Monday, October 4, 2010

Happy 1st Birthday, Blog! (& Giveaway!)

It's hard to believe a whole year has passed since we launched this blog! We continue to be passionate about making and creating good, healthy, seasonal food. And we hope to see the blog continue to grow! We are so thankful for you readers - we appreciate you reading our blog, making our recipes, entering our contests, and commenting on our posts! It makes blogging fun!

This week, we will have some new recipes (we are doing our magazine review, weekend fare, and foodie Fridays) but we will also be taking a look back at some of our favorite recipes. Today, we will also feature an awesome giveaway!



Market Fresh: Okra - I discovered that I like okra more than I thought and I made this recipe several times!



Weekend Fare: Summer Drinks - This quickly became a favorite drink and they looked so beautiful and yummy, too! 



Internationa Cuisine: Chinese Main Dishes - This was one of my favorite collections of recipes. We had my parents and siblings over for a feast and every recipes surpassed my expectation!



Bread Basket: Bagels - Making these was one of my cooking highlights. It was totally new techniques and it was incredibly creative for me. And they were delicious!

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Kids in the Kitchen: Easy Lunch - Not only do we love these pizzas but I also love what this post (and the other Cooking with Your Kids posts) represents - spending time with my kids. Building memories and spending time with them in the kitchen is fun and my boys love it!

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GIVEAWAY!


We wanted to come up with a great giveaway to celebrate our one year anniversary!
So today, you are entering to win:



an apron and two cookbooks



A Beautiful Green & White 1/2 Apron
Kitchen Sense
Williams Sonoma Kid's Cookies


TO ENTER:
- Leave a comment on this post telling us 1 or 2 of your favorite recipes from our site.
- Make sure we have a way to contact you!

For additional entries (just leave us a comment telling us which ones you have done!):
- Subscribe via the link to the right or with google reader.
- Add us to your blog roll.
- Join our facebook group – The Cooks Next Door.
- Facebook about this giveaway.
- Tweet about this giveaway.
- Blog about this giveaway.

There you go! You could earn as many as 7 entries. And if you already are in our group, subscribe etc, let us know and we will add in the extra entries!

This giveaway will be closed on Thursday night, October 7 and the winner announced on Friday, October 8!

23 comments:

  1. We've really enjoyed many of your recipes, and I've especially enjoyed the market fresh ones to make me think outside the box of steaming and roasting - when it comes to vegetables. The first two favorites that came to mind were the roasted beet salad and the cranberry pie.

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  2. Happy 1st Birthday!
    If I must choose only two of the recipes I like from this blog, I choose Mini Cheesecakes e Chocolate Breads

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  3. Oh, and I commented on the giveaway on FB, too!

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  4. I also subscribe with google reader.

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  5. I joined your facebook group as Barbara Palermo.

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  6. And I commented on the giveaway on FB, too!

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  7. I think my favorites so far have been the chiffonade of brussels sprouts with hazelnuts and the baked garlic-butter mushrooms, which we made for either Thanksgiving or Christmas last year and they were great! I also like your salad dressing ideas - we make our own fresh dressings now and I will never go back to bottled dressing :).
    Also, I'm already a member of your Facebook group. Thanks for doing this giveaway, these are so fun!

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  8. I can't believe it's been a year, girls!!! As a new wife, this blog and you two girls have been priceless to me...Michael and I read this blog together often and pick out our faves....Alaina...#1 right now is the Blueberry cobblers that we had at your house...I've made it twice since! Michael also loves the Spinach, Mushroom and Swiss egg casserole---all of his faves. I love all of your slow cooker recipes and the new versions of old faves like pot roast you have taught me. Not to mention the great things I've made from my new spring cookbook that I won!!!
    I'm in your FB group, have you on Google reader and you have officially been Facebooked and tweeted.

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  9. I really enjoyed the glazed carrots and turnips recipe. There are many of your recipes that I truly love.

    I will facebook this and I already subscribe!

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  10. My Favorite recipe...the green bean salad hands down. :) LOVE that salad! I subscribe & am FB groupie as well. Happy 1st blog birthday!

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  11. I just subscribed to this blog today because of a friend's recommendation (Betsy's). I love trying new recipes and already printed a few to try this week...thanks!!

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  12. Happy Birthday :)
    My favorite recipe is the spaghetti and meatballs. It's my favorite dish in the first place. The one I eat when I actually want to enjoy eating.

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  13. You always have so many delicious recipes up! I started roasting cauliflower after I read the post on it. Also, although I haven't actually made the Pumpkin White chocolate Cheesecake, well it's still one of my favorites! Really, any of Alaina's cheesecakes are my favorite!

    I am a member of your facebook group.
    You are also on my blog roll.

    Congrats on 1 year! Keep up the inspiring work!

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  14. Roasted Asparagus with Olive Oil, Lemon, and Parmesan--mmmm.

    Happy Birthday!

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  15. And I subscribe via Google Reader. :)

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  16. Simple suppers bean soup is a favorite at our house, and most of your strawberry recipes have made their way into our repertoire as well. I especially like the mini cheesecakes...

    I have you on my blog roll.
    I will post on facebook.
    I have joined the facebook group.
    I have subscribed to your blog.
    I am blogging momentarily.

    :)

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  17. My favourite recipe is definitely the Irish Tea Cake (with whipped cream!!) It was AMAZING!! I am an email subscriber..

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  18. -I loved this salmon recipe: http://thecooksnextdoor.com/2010/09/09/off-the-shelf-september-magazines/
    -I subscribe on google reader
    -I am part of the Facebook group

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  19. a couple of the recipes that i have used more frequently are the orange julius one and the pizza sauce one. however, there have been so many other ones that are delicious (strawberry lemonade being one of them) and many others i have yet to make myself.:) can't believe it's been a year already! keep up the awesome work! i always enjoy reading this blog and it's such a great reference tool as well.
    additionally:
    -i am a subscriber
    -you are on my blog roll
    -i am in your facebook group
    -i have facebooked about it
    - i have blogged about it

    -i do not believe in twitter.:)

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  20. I really appreciate free, succinct, rlaebile data like this.

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