One of the things that I adore about writing a food blog is that I have found so many others who share this love with me. Looking around the room on Saturday at the Food Blog Forum event in Orlando, I saw a wide variety of people, with lots of different backgrounds and talents, but all with that same passion for food – cooking it, eating it, writing about it, photographing it. We were all there because of our strong desire to  learn, to improve our skills, to broaden our talents, and to make connections.

It’s making those connections that I love the most.

Helene Dujardin during her food styling session.

Jaden of Steamy Kitchen and Dawn of Wicked Good Dinner spoke about their experiences starting and growing their blogs. Hearing about how they turned their passion for food into a career, a job they love – and don’t think of as a job – was inspiring. Lindsay of Love & Olive Oil and Purr Design, though nervous about speaking to the group, did a wonderful job explaining basics of blog design. I left her session with my mind filled with ideas – and also very thankful that there are knowledgeable people like her out there to help the rest of us out. Julie of The Little Kitchen is a pure ball of energy. It is because of her persistence and tenacity that the Food Blog Forum Orlando even happened in the first place.

I was lucky to become friends with Helene Dujardin of Tartelette in January, and I was so excited to hear her session on food styling and photography. I was even more thrilled to be able to participate in a three hour, hands-on, food styling workshop on Sunday. Helene’s enthusiasm and love for what she does comes through loud and clear. She is self-taught, and I found that fact very encouraging. It gives me hope for my own photography skills one day. Helene has a book coming out next month, and I can hardly wait to get my hands on a copy.

Lindsay getting just the right shot during the food styling and photography workshop on Sunday.

I was finally able to meet Aggie, a kindred spirit, and I am already counting down the days until college football season. I plan to drag her up to Gainesville to hang out for a Gator game. Florida has so many talented food writers, cooks, and photographers – Binky, Denise, Michelle, Renee, Lael, and so many others. And I met so many other amazing people this weekend, not only from Florida, but also from as far away as New York City and Virginia.

We gathered at the Food Blog Forum Orlando to learn from each other, to teach each other, to share information and advice, and to support one another in this journey. We gathered to make connections with others who share our love of food and creating.

And I left feeling inspired.

The lunch I styled and photographed - and ate - during Helene's workshop on Sunday.

I’m having one of those weeks. It seems my T0 Do list is piling up, both at home and at work, and there is no end in sight. There are at least four manuscripts at work that need my attention. Or maybe it’s five. Meetings to prepare for and attend. Kids birthday party invitations to reply to and buy presents for. Laundry. Meals. The nightly bedtime battle that has become so desperate I’ve resorted to bribing my kids with a jellybean if they STOP GETTING UP.

I’m feeling overwhelmed.

Maybe my To Do list only seems more pressing and burdensome because I have just come back from seven days of complete rest. Or maybe it’s the fact that the school year is coming to a close in a couple of months, and with that looming date brings the annual stress of arranging summer childcare and day camps. I’m sure it’s a combination of all of that and then some.

Is it too soon for another vacation?

Homemade biscuits are my panacea for times like this. A warm, freshly-baked biscuit slathered with honey – or perhaps a smear of butter and some of Renee’s delicious strawberry daquiri jam – and my mind settles down long enough to forget, if only momentarily, the obligations resting on my shoulders.

Yep. Time to get baking.

Yield: 12 biscuits

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Slightly adapted from Cook's Country, April 2001. While the original recipe calls for full-fat ingredients, I used what I had on hand - light cream cheese and light buttermilk. I certainly won't fault you for making it the original way, but with my version, you can have two biscuits. Or three.

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
4 ounces unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and frozen for 30 minutes
4 ounces 1/3-less fat cream cheese, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and frozen for 30 minutes
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon reduced-fat buttermilk

Directions:

Adjust oven rack to middle position. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Pour flour mixture into the bowl of a food processor. Add cream cheese and butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer flour mixture to large bowl. Stir in buttermilk until combined (dough will appear slightly dry).

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead just until dough comes together. Roll dough into an 8-inch by 6-inch rectangle. Cut into twelve 2-inch squares and transfer to baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake until light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and let cool 5 minutes. Serve warm.

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I had the entire week off last week, and it felt wonderful. It’s been a while since I’ve taken a complete week off with my family, and it was way overdue. Disney World and a trip to the beach filled out six days of our break. The rest of the time I spent hanging out at home, cooking, seeing a movie with the kids, and visiting with my parents.

Oh, yeah. And I ran my first 5K, too.

For the past two months, I’ve been learning to run. I am not very fast and I can’t go very far, but I am running.

I can’t even describe how good it feel to say that.

About a month ago, I got an email promoting a charity run to raise money for breast cancer research. I immediately deleted the message without a second thought. Because I am not a runner. Later that morning, a friend at work mentioned it to me and convinced me that we should sign up. My first thought was absolutely not.

Then I thought a little more.

I was right in the middle of a couch-to-5K training program – around week 4 of the 8-week program. So, why not actually try a 5K? Before I could change my mind, I did it. I signed up, paid the registration fee, and I had goal to work for.

On Saturday, I did it. I ran my first 5K and I didn’t die in the process. In fact, it felt great. GREAT.

I may even sign up for another one. Once my shins stop hurting.

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This couscous salad with pine nuts and dried fruits was my post-race snack on Saturday. It was inspired by an addicting couscous salad I had at dinner at the African-themed restaurant, Boma, in the Animal Kingdom Lodge the weekend before. I used preserved lemon in the recipe, but if you don’t have any on hand, you can certainly substitute an equal amount of grated lemon zest. I ate this for a couple of days in a row, and it kept quite nicely in the refrigerator and was as good – if not a little better – on the second day.

Yield: 6 servings

Couscous Salad with Pine Nuts and Dried Fruits

Ingredients:

2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
10 ounces couscous
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon preserved lemon, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 16-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
2/3 cup chopped pitted dates
2/3 cup chopped dried apricots
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
kosher salt, to taste
freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt to a boil. Add the couscous and stir for 30 seconds.
Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes. Remove cover and fluff with a fork; transfer couscous to a bowl to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, preserved lemon, and cardamom. Drizzle over couscous. Mix in garbanzo beans, dates, almonds, and pine nuts. Season to taste with salt and ground pepper. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.

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