A First and a Second

Wu Lou (Gourd) - Prosperity and Health
Lucky symbol in 2009 Year of the Ox for those of us born under the Chinese zodiac sign of the Rooster

My cup runneth over: in the past few days, I've been tagged for the first time and received my second blog award!

FIRST

Elizabeth, aka Chef E, at The Behind the Wheel Chef tagged me for Fingers Crossed and Resolutions, so here they are:

Fingers Crossed:
#1 That my husband and I will take another international trip this year;
#2 That my sisters and their families will also visit the Philippines to rekindle family ties;
#3 That I will have one article published in a national periodical of any kind;
#4 That our dog will be cured of his toxic flatulence (more like "Wishful Thinking").

Resolutions:
The broad theme of my 2009 resolutions is "Nothing ventured, nothing gained" - that I will not let fear of failure and self-doubt stop me from achieving my goals. To that end, I resolve specifically to:

#1 Submit articles and story ideas to magazines and newspapers. The worst outcome is that someone says, "No, thanks." Success is never assured but failure is guaranteed if I don't even bother to try.
#2 Prepare at least one new recipe a week. I consider myself an average cook but with more initiative and practice, who knows what I'm capable of in the kitchen . . . !
#3 Recapture the enjoyment of eating. I will not let calorie-counting cloud all the positive aspects of food. It's not about eating more but rather eating more mindfully and choosing healthy foods consciously and conscientiously.
#4 Always cherish and be thankful for what I already have rather than pine for things I don't really need.

That's it! Now, I happily pass this on to:

Christine at Maman and Gourmand (aka Mistress of Cakes)
ChefBliss
Joie de Vivre

SECOND

Thank you, Lori at Fake Food Free for passing along this Fabulous blog award!

I'm so pleased and flattered that you've enjoyed reading my blog as much as I've enjoyed yours. Per the Fabulous Award rules, I must pass it on to 5 other fabulous blogs and list 5 fabulous addictions.

So this award goes out to:

The Daily Spud - Insightful, original and adventurous Spudness.
Gastroanthropology - Food and travel with beautiful photography and compelling commentary.
Diary of a Fanatic Foodie - Fun, funny, funtastic.
The Behind the Wheel Chef - a dynamic blog from a dynamo blogger.
History of Greek Food - Educational, socially conscientious and an amazing source for authentic Greek recipes.

And my five addictions are:

1) Coffee
2) My elliptical machine
3) Crunchy, sugary cereals
4) Collecting recipes
5) Blogging

My coffee addiction: beans from Brazil, Peru and the Philippines

Congratulations and keep up the fabulous foodie-ness!