The Next Deen Team Blogger

Happy Friday y'all!

So, I have been wanting to do this for the past couple of weeks and finally decided to go for it! What I am talking about is becoming The Next Deen Team Blogger. Yes, people. I am talking the Paula Deen herself is looking for bloggers to join her inner circle of bloggers on her website. Of course I just jumped at this opportunity. I mean, why not, right? Plus, I'm 100% positive that I am the perfect candidate for the job :). Duh.

I mean, isn't she just the cutest?

She could definitely be my grandmother. 

Let me list reasons why I am the perfect candidate for this opportunity.

Here goes nothing ;)

1. I have been following Paula Deen forever and I love the sense of community that she has built on her website. Seriously y'all, her website is so inviting, warm, and friendly, just like Paula! I feel apart of her family each and every time I visit it. You all know that I strive for the same goal on my website: to make each and every one of you, the readers, feel more like my family members. I feel that there is a more to offer on my blog than just a list of ingredients. My goal is to tell you a story with each recipe that helps you relate to me in some sort of way. I want my recipes to evoke past memories of sharing food with your family and friends. I want to be able to connect with you on every level and make you feel at home. I feel that it something that Mrs. Deen and I have in common. 

2. I have met Paula Deen and I already feel apart of her family. I mean, she even called my sister out at her book signing event. So, naturally, I feel that because I am already connected to her, I would have no problem fitting into her blogger circle. 

3. The word "y'all." Like Paula, I am a southern gal and am not afraid to speak my mind, even if it means using words that are only in the southern dictionary, and probably foreign to the rest of the population. To me, the first time I watched Paula on television, y'all was the word that connected us. It was familiar to me and made me feel as though Paula was more of my grandmother making a sandwich for me in the kitchen, than a Food Network Star. To me, that word is a term of endearment, and more importantly, a word of hospitality. Hospitality is my middle name, and I seek to show that to each person that visits my blog. If I invited any of you to my house for dinner tomorrow, I can assure you that you would expect nothing less than good ole' fashioned Southern Hospitality. 

4. Butter. Paula Deen taught me to never be afraid of butter, and although I like to keep my dishes on the "lighter" and "healthier" side, a little butter never hurt anyone. Yes, I did just say that butter is a reason why I should be considered the next Deen team blogger.

5. Last, but certainly not least, family. As many of you know, I come from a huge extended Italian family and at any given moment in time, I am most likely surrounded by food. Food isn't just something on a plate, it's a language, a language of love to be spoken every.single.day. Cooking and baking for others is how I show love. It gives me great pride and joy to know that with each dish that I make, I have the chance of making someones day even a little more brighter. To me, that is the best satisfaction in the world. I know that family is something that Paula holds near and dear to her heart, especially when it comes to cooking and baking. I would love nothing else to be apart of her family. 

On a final note, if awarded this opportunity to be the next Deen team blogger, I will stop at nothing to make each and every one of y'all feel right at home. One of my favorite Paula Deen-isms is when she says "It is out of this world" when describing the dishes she makes. I want to be able to share my "out of this world" experiences with food with each of y'all.

MANGIA!!!