Tuesday Talent Show #73

February 25, 2013 ᛫filed under: Tuesday-Talent-Show ᛫ by: Chef in Training 42

Hello all and welcome back to another week of the Tuesday Talent Show! I am so happy to have you here!

Tuesday Talent Show Link Party at Chef in Training! It is held weekly and has some amazing link ups!

Here are some fun features from last week’s Tuesday Talent Show:

Copy Cat Panda Express Chow Mein from Eat Cake for Dinner

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Avocado Bacon and Eggs from SteakNPotatoesKindaGirl

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Homemade Thin Mints from The First Year Blog

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Almond Crusted Chicken Strips from Mom on Timeout

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Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken from Yummy Healthy Easy

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Here are the rules:

Link up YOUR projects, recipes, crafts, tutorials
Add The Tuesday Talent show button to your blog or include it in a text link
Please no giveaways, etsy shops, or advertisments
I would love to have you follow me via Feedburner, Facebook and/or Pinterest

HAVE FUN!

Filed Under: Tuesday-Talent-Show ᛫ 42 Comments

Comments

1

javeriyasayeedsiddiqui says:

February 25, 2013 at 8:29 pm

Thanks so much for hosting the lovely party Nikki! xo

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2

Lyuba@willcookforsmiles says:

February 25, 2013 at 8:34 pm

Thank you as always, for your lovely party! Have a nice week, Nikki!

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3

Chandra@The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen says:

February 25, 2013 at 8:38 pm

Thanks so much for hosting such a fun party!

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4

Jo-Anna says:

February 25, 2013 at 8:39 pm

Thanks for hosting Nikki!
Have a great week!

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5

Trish @ Uncommon says:

February 25, 2013 at 8:49 pm

Thanks so much for hosting the party! Have a wonderful week!

Take care,

Trish

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6

Jess says:

February 25, 2013 at 8:55 pm

Thanks for hosting!!

I would love for you to join my Blog Hop! :)

http://www.pluckys-secondthought.com/pluckys-blog-hop/

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7

Ashley @ Kitchen Meets Girl says:

February 25, 2013 at 9:04 pm

Thanks so much for hosting, Nikki! Have a wonderful week.

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8

KC @ The Real Thing with the Coake Family says:

February 25, 2013 at 9:04 pm

Thanks so much for hosting!
KC

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9

Beth says:

February 25, 2013 at 9:19 pm

Oh goodness Nikki, I am incredibly blessed that you featured my homemade thin mint recipe this week! Thanks for helping to grow my little blog!
Beth @ The First Year Blog

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10

Christi says:

February 25, 2013 at 9:21 pm

Thanks for the fun party!!

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11

Karyn - Pint Sized Baker says:

February 25, 2013 at 9:29 pm

Thanks for the party. Have a great week, Nikki!

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12

Jen Nikolaus says:

February 25, 2013 at 9:42 pm

Thank you SO MUCH for featuring my Baked Sweet & Sour Chicken, Nikki!!!! I am so honored!!! :) And thank you for always hosting such an amazing party! Can’t wait to check out all the talent on here! I hope you’re having a wonderful start to your week! Thanks again!

Hugs,
Jen @ Yummy. Healthy. Easy.

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13

Averie @ Averie Cooks says:

February 25, 2013 at 9:55 pm

As always, Nikki, thanks for hosting this and I’m about to go on my clickfest now :)

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14

Loretta | A Finn In The Kitchen says:

February 25, 2013 at 9:56 pm

Thanks so much for hosting and have a wonderful rest of your week!

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15

Jocelyn @BruCrew Life says:

February 25, 2013 at 10:04 pm

Thank you so much for the great party! Have a great week Nikki!!!

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16

Shauna {The Best Blog Recipes} says:

February 25, 2013 at 10:09 pm

Thanks for hosting another great party Nikki! Hope you have a fantastic week :)

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17

Wanda Ann @ Memories by the Mile says:

February 25, 2013 at 11:18 pm

Nikki,
Thank you for the party, it all looks yummy!
I would love for you to come over to mine tomorrow at http://www.memoriesbythemile.com/
xoxo
Wanda Ann @ Memories by the Mile

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18

Christie - Food Done Light says:

February 26, 2013 at 5:33 am

Thanks for hosting Nikki. Always happy to link up to your party.

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19

Lovefoodies says:

February 26, 2013 at 5:48 am

Hi Nikki, thanks for hosting your linky party. Will add a link back you you now and take a snoop around some of these lovely recipes!

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20

Sheena @ Hot Eats and Cool Reads says:

February 26, 2013 at 5:59 am

Thanks so much for hosting!!

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21

Kathryn Griffin @TheDedicatedHouse says:

February 26, 2013 at 7:22 am

I need to go eat breakfast…all the fantastic food features have my stomach growling. Thank you for hosting! Wishing you a pretty week. Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse

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22

Priya says:

February 26, 2013 at 7:25 am

Hi, First time on your blog – but have taken the liberty to link up a recipe :) Thanks for hosting and Have a great week!

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23

Trish - Mom On Timeout says:

February 26, 2013 at 8:01 am

Thank you so much for the feature this week Nikki! I always love coming to your party :) Hope you have an awesome week!

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24

Mindi says:

February 26, 2013 at 9:14 am

Thank you for the fun party!

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25

Lorraine @ Cookin' For the Seven Dwarfs says:

February 26, 2013 at 9:33 am

Thanks for hosting!

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26

Gabriela @ Living a Renaissance Life says:

February 26, 2013 at 10:12 am

Hello Nikki! Thank you for hosting! So many lovely links today. Super excited to check them out!

I shared Toasted Coconut Chai Macaroons with a quick how-to video on how easy it is to make them. They’re super tasty and perfect for snacking when you don’t want to feel guilty about snacking! :) Have a really awesome week!

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27

Lynn H @ Turnips 2 Tangerines says:

February 26, 2013 at 11:07 am

Thanks for hosting another great party~ Have a great week~ Lynn H @ Turnips 2 Tangerines

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28

Meghan @ The Tasty Fork says:

February 26, 2013 at 11:56 am

Great Features!! Thanks for hosting!

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29

Kammie @ Sensual Appeal says:

February 26, 2013 at 12:23 pm

Wow this is one huge linky party, Idk how I’ve missed it before! Well it’s my first time linking up and I’m so happy to be here! :) I linked up SNICKERS cupcakes and PINEAPPLE cupcakes! Yes, I love cupcakes :)

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30

Desi says:

February 26, 2013 at 12:58 pm

Thanks for featuring my Avocado Bacon and Eggs!! I appreciate it! Have a great week :)

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31

Shannon says:

February 26, 2013 at 1:36 pm

Thank you so much for hosting! Have a wonderful week:)

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32

Jenn@eatcakefordinner says:

February 26, 2013 at 5:54 pm

Thanks for the shout out!!

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33

Katie B. of HousewifeHowTos.com says:

February 27, 2013 at 8:06 am

Thank you for hosting. So many of these recipes are making my tummy growl! If you haven’t already, I’d love if you’d come join my How To Tuesday link party, too.

http://housewifehowtos.com/link-party-2/how-to-tuesday-link-party-10/

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New?

I receive a lot of questions about me and my blog. I thought it would be fun to collectively gather some questions I have been asked so you can get to know me better and maybe find some of the stuff useful for you.

Q: What made you start this blog?

A: I have always loved to cook/bake and came from a mom who is an AMAZING cook. People were always asking for both mine and my mom's recipes, and instead of always emailing them out, I decided to start storing them on a blog so they were accessible to all my friends and family.

Q: Where did you come up with the name "Chef in Training"?

A: When I first started this blog, I wanted a name that could relate to most everyone. I am a "Chef in Training" just like most people and enjoying the journey to become a great cook.

Q: Where did you learn to photograph food?

A: haha! I always get a kick out of this question. My EARLY pictures are SO terrible. I have seriously contemplated just deleting all my old posts and starting new ones for them. I didn't know ~~much~~ anything about photography when I first started my blog and it is really apparent. Over time, I have learned little tips and tricks to take good pictures. Up until recently, I was just using a standard point and shoot camera and used Picnik to help edit my pictures. A couple weeks ago, I bought the dslr camera of my dreams and don't have to do much editing at all! I am still learning so much about photography, but am having a blast learning how! One thing I do know, is that Natural lighting is the way to a good picture. If you want your food to look like it does in real life and look appetizing, time your cooking and food photography with the time of day that allows for the most light in your home.

Q: What are staple items you keep in your pantry?

A: I wish I could narrow this down for you, but because of this blog, I really have way too many staples! I mean, who really has a food storage of Marshmallow Creme?...oh, wait, me! haha! It depends on what you like to cook, but I think some crucial pantry staples to never be low on would be- flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, brown sugar, vanilla, cream of chicken, bread crumbs, pasta, salt, oil, canned goods you use regularly, spices and anything else you find yourself needing more often than not when you are in the kitchen.

Q: How do you find time to blog, cook, and be a mother/wife/homemaker?

A. It is all about balance, which believe me, I am no where close to accomplishing. First and foremost, I am a wife and mother. My kids and hubby will always come before blogging. Blogging, while it is wonderful to have this as a side-job, is still my hobby. I thoroughly enjoy blogging. I have come to meet some amazing friends through the blogging world. I figure, I have to cook/bake anyways, so the blogging comes easy for me because my blog is about something I am already doing. My home on the other hand is what I feel lacks the most attention. On any given day I am in the kitchen, more than likely you will find my home is a little messier than normal. When the kids go to bed at night, is when my homemaker magic happens, only to be messed up again once playtime starts in the morning. Luckily, I married a man who is SO supportive of me and my hobbies. When he comes home, he will take the kids for an hour so I can have some "me time." This is the time I am usually found blogging.

Q: How do you post a recipe everyday?

A: Well, I am one person that LOVES trying out new recipes. So always having new material is not a problem. Days where you see a dessert was probably a day that meant we had a repeat dinner. Sometimes, if it has been a lazy week or a week of repeat meals, I will pick one day (usually Saturdays so my hubby can watch the kids) and I will bake, cook, repeat! That rarely happens though. I am usually found cooking throughout the week.

Q: You always have so many yummy treats, what on earth do you do with them?!

A: HAHA! I do allow myself to try every dessert I make.... really, sweets are my weakness! But luckily, I can't eat a lot of sweetness at one time. They get sent lots of places, I always save enough for my husband to try them, but most of the time, they are delivered to neighbors or my husband's co-workers. I am very well known around his office :)

Q: What is one appliance you could not live without?

A: HANDS DOWN my CROCK POT! Oh goodness! This is my favorite thing in my kitchen. It makes dinner time SO EASY! Not to mention, my house smells like heaven all day long when its on working its magic! If you don't have one, I highly recommend getting one.

Q: What is your least favorite thing to cook/bake?

A. Meat. I LOVE to eat meat, but I hate dealing with raw meat. I am a little OCD and sanitize my kitchen probably 4 times after dealing with it. The "rawness" kind of freaks me out. I thought I would have outgrown this by now with how often I am cooking with it, but sadly I am still a little freaked out by it. Once it is cooked, I am good to go.

Q: How do you not get burnt out of being in the kitchen?

A. To be honest, its when I lose my focus. Like I have stated earlier, baking and cooking are a hobby, they are something I enjoy. When I start to think of being in the kitchen as a job, I get burnt out. As long as I keep perspective and remember I am doing something I love, I find the joy in it again. Plus, letting my little helper be in there with me brings me back to when I was a kid helping my mom out. It is so fun to let your kids in the kitchen with you. Sure it may get a little messier when you do, but you are going to remember those messy moments and cherish them for the rest of your life! Plus, your kids will start learning early on how to cook. My husband, up until he met me, could only cook top roman. I still laugh about it. I think it is so important to teach your kids how to cook. Maybe pick a day of the week that is children in the kitchen day and let them learn hands on how to cook a new meal.

Have a question you would like an answer to?

E-mail me at chefintraining.recipes@gmail.com and it may just make it to this page!