If you haven’t heard, this weekend is FoodBlog South, a great southern food blogging conference in my hometown, Birmingham, Alabama. Last year was the first ever FoodBlog South, and it was one of the best conferences of the year. This year has an incredible line-up of speakers and attendees, so check it out. And guess what?  I am so excited that this conference also has a teen blogging conference too.  “Teen FoodBlog South” is for students in grades 7th-12th. It’s a free half-day blogging conference teaching them tips and tricks of the trade. I’ll be there teaching “Recipe Development for food blogging,” so don’t miss out if you live near or around Birmingham.

I spent the last week at my first design conference ever: Altitude Summit in Salt Lake City. It was great to step out of my box and learn from so many talented and creative people. I thought I would share the top 5 things I learned that apply to blogging and life.

1. ”One of the best ways to be happy in life is to make other people happy.” Gretchen Rubin

2. “Make connections in life, and make it personal. The most important thing is to be sincere, genuine and personal.” -Alison Lewis

3. “Jump in with both feet, but decide where you want to land first.” Liz Stanley

4. “Knowing your brand and value will put you in power to do just about anything in your buiness.” -Alison Lewis

5. “Discovering things about the world will help us discover more about who we are.” Ben-Founder of Pinterest.

Images above by Kelli Anderson, Alex Profit, and Yan Photo

I made so many awesome friends at this conference that it’s hard to make a shout-out to everyone. I did want to mention that the team from Rue La La were so genuine and awesome. I truly loved hanging out with y’all.

. 

Fun news! I am super excited! Today, I am headed to Alt Summit (Altitude Design Summit) in Salt Lake City, Utah. It’s a conference I have been wanting to attend, so I put it on my to-do list a long time ago. If you’re asking yourself, What is Alison talking about?” Read on. If you’re obsessed with lifestyle, food and fashion blogs; fantastic images; smart ideas and great design; this is where you should be. Keynote speakers include Editors of Martha Stewart Living, Apartment Therapy and The Wall Street Journal Magazine as well as Founder of Pinterest and New York Time’s Bestselling Author, Gretchen Rubin. Images above by Freshly Picked, Daniel Staemmler, and Mode:lina

I’ll be learning more about Design. Lifestyle. Photography. Fashion. Events. Styling. Art Direction. Food. Interior Design. 

When I think of a luxurious hotel, I always think of the “Four Seasons”. I have never actually stayed a Four Seasons hotel (until now), but I have visited many. When I was traveling in Milan this summer, I visited the Four Seasons Milan. Trust me. If I ever get the opportunity to go to Milan again, I will definitely want to stay there. The closest Four Seasons hotel to me is The Four Seasons Atlanta. So, when I heard about their “Holiday How-To Classes”, I put it on my to-do list. The Saturday afternoon 1 1/2 hour class was packed with great food and recipes, entertaining ideas and even new friends.

The class started with Executive Chef, Robert Gerstenecker, teaching us how to make Candied Pecans with only 3 ingredients. So easy and so good…

Chef Gerstenecker shared recipes that that make entertaining easy. He taught us how to prepare several crostini appetizers such as Pimiento Cheese, Chicken Liver Pate and a creative Red Pepper Dip. He demonstrated how to make Homemade Cheese Crackers which are only 5 ingredients (I couldn’t stop eating them).

He also proved that Kale Chips are so easy to make and delicious. Most of the women at my table had not tried kale chips before and were hooked.

Next, The Four Seasons Mixologist, Matthew Buckly, demonstrated how to make some holiday cocktails. Oh darn!

The Candy Cane Martini demonstration was hugely popular. (I’m so glad he gave us the recipe.)

l

Floral Designer, James Hurley, gave us a flower arranging 101. I need this desperately. We learned how to create the napkin holder (top picture above), how to make individual place cards with fresh herbs and raffia, and how to make a pretty table arrangement. We turned this (below)

into this (below).

When the class was over, I explored the hotel. Since it was too cold outside, I found the perfect spot for relaxation or a workout. This indoor pool was was the perfect place to warm up.

And who wouldn’t want to step into this this jacuzzi?

The Four Seasons Atlanta also is equipped with a great workout facility, and the locker rooms were fully equipped with sauna, steam and everything you could ever need.

The Four Seasons Atlanta is located in the heart of Midtown Atlanta right near Piedmont Park, The Atlanta Botanical Gardens, The Georgia Aquarium, The High Museum of Art, The Fox Theater, World of Coca Cola and more. Since I needed to do some holiday shopping, I headed over to Atlantic Station which is an incredible venue for families with great stores so close by. The Four Seasons Atlanta is a truly special big city family destination or a great couples getaway.

I’m so excited to be heading to Nashville this Friday to attend and speak at Food Blog Forum. Nashville is one of my favorite cities, and what better place to host a hugely talented bunch of food experts, bloggers and brands. I am honored and thrilled to be speaking with Kelly Senyei, from Gourmet Live and Just a Taste, on a “Recipe Writing & Development” panel. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with and getting to know her over the last few months, and we have some great information to share. I am also speaking on an “Experts” Round Table on “Working with TV and Media”. I think this conference will be so much fun! Join us if you can.

So who else is going to be there? OMG, where do I start? Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen, Todd Porter and Diane Cu of White on Rice Couple, Amanda Bottoms from Kevin and Amanda, Jenny Flake of Picky Palate, Beth Sachan of Eat.Drink.Smile, Lindsay Landis of Love and Olive Oil, Tami Hardeman of Running with Tweezers and so many of my fabulous new (and not so new) blogger friends which I can’t wait to meet and see. Have a great weekend everyone!

Welcome to Virtual Shower for Maria and Josh from Two Peas & Their Pod. I have never been a part of a virtual baby shower, but when Marla from Family Fresh Cooking and Lisa from With Style & Grace, invited me to be a part, I was so excited! Maria is expecting a baby boy in a few weeks, and a group of blogger friends have come together to celebrate this surprise virtual shower for Maria. The secret is finally out, so I hope you will enjoy my Fruity Punch which is super healthy and filled with some of my favorite fruit juices. (Feel free to add vodka if you wish.) I hope you will check out the following other fabulous bloggers involved in this great day for Maria. We are so looking forward to your first child and baby boy! Check out:

Savory Bites

Truffle Popcorn With Style Grace

Baby Peas & Cheese Frittata  Family Fresh Cooking

Nutella Berry Bruschetta Reluctant Entertainer

Drinks

Lemon Balm Infused Lemonade Simple Bites

Mini Pistachio Smoothies She Wears Many Hats

Lemongrass Soda Food for My Family

Homemade Real Fruit Punch Heather’s Dish Watermelon

Agua Fresca Georgia Pellegrini

Salad  

Pasta Salad with Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette Aggie’s Kitchen

Desserts

Fresh Lemon Cream Tart Dorie Greenspan

Blue and Chocolate Cake Balls Tidy Mom

Coconut Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing What’s Gaby Cooking

Lavender Shortbread Cookies Mountain Mama Cooks

Oven Baked Cinnamon Apples Dine and Dish

Decorated Sugar Cookies Sweetapolita

Orange Fruit Dip Barbara Bakes

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Sandwiches Picky Palate

Nutella & Cream Cheese Swirled Brownies Cookin’ Canuck

Blackberry Tartlets Add a Pinch

Baby Blue Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Cups Kevin and Amanda

Petit Fours with Fondant Pea Pods Bake at 350

Baby Button Cookies Recipe Girl

Mud Cups with Gummy Worms Recipe Boy

Baby Pea Shower Cake I Am Baker

Craft

How to Make a Diaper Cake Centerpiece Our Best Bites

Handmade Sweet Pea Cards Wenderly

I am so excited to announce my partnership with CanolaInfo for their 2011 World Heart Day campaign. As part of my work with them, I created the “Home is Where the Heart is” Recipe Collection, which includes six simple, family-friendly, and heart-healthy recipes (such as these brownies above).

World Heart Day, observed on Sept. 29, was created by the World Heart Federation to encourage heart-healthy habits from regular exercise to nutritious eating. Heart disease remains the world’s number one killer and the World Heart Federation is dedicated to leading the fight against it along with stroke. Together with the World Heart Federation, CanolaInfo is helping to inform the public on ways to prevent this disease by providing heart-healthy tips, recipes, publications and more.

Besides the recipe collection, I am working with CanolaInfo on some social media events over the next month. On Sept. 1 from 12-1 PM CST, I will be participating in my first ever “Twitterview!” The folks at @CanolaInfo will be interviewing me (@alisonlewis) about my new recipe collection and ways I keep my family healthy and active. You can ask your own questions as well, just use #CanolaInfo. In addition, 10 lucky participants will be chosen at random to receive a free cookbook! You can RSVP for the here for the Twitterview.

In addition, on World Heart Day (Sept. 29) from 7-8 PM CST, I will host a discussion on ways to be heart smart at home from CanolaInfo’s Facebook page. I hope you will come and share your own tips and stories as well. To top it all off, 10 more of you will be chosen at random to receive a CanolaInfo Heart Health Toolkit! You can RSVP here for Canolainfo Facebook Party.

I am honored to be a part of this project. Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing my recipes from the “Home is Where the Heart Is” campaign – all of which include canola oil.  Meanwhile, for more information about this healthy oil, go to www.canolainfo.org.

P.S. On Sept. 1, CanolaInfo is launching an interactive Facebook game that features my recipes! You become the chef and try to beat the clock! Check it out at Facebook.com/CanolaInfo.

Come see me to this Saturday, July 30th at Birmingham Bake & Cook Company from 12 p.m to 2 p.m. for food and fun.  I’ll be signing copies of my new cookbook 400 Best Sandwich Recipes: From Classics to Burgers & Wraps to Condiments. You can also try these Grilled Peach and Brie Panini Sandwiches (from my book) so come have a bite. Have a super weekend and thank you for your wonderful support!

This weekend I am in one of my favorite cities, Park City, Utah for Evo Conference. Last year I was fortunate to win a trip to the first ever Evo Conference. I wasn’t sure what to expect. This was my first social media conference for one thing. Also, I had never stepped food in Utah. Needless to say, this was one of the best conferences I attended all year long filled with useful information in the most incredible venue. I made so many wonderful friendships last year, and I am looking forward to seeing them as well as making new ones. The conference is held at the Canyons resort, a beautiful resort in the winter and summertime for families or creative minds. Thank you to The Canyons for use of their photos. 

Come see me tomorrow, Saturday, at the Pepper Place Farmers Market in downtown Birmingham. I will be there selling my book “400 Best Sandwich Recipes” with Bob Carlton of the Birmingham News as he showcases his new “Soon-to-be-Famous Pimiento Cheese”. We will be there from 7 to noon. Stop by and say hello, and try a Pimiento Cheese Sandwich on Big Sky Bread. Have a super weekend!

Only 1 of my cookbooks is currently available on Amazon this week, so come get a signed copy in person.