away.

11.  When I sat down to write this, I had no intention of making all eleven random facts about food!

Now to answer the 11 questions Jenn asked:

1.  What’s your earliest childhood memory?

I remember standing up in my crib and looking over the side, through my open bedroom door and across the hall at my parents’ closed bedroom door.  My room was dark, as was the hallway, but I could see light shining through the cracks around my parents’ door.  I don’t remember making any noise, but I must have, because the door opened and my mother came into my room and reached for me.  She was wearing a long black nightgown.  If I had to guess, I’d say I was probably about two years old.  I’m pretty sure I was out of the crib and in a bed by the time I was three.

2.  What’s your favorite breakfast cereal?

Cocoa Puffs.  I haven’t allowed myself that luxury since I was about twelve.  These days I’m eating Trader Joe’s Bran Flakes.  Yeah, adulthood sucks, especially because I’m still shaped like I eat Cocoa Puffs for every meal.

3.  Do you remember your third grade teacher’s name without looking it up?

Miss Gnecco, I think.  (And I probably didn’t spell it right, either.)

4.  Would you rather be too hot or too cold?

Historically I’ve always said ‘too cold’ because I figure you can always put more on, but there’s only so much you can take off.  However after spending the last couple of years always being cold, I’d like to change my answer now.

5.  Have you ever traveled outside your own country?

Yes, several times.  The first time I was eighteen years old and I went to the Soviet Union (back when, you know, it was the Soviet Union).  Most recently I’ve been to Germany.  Although I got there and came home via Canada and the Netherlands, so I’m not really sure how to count that one.  I’ve been to several other places, as well, but that may turn into a blog post of its own someday.

6.  Where do you think would be the scariest place to discover a body?

Inside my home.

7.  What is your favorite book and why?

Can’t narrow this one down.  The entire Harry Potter series because of the excellent storytelling and characterization.  Stephen King’s The Stand because of the excellent storytelling and characterization.  Lord of the Rings because of the excellent…you get the picture.

8.  What is your name?

Too late to hide it now.  Karen Goltz.

9.  What is your quest?

To simultaneously be a phenomenal wife and mother and a published and respected author.

10.  What is your favorite color?

Forest green.

11.  What is the air speed and velocity of an unladen swallow?

Forty-two.

Now for my nominees.  I’m supposed to nominate eleven: I’ll do two.

T.L. West and kernerblue

(If anyone else would like to play along, grab one of my nine empty slots and have at it!  Just let me know in the comments, so I can be sure to look you up; I’d love to read your answers!)

And for anyone who does accept this nomination, here are my eleven questions for you:

1.  Why did you start blogging?

2.  How many different social media platforms do you use?  (You can name them if you want, but you don’t have to.)

3.  What book do you wish you’d never read and why?

4.  What movie do you wish you’d never seen and why?

5.  What’s your biggest pet peeve?

6.  What did you want to be when you grew up?  (I want the answer from when you really were a chronological child!)

7.  Name the one thing you really want to do before you die (be realistic!).

8.  What are you doing to make sure you accomplish #7?

9.  What was the name of your best friend in seventh grade?

10.  What was/is the name of your imaginary friend (at any age)?

11.  If money were no object, what car would you like to own?