This post is a tribute to a wonderful, caring, funny person. Someone who touched the lives of countless people all over the world.
If you remember way back to my first posts, the whole reason that I started this blog was so that I could join the Daring Kitchen. Since that time, I have completed 90 challenges, hosted two, and written several product and cookbook reviews for the site overall. I have learned so many things, from different cooking techniques to different world cuisines. I've also made countless friends. Good friends. All because of the Daring Kitchen.
And the Daring Kitchen was able to thrive because of the dedication, love and commitment of its founder, chief and backbone, Lis.
This week, we suddenly and very unexpectedly lost Lis. The Daring Kitchen lost its leader, the world lost an amazing person, and I lost a friend.
I can't find the right words to put here. I've been staring at the screen for a very long time just putting together these few sentences. There is nothing I can say to make sense of this. She was young. She was vibrant. She genuinely cared about each and every member of the group that she started. She was funny. She was a good person. And I can't believe that I'm writing a post about her in the past tense.
As painful as it is, as difficult as it is to understand, we (Daring Bakers, Daring Cooks, bloggers, family, friends and anyone who was touched by Lis) wanted to come together and pay tribute to the person behind the scenes. Through writing, through cooking, through baking - whatever helps.
I made pretzels.
These pretzels are made based on the first challenge that Lis ever hosted for the Daring Bakers back in November of 2006. They were the basis for the whole group, for the whole reason I have a blog at all.
So I made pretzles to honor a friend gone too soon. To celebrate a life lived for others. To honor all of the love she put into everything she did. To honor her family and friends who are hurting so much right now.
The best way I can honor my friend is to try to help her legacy live on, which is what I will do.
Today, I do that with pretzels.
Lis, you will be forever missed. And forever remembered.
Beautifully expressed.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't until I hosted a challenge that I really came to understand the extent of how wonderful Lis was. She is going to be terribly missed.
What a beautiful tribute to your friend. It sounds like she was a wonderful person, and I feel like I know her a little bit by your heartfelt words.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful words, Shelley. I'm all teary.
ReplyDeleteWow, 90 challenges, Shelley..that's amazing! Lis would say 'Bless your cotton socks!" :) Your tribute to her is so heart felt and perfect. Like i said to Jenni, I keep crying each time I read one, and yours is no exceptions. As for the pretzels..they look even better than good 'ole Philly pretzels :)
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful tribute to an amazing woman C. I think it is pretty special that you chose bagels as your challenge. Our world has lost a pretty special lady.
ReplyDeleteLove that you chose to make the pretzels in her honor. She was so funny and welcoming to all of us.
ReplyDeleteG'day! Lovely tribute for a lovely person!
ReplyDeleteI will never be able to look at pretzels the same!
It is bittersweet to read all of these wonderful tributes to Lis, shared one and feel glad and sad through each one!
Cheers! Joanne