Sometimes it takes a while to find out where you belong. What you want to do when you grow up, who your friends are, how you better yourself on so many different levels. And I think I’ve finally succeeded on figuring these out with the help of Social Fabric and Collective Bias.
Friends, community, support. These are the words that come to mind when I think of Social Fabric and what the SoFab community has done for me.
Now I have the chance to finally meet the SoFab family I’ve come to love in person at SoFabCon’14 in Arkansas this May.
Since joining Social Fabric two years ago I have grown by leaps and bounds in my personal and professional life. I’ve not only tried my best to better my blog but I’ve also realized what is important to me.
At a dinner I had with John Andrews and Randi Kleckler (as well as some amazing local So Fab bloggers) at the end of 2012, I explained to John that Social Fabric has made me a better blogger.
Being a part of Social Fabric has changed the way I approach blogging and has made me strive to be better. And I intend to do just that by attending SoFabCon’14. By learning great things, pushing myself, and meeting amazing people.
You see, Social Fabric is like a lasagna recipe. Made up of many different layers, many different flavors, but everything works so well together.
From the people in the community – bloggers, campaign leaders, community managers, etc – to the SoFabU seminars to an ever fluid change in the community striving to be better.
Every layer, every piece of the community, is important and adds to the dish or community as a whole.
By winning this scholarship and attending SoFabCon’14 I hope to not only learn more about blogging but to meet the people who I have come so close to over the past two years.
I hope to increase my knowledge of SEO, learn how to better my skills at blogging, and network with the amazing community I know and love online but have yet to meet in person.
I want to learn more about the layers that make up Social Fabric. I want to treat myself to this amazing experience. To spend this time on me and making what I do even better. And all over Mother’s Day weekend too.
To show how much I want to go I made this amazingly delicious lasagna. It wouldn’t be perfect without the Social Fabric logo made out of dyed noodles.
The noodles? Yeah, I got that idea after reading the blog of another Social Fabric member who’ve I’ve come to call friend. You see, the community is full of so many amazing people who inspire me daily. And they have REALLY good ideas!
I’m pretty sure if I win this scholarship I’ll still have blue and green fingers in May from dying the noodles… but don’t worry, no smurfs or martians were harmed in the making of this recipe.
Spinach & Meat Lasagna
- 12 no-bake lasagna noodles
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 onion (diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 pound ground beef
- 4 roma tomatoes (diced)
- 2 cups spinach (chopped)
- 1 jar marinara sauce
- 16 ounces part-skim ricotta
- 1 16 ounce bag Italian blend cheese
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 2 eggs
- Pour oil to a skillet and heat on medium high. Saute onions and garlic in pan for 2-3 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add ground beef to the pan and brown. Add diced tomatoes and spinach to the pan and cook until spinach has wilted. Once the beef is cooked and spinach has wilted, add jar of sauce to the pan and let simmer 15-20 minutes.
- While sauce is cooking, mix together ricotta, cheese blend (reserve 1/3rd for topping at the end), Italian seasoning, and egg in a medium bowl.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grab a 9 inch square pan and pour a little sauce in the bottom. Layer 3 noodles on top of the sauce. Spread half of the ricotta mixture onto the noodles. Pour more sauce over ricotta mixture.
- Repeat until the last noodles are layered. Top noodles with sauce and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 45 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes to let lasagna set.
I find out if I’m going to #SoFabCon14 to meet my #CollectiveBias family on Monday, February 3rd at 8am PT/11am ET at the#SoFabCon Twitter Party!
Social Fabric will be awarding six (6) full scholarships to SoFabCon14 during the Tweet Chat, plus FIVE 3-day conference blogger passes! Awesome. For more info RSVP HERE.
I love this and I cannot wait to meet you at SFC14 (because you’ve got this in the bag, girl)! 😉
Thanks, lady! I’m seriously SO stoked to finally meet and hang out with you!
I knew you could pull this off when you told me about it this morning! Can’t wait to see you at the end of February and hopefully SoFabCon too!
Whatttttttt??!! That is amazing, so inventive!
So cool . Good luck to both of us getting to SoFabCon! And Gooooo Seahawks !!
You know you want to make a seahawk lasagna dish now!
It’s great that you have a good experience being there, good luck.
Good luck
WOW!!! So creative Danielle! Love it!
Best of luck!
Seriously cool idea! I’ve got my fingers crossed for you!
Thanks, Heather! I appreciate it.
What a brilliant application! I seriously love that lasagna recipe and the colored noodles. I know who you are referencing there. She is brilliant.
I adore Social Fabric and the amazing people I have come to know; like you! it is a community like no other. I wish with all my heart I could go this year to SoFabCon; but sadly we will be moving that month and I can’t pull away.
Good luck to yoU!
So sad I won’t be meeting you! Best of luck in your move. And thank you for the luck.
wow, love this. I am not familiar with Social Fabric at all, will check it out
I’m with you. SoFab has really changed the way I blog and made me think more about what I’m posting and how. Thanks for this great post!
WOW now that’s alotta color in the pasta–never saw it like that before–not familar with SoFab–have to check them out–great post 🙂
what a creative way to make lasagne! Mykids would get a kick out of that!
BEST BEST BEST post I’ve seen so far of those participating. You are a winner in my book already!
This is, by far, the most creative and amazing application I’ve seen yet! You are such a beautiful writer and cook and I think you have this in the bag! Love you and I wish you the best of luck!! 🙂
Aww! Thanks so much, Jess! Love you too 🙂
So creative! I love it! Good luck Danielle!
Such a creative way to say what Social Fabric means to you! I seriously hope you get to attend SoFabCon ’14 this year, I think it would be amazing to go!
This is seriously amazing – you’re a rock star, Danielle!
Love it
Love the dyed noodles. Good Luck. I am sure you will have a blast!
You’re so creative. Love your posts! Hope you are one of the few that are chosen for this great opportunity!
Ah, I hope you get to go – I love reading your site! That lasagna looks tasty too!
Not going, but I hope you win!! Good luck!!
Love this idea- I hope they pick you!!
I love, love, love this! What a great metaphor (and awesome recipe!) Good luck to you!
You are absolutely amazing! I love this recipe and how it represents the importance of Social Fabric in your blogging career! You’re one of my best friends and I wouldn’t have met you if not for this crazy world of blogging! Good luck!
And I wouldn’t have grown as much as I have without your help and support! I love that I get to call you friend; best blogging friend! 😉
Love the lasagna and the SoFab colors! You totally deserve to go to the conference!
What an incredibly creative analogy to use! I am striving to become a part of an encourging community like this in order to grow. Thank you for the information. I hope to become a part of Social Fabric one day.
This is so creative, Danielle! I also love the Social Fabric community and hope you can make it to the conference.
Not only is your lasagna inspirng me to make a lasagna now – you are inspiring me to check out Social Fabric community – in case you haven’t noticed I’ve been blogging so much more than ever and getting super connected on G+ to amazing people – but really getting in a committed blogging community for support is what I need to continue making this gratitude journey awesome! I hope you win because you have grown so much in your blog! You’re one of the few who takes your blog seriously and works to improve the skills needed to deliver a great product to your readers.
This is FAN-FREAKIN-TASTIC!