Giveaway Winner and Gypsy Curse

-Getting some shots ready.-

I always get sick at the worst possible times it seems. It's like some kind of curse and makes me wonder what gypsy I pissed off in a previous life for some viral dreadnought to sack my body at only the most inopportune moments. I picture running over a young lad with a horse and his hoop-earring'ed mother swearing that in my next life I will spend many joyful moments with a fever.

Because that's how I spent many of my Halloweens as a child. Not screaming around the neighborhood mooching free candy off of total strangers in a bizarrely socially approved tradition that goes against all better judgement that we reserve for the other three-hundred and sixty-four days of the year. No, I spent it in bed with an ancient humidifier clunking along and heaving out a damp fog over the bed.

So 'eff all if all I got was a tablespoon of Nyquil while my little brother hauled in a pillowcase stuffed with enough Twix bars that he could swing it over his shoulder on any corner in Santa Ana and knock no less than three hookers unconscious. So unfair. After Dad stole all the Milky Way's and Three Musketeers and I was finally feeling better a week later the only things left were the tosser candies like Bit-O-Honey.

The night I got engaged? Two hours later I was laid up with a stomach bug that pretty much annihilated any possible romance that night and for the next two days. Then again, nothing assures your faith in true love then when your man is gently rubbing your back and stroking your hair as you lean out of the bed and horf into a bucket.

Romance!

Then, of course, there was this weekend. I was taping the trailer to my cookbook trailer with Stephanie, and our filmographer, Ryan Donahue. He's a talented food photographer in Sacramento and the editor of Edible Sacramento magazine.

-Watch as I stir pasta into water!-

As you can guess by now I got sick. I thought it was allergies at first, but no. No, no, no. Full on hack and gag cold. The one day I have to look composed, professional, and fun is the one day I sound like Tallulah Bankhead after chain smoking crystal meth and was sniffling back a flood of mucus. Oh yeah, buy a cookbook from me. You can look and sound like this, too!

Aside from the fact that I spilled coffee on the shirt I bought to wear for taping and re-learning that I am terrible on camera (but we knew that already), it probably went okay.

I think...

We'll see in time.

So no recipe today as the only thing I am eating is water with lemon and honey. I am typing this from bed right now, so yeah, that's that.

Garrett out.

P.S. The winner is PattyPro, who notes that the word "unctuous" leaves her feeling like she needs a shower.  PattyPro, please be sure to email me your address so I can get the book off to your hot little hands.

P.P.S. Thanks to Stephanie (Instagram) who took these pictures as I was too tired trying to keep myself upright and awake.

-I am too sick to eat any of this. =( -