A Year Gone By

Believe it or not, today is the 1 year anniversary of Bran Appetit!

I can’t believe a year has gone by – it doesn’t feel like it at all.

I have had so much fun keeping up with the blog. I started it to share recipes and ideas with family and ended up becoming a part of an amazing online community, making friends with people all over the country, and sharing a piece of this crazy foodie group  :)

In the past year, I’ve…

Started the blog!

Documented some amazing meals

Gone to Honduras to build a new roof at an orphanage…and got a bullet for a souvenir

Ran a crazy 10K trail run

Quit working for Weight Watchers and quit watching the scale so much!

Traveled to San Francisco to cook my recipe in front of tons of other bloggers + foodies at the Foodbuzz Festival in November

and much more!

 

I’m so happy to have this past year documented on the blog. I think it’s amazing to be able to look back at this year and not only see what I ate that day, but what was going on in my life.

Thank you, thank you for all of you that read and comment. I truly appreciate every comment I get, every tip I receive, and every new idea you guys give me every day.

Thank you to Nick and my friends and family for putting up with me, my camera, and the time I’ve spent on the computer.

I have tried so many new things this year, and it’s all because of this.

From the bottom of my heart, I thank you.

I can’t wait to see what this year brings to this little blog :) I hope to have even more amazing experiences and more fun!

To celebrate one year of blogging, I’m going to give away a package of some of my favorite things!

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The winner will get:

  • a pedometer
  • paperback of Julie & Julia

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  • Lindt Sea Salt bar
  • 1 milk chocolate +1 dark chocolate TJ’s bar

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  • Kerrygold reusable bag
  • coupons!
  • Trail mix granola bar
  • Luna bar
  • A few more bars :)

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  • January issue of SELF magazine
  • Young Frankenstein DVD – one of my favorite movies of all time!
  • and a few other things not pictured :)

To enter:

  • Tell me your favorite book of all time – I want a list of the books I need to read!

For more entries:

  • Is there something you’d like to see more of on the blog?
  • Link back!
  • Tell me something you love about yourself

I’ll pick a winner on MONDAY, 1/18!!

 

Thanks again – BranAppetit wouldn’t be what it is without each one of YOU!

 

*I’ll be picking / announcing the winners of the Crofter’s Jam in my lunchtime post today.

 

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194 comments

  1. Favorite Book of All Time: this is so hard! but I loved Wasted by Marya Hornbacher, also Magical Thinking by Augusten Burroughs!

  2. Something I love about myself: my hair. I think it’s pretty :)

    Happy Bloggiversary by the way!!

    I hope I win the jam!

  3. Happy Bday to your blog!

    I could never pick a favorite book – for me it’s like trying to pick a favorite food, movie or song! But I did read Firefly Lane this past summer and it was fantastic! I really recommend it.

  4. HAPPY BLOGIVERSARY!!!!

    My favorite book(s): Pride and Prejudice or Atonement :)

  5. :D
    The Bell Jar

  6. East of Eden by John Steinbeck (best book ever)
    My bf’s sister got me a couple Wally Lamb books for Christmas and they are pretty good so far. Check them out too!

  7. Yay! Happy first birthday blog! I hope someone is getting a cake…or a cupcake at least…! My favorite book – that’s such a tough question…I guess I’d have to say Pride & Prejudice!

  8. Wow, how time flies by! I don’t have a favorite book but Marian Keyes is one of my fave authors :)

  9. Happy blog birthday!!!

    I have a tie for two of my favorite books, and they’re completely different: My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult or Cider House Rules by John Irvine

  10. Hmm something I love about myself…the ability to look at things from the outside :)

  11. My favorite book of all time…wow, there are so many to choose from! Right now I am reading a fellow foodie’s book and loving it: Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential. I love his style and the book is pretty amusing. I also love White Teeth by Zadie Smith. Great book.

    Happy Blog birthday btw!

  12. My favorite book of all time… I can’t pick just one!

    Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen by Garth Nix: Classified as YA Fiction but I would recommend them to any adult that likes fantasy. Lirael is my favorite of the three but they need to be read in order!

    The “His Dark Materials” books by Phillip Pullman – The Golden Compass (Northern Lights), The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass. More YA Fiction but so, so good. (Also don’t judge this by the Golden Compass movie… that’s a different, Hollywood-ized animal)

    Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie

  13. Happy Bloggaversary!! I still remember exchanging emails about your starting. I am so glad you did, having you as part of this community has been awesome!

  14. Congratulations on your one-year anniversary! So hard to pick a single favorite book, but I’ll say To Kill a Mockingbird…such a classic!

  15. Happy Birthday to your blog!!! :)

    I don’t really have a favorite book, but I just read Revenge of the Middle Aged Woman by Elizabeth Buchan and really enjoyed it.

  16. Favorite book? I have a few. But – I do love the book Eat, Pray, Love!

  17. Congratulations on 1 year! It feels like it’s been much longer. :)

    All time fave book = The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.

  18. Happy birthday to the blog! My favorite book of all time is Matilda. A kiddie book, but I just love it.

  19. My favorite book is “No logo” Naomi Klein :)

  20. Yeah! Happy one year, I love your blog! I also love Young Frankenstein, that movie will ALWAYS crack me up! Where wolf? There wolf. There castle!
    Anyway, I have a few favorite books, all worth a read in my opinion:
    -A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
    -Marjorie Morningstar
    -Gone With the Wind
    -Time Traveler’s Wife

  21. I linked back!

  22. Pingback: More Adventures With Tofu! « Live, Love, Eat and Play

  23. I don’t think I can pick a favorite book! I am such a reader and there are so many great reads out there. I really liked Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, and I have also enjoyed all of the Marian Keyes books I have read nice and easy and entertaining. The author of In Her Shoes has some other good books too.

    Congrats on your 1 year!

  24. happy 1 year! my favorite book would be germinal (history geek)

  25. and something i love about myself- my big eyes!

  26. Happy Birthday, Bran Appetit! I really have enjoyed reading over the past couple of months.

    My favorite book of all time is Memoirs of a Geisha. I’ve read it at least 4 times. It is so well written I forget that a man wrote it. I never get bored. The movie was no where near as interesting as the book.

    I do have a point of advice about your puppy. Socialize him. It will help you so much. Get him to meet as many other dogs and people as you can while he is young. If you don’t you will never be able to break that fear when he gets older. I have 3 dogs. I have learned from experience.

  27. happy blogiversary!!

    a favorite book? that’s hard! i like a variety of books, all for different reasons, some for a quick beach read (janet evanovitch series), some b/c they’re thoughtful/difficult/interesting (the house of leaves), some b/c they’re about new passions (bread alone, spiced, a homemade life). there are the classics, too, i always loved great gatsby!

    i love my smile :)

  28. Happy birthday to the bloggie!!! :)

    I love Emily Griffin’s work – just finished up Something Borrowed and read Love the One You’re With a while back and both were fast page turners (coming from a magazine/cook book reading gal it takes alot for me to say that!)

  29. Picking one book is hard, so I’ll list my top three: The Likeness by Tana French, Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, and The Help by Kathryn Stockett.

    I’d like to see more puppy pics on the blog! Or maybe a tour of your kitchen?

    Something I love about myself… Right now it’d have to be the ability to share my story with others, even though it makes me vulnerable. Because I truly believe only good can come from it :)

  30. My favorite book of all time is Jane Eyre, but everyone has already read that one. Ha. A few of my other favorites:

    – The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
    – In the Woods by Tana French (fromatopink: I enjoyed The Likeness, but her earlier book In the Woods blew me away! If you haven’t read this one, do it!)
    – Atonement by Ian McEwan

  31. Bet Me by Jennifer Cruise. I’ve read it at least 10 times!

    Something about myself? I’m a twin (have a brother) and I’m three minutes older!

  32. My all time favorite book is Pride and Prejudice! I’ve probably read it 10 times, and the BBC production of it with Colin Firth is awesome as well!

  33. Favorite book of all time is probably The Good Earth. I read it in High School and still talk about.

  34. I’d love to see more of how you plan your meals. You always seem to have a good plan so you have left overs for other meals. After this Christmas I realize we need to do the same to survive with eating out less.

  35. Happy Anniversary,
    Ha peee Ann a ver sar e,
    Happy Anniversary,
    Happeee Ann a ver sar eeeeeeee!

    :)

    Your like my virtual librarian
    Right now I am on the second
    Coffee House Mystery Book
    “Through the Grinder”

    Maybe you should start a book club

    **Love reading all the new comments!

  36. I really love my collar bones. I was just reading Ali vincent’s book and she loved hers too. For so long I couldn’t see them and now that I can I love them.

  37. Happy Birthday, Branappetit! :)

    You MUST read:

    Dear John by: Nicholas Sparks

  38. I think what I like the most about myself is my smile. I’ve never had to have braces or use white strips or anything, and I always get compliments on how white my teeth are! :)

  39. Congrats on blogging for a year! You listed all of the reasons that blogging is so incredible. It’s an amazing way to look back at our lives and actually know what we were feeling almost everyday. And it’s a great way to look back and see where we grow and change :)

    The Lovely Bones is one of the best books I’ve ever read. Very powerful. I’ve been thinking of rereading it lately since the movie just came out.

  40. i love to read so its hard to pick just one favorite, the time travlers wife was excellent. im a new reader to your blog and i really like it! i hope i win :)

  41. Wow, I didn’t realize your blog was so new! I really enjoy it and you write like you’ve been doing this forever.

    My favorite book of all time, eek, The Hotel New Hampshire by John Irving.

    and, I love having natural light blonde hair! I always get asked “do you dye it?” and hairdressers love it, and its all natural baby!

  42. Congrats on one year!

    So it’s so hard for me to remember my fav books, but some good ones I have read recently are the Glass Lake by Maeve Binchy .

    The Harry Potter series is awesome for an easy entertaining read.

    I’m running a blank here! Usually I’m all excited about the most recent book I’ve read…but right now I’m clueless!

  43. My favourite book is Camino by Shirley MacLaine. I read it back in March and I absolutely loved it!
    Congrats on your first blogiversary!!

  44. Happy Blogiversary!!

    My favorite book (intellecutal): Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
    My favorie book (chick lik): Something Blue by Emily Giffin

  45. Yay for a year with BranAppetit! I’ve enjoyed reading it every single day!

    You totally need to read My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult, or one of her others like Mercy, Salem Falls, and Plain Truth. All awesome books.

    And I love my eyes…I can’t go wrong w/ having 5 colors!

  46. Favorite book? I love any books…but most recently I read The Piano Teacher and loved that.

  47. Have you ever read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn? Fantastic!

  48. You’ve probably read it already but it’s worth revisiting Withering Heights by Emily Bronte. For something most likely new, The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara

  49. I’d love to see more cooking processes. You seem like such a great chef! I want to learn techniques

  50. I love that I got up and worked out this morning and have for the past 5 days straight. I think I’ve found my mojo again

  51. yay! happy anniversary!!!

    i adore your blog and hope it continues for another year (and more)!

    I think you should read ” Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley . . . it’s a great sci-fi book sort of reminds me of Orwell’s “1984”

    But i also have to recommend “To Kill A Mockingbird”
    I LOVE LOVE that book!!!

  52. I would love to see more of your new dog . . . i can’t get enough of her!!!

    :D

  53. If you haven’t already read it, you’d love “Eat, Pray, Love.”

    It’s excellent!

    Congrats on ONE YEAR! :)

  54. My favorite book is Power of One by Bryce Courtenay – so inspiring!

    I’d love to hear more about your favorite kitchen utensils – I’m trying to stock my kitchen with the most useful tools!

  55. I love that, after not exercising for so much time, I found bikram yoga and made the commitment to stick with it. Plus i love that im getting pretty good at it . . . my standing head to knee pose is SICK ;)

  56. My favorite book is “To Kill A Mockingbird” ( I named my Dog “Scout”). I also loved “FireFly Lane”. One interesting thing about me is I am a farmer. And my parents also have a Brittany Spaniel, their dog is NUTS!!!!!

  57. I love your blog–happy one year blog-aversary!

    My favorite book of all time is Drown, by Junot Diaz. It is a fascinating, inspiring, passionate collection of short stories. He is a wonderful author!

  58. You absolutely have to read “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls and “Water for Elephants” by Sara Gruen. My favorite books!

  59. I absolutely love reading your blog and enjoy all of your kitchen adventures you share. I still remember when I started reading last Feb after the Valentine’s swap :-) Btw, I still use my heart measuring cups and spoons!!

    Keep up the wonderful work Brandi!! And you MUST read Ever After and the sequel Even Now by Karen Kingsbury–so great!

  60. Happy Blogging Anniversary!

    Pride and Prejudice is my favorite :)

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  62. Happy Blogiversary!! I’m a frequent reader/infrequent poster.

    One book? Wow, that’s hard.

    Here’s a few at the top of my list:

    Home Safe, Elizabeth Berg (almost anything by her, actually.)

    Water for Elephants; Sara Gruen

    The Kite Runner, Kahled Hosseini

    The Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd

  63. I’d like to see more recipes! All of your concoctions look awesome and I’d like to try them out! I just need a little hand holding. Haha.

  64. The House of the Spirits by Isabelle Allende is the first book that comes to mind!

  65. I love my sense of humor! And congrats on the blogiversery!

  66. That’s awesome. I love ready your blog everyday and getting ideas for meals from you.

    My favourite books are the six that Jane Austen wrote. I read every one of them once a year.

  67. Pingback: Say Hello To My Little Friend « Food Makes Fun Fuel

  68. Happy blog birthday!!!
    My favorite book most recently isn’t exactly a novel, but it’s incredible none-the-less. It’s “What to Eat” by Marion Nestle. It answers EVERY kind of question you might have about nutrition or how the foods we eat affect our bodies. It sounds like a boring textbook but it’s really not like that at all.

  69. awww happy blogiversary sweet’ums!!!!!! I’m going to opt out of entering the giveaway but I just wanted to say congrats and it has been such a gift to “meet” you through your blog :)!!

  70. Happy Blogiversary!! I really loved the book, Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult

  71. I love that I am a very dedicated and commited to being successful in everything that I do!!

  72. This is great – happy blogiversary!!! :D

    I’m just finishing up The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. It’s fantastic!!!

  73. Happy anniversary, Brandi! I’m so happy I found your blog. I always leave feeling a little more positive!

    Lordy lord, I don’t know if I can pick a favorite book. I really like “The Magician’s Assistant” by Ann Patchett (anything by her, really), “The Golden Notebook” by Doris Lessing, everything by Haruki Murakami… we should be friends on GoodReads! (I don’t know how to friend people though…)

  74. Happy Blogiversary! I could never pick a favorite book, but I just read a GREAT book:
    The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.
    I know you like mysteries and this book is a great one. It is also full of family drama, history, and financial corruption.

  75. Congrats. I have so many food related books I’d recommend. I just recently finished Goat Song, which was incredibly lyrical and beautiful, but I also really enjoyed The Ethics of What We Eat, Cheese Chronicals, etc.

  76. CONGRATULATIONS DEAR BRANDI! your positivity, gorgeous food, attitude and everything are such great contributions to the blog world. i love you and your blog so much!

    books…where do i begin? a tree grows in brooklyn, the red tent, eat pray love, free food for millionaires and little women are all some of my favorites! hopefully there is one in there you haven’t read :)

  77. Happy blog-versary!

    My favorite book is Chesapeake by James Michener.

    Something I like about myself? Passion about issues.

  78. awesome give away! One of my favorite books is The Jungle, its sad but powerful and I also really loved The PoisonWood Bibile. Interesting read!

  79. Congrats too on your one year anniversary!!! So awesome. Its hard to say what Id like to see more of. Your blog is already AMAZING> hhmm..maybe more recipes? Everything always looks so good.=)

  80. Ive linked this on my site!

  81. I love my determination. If I set my mind to it I put my all into it!

  82. Congratulations! Love the giveaway, and also the book question. I just read this book recently and it was a rare find: The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa.

  83. archangel series by sharon shinn!!!

  84. i love how i always wake up early and start the day with wonderful yoga!

  85. i would love to see your oatmeal making VIDEO!

  86. Happy One Year!

    My favorite book is: What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver. It’s a collection of short stories.

    I’d like to see more about your hobbies! I’m always interested in what people do when they aren’t working or talking about food :)

  87. Congrats on one year of blogging!! I have loved reading your blog and meeting you in person this year. Here’s to hoping year 2 is even better! :)

    Fave Book is soooo hard to pick. You know I am an English teacher…. okay, some that I love are:
    The Feast of Love by Charles Baxter
    And the Shadows Took Him by Chacon
    In the Time of the Butterflies by Alvarez
    Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
    ALL of the Harry Potter Series
    Anything by Jane Green or Jennifer Weiner

  88. oh wow, so hard to pick just oen book but maybe Kite Runner?
    Two Girls: Fat and Thin was also a great, moving book.

  89. Aw! You are so sweet! Congratulations and Happy Blogoversary! :) I don’t know about favorite book of all time, but favorite foodie book would have to be Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl.

  90. COngratulations!! Ive enjoyed reading your blog and thanks for everything you put into it!

    Im not sure my favorite book but the one I just read which I loved was “This is Where I leave You” by Jonathan Tropper. It was SO GOOD!

  91. read anything by Jodi Picoult I LOVE HER SO MUCH!
    maybe try Keeping Faith, Obiv My Sisters Keeper, etc. All are good!!

  92. Just linked to you!!

  93. something to see on your blog…?
    How about good eats in the VA area and shopping adventures in the area too. Anyways could use some pointers on where to go around there :-)
    BTW I really wanted to go to a concert in Roanoke, but couldn’t because it’s a three hour drive each way and I will be away at school anyways. Go see lady antabellum and tim mcgraw! lol

  94. I love how I am always trying to make sure my friends are happy and comfortable wherever they are in life. If they are not, girls night out/in!! Depending on the situation! gotta look out for each other ;-)

  95. Happy anniversary! Its amazing to see people do SO much with blogs! may you accomplish many more things! :)

    Read…..errr…Catch 22-Joseph miller!
    I like action haha

  96. I’d like to see more raw recipes ..

  97. i really love the book ‘the chosen’ by chaim potok. also love ‘to kill a mockingbird’ by harper lee. currently, i’m reading a fun book called, ‘the beach street knitting club & yarn shop’ (or something like that… it’s a long title!).

  98. Pingback: Leaving on a Jet Plane « with a Side of Sneakers

  99. looooooove The Mists of Avalon (and all the books that go with it), by Marion Zimmer Bradley

  100. My favorite book by far was Water for Elephants, Ive read it probably 3 times and it never gets old

  101. Congrats girl!!! Can’t wait to see the adventures you get into this year!

  102. Happy Anniversary Brandi!!!!

    Hmmm, fave book(s) – Steinbeck’s East of Eden, The Time Traveler’s Wife, Poisonwood Bible, Pictures of a Dying Man (written by one of my professors!)

  103. More pictures of Maggie and Roxie are always welcome :)

  104. Something I love about myself is that I’m incredibly genuine. I try really hard to never be fake.

  105. I’m going to link back on this post http://lowandbhold.com/2010/01/14/3949/ and it will probably post around 6 p.m. tonight :)

  106. my favorite book is romeo and juliet. it’s a classic and always will be, even if it’s overdone now, it was what started it all.
    thanks for the great giveaway! happy blogaversery!

    have lovely day! xox
    Mandie

  107. Pingback: Soaking It In « This Winding Road

  108. Happy anniversary… I’m considering starting my own blog too so thanks for all of the inspiration!

    A book I could happily read again and again is Eat, Pray, Love.

    Something I love about myself is my curiosity.

  109. Happy Anniversary!

    My favorite book of all time is To Kill A Mocking Bird!

  110. One of my favorite books of all time: Earnest Hemingway’s “A Moveable Feast.” Oh, to be a young writer in France! So good.

  111. I’d love to see me more of Nick on the blog! I feel you guys have such an incredible relationship and I’d love to hear more about the things you do together!

  112. Happy Anniversary!

    Maggie is adorable:)

    My favorite book was Marley and Me.
    I feel it’s a must read for any dog lover!

  113. Nineteen Minutes – also wrote My Sister’s Keeper.

    Great reads!!!

  114. Wasted by Myra Hornbocker is a great book.

    I would love to see more recipes!

    I love love love sea salt chocolate! YUMM!

  115. My favorite light reads are the sweet potato queens and my favorite deeper reads are any dan brown book

  116. favorite book, wow thats tough! i loved “This Much I know is true” by wally lamb (long but worth it!) and recently, “the mysteries of pittsburgh” by michael chabon.
    i’d like to see more about your hobbies or what you love- like the football series, that was cool!

  117. Atlas Shrugged or Cat’s Eye. Hard to decide. Thanks for the giveaway! Happy Blog Anniversary!

  118. Something I love about myself: I love that I don’t crack under pressure. I’ve been through a lot of life-changing and stressful situations, but I’ve made it through in one piece.

  119. my favorite book is probably on the road by kerouac. a classic ;)

  120. favorite book of all time? jurassic park. i read it first in 4th grade and have read it a billion times since then

  121. i love my willingness to help others – i make my younger sister’s and all her friends’ resumes and help them with school work and job applications

  122. i’d love to see more pics of grocery store purchases!

  123. i love my determination. i refuse to quit and once i get my head wrapped around an idea it’s going to happen

  124. Pingback: Riki Tiki Tempo « MarathonMaiden's Blog

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  126. My favorite books are ones that I read in adolescence. The Tomorrow When the War Began series, The Betsy Tacey series, and all F Scott Fitzgerald books.

  127. Congratulations my dear on this wonderful accomplishment!!!

    My favorite book of all time is To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

  128. favorite book of all time is so hard! I read so much and pretty much love every book.. I do love twilight I will admit that haha but I would have to say The Time Travelers wife. happy blog anniversary!

  129. Happy 1-year Bloggiversary! Congratulations on all your accomplishments!

    It is so hard for me to pick one favorite book, I’m such a voracious reader. One that I really liked is The Namesake, by Jhumpa Lahiri.

  130. Happy ‘blog’ birthday :)! I just started my first blog about 1 week ago so I hope one year from now I am having a blog birthday too! Thanks for the inspiration :)!!!

    My favorite book…hmmm this is hard because I am a huge reader. A book that I just couldn’t put down was Firefly lane by Kristin Hannah. (here’s a sneak peak: http://www.amazon.com/Firefly-Lane-Kristin-Hannah/dp/B002IVV3C8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263518281&sr=1-1#reader_B002IVV3C8)

    ok and of course my sisters keeper :)!

    If you ever need anymore ideas, feel free to contact me. I have a bunch!!!

  131. Pingback: Working it

  132. Congrats. I love reading your blog and keeping up with what your doing. Spanish seems like so long ago.

    As an English major I don’t know if I can pick a favorite book. But some of my most memorable books are Little Women, The Grapes of Wrath, Angle of Repose, and all Harry Potter.

  133. Pingback: A Lunch that Makes Me Smile « Mulling It Over

  134. Wow, a year – I can’t believe a year went by so fast. I’m a big fan of your blog and look forward to another year.
    My favorite book is The Time Traveler’s Wife. I think it’s a lovely story and so much better than the movie.

  135. One of my favorite books is: “A Long Way Down” by Nick Hornby.

  136. Happy anniversary! I read so much it’s almost impossible to pick a favorite. But I love books by John Irving!

  137. I would like to see some more NFL football ;)

  138. What about a “vlog”? And more photos of Maggie!

  139. Of course I love the Harry Potter series, but I just finished the Time Traveler’s Wife and loved it :)

  140. Here are a few of my faves: The Poisonwood Bible, Roots, and anything written by David Sedaris!

  141. Pingback: Back on track « Pickles n' Peanut butter

  142. Congratulations – what an achievement! One of my favourite books is “The Power Of One” – so awesome – but it does make me teary every time…

  143. What I love most about myself is I never give up no matter how hard the task!

  144. I love 1984! I read it in high school when the 2008 election was the big buzz and it really opened up the eyes of many people I went to school with. It was nice discussing politics in English class. (I am big on politics.)

  145. Happy 1 year anniversary! My favorite book is Catcher in the Rye.

  146. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck is my favorite book… although Beloved by Toni Morrison is also my favorite book…and The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath…and…well, there are a lot of good books out there!

    Also, since you said I could get another entry for it: What I love most about myself is my ability to remain calm in crisis and reframe bad feelings or situations to get back on track. :)

  147. Wow! Happy one year anniversary, Brandi!

    I LOVEd the Shopaholic series. And anything by Jane Green. I also loved this book called “The Thirteenth Tale”, which has some kick-ass beautiful writing.
    But my all time favorite: “The Brothers Karamazov”. Love.

    I really love your blog, Brandi, but I love You more, so I’d love more pics of you! :D

  148. My favourite book would definitely be Harry Potter!!!

    Love your blog!!!

  149. congrats on the blog anniversary!!! :D
    favorite book=Eat, Pray, Love.

    where did you get that Lindts with touch of sea salt? I found it once and loved it but couldn’t find it anywhere else…. please tell me where did you get it.

  150. Congrats!

    I am not much of a big fictional reader, so I am gonna choose The Bible as my favorite book! After all, the Author changed my life!

    Thanks!

  151. I love that I am faithful and determined!

  152. Pingback: Thank yous & Giveaways « The Vegster

  153. Happy Blogiversary! I linked your giveaway from my blog :)

  154. Happy Blogiversary! Such a great giveaway!

    My favorite book- Confessions of a Shopaholic- all of Sophie Kinsella’s books are awesome! Also Meg Cabot is another of my faves- both are Chick lit if you are into that :D

    Thing that I love about myself – that I am very understanding and forgiving of others.

    I am going to link back to your giveaway on my blog!

  155. My favorite is either Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre or George Eliot’s Middlemarch– both are so good.

  156. Hi there, as a fellow Richmonder I enjoy your blog very much. I love it when you throw in the home town ideas and share things that I love too. Thanks for opening a bit of your life.

    My favoriate book is “Christy” by Catherine Marshall. It is about a girl who goes to teach in the Blue Ridge Mountains and about her life there and the trials she faced. I go back and reread it every few years and still enjoy it every time!

  157. Happy BLOGIVERSARY! There are so many good books listed in the comments already but I think my recommendation would have to the The Time Traveler’s Wife. Even though it is now a movie- the book is 100x better! It is a must read!

  158. Wow – congrats on your first year of blogging, Brandi! I stumbled across your blog from a WW thread, and tho I haven’t kept up with WW online, I enjoy your blog every day. Thanks for all the enjoyment, ideas and inspiration you’ve provided! I’m even toying with the idea of starting my own blog this year…

    My favorite book of all time – I’d go with the Nora Roberts “Born In” series. It is fluffy, but well written and I LOVE series. My favorite is the first of the series, “Born in Fire” that tracks the discovery of a blown glass artist in Ireland. Sigh… Love and art and mystery all in one! Can’t go wrong!

    Oh – and thanks for the coffeehouse murders series recommendation – have read all but the last (which is requested from the library!) since you recommended it – love it! Have you tried the Goldy Schulz catering/murder mystery series? Fun!!

  159. Something I love about myself is my curiosity – it is still going strong at 40! The next adventure is a community ed course in repairing stained glass windows… yay!

  160. For a suggestion for the blog, hmm… how about including more detail on how you cook the meals you make? They look sooo good, but I wonder how many minutes of this, what temp, etc… For instance – your roasted broccoli looks amazing and I’m not that great of a cook… How do you do it?????

  161. Lonesome Dove – Larry McCurtry is soooooo good!

  162. Nope, I can’t pick just one:

    The Power of One-Bryce Courtenay
    Everything is Illuminated-Jonathan Safran Foer
    On Beauty-Zadie Smith
    The Omnivore’s Dilemma-Michael Pollan

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  164. The Last Samurai by Helen DeWitt… long, but SO GOOD.

  165. Best book of all time: The pillars of the earth by Ken follet. So so amazing. Love the blog, cheers to another year!

  166. pride and prejudice – classic

    also the kiter runner – SO GOOD

    :)

  167. as dumb as they are I love the shopoholic books!

  168. OMG that is SUCH an amazing give away!!!! I hope I win!! pretty please?? lol

    hmmm.. my favorite book is def. My sisters keeper.. so sad and yet so good!

  169. I lovedddddddd the Introvert Advantage! :D

  170. something I love about myself? hmm……i have big eyes!! I also love my wrists. random, i know!

  171. I’m horrible at choosing favourites. If I could only have one book for the rest of my life, though, it would be the complete version of the Oxford English Dictionary – that way I’d never run out of interesting things to read (no, I haven’t read the whole thing).

  172. It looks like you had had a busy and wonderful year :)

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  174. Congratulations on making it to a year with your blog! I love reading it :)

    My favorite book is either Redeeming Love or A Time Travelers Wife… what can I say? I’m a lover of chick lit!

    Something I love about myself is… this is harder than I thought it would be. Probably the thing I love most about myself is my eyes. They’re blue… which is also my favorite colour.

    I think you’re doing a wonderful job with the blog!

  175. congrats on your blogaversary!!!

    hmmm…fave book of all time?! that’s very difficult. i love all of haruki murakami’s books, and judy blume. and tom perrota. i can’t choose!

  176. happy blog birthday, babe! that is so exciting. and i love all your fave things~ what a fun idea. i may have to steal it when my 1 year comes around ;) my favorite book? gee~ that is so hard. i really liked house of leaves!

  177. Congrats on your first anniversary! You’ve done so much this past year! Isn’t it awesome to look back and see how far you’ve come?!

    I have a very hard time picking 1 favorite book, but I’ve read Anthem by Ayn Rand more than any others so it would rank in at least the top 5.

  178. My favorite book of all time might be Beloved by Toni Morrison! Soooo amazing!!

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  181. Happy Anniversary! Love that I can read a healthy blog of someone who lives in the “country” and that I can totally relate to! Keep up with the wonderful posts!

  182. My favorite book of all time is probably Pride and Prejudice!

  183. Something about myself? I have three cats, all of whom were adopted from shelters/rescue organizations. I am passionate about protecting animals and animal rights.

  184. I love reading your blog! I’d love to see some more descriptions of your healthy recipes. Otherwise, keep up the great work :)

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