Look what I got from my good friend Tanna from My Kitchen In Half Cups. And it must be true too, because when Tanna sent me an email to let me know, I thought she was just sending something nice to me over the weekend, but then I really thought about it and checked her blog, it was then I knew I'd been tagged!

This cute little meme was started here and the idea is, you get to say which 5 blogs really make you think. It's not about which blogs you like to read because they make you laugh or whatever, it's about the blogs that stay in your mind long after you've read them, maybe those that even change the way you think.

Now, I'd have to say that Tanna would be in my list for sure. I love the way she works out recipes, changing and adapting, always for a reason. Sometimes reading her is like listening to an extended guitar solo and wondering how the artist is ever going to get back to the tune, but Tanna always brings you back and in style, you rock girl. But as she has been nominated at least twice, I'm sure she won't mind if I leave her off my list.

#1 What I Cooked Last Night - My friend kitchen hand ranges far and wide in his writing about food and other subjects. His wonderful insights are coupled with a dry sense of humour that is shot off like arrows, they always find their marks. But the one thing that stands out, not just for me judging by the comments he elicits, is his wonderful writing style. Kitchen hand will hate me for this, but his prose is gorgeous, he manages just with the minimum of words to conjure colour and movement and always the right emotional context.

#2 The Elegant Sufficiency - Stephanie's day job is writing and it shows, there is not a single wasted word anywhere, her points are made quickly and concisely and with the one thing you can't fake, understanding. Her posts range far and wide, covering an assortment of topics and always with emotional depth. Today is also a very special day for Stephanie's blog, go on over and wish her a Happy Blog Birthday.

#3 Matt Bites - Matt is one of the nicest people with a blog and also one of the cleverest. He doesn't mind sharing his knowledge and is constantly on the go, not only in his real life but there is the persistent tinkering with his blog design, it seems Matt is never satisfied and looking for that perfect combination of colours, design and content, and just by watching I'm learning so much. For some reason, and Matt, I mean this nicely, he reminds me of Tassie from Bugs Bunny, a real whirlwind of activity.

#4 Seriously Good - Kevin is one of the deepest thinkers on food amongst all the bloggers I know; it can't be too much longer before there's a book by him. His knowledge of food is encyclopedic as well as having an amazing grasp of the issues and politics of it. A more complete food blogger would be hard to find and such is his dedication, Kevin somehow manages to find the time to write for at least two other blogs, besides being a personal chef and consultant to ChefsLine. How on earth does he do it?

#5 MOM - Not Otherwise Specified - or mom-nos for short, even her title gets you thinking, it is a clever play on a type of autism diagnosis and is one of the pre-eminent blogs covering autism. Here is a blog that is not afraid to present the harder issues surrounding autism, but is also capable of lighthearted moments. It is possible to disagree with her and argue your point unlike some other blogs, though on the whole there is nothing much she says that I find myself disagreeing with. If you have any interest in autism and its issues, this is one blog you won't be able to stop reading.

Okay, there's my list. If you'd like to play along, here are the rules for this meme.

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think.
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme.
3. Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote (here is an alternative silver version if gold doesn't fit your blog).

Labels: Thinking Blogger Award