Editor’s Note: This hop ends tnight, so hurry up and enter and vote before it’s too late!

Welcome to our latest FaveDiets Blog Hop, and as always welcome back to all those that participated in last month’s! Be sure to visit last month’s hop which featured your Favorite Holiday Recipes. If you have a great recipe we would love to share it in this month’s blog hop!

We are so excited about this month’s blog hop theme, which is…

Favorite Winter Soup Recipes!

This month we’d love to hear what your favorite soup recipe is. January is officially National Soup Month, and we want to see what you have been making to prep on commemoration of this month. Whether it’s a hearty lentil soup, comforting beef stew, spicy chili or anything else, share here your soup recipes!

How It Works

1. Write a blog post on your own blog showcasing any Favorite Winter Soup Recipes or link to one that is already posted on your blog. You can talk about the cooking process, write up a tutorial, or merely show off the finished product, it’s up to you!
2. Add your link to this post by clicking on “Click Here to Enter” at the bottom of the screen and following the instructions. Make sure you link to your specific blog post, not your homepage, and give it a caption.
3. Remember to copy the FaveDiets Blog Hop button below and paste it into your blog post, linked to this FaveDiets Blog Hop post, so that everyone who reads your blog can see that you’ve been featured on FaveDiets!
4. One link per person please, due to our Giveaway feature, which is explained below.

GIVEAWAY!

Yet again we have a special treat for all our Blog Hop participants. We are opening the hop up to voting!

Every blogger is allowed one link to their favorite winter soup recipe and readers of the blog can now play along by voting for their favorite one. So be sure to tell your friends, family, followers, and fans to vote for you. Voting and submissions end January 19th at midnight CST.

The recipe with the most votes will win a Quaker prize package!

The Quaker prize package includes the following:

• Two containers of Quaker Stila oat clusters bits (flavors are green apple and strawberry)
• Two boxes of Quaker Chewy Yogurt bars, blueberry and strawberry flavors

Please be sure to cast your vote and help us pick a winner!

**Don’t have a recipe for this Blog Hop but want to be notified via email about future events? Sign up for our blogger list and we will let you know when the next Blog Hop is up so you can join the fun!

*Note: Only folks in the U.S. and Canada are eligible to win this prize.

This month, I was very excited to participate as a Foodie Penpal! Every month, Lindsay from The Lean Green Bean runs this Foodie Penpal program. Everyone gets assigned some random to send a wonderful foodie gift basket. It sounded like too much fun, so this month I signed up and took the plunge!

My penpal was Kelly from Laughter, Strength and Food! I’m really happy I discovered her blog through this, as it is fantastic!

So what did she send me? Let’s take a look:

Here’s what the package included:

• A bag of white chocolate dipped pretzels (I absolutely love chocolate-covered pretzels, so I’m envisioning this bag being the first to go)
• A huge bar of Moser Orange and Almond chocolate (Like any other sane and rational person, I absolutely love chocolate. It may or may not take me some time to finish this whole bar. We shall see…)
• A bag of dried cranberries (Dried fruit is a staple of my cooking, including my curries. I eat a lot of oatmeal in the winter, so I know where this is going already)
• Four packs of Wrigley’s Winterfresh gum (I chew a lot of gum at work, so this is a great addition for me)
• A bag of mango-flavored licorice (Of everything included, this was the first thing that caught my eye. I’m not sure I’ve ever had fruit-flavored licorice that wasn’t Twizzlers, so I’m especially intrigued by this)
• A box of Milville Fiber Now chewy bars (Healthy snacks are always crucial for me as I spend a lot of time away from my kitchen. I know these will be a stomach life saver down the road for me)
• Four candy canes (The perfect holiday touch! Is it still acceptable to turn candy canes into mini spears past the age of eight?)

Thanks again Kelly!

If you’re curious as what I sent my Foodie Penpal, check out the blog PowerCakes.

Interested in being a Foodie Penpal? Send an email to Lindsay at theleangreenbean@gmail.com and include this information:

• Your full name
• Your email address
• Your blog name/address
• Your twitter handle (if applicable)

Your turn: What is the best food-related gift you’ve ever received?

by JANET ZAPPALA on NOVEMBER 15, 2011

If you have not heard yet, we may be coming up on a peanut shortage. Higher cotton prices meant farmers elected to grow cotton over peanuts, and this year’s dry growing season means there’s much fewer peanuts to go around. As a result, the price of anything with peanuts is expected to go up very soon. The news report I read put that increase at around 30 to 40 percent.

This is most distressing news to me, as I am a big consumer of peanut butter. For me, peanut butter is a budget friendly shelf stable go-to protein source. But if it is no longer as budget friendly, I may have to shy away from peanut butter for a while.

Maybe, though, the peanut butter shortage will shed some long-needed light on the varied world of nut and seed butter. Peanuts are not the only item that can be made into a creamy spread, as cashew butter, almond butter and especially walnut butter (my favorite PB alternative) are all unbelievably delicious.

Still, for the most part I doubt these alternative butters will be of much relief to the average person. Peanut butter prices may be going up, but so many nut and seed butters command a hefty price tag outside of any shortage.

The best way around this whole mess? Make your own nut butter alternatives at home! Like anything else, making food at home is almost always cheaper and tastier than buying the product at the store. Plus, when you make food at home you always know exactly what you are consuming. To top it all off, I find it fun and rewarding to make make a food item that everyone else needs to purchase.

Here are some alternative nut and seed butter recipes to help get you through the peanut shortage:

• Almond Butter from Savory Simple
• Cashew Butter from Sprouts Up!
• Sunflower Seed Butter from Run Granola Run
• Soynut Butter from Hungry Hungry Hippie
• Baklava Style Walnut Butter from The Healthy Foodie
• Hazelnut Butter from Vampire Gran’s Kitchen
• Spiced Raw Seed Butter from Return To The Garden

If you’re a more visual learner (like I am) then here are two video recipes for peanut butter alternatives for you to watch:

How to Make Brazil Nut Butter

Macadamia Nut Butter

Of course, my all time favorite peanut butter alternative has to be my own homemade pumpkin seed butter. It’s the perfect frugal spread as you use pumpkin (or squash) seeds that you might normally throw away to make a delectable spread.

Your turn: What is your favorite alternative to peanut butter?

This guest post comes from Will Kashis, a nutrition writer who freelances for niche publications. He recently launched his site at www.Diets.md. He is also an editor for the official site of Eat Stop Eat diet loss program.

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Getting kids to eat healthy is one of the most difficult things to do. If you let your kids get into bad habits by allowing them to eat junk food, they will find it very hard to stop eating sweets and cakes and start eating healthy foods. In order to avoid having to go through the trouble of breaking bad habits, you should make healthy recipes for your children right from the very beginning. The vast majority of children automatically do not want to eat fruit and vegetables, so many parents find themselves having to come up with creative and interesting ways to get the kids eating healthy foods.

Make a face

Making a face is one of the most popular ways to make healthy food look more appealing to young children. Faces are often very popular on pizzas, with peppers, pineapple and different types of meat all being used to construct the various parts of the face. You can make a simple salad using tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, peppers and celery and arrange the foods so that they make a face. Cucumbers can be used for eyes, tomatoes for the nose and different coloured peppers for the mouth. Lettuce can be used for either hair or some sort of clothing, whichever you think your children will like best.

If you have made faces using foods many times before, you can try other shapes, for instance, houses or cars. You can also buy foods such as little packets of fruits that have different shapes and characters on them.

Get them to help make it

If you let the kids help you make the dinner, they will be absolutely desperate to see what their meal tastes like! You can buy some small aprons from the supermarket and let them get involved. Make sure that your children stay safe while helping you with the cooking; ensure that they are never too close to an oven at any time. When the kids help you make dinner, make something healthy to encourage healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle. A simple stir fry is a good option – let the kids choose all the different vegetables (beansprouts, peppers, onions, celery, carrots etc.) and then toss them before you put them into the frying pan.

Change the name of the dish

“Broccoli”, “carrots”, “celery”, “cauliflower” and “peas” are all words that become very boring to children after a while, especially as they associate them with vegetables. Because children are reluctant to eating healthy foods, you might want to rename the different types of vegetables to make them sound more exciting. You could call broccoli “mini trees| and carrots “snowmen’s noses”, to give just a few examples. As you will know your children and their own individual personalities, you will know what they like and what will work for them. For example, if you have a little girl who loves princesses and fairies, she may willingly eat fruits and vegetables if you associate it with fairy tales and magic or tell stories about them.

Editor’s Note: You have until Thursday to enter, so be sure to do so quickly to have a chance to win this awesome cookbook!

Welcome to our latest FaveDiets Blog Hop, and as always welcome back to all those that participated in last month’s! Be sure to visit last month’s hop which featured Your Favorite Recipe from the Last Month. If you have a great recipe we would love to share it in this month’s blog hop!

We are so excited about this month’s blog hop theme, Favorite Fall Foods

This month we’d love to hear what your favorite fall food recipe is. Got a favorite soup, casserole, or dessert recipe for those cool fall evenings? Is there something perfect for that crisp autumn afternoon? Got a set and forget stew which simmers perfectly on the stove? What delicious treats do you cook up? We would love for you to share it.

How It Works

1. Write a blog post on your own blog showcasing any Favorite Fall Foods or link to one that is already posted on your blog. You can talk about the cooking process, write up a tutorial, or merely show off the finished product, it’s up to you!
2. Add your link to this post by clicking on “Click Here to Enter” at the bottom of the screen and following the instructions. Make sure you link to your specific blog post, not your homepage, and give it a caption.
3. Remember to copy the FaveDiets Blog Hop button below and paste it into your blog post, linked to this FaveDiets Blog Hop post, so that everyone who reads your blog can see that you’ve been featured on FaveDiets!
4. One link per person please, due to our new Giveaway feature, which is explained below.

GIVEAWAY!
This month we have a special treat for all our Blog Hop participants. It seems only natural with the Halloween theme of this hop to have a treat. We are opening the hop up to voting!
Every blogger is allowed one link to their favorite fall foods recipe and readers of the blog can now play along by voting for their favorite one. So be sure to tell your friends, family, followers, and fans to vote for you. Voting and submissions end October 27th at midnight CST.

The recipe with the most votes will win a copy of How to Cook Like a Top Chef by the creators and contestants of the hit TV show Top Chef. Special thanks to our sponsor, Chronicle Books for donating the cool book.

Don’t wait, get your recipes in and let everyone know you are featured on the FaveDiets Blog Hop!

In my quest to find foods that offer guiltless pleasure I’ve stumbled upon this special nugget of a recipe at the Natural Gourmet Institute for Food & Health in New York City. There to satisfy my unending appetite for healthful eating, I was given a recipe for what has become my new favorite treat, Thumbprint Cookies. I want to share this recipe because I know you will love it as much as I do. These cookies are even good as part of a healthy breakfast because of ingredients like whole oats, raw almonds, fruit-juice sweetened jelly, and cinnamon. This is also a recipe that you can be very creative with. I have offered up options that you can try when you feel the urge to change up the recipe on a whim, just to keep things interesting.

Also, don’t forget to tune into my new internet radio show, Food For Thought on Voice America. You can catch it every Tuesday on www.voiceamerica.com. Just click on the Variety Channel, and you’ll see my show there at 5pm Eastern, 2pm Pacific. I’ll have a recipe every week, plus lots of great guests, and tips on everything from nutrition, fitness and lifestyle, not to mention plenty of laughs. So please call in, 1-866-472-5788, and let me know what’s on your mind. In the meantime,  enjoy these fabulous gems, once you start it’s hard to stop!

THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Dry Ingredients: 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup rolled oats, lightly ground in food processor

1 cup raw almonds, or walnuts or cashews, lightly ground in food processor

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Wet Ingredients:

½ cup coconut oil, or canola oil (expeller pressed), or walnut oil

½ cup pure maple syrup

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon almond extract

¼ teaspoon sea salt

4 oz. fruit juice sweetened jelly (Sorrell Ridge or Knutsen) or premium fruit spread in any flavor you like (mix it up and use a few different flavors)

Procedure: Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.

1.  Combine dry ingredients in one large bowl.  Combine wet ingredients and salt in smaller second bowl. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix well. Roll dough between the palms of your hands into walnut size balls and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Using the flat of your thumb make a well in the center of each cookie. Fill with jelly. Bake 18-20 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Enjoy!!

By Maris Callahan at DietsInReview.com

If you’re wistfully tuned in to The Biggest Loser this season, it’s easy to follow along with your favorite contestants from your own home to help reach your weight loss goals.

The Biggest Loser Diet, which was co-created and is monitored by registered dietitian Cheryl Forberg, is a modified low-carbohydrate diet. On the plan, 45% of the calories you eat will come from carbohydrates (mostly fruit, vegetables and whole grains), 30% of calories from protein, and 25% of calories from healthy fats or oils (seeds, nuts, avocado, olive oil).

“Eat protein with every meal and snack because it keeps your blood sugar levels steady and will keep you fuller longer,” said Courtney Crozier, fan favorite contestant from The Biggest Loser, Season 11 and current Biggest Loser Correspondent at DietsInReview. “We loved eating egg white omelets on the ranch. We’d load it with veggies because the fiber and protein kept us full and ready to burn more calories as the day went on.”

The diet also eliminates “white stuff” such as flour and refined sugar, while following a “4-3-2-1” rule, where you eat 4 cups minimum of fruits and vegetables, 3 servings of healthy proteins, 2 servings of whole grains and 1 serving of healthy fat.  There is room for one optional treat per day.

“Making quick and easy meals is so crucial to weight loss,” said Crozier. “It is so easy to go through a fast food restaurant drive through because it’s quick and simple and so many people think it’s quicker than cooking at home. Try simple, healthy salads and sandwiches. Once you have a few favorite recipes, you will see that great tasting, healthy food can be quick, too.

Participants are encouraged to track calories consumed and keep a diet and exercise journal to help monitor progress. As with any diet, it is important to talk to your doctor or health care provider before you begin.

Monday:

Breakfast: Courtney Crozier’s Egg White Veggie Omelet (recipe below); tomato slices; 1 orange.

Egg White Veggie Omelet

• 4-5 egg whites
• 1 cup of spinach
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped zucchini
• 1/4 cup green/red/yellow bell pepper
• 1/8 cup chopped jalapenos (optional)
• 1 clove of garlic or minced garlic
• 1 wedge of Laughing Cow cheese, chopped (any flavor)
• 2 tablespoons of picante sauce (optional)
• Mrs. Dash Onion & Herb seasoning

1. Spray a medium nonstick skillet with olive oil spray. Set over medium heat. Add the onion, zucchini, bell peppers, jalapenos, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes until the onion is almost tender. Add the spinach and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until wilted. Remove the vegetables to a plate. Cover and set aside to keep warm.
2. In a bowl, whisk the egg whites, Mrs. Dash, Laughing Cow cheese and hot sauce until the egg whites bubble lightly. Coat the pan with olive oil spray. Set over medium heat. Pour the egg white mixture into the pan. Cook, lifting the edges with a spatula as they start to set and tipping the pan for uncooked egg whites to run underneath, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until almost set. Flip the omelet. Spoon the vegetables over the egg-white mixture. Cover and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Fold the omelet in half. Plate it and serve with more hot sauce on top if desired.

Lunch: Andrea’s Turkey Wrap; 1 apple; ½ cup low-fat Greek yogurt.

Dinner: Pork & Vegetable Stir Fry with Peanut & Orange Sauce; ½ cup brown rice; ½ cup steamed green vegetables.

Snacks: 100-Calorie pack of Wholly Guacamole with Baby Carrots; Pumpkin Walnut Snack Muffin; Apple with 1 Tablespoon Peanut Butter.

Tuesday:

Breakfast: Banana and Oat Muffin; 1 glass skim milk; 1 cup grapes.

Lunch:  Courtney Crozier’s Turkey & Avocado Sandwich: 2 slices 35-calorie high fiber bread, 1 slice low-fat cheese, 3 ounces of low-sodium turkey breast and ¼ of an avocado; 1 apple.

Dinner: Dave’s Teriyaki Tofu; Papaya Salad with Peanut and Grilled Shrimp.

Snacks: Greek Yogurt Parfait; banana with 1 Tablespoon almond butter; Apricot-Oatmeal Granola Bar.

Wednesday:

Breakfast: Turkey Sausage & Egg Breakfast Wrap; 1 cup fresh melon slices.

Lunch: Mango Grilled Chicken Salad; apple; 2-ounce whole-wheat roll.

Dinner: Grilled Tuna with Tapenade and Succotash; Roasted Cauliflower.

Snacks: Light String Cheese; Banana Berry Muffin; 24 almonds.

Thursday:

Breakfast: ¾ cup fat-free Greek Yogurt with 2 tablespoons Nut & Raisin Granola and one cup blueberries or strawberries.

Lunch: Barbecue Pork Sandwich; Curried Baby Carrots.

Dinner: Shrimp Stir-Fry; Asian Chopped Salad; 1 orange.

Snacks: Protein Energy Bar; 2 tablespoons Kalamata Olive Hummus with 15 baby carrots; ½ cup Biggest Loser Mint Chocolate Chip Frozen Yogurt.

Friday:

Breakfast: Not So McMuffin; 2 slices turkey bacon, 1 cup sliced melon.

Lunch: Biggest Loser White House Salad, BBQ Chicken Mini Pizzas,

Dinner: Angel Hair with Rockin’ Red Clam Sauce, 2 cups mixed green salad with 2 tablespoons fat-free salad dressing, 5-ounce glass red wine.

Snacks: Jillian Michaels Cranberry Diet Drink; celery with 2 tablespoons peanut or almond butter; Nectarine & Raspberry Sundae.

Saturday:

Breakfast: 4 scrambled egg whites, with 1 cup baby spinach and ½ cup red bell peppers; Biggest Loser Breakfast Sausage; ½ cup pineapple.

Lunch: Southwestern Turkey Salad Wraps; 1 ½ cup grapes; 1 light string cheese.

Dinner: Beef Burgers and Sweet Potato Fries; 1/2 cup naturally sugar-free applesauce; Creamy But Not Creamed Spinach.

Snacks: Tiramisu Custard,

Sunday:

Breakfast: Pete’s Low Calorie Breakfast omelet, 1 cup fruit salad, 2 slices turkey bacon.

Lunch: Turkey & Black Bean Chili with ¼ cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese, apple slices.

Dinner: Lemon Yogurt Chicken (use fat-free yogurt); Chopped Broccoli with Pine Nuts.

Snacks: ¾ cup fat-free Greek yogurt with 2 packets Truvia, 1 tablespoon almond butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; ¼ cup Adam Hurtado’s Guacamole with baby carrots.

For the September version of This Month’s Healthy Bite, I asked, “What are your favorite fall foods?” We got some absolutely fantastic answers, from pumpkin and sweet potatoes to apples, figs and a whole lot more. Check them all out:

From Sarah, The Chocolate Fig:

The figs from my mom’s tree, pumpkin, apples, pears, persimmon! And of course, anything that involves baking with these. And maple syrup.

From Elise, Hungry Hungry Hippie:

sweet potato and pumpkin…and (as always) hummus

From Cory, Zesty Cook:

Anything PUMPKIN! I love pumpkin and I usually tend to wait until the fall to devour it. I also really love squash both roasted and pureed in soups.

From Jackie, Jackie’s Kitchen:

Fall is my favorite season in part because of all of the root vegetables, apples, and corn. My favorite fall foods are hearty soups and casseroles boasting bright autumn colors. Pumpkin, though, is perhaps my favorite ingredient to make its debut in the fall, and last fall I worked with a sugar pumpkin from scratch and found it yielded sweet, brilliantly orange flesh that was perfect for baking.

You just can’t go wrong with sweet roasted pumpkin seeds, pumpkin apple streusel muffins, apple-pecan pumpkin custard, recipes for which can be found here: http://visualcookbook.blogspot.com/2010/09/jackies-pumpkin-adventures.html.

Happy fall!

From Kim, Mo’Betta:

That’s easy…pumpkin! My absolute favorite thing for breakfast is pumpkin spice oatmeal, but spiced pumpkin scones are pretty delicious too!

From Chiara, The Wandering Cook:

There are many ingredients that make my fall sweeter: figs, pumpkin and apples, always paired up with savory foods like prosciutto, pork chops and tenderloins and sausage, or incorporated in a creamy risotto.

From Alisa, Alisa Cooks:

Definitely Sweet Potatoes and Apple Crisp!

Here is a basic roasted sweet potato recipe that I work from – http://www.alisacooks.com/2008/11/28/thyme-for-sweet-potatoes/

And here is my favorite apple crisp recipe – http://www.alisacooks.com/2009/07/05/crumbly-maple-apple-crisp/

From Marina, Kitchen Away From Kitchen:

I love everything seasonal, and when it comes to fall I prefer veggies and fruits that resemble fall colors: pumpkin, melon, red apples, peaches, corn, and eggplants.

I just posted my all-time favorite eggplant (and fall!) recipe on my blog: http://www.kitchenawayfromkitchen.com/2011/09/all-time-favorite-fall-food-eggplants.html

Thanks to everyone for all the fun responses!

Answer the next This Month’s Healthy Bite question: What are your favorite pumpkin recipes? Email us your answer or just simply comment on this blog post, and we’ll publish your answers and link to your blog at the end of the month. Got some blogger friends who would like us to link to them too? Ask them to answer This Month’s Healthy Bite too!

One of my favorite recipes is pasta putanesca. It’s one of the easiest, most delicious dishes you can make anytime, any day of the week. After a busy day, come home make this with a side salad and you have a balanced, nutritious meal. Twenty minutes and it’s done!

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

3 large cloves chopped garlic (great antioxidant)

1 can flat anchovies

2 heaping tablespoons capers (pickled flower buds)

1/2 cup kalamata olives (pitted)

1 32-oz. can crushed tomatoes

4-6 fresh basil leaves, torn

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped (curly or flat leaf)

1 pound whole-grain spaghetti or organic semolina pasta

Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

Place a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and let heat for 1-2 minutes. Add olive oil, garlic, anchovies and capers, let cook until anchovies melt. (At this time, fill a medium to large size pot with water about 3/4 of the way up over high heat.

To the skillet, add capers, olives, crushed tomatoes, basil and parsley, stir until thoroughly combined. Lower heat to a simmer and continue cooking, stirring occasionally for approx. 15-20 minutes. Add pasta to boiling water and let cook to al dente (to the tooth is the best). Put a bowl underneath the colander and drain.  Return pasta to pot, add sauce and stir thoroughly. Plate and enjoy with toasted whole-grain baguette. Buon Appetito!