We are very grateful to be nominated for a Versatile Blogger Award by one of our favorite blogs, wifemeetslife.

So here are the rules:

• Thank the blogger who nominated you.
• Nominate seven other blogs that you think are amazing.
• Tell the blogging world seven things about yourself.

Wifemeetslife features good recipes, gardening and a hedgehog. Yes, a hedgehog. IMHO, if the hedgehog makes the blog, you need to check it out…;-). Thanks Alison!

As for the seven other blogs we like, the only problem is that there are way more than seven. One of the great surprises of blogging is how much we enjoy reading other blogs. Our cooking, gardening and bartending are much better, and the sheer volume of amazing photos out there is truly remarkable. As it is, here are seven blogs we love:

• Promenade Plantings: A simply lovely gardening and cooking blog with a generous spirit. This may not be their first nomination, but still well-deserved.
• The Boo Lion: Well-written, passionate cocktail blog all the way from Taiwan. And the drinks are good. We don’t miss a post.
• Stefan’s Gourmet Blog: Great cooking and eating blog. Detailed, well-written recipes.  Stefan’s posts convinced us to get a sous-vide cooker. A good decision, it turns out.
• Life in The Foothills: A blog about life in the country and a genuine appreciation for the land and where you live. Recipes, wildlife photos and scenes from the Sierra foothills, plus a fruit-stealing fox. Cool.
• Sybarite Sauvage: Irreverent, funny writing that happens to include good wine reviews. Always gives you a smile, even if you don’t drink wine (oh, but we do…;-)
• MaggiesOneButtKitchen: Great, and we mean great, baking blog. Amazing what she can do.
• Mike’s Look On Life: Mike is a photographer with an eye for austere beauty that is unique and, at times, heartrending. Our guess is that his work will extend beyond the blogosphere, should he so choose.

Oleander from the pasture. The quail like to hang out underneath.

And seven things about Putney Farm:

1. The blog truly is “us”. The parents both cook, bake, garden, mix drinks, write and take photos. The kids give “unfiltered” feedback…and plenty of it. The dog and cat try to keep the varmints in check, albeit with mixed results. A true team effort.
2. We are proud (and sometimes tortured) fans of the San Francisco Giants.
3. We love good, hand-made cocktails but still sometimes enjoy frozen margaritas from a machine. We are unashamed.
4. We do make about 10 pounds of home-cured bacon every 2 weeks and share with friends. It goes pretty quick.
5. Our kitchen is more than just a kitchen. Our garden is more than just a garden.
6. We try to be grateful for every day. Sometimes we get caught in the weeds. Times with family and friends get us to open pastures.
7. And we always like to leave you with a few photos….in this case a few from our pastures:

Due south.

One of many oaks.

The bee boxes. Busy and happy with the heat.

Flotsam and jetsam.