You might have seen my announcement about Kitchen Aid finally arriving to Romania and at a very high price may I say. It's almost double than what is in North America. But I have the chance of winning one,through the contest "Romanian Recipe of the year".Why am I asking for your help,other than me really WANTING a Kitchen Aid is that I've entered only Zaar recipes,one is Katew's,one is French Tart's and two more. I don't know what my chances are,but you might see a lot of me the next 10 days.
You can vote only through your Facebook account and you can vote each of the recipe once a day for 10 days. Each category can win either a food processor,toaster or blender and the one contestant that has overall most votes will take the Kitchen Aid.
Voting is done by clicking on the four icons on the right.Thank you and may the Zaar recipes be the recipe of the year!

You can find the links here as well:

http://www.bucataras.ro/bucataras-premium/?bid=BP00983 - brownies


http://www.bucataras.ro/bucataras-premium/?bid=BP00980 - FT's cream cheese


http://www.bucataras.ro/bucataras-premium/?bid=BP00984 - sushi


http://www.bucataras.ro/bucataras-premium/?bid=BP00982 -katew's soup

Once you click on the link,below the photo it will appear a box that says VOTEAZA,which means vote,that's what you have to click.Thanks.

Most of you know Andi,via the Zaar,which means you all know what a special and kind person she is.
In fact,we like her so much,my littles included,that we call her Auntie Andi or Ati Adi in Stephanie's words.
It's been a little over a year that we've known her and we talk about her the same as we talk about other members of the family,yes,she has really become our Auntie Andi. When little's littles (as she calls my daughters) are sick they won't eat chicken noodle soup like other sick kids,they'll only have Auntie Andi's tomato soup. I can't explain how a sick little tummy  wants tomato soup,but that's what makes them feel better. This is how Andi works her magic.
We always enjoy watching her farm pictures,Jenifer would love to be there and help and she's hoping she'll find a horse around too. She loves animals so much,I'm pretty sure she's going to live on a farm when she grows up.
This year,I've decided not to send Christmas cards to relatives,this way next time they get one (If)they'll really thank me. I entered two card swaps,one at the zaar and one at kittencals and it was so much better this way. My kids understood  what the holidays mean and enjoyed each one of the cards. The one from Auntie Andi was on the top of their list.We loved all the cards we received,but Andi put some extra thought when she chose her card. This is the card from her:
 I don't know about anybody else,but Santa will sure be able to get into our house. These past few days I couldn't get through any door until Jenifer didn't open the doors for me.With the key ,of course.She even slept with it a couple of times,she put the red band around her wrist. I had to put it away today,to be on the safe side ,I really want to see it every Christmas.

I had to share the beautiful cards that I got at the Holiday Card Swap. I decided that I won't send my relatives cards this year,since in the past I didn't even get a thank you. My kids really enjoyed looking in the mail box every day,they were kind of uses after I took part in the post card swap.
This card is from LeahMarie:
And the other one is from 4-H-Mom.

We're expecting even more cards since I signed up at Kittencal's as well,lots of friends there too. My daughter,Jenifer,is working on a couple of surprise cards that she wants to send.
I want to thank to the nice ladies that I was teamed up for their lovely cards.Happy Holidays!

Anybody remembers the voting for Lawrencetown? They didn't win,but came in second and for a place so small it was quite a big accomplishment.
I'll go to search for the details.

 I even made it in the paper that time! Well,it said that they were voted even from Romania (but we all knew they were talking about Mois).

I'm quoting myself here from food.com (is still kills me to call it this and not zaar).Posted it on Aug 05/2010.
Today I logged in for a little bit longer time than I do usually,thinking that I can write my reviews for October,when I saw on a thread that the site in down for a couple of hours,probably exactly the time I was on.I gave up posting new recipes or photos,but I'm still looking to find new dishes. You'll be hearing about them here as well.
I'll post at the bottom the comments as well.

"I was just thinking today how comes that I'm not that active anymore on this site? I like the new site as well,I find it easy to navigate,not too much different from the Zaar, A few things have changed,some people hate it,but for me it's still the place where I come for recipes and where I did learn how to cook.

I started making a blog and I'll transfer some of my recipes there.
Since the big change I found someone from my past that had dissapeared for 15 years,we really thought he wasn't alive (I really found him coz the zaar was off and I had more time on my hands) and I managed to make a blog(it's really easy,has step-by-step instructions).All this happened because the zaar switched to food,com.
At first,I wasn't going to open a topic on this,I was going to post it on the Holiday tag game,which is home to me on this site,but after I thought I'd like to see what impact this change had on others as well.
I'm still cooking because we still have to eat,but in the past I've found so many dishes that I wasn't able to make them more than once.
To me it doesn't matter how many things are still not right on the new site,but tomorrow a mother is going to hear her son's voice after 15 years and it all happennded because of the big switch.I'll always remember how we went from zaar to food,com."

And now the comments:
Mia in Germany
"Littlemafia, this is one of the nicest and most touching stories I've heard / read in ages!
In the first place it maybe says that we tend to spend too much time in this virtual world - many people forget that there is a real life, too.
For me, there was not much change, my life went like it always used to go. I had some major changes, but they were not due to zaar changing to food.com, they were at stake anyway. Maybe it was one of those coincidences you somtimes have: Old things are changing at the same time, like one is pulling the other.
I'm glad to hear that you started something new, I'd like to see your new blog! I'd also be happy if you still were around on food.com sometimes. This is a platform I like very much because a lot of my life is about food. Cooking for family, being forced to cook special diet for myself all the time, teaching others to cook special diet... So zaar / food.com is my platform to play around with personal necessities, hobby and job, and I still love it. I'm not a big internet forum person, zaar has been the only forum I really used to use, and I'll continue doing so. It's nice to chat with people all over the world while sitting at my desk and doing paperwork
Thanks for opening this thread and sharing your experience and your thoughts!"

WiGal:
"Mia stated it perfectly. Gotta love her.
Little , glad that you are satisfied to move on -a blog how exciting! Always enjoyed your stories about your girls so would love to see your blog when you are ready to share. Hope you come back home when the bugs are gone-maybe we need an exterminator here? LOL! The change over BUGS me too but am confident that eventually the sifter, notes, and recipe links will work correctly so in the meantime I am checking in here once in awhile and doing other things off line while waiting."
 
Myself:
"Oh,I'm not going anywhere,maybe just won't be as much around as I used to. We still need to eat! Just like Mia,this is the only forum that I participate in and I've met the nicest people here. During the long break it's been raining here and I've come to appreciate more doing a puzzle or a craft with DDs or just goofing around. I've also started watching movies,something I didn't have time for before. I think Pat was talking about an addiction,I think I had it too,since I tagging all my meals here.I bought eggplant a week ago and haven't even checked for a recipe.
The switch hasn't taken anything from me,has given me back time.
Blog has only three recipes so far,but I'm so enjoying it.
Mia,thank you for making the fudge. I grew up with Ciocolata de Casa(homemade chocolate we called it). It goes by Communist chocolate too because everytime we eat it we remember those times.Was one of the few sweets available. Oh,well,we didn't even know what pizza was. It was very western and they were scared it would corrupt us."
 
Mia in Germany:
"Strange as it is, this homemade chocolate might be one of the few positive things communism left. My dad left Romania in 1941 and never could return because he was a critic, and so I couldn't visit Romania either before 1989. But we had a lot of contact with people in communistic Romania, so we got quite some picture about how life was. I visited Bucharest in 1993 and 1994 and found that by then it was somewhat drowned in western stuff like camel cigarettes and Mac and coke... nothing the world actually really needs... compared to most store bought chocolate, your fudge is way better."
 
Myself:
"Thank you,Mia.
I'm not surprised to hear that you couldn't visit Romania before '89. We couldn't go out either and couldn't even hold a passport. I remember hearing stories how the few visitors that were able to visit would throw candy and kids running to get them.No contact was allowed with foreigners. Glad my kids don't have to see or live any of those things.
Back to topic,why I don't have any desire to cook or tag?"
 
Mia in Germany:
"I have that sometimes, too. No enthusiasm to tag and cook, so I just take a break from zaar / food.com life, only reading a bit and maybe chatting a little. Not sure why that is so, it just happens sometimes. Maybe because I have other things which preoccupy me, don't know. Or sometimes there just are no events which attract me. Sometimes I'm away from zaar for some time and don't think about it, then I'm looking for a recipe and DONG - I suddenly get a hype to tag and cook "
 
TeresaS:
Great post Little, I was lucky and missed most of the change because I took a short vacation down to California to celebrate my grandson's first birthday. But once I got back and saw the confusion and bugs etc., it did make me take a step back (and like you) realize that the site was really occupying a lot of my time. So what I decided to do was...focus on some of my saved and want to try again recipes. I would hate to tell you the pounds that attached to my hips, thighs, waist, OK every part of my body because of the tag games. Although I really enjoyed the recipes of my fellow zaar friends I decided enough was enough. I have joined a local gym and hired a personal trainer to whip my rear end into shape. I have so many good and healthy recipes saved that I should be good for a long time. I still check out the tag games to see how everyone is doing but really trying to limit my time to one hour per day. I guess there really is life after Zaar.
 
Myself:
"Oh,Teresa.Joining the gym! Good for you.So this change is really good for you. I wish I had time to do the same,but two little kids really are enough work out.My parents were gone for a whole month,that's when I dropped the weight.
I still come here to look for recipes,but the site is so slow at the moment,no patience to wait and check the tag games."
 
Debbwl:
"Little, very nicely put. Would love to see your blog.
Since the change I have missed the all the socializing and tagging that used to go on. Am so hoping that in time that feeling of one big happy family comes back again."

Cookgirl:
"What an interesting story!
Little, I do a blog and post here and somehow the two work out well for me.
I made your cabbage slaw for dinner tonight!"

Chef DLH:
" I must say I miss the Zaar' and since the change over I am having a hard time getting motivated to cook new things, play the games, check the stats, etc. I don't know why the other site was a home away from home that helped make my home homey with delcious food and fun for the family to get to try new recipes. I even miss the name. LOL.
I hope, as I have read about others, that I will be motivated to return full force. Can anyone who loves the changes give me some positives?
ChefDLH"

TeresaS:
"Wasn't it Bill Clinton who said: "I feel your pain". I put a stop to all notifications, because I stopped enjoying the games, recipes etc. I guess I missed this one, and when "RecipeZaar" popped up on my e-mail, well it was a sight for sore eyes until I remembered that it's Fooddotcom now. Someone somewhere on zaar said it was like a death in the family...well I guess I just came to visit the grave. "

Myself:
"Oh,I feel your pain too! That's exactly how I feel too.Seven days since my last tagged recipe and I just came to report whatever else is left. I enjoy more talking to everyone on the facebook.
The zaar was really something special, a part of our lives.
Looks like we're called again Recipezaar groupies!!!I did not like foodcom groupie ."

Andi of the Longmeadow Farm:(from all I think I miss talking to her the most)
"All these words ring so true - Zaar has been a part of all our lives for so long, it is indeed a shame.
The sadness goes on as I read all the fighting and clawing - it's bad enough with the physical changes - much less members fighting members."

Morgenegeiser:
"I love the stories. Nothing much changed for me, I have to admit I do not play the tag games as much, as I can't get the new sifters to filter recipes like I use to, so I still come on and grab recipes and I am doing the coffee/tea swap and will play the football tag game. But I use to do the other tag games, but just a little frustrated with finding stuff - lol! One of the pluses I see is I have gone back to the entire (large) bookcase of recipe books I have and been trying recipes in them. I keep coming back, as I am sure I will adjust to the changes and I do see some progress weekly in the "bug" department. I try to stay away from arguments and just look for the positive - life is too short to waist it on the negative.
Blue Skies all!"

Dreamer in Ontario:
"What a touching story, littlemafia.
I keep coming back and lurking. I no longer play any of the games. It's simply too difficult to do searches and post photos. At first I was hoping that everything would eventually be sorted out and the new food.com would be as great a place as zaar was.
However, when my account was left open on a public computer with no way of signing out for weeks (sign out box missing) and food's eventual response was to state that since the public computer used an old browser which, since the changeover, they didn't support I was simply out of luck and would have to remain signed on forever. I had no control over the computer and couldn't change the browser or delete cookies, etc.
Eventually I found a solution on my own.
Maybe I'll stop feeling this great disappointment eventually and positive feelings will again build for the new site but for now I'm still VERY unhappy with it."
 
Florida Native:
"Hi all
Little, thanks for starting this post...
I've just come back after weeks of not even logging in. I was so disappointed and frustrated at first, but then I needed a recipe I only had kept in one of my cookbooks on Zaar...so I'm back, and tagging, and swapping too.
It's SAD to see so few people participating in the swaps and cooking events (right now anyway)...used to see LOTS and LOTS of chefs playing along...
I know alot of peeps have gone over to Kitten's site, and I visited, but it just doesn't seem like home to me. Zaar was home...fooddotcom is like someone came in and remodeled without telling the residents where anything is...
Hoping (fingers crossed) that things start working faster, better or I get an epiphany and figure out how to use the recipe sifter correctly to look up recipes in my cookbooks...so hard to do that for me.
love yours
FN "

I still can't call it food.com. I feel like betraying someone.Anyway,I took part in this shopping bag swap and I was partnered up with Lalaloula.These are the great bags she sent me:

The little one is handmade and I carry it with myself when I just need a coin purse,my phone and the keys.

This one is handmade as well and personal,too.


I love these little bags,that I can carry around in my purse and open them up just when needed.








This is the place she lives and studies.


And she covered all the fabrics:


Or sizes:(this one is very tiny)


This one is DH's favorite,handmade as well.


If you've wandered what that triangle does,here's the answer:



Doesn't it look like a fun swap? It sure was!