Thanks to everyone who participated in the January Blog Hop: Favorite Winter Soup Recipes. We loved all the recipes and appreciate everyone voting to help us pick our winner. We had some fabulous submissions, from vegetable soup to hearty chili and a whole lot more. Every month we are so excited to see what you have been cooking up.

For more hearty winter soups, be sure to check out all of the healthy soup recipes over at FaveDiets.com!

(Editor’s Note: Next month’s blog hop will be held over on the RecipeLion blog, so be sure to check in over there in February for all the details)

Now, the winner of the Quaker prize package is…

The BEST Vegetable Soup. . . . NO LIE! from My Kitchen Adventures!

Just contact us with your name and address, be sure to add FaveDiets Blog Hop Winner – MK in your details. Congrats!

If you are a blogger who would like to participate in future blog hops and would love a monthly email reminder, just send your information through our Contact Us page and you won’t miss a single hop!

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.

Now you have a chance to win a a V8 V-Fusion Smoothie prize package!

One winner will win a sample of the three new flavors of V8 V-Fusion® Smoothie (Mango, Strawberry Banana and Wild Berry) plus a reusable juice bottle and a Vera Bradley tote bag.

Click here to enter this giveaway today!

V8 V-Fusion® is a breakthrough juice that gives you a full serving of vegetables plus a full serving of fruit in every 8-ounce glass. The result is a nutrition-packed beverage made of 100% juice that’s also delicious and refreshing—choose from 8 different flavors! V8 V-Fusion® even includes vitamins A, C and E, and it has no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, or added sugar. Who would have thought that something so nutritious could taste so good?

Plus, be sure to check out the FaveDiets product review of V8 V-Fusion smoothies.

The V8 V-Fusion Smoothie Giveaway Summary

• Prize: Three bottles of V8 V-Fusion Smoothie (Mango, Strawberry Banana and Wild Berry), one reusable drink bottle and a Vera Bradley tote bag for one person.
• Timeline: Begins on January 11, 2012 at 12:00:01 a.m. Eastern Time, and ends on January 22, 2012 at 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time
• Contest open to residents of the U.S. and Canada only. Winners must claim prize within 14 days of being announced.

Good luck!

Now you have a chance to win a $25 e-gift certificate for Nonuttin’ Foods

One winner will win $25 good towards any online purchase on the Nonuttin’s Foods website.

Click here to enter this giveaway today!

The goal of Nonuttin’ Foods founder Alana Elliott was to create safe food for most food allergies and she began producing the world’s first allergy friendly granola bars in 2004. In 2007, Nonuttin’ granola bars and granolas were the first to begin using gluten free oats so that Celiacs could also enjoy their great taste. Being a food manufacturer means being responsible to the many consumers who must safely enjoy Nonuttin’ products. Alana believes that part of that responsibility must include education for those requiring or choosing special diets. Whether you are looking for tasty food choices, interested in the latest science, looking for tips or feeling overwhelmed, Alana hopes to offer you the information and products you need to successfully navigate your journey.

Plus, be sure to check out the FaveDiets product review of Nonuttin’ Foods.

The Nonuttin’ Foods Giveaway Summary

• Prize: One $25 e-gift certificate for Nonuttin’ Foods for one person.
• Timeline: Begins on January 4, 2012 at 12:00:01 a.m. Eastern Time, and ends on January 15, 2012 at 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time
• Contest open to residents of the U.S. and Canada only. Winners must claim prize within 14 days of being announced.

Good luck!

Editor’s Note: To see the most popular FaveDiets recipes from the past year, be sure to check out our recipe collection of 10 of the Best Healthy Easy Recipes of 2011.

By Brandi Koskie for DietsInReview.com

It’s the end of 2011 and you’ve seen lists for everything from the best-dressed celebrities to the best iPhone apps for the year. At DietsInReview, we let our readers do the list building, whether it be our most popular diets of the year or our best recipes of the year.

Our readers love a new recipe that inspires them as much as it makes them feel comfortable while they’re trying to make healthy choices.  This list of the 10 most popular recipes viewed by our readers this year is a shining example of that.  Trying new approaches to create classic favorites was a popular practice. Likewise, cooking like the rich and famous right at home, or at least from their cookbooks, was a big draw. The Biggest Losers continued to inspire with recipes from the show and from individual contestants making appearances on the list.

Whether you’re foodie who likes trying new things, or someone who goes out of their way to find healthy recipes, this list is sure to inspire you to try something new in 2012.

• Rocco’s Brownies
• Jillian Michaels’ Cranberry Diet Drink
• Barack Obama’s Chili
• Tara’s Turkey Mini Meatloaf
• Healthy Tuna Salad
• Eva Longoria’s Tortilla Soup
• Chicken Cacciatore
• Apple Crumble
• Jillian’s Reuben
• Ada Wong’s 7-Layer Dip

Many of you, our loyal readers, frequently look at our recipes and subscribe to the Quick and Healthy Recipes email newsletter. Behind everything you see that happens here at FaveDiets.com comes through our dedicated editors, who work to provide you all with the very best healthy recipes online.

Who are these editors? What makes them tick and what are they all about? Today, I’m highlighting Jess Farris, one of my fellow editors here.

A southern gal from good ol’ Tennessee, “Jess” Farris delights in the ridiculous. She prides herself on being an obsessive baker and experimental chef, a marathon runner, and adoptive mother to a two-year-old aquatic turtle named Artichoke. As a language enthusiast, she speaks French and Arabic, and she can emulate a total of 28 different dialects from various locations in the United States and across the globe. She spends her days contemplating the ideal climbing tree, conversations with Oscar Wilde, and preparations for the impending zombie apocalypse.

Five Questions for Jess:

1) What are your 3 favorite ingredients to cook or bake with?

I adore the versatility of canned pumpkin in a variety of soups and sauces, and all manner of desserts, and avocado is one of my go-to toppings for burgers, salads, soups and nachos (not to mentions an excellent guacamole). Otherwise, I am firmly convinced that almost every food tastes better with the addition of cinnamon. Lots of cinnamon.

2) What would you eat for your last supper?

I would have a half rack of Memphis barbecue ribs smothered in Corky’s barbecue sauce with a side of fried okra and a big buttery sourdough roll. For dessert, I’d eat a gigantic slice of pumpkin pie with cinnamon ice cream.

3) What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?

When I was living in Morocco for one summer, I tasted a somewhat stomach-churning camel jerky. It wouldn’t have been so bad, but the camel’s head was hanging from a meat hook a few feet away from me, and the jerky was floating in a questionable oily substance. I also tasted some delicious cow’s brains while I was there.

4) What’s your go-to snack food?

I eat at least one apple every day. I also love to use them in sauce, pies, tagines, and as a topping for ice cream.

5) What’s in your fridge right now?

I’m headed out of town in a day or two, so it’s sparsely populated with kalamata olives, aged white cheddar, leftover chicken, and a bottle of pinot grigio.

 Here are some of Jess’ favorite recipes from around our sites:

• French Pumpkin Soup
• Hop, Skip and Go Naked Cookies
• Tennessee BBQ Sauce
• Moroccan Chicken
• BBQ Chicken Casserole with Hash Browns
• White Hot Chocolate
• Gingersnap Streusel Pumpkin Pie
• Herbed Chicken and Orzo
• Homemade Chicken and Dumpling Casserole
• No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bars
• Crumbly Apple Coffee Cake
• Baked Salmon with Sherry
• Winter Bread Pudding with Dried Pears
• Artichoke Spinach Dip
• Apple Braised Chicken Breast

Now you have a chance to win chocolate or granola from Enjoy Life Foods!

Three winners will receive 1 bag of Enjoy Life mega Chunks chocolate or 1 bag of  Enjoy Life Double Chocolate Crunch Granola.

Click here to enter this giveaway today!

At Enjoy Life, their whole business is making smile-good foods that keep people’s insides happy too. That’s why all of their foods are specially made to be gluten-free and free of the 8 most common allergens, which account for 90% of all food allergies. Their mission is to make delicious products that just about everyone can EAT FREELY. They promise they’ll make you smile inside out! Enjoy Life Foods now offers over 30 delicious products that are all allergy-friendly AND gluten-free.

Plus, be sure to check out the FaveDiets product review of Enjoy Life Foods.

The Enjoy Life Foods Giveaway Summary

• Prize: One bag of Enjoy Life mega Chunks chocolate or one bag of  Enjoy Life Double Chocolate Crunch Granola to three people.
• Timeline: Begins on December 28, 2011 at 12:00:01 a.m. Eastern Time, and ends on January 8, 2012 at 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time
• Contest open to residents of the U.S. and Canada only. Winners must claim prize within 14 days of being announced.

Good luck!

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?

Every week, we here at FaveDiets.com send out email newsletters five days a week featuring some of our favorite healthy recipes to share with you all. (Are you subscribed to Quick and Healthy Recipes? If not, be sure to sign up here!)

Now we like all of our recipes, but naturally some recipes prove more popular than others. For December, we decided to compile a list of The Top Ten Healthy Cooking Recipes of December 2011 as chosen by our loyal newsletter readers.

So what recipes made the cut? Well, you’ll have to check out the article to see the full list! For a sneak peek, here are three of the recipes that made the cut:

KFC Inspired Mashed "Potato" Bowl

Classic Butter Cookies

Mini Baked Glazed Donuts

For even more of the most popular dishes as chosen by your fellow readers, be sure to check out the Jan. 2nd issue of the FaveDiets Quick and Healthy Recipes email newsletter!

Your turn: What is the best recipe you have seen or made in the past month?

Christmas is such a wonderful holiday, from opening up presents in the morning to the big Christmas dinner at night.

However, if you hosted Christmas this year, then you may be currently looking at a mountain of leftovers right now. Sure, you can just eat your Christmas leftovers as is for every day until New Year’s day. However, that would get awfully boring. Instead, re-purpose all those leftovers and make some Christmas leftovers recipes that please the palate.

Our Top 10 Christmas Leftovers Ideas:

Leftover Turkey Recipes: The big roast bird remains a popular choice for Christmas dinner. After all, nothing wows a holiday dinner table quite like a beautifully roasted bird. Turkeys though can yield an awful lot of meat, usually too much for everyone to consume in one meal. Turkey sandwiches are the staple leftover turkey recipes, but why not mix things up a bit this year? For variety, here are five of our our best Christmas leftovers recipes for turkey:

1. Creamy Turkey Soup
2. Tetrazzini with Leftover Turkey 
3. Monte Cristo Baked Sandwich
4. Southwest Turkey and Cheese Omelet
5. Baked Turkey Biscuit

Leftover Ham Recipes: Ham, to me, has always been the quintessential Christmas dinner option. I will always envision the perfect Christmas supper table with a big ham in the middle. Just like with turkey though, you may end up with more ham than you bargained for in your fridge after Christmas. Here are five great leftover ham recipes to help you use up all of your Christmas ham:

1. Ham and Shrimp Fried Rice
2. Make Ahead Breakfast Casserole
3. Ham and Cheese Stromboli
4. Easy Breakfast Frittata
5. Ham and Egg Breakfast Muffin

Your turn: How do you deal with Christmas leftovers?