Thanksgiving has always been a special time for most Americans, regardless where they live in the world. We take one day out of the year to remind ourselves how lucky we are and we have an opportunity to show our gratitude to family and friends for their kindnesses during the year.
Since my family is all many thousands of miles away and John’s family is decidedly Australian and they don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, I thought I’d share how grateful I am at meeting my new friend Nagi with you. Until a couple of months ago I didn’t know she existed but in just a few weeks, she has wound her way into my heart.
We’ve all met someone who triggers good feelings when you’re around them and Sydneysider Nagi does that for me and we’ve never been in the same room together. She goes out of her way to tell people when she likes what they’ve done or to suggest something that can help or even ways to make a blog better. Nobody has to do that but Nagi did just that with me.
Her blog is called Recipe Tin Eats and I encourage you to check it out. The photography is outstanding and her photos tell a story in nearly every shot. She’s only been blogging a bit more than a year but Recipe Tin Eats is a seasoned, professional blog. You can’t look at that photo of Nagi and her dog Dozer without smiling, can you?
Nagi learned to cook from her mother and with every post she gets more creative with her food and her photography. For instance, her droolworthy Cheese and Garlic Crack Bread stopped me in my tracks and I had to make this bread for John and me. I want to do a cheese-pull photo as good as that one day!
If you’re the busy sort, Nagi’s got heaps of 15-minute meals. I’m not sure I could meet her schedule at 15 minutes because speed isn’t as important to me as the joy of cooking but look at this breakfast roll of ham and eggs she’s called No Washing Up, Ham, Egg and Cheese Bread Bowls. If you’re a neat eater, there’s not much cleanup after a breakfast like this. Another cheese-pull shot. Do you sense a theme?
This time of year, all I want to eat are salads. When it’s hot, there’s a lot to be said for a meal you don’t have to cook. I’m going to make these wonderful Caesar Salad Wonton Cups for a party we’re having just before Christmas. It will be hot outside and these will be perfect for walking around with.
So today I’m thankful for my new friend Nagi and I hope you’ll be thankful you checked out her blog. She’s a font of knowledge about blog promotion, food photography and social networking. AND, she’s just as cute as can be with a smile the size of Texas. You can find her at Recipe Tin Eats, on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and Youtube.
I’m also immensely grateful for your friendship. You mean the world to me. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Happy Thanksgiving Maureen! Can’t believe it’s almost Christmas 🙂 Nagi pictures are certainly droolworthy! I’m drooling over the cheese bread. I found this really cool vegan cheese called Biocheese which has the same texture as Cheddar! Now I know what to do with it.
Great bread! Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving Maureen! What a lovely post. What would we do without the happy supportive people in our lives?
It is a slow wonderful day of Thanksgiving cooking in my house right now. Classical music, the smell of sage and butter and bacon and… well, you get the idea! Thanks for all the great food writing and photos you share. I’m very grateful for the recipes you post and especially grateful for Easy Recipe!
I know, that’s how my kitchen smelled last night. Ahhhh mayzing!
Happy Thanksgiving Maureen – and thank you for your lovely blog, just off to check out Nagi’s blog. Also thank you for your support.
Happy Thanksgiving darling! I’ll check out Nagi’s blog! 🙂
Maureen, I am lost for words right now. This is so unexpected and I am so touched!! I just….I’m….I don’t know what to say! Nothing like this has ever happened to me before!! Thank you so much for this beautiful post. I am so honoured to be featured on your site and your kind words are overwhelming, especially from the superstar that YOU are. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart – Nagi (& Dozer, my cheeky giant golden retriever!)
You’re a wordsmith, Nagi. You did just fine. You have a lovely blog and it’s obvious you take it very seriously while having a helluva good time. I’m a huge dog lover and our Charlie is in every In My Kitchen post come the first week of every month. Sally from Bewitching Kitchen includes her dogs too. 🙂
Happy Thanksgiving to you Maureen. This was a great post that I enjoyed reading. It’s amazing how the blogging community can create some of the greatest friends. I will check out Nagi’s blog over the weekend. That garlic bread is a beauty.
Happy Thanksgiving, Maureen, even if, as a Canadian, I’m a little jaded about the US Thanksgiving posts because it feels like a case of ‘done that and made turkey stock with the carcasse.’ Oh, yeah, I did that. 🙂 I like your Thanksgiving table setting very much. It’s so elegant.
Nagi sounds like a wonderful blogger and a lovely person in general. All 3 recipes you posted look delicious. I’ll have visit her blog.
I didn’t think I had anything to add to all the side dishes and turkey so I thought I’d write about what I felt grateful for right that minute. 🙂
Happy Thanksgiving right back at you—-time delayed. Ha. I will check out her blog based on your wonderful recommendation. Smiles——–
Happy Thanksgiving! This bread garlic looks so good. The Cesar salad individuel is a fantastic idea 😉
Love this post!
Happy thanksgiving Maureen!
Happy Thanksgiving Maureen… thank you for this introduction to Nagi… I saw that crack bread.. looks delicious.
Happy Thanksgiving Maureen and thank you for the introduction to Nagi’s blog, it looks beautiful.
Hope you had a great day yesterday and are continuing to do so today: sometimes the International Date Line can be quite useful 🙂 ! Have subscribed to Nagi’s very interesting blog tho’ I am supposed to be on a firm ‘blog moratorium’ !!
I know, I can have Thanksgiving anytime during a 48 hour period and still feel I’m on target. 🙂
Happy Thanksgiving Maureen! Headed over to check out Nagi’s blog!
Michael 🙂
Those photos have me drooling at the screen and it’s not a great look trust me! I’ll have to check out Nagi’s blog now. Happy Thanksgiving Maureen x
What wonderful pictures, they sure are drool worthy, thanks for sharnig!!
What a touching tribute, Maureen. And I completely agree! I’ve just met Nagi myself and she has been so warm, welcoming and helpful already – I know what you mean about making her way quickly to your heart. Thank you for writing this! And a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Such a nice post! You’re so thoughtful, and of course I’ll check out Nagi. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving — we did!
All the Happies headed your way for Thanksgiving Maureen.
Holy yarm the ham, egg and cheese bowl looks fricken delicious, I want it in my belly now…. Hmmm, dinner… I will make that for dinner. 🙂
What a lovely post Maureen! I am new to her blog but the photos do look mouthwatering delicious! 😀 We have quite a few similar recipes too!
happy thanksgiving maureen. we spent a couple of festive seasons in the U.S. over the years and loved having the whole Halloween, Thanksgiving, Xmas and New Years thing. hope you had a fine night.
Happy thanksgiving Maureen and John. I do hope you had some time to enjoy and celebrate the occasion. Your table setting looks gorgeous. Thanks for introducing me to Nagi – I’ll be sure to check out her blog xx
Happy Thanksgiving Maureen! Thank you for introducing us to a wonderful new blogger. Oh that cheese!
What a sweet post! And the cheesy photos are sending me straight over to her blog, SO fabulous! In Canada Thanksgiving is long past, but giving thanks never gets old.
Happy Thanksgiving Maureen, I hope you managed to have a great day even though your family are in a different country. Thanks for recommending this blog everything looks fab I shall definitely be checking it out!
Happy Thanksgiving Maureen! You are a wonderful friend yourself. Thanks for introducing Nagi…heading straight to her blog.
Happy Thanksgiving! Nagi’s recipes look AMAZING! That cheesy bread, oh my gosh. Thanks for linking us to her!
Happy Thanksgiving, Maureen! I will definitely go check our your friend’s blog – what a nice post.
Great post Maureen! Nagi is a lovely person and I love her work at Recipe Tin Eats too!
I loooove those photos! Off to check out Nagi’s blog now! xx
What a sweet post. Nagi sounds amazing and her food looks wonderful. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving (with your toy Volkswagen size turkey) 🙂 I’m thankful for YOU!
What a wonderful Thanksgiving post Maureen. I hope that you had a delicious and delightful Thanksgiving no matter how you chose to celebrate it. And I will most certainly check out Nagi’s blog . . . the cheese bread captured me immediately!
Ciao!
Happy Thanksgiving! ( a little late )
Hope you are having a great week!
A belated happy Thanksgiving to you, Maureen! Thanks for the introduction to Nagi. I’m definitely making that crack bread 🙂
Happy Thanksgiving, Maureen! Nagi sure does have some wonder recipes and her photos are beautiful! I’m drooling over that egg and cheese bowl. Stunning photo as well! I’m going to swing by all her media sites!
Happy thanksgiving my friend! Hope you had a fantastic day with this cheesy bread porn heaven 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Wishing you a very special Auzzie Thanksgiving. It is so nice to meet you Nagi! Loving your recipes and site. Looking forward to keeping in touch.
Happy Thanksgiving to you.
My stomach is growing at the sight of the god given cheesiness. Even my words are coming out strange. haha!
Absolutely need to check out your new friend’s 15 minute recipes. =D
Happy thanksgiving Maureen! What a lovely tribute to your friend, we have a dog called Dozer too:)
Maureen I turned to your blog hoping to read and gawk and wonder over your Thanksgiving table, food and traditions but it wasn’t to be 🙁 I hope you were able to celebrate your day in some way? I’ve been trying to read up on Thanksgiving and it’s food traditions and have only managed to find Buzzfeed and Huffington pieces on Twitter!
Anyway, what a lovely story on your new friend. I’ve been making new friends in the blogging world, it seems to be much easier than in real life.
We had a very quiet Thanksgiving but that’s not why there aren’t any photos. Don’t laugh, but I followed a very important food blogger’s advice to cook the turkey breast side down, low and slow. The turkey tasted great but the breast and knees were flat! Not the most attractive turkey I’ve ever cooked. I’m listening to my own advice next year. 🙂
What a sweet post! And I too love gooey stringy melty cheese – yum!!
Happy (belated) Thanksgiving! 🙂
Dear Maureen,
Happy belated thanksgiving!
I just discovered Nagi’s blog too and the recipes look awesome. That bacon, egg and cheese roll seems like such a delicious and clever idea.
I would love some of that, doesn’t matter which, right now. Thanks,got lots of great ideas from here.
Hi Maureen! Nagi and I have become long distance friends – she is one of the kindest and most giving people I know! And her recipes speak for themselves! I only wish we were not continents apart! I wish you and I could have met here in TN, but I think I transplanted here after you transplanted to Australia! I’m proud to know both of you! 🙂