INTRODUCING: THE DAILY TIFFIN

What is The Daily Tiffin?
I recently had the pleasure to hook up with Meeta, an amazing super-blogger from Germany. Meeta created The Daily Tiffin to keep a daily log of her lunches for her 4 year old son. That was over 2 years ago, and The Daily Tiffin has evolved and undergone many changes since then. The blog/website is now an entity of its own with a team of talented writers from all over the world. At last count, I came up with 27 regular and guest contributors and co-administrators, all with different backgrounds, careers, families and blogs of their own.

The Daily Tiffin isn't all about recipes, bentos and food. There's also articles about healthy living, reviews, exercise, children, fun family life and much more.

Why am I telling you all of this? Because, as of last Sunday, October 5th, with publication of my article, Farmers' Markets in Your Backyard, I went from a guest blogger to being a regular contributor with my name on a monthly schedule! Meeta has been reading my blog for a while now and apparently liked what she saw??? Maybe my Baking & Desserts Feature Writer badge for Suite101 had a little something to do with it, but I'd like to think it was my mind and inflated ego she was really attracted to!

Talk about inflated egos! This was the introduction that Meeta gave me. I think I love The Daily Tiffin already!

"Our guest writer this month is the vivacious and funny Donna Diegel from the fantastic blog Spatulas, Corkscrews & Suitcases. I am also extremely happy to announce to you that as of next month Donna will be joining the Daily Tiffin Team as a regular contributor. So, if you liked this article expect a lot more delicious and interesting posts from her in the future. Please help me welcome Donna to the Daily Tiffin."

Vivacious? Let's go back to inflated egos for a bit. I have this fantasy that Fame & Fortune will eventually become my lot in life. Come on now, someone has to do it, so it may as well be me! Oh sure, I may have serious problems juggling the world-wind tours and cookbook signings with my quiet and sedate yachting life. But, I'll just have to suck it up and give it some honest effort to see if I'll be able to handle all the Fame & Fortune.

Am I expecting too much? Well, all right then. If my ideals are too lofty and I can only pick one, I guess I'll just have to skip the Fame and pick the Fortune. Because in the end, when the frosting hits the cake layers, a girl's just gotta have a new mixer once in a while!

The last of the season's raspberries

Back to reality...Seriously though, check out my article on The Daily Tiffin and give me an honest review. Make something up if you have to! (I can pay you later with some virtual chocolate bourbon cupcakes!) While you're there, peek around at all the different sections, various articles and all the writer's personal blogs. There's something for everyone in these pages, and I'm very humbled to rub elbows with some of the most awesome writers. I'll be writing for them once a month, so subscribe or add The Daily Tiffin to your reader and you won't miss any articles!

Farmers' Markets In Your Backyard
Not that long ago our family had a stand at the local farmers' market. We had a wholesale bakery and organic gardens with 8 raised beds and a large greenhouse. The day before, in the late afternoon while my husband and son were wrapping cookies and sticky buns, I was out in the gardens picking produce. I triple washed 10 varieties of lettuce and greens, snipped 6 different herbs and hand picked 6 perfect edible flowers for each 8 ounce bag. After hours of hard work, I had 40-50 bags of organic lettuce mixes looking oh, so pretty, lined up like an army of green soldiers along the 8 foot kitchen counter. They were lovingly put to bed for the night in the big cooler in anticipation of going to the farmers' market the next morning. We always sold out, our loyal customers ordering more for the following Saturday. Writing this now, I get misty-eyed and realize I miss those farmers' market days dearly. Continue reading...