Thinking Blogger Award - what a thrill!

Last week, I got an email from the lovely Kirsten – she had nominated me for a Thinking Blogger Award. Can you guys believe it? I was so happy! She’s one of my favorite foodies and it was a thrill to know that she likes my blog that much. Thank you, sweetie!

A few days later, I found out that Steven had nominated too. Again, one of my favorite foodies – and he lives on the other side of the planet. Internet is really fantastic. Thank you, Steven!
I bravely managed not to be devoured by my own ego - after that, who can blame me?? – and now it’s my turn to choose 5 bloggers who make me think.

Kristen and Steven, I’m sorry it took me forever to make this post, but it was sooo hard to choose only 5 people!

There you go, guys, my choices – the ones that make me think about getting better and better, always improving my cooking skills, my photos, my texts, the whole bunch:

- Valentina, who writes Trem Bom and Trem Bom in English: her blog was the inspiration that made me start Technicolor Kitchen (and then, the English version of it). We’ve met through the Internet and became friends – she and I have so much in common it’s amazing. Some months later she came to Brazil and we had lunch together – it was great. Our friendship has grown so much after that. She’s my best friend and I adore her.

- Gattina and her Kitchen Unplugged. Just a look at her photos will make you dream. And once you start reading her texts, delicious recipes and caring comments you’ll become an instant fan. She’s been so supportive of my blog, even since I only posted in Portuguese. Talk about generosity.

- Haalo at Cook (almost) anything at least once: I just love her blog. The recipes are wonderful – and they work perfectly. I’ve tried my hand on some and was always very pleased with the result. Drop her a line some time and you’ll see how sweet she is.

- Anh and her Food Lover’s Journey: it’s wonderful to read her posts and relate to some of her cooking experiences. Anh has lately made some posts about baking bread and I share her passion for it. The photos are stunning and the recipes always make you feel like running to the kitchen as fast as you can.

- Last, but most certainly not least, Brilynn and her Jumbo Empanadas: her theme is “go big or go home” and I’ve tryed to incorporate that into my cooking, too. Brilynn is so passionate about cooking and baking that I doubt that you won’t feel at least a bit “infected” by that. Wanna bet?? Check her blog out.

If you are on the list above, this is what you are supposed to do:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think;

2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme;
3. Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote.

Meme - 5 things about me

The lovely Toni, from the Daily Bread Journal, has tagged me for a meme - there you go, 5 things about me you probably don't know:

- I was fascinated by books and comic books so my mom would read to me all day long - I mean it. I wanted her to read to me all the time, and when my father arrived home from work he had to read to me, too.
One day, my mom came to the conclusion that it would be a lot easier if I could do those things by myself.
Being a stay-at-home mom, she decided to teach me how to write and read. And she did. And I was 4 years old. :)

- As a 5 year-old kid, my answer to the old question "what do you want to be when you grow up?" used to be "the owner of a newsstand". My ultimate dream back then was being able to read all the magazines and comic books without having to buy them.

- I am terrified of horror movies. Scared to death. But I watch them anyway. I don't know what happens, I just can't change the channel. And then I get so impressed I'm afraid to stay home alone. I know I'm not 10 anymore, but I just can't help it.

- Speaking of horror movies, I had a huge, huge, huge, crush on Gary Oldman after watching this film. When I saw him with long hair, glasses and those 19th century clothes I fell for him - he was so beautiful!

- I love Paris. This may sound a little cliché, but it's true. I've had this yearning for going to Paris for as long as I can remember, such an unusual feeling because I didn't know much about it when I was younger.
My brother took a short trip to Paris (and Madrid) last month and when he showed me the photos and the Louvre tickets I cried like a baby - I was carried away by emotion and can't actually explain why.
I've never been abroad and I want my first international trip to be to Paris.

I know many people have been tagged and many have already answered this meme, so if you are reading this and want to participate, consider yourself "tagged". :)