When I was a kid, I always looked forward to Hanukkah with its eight nights of lighting candles, singing songs and best of all, exchanging gifts. Like all Jewish celebrations, food also played a major role.

On all other nights my little sisters, brother and I had to eat healthy foods like steamed broccoli, but during these eight crazy nights we got to indulge in several special treats that were forbidden during the rest of the year. My personal Hanukkah food favorites included:

• Latkes – Gorgeously golden potato pancakes fried in oil to remind us of the miracle of the Hanukkah story, whereas a tiny amount of oil kept the ritual lamp burning for eight days instead of one. As a kid, I much preferred the texture of the fried-mashed-potato-like-latkes made from a boxed mix over the homemade shredded potato variety. Call me crazy.
• Sufganiyot – cinnamon sugar doughnuts deep-fried in – you guessed it – loads of oil, again to remind us of the Hanukkah story miracle.
• Chocolate Gelt – Yiddish for money, these golden tin-foil wrapped milk chocolate coins represent the small coins traditionally given to young children as part of the holiday celebration.
• Sugar Cookies – My mom’s six-pointed-Star-of-David-shaped cookies dusted with blue sugar were one of the greatest hits in my household and at my school. Mom – if you’re reading this, I’d love the original recipe!

Although my taste buds have changed over the years (I’ve actually learned to love that steamed broccoli), one of my favorite Hanukkah foods is still the potato latke. Nowadays, however, I much prefer a lighter, crispier version made from scratch vs. the box-mix version. (But if it’s the latter you’re looking for, we’ve got a brand-new “clean” potato pancake mix in our stores this year.)

I usually make my latkes with a combination of shredded sweet potato and white potato with a little grated onion, salt and pepper, lightly pan-fried in a tablespoon or two of olive oil and then finished off in the broiler for extra crispiness. This year, I plan on serving my latkes with heaps of homemade ginger applesauce.

If like me, you’re now getting hungry for more holiday foods, check out our website for a slew of festive holiday recipes and menu ideas including this happening Hanukkah spread.

Now that I’ve shared some of my favorite holiday eats; I’d love to hear yours. As a kid, what foods did you look forward to eating during the eight crazy nights of Hanukkah, the twelve days of Christmas, the seven days of Kwanzaa, etc.?

What edible delights will strike your fancy this holiday season?

As promised, we randomly selected one of you as the winner of a FEED100 Bag and $25 gift card. And the winner is:

Kim Taylor Knight:
I have been riding my bike to work for the past month, and I will continue, but my real earth day resolution, is to waste less and to compost all organic scaps for my garden this year. I am planting arugula, tomatoes and herbs for a start at becoming a more sustainable me!

Now that Earth Month is over, we’d love to hear your ideas on how to keep these green resolutions growing throughout the year. How could your resolutions help inspire and challenge other Whole Foods Market customers to make simple green changes in their own lives?

Here’s mine: Bike to work at least once a week.
Full disclosure: The last time I owned a bike, it was a blue Schwinn with a hot pink basket and I was 10. Sadly, I’ve outgrown that bike. But now, after months of bugging my friends for bike recommendations and visiting all of the bike shops around town, I’ve narrowed down my choices and am finally ready to invest in an “adult” bike at last. By this Earth Day, I am determined to be a proud bike owner/commuter/road warrior at least once a week. Why not every day? After years of making (and always breaking) grandiose New Year’s resolutions, I’ve learned that the simple, realistic changes are the ones that really last.

Now it’s your turn. Tell us one simple green change you’re planning to make for Earth Day. Everyone who enters a comment on this post between now and April 30th will be entered to win a $25 Whole Foods Market gift card and a FEED 100 bag. The winner will be announced the first week of May in our Whole Story blog, so stay tuned!

And even if you don’t win the prizes, your green resolution efforts will be rewarded with a cleaner, greener, healthier planet for many Earth Days to come. Here’s to wishing you and yours a Merry Earth Day and a Happy Earth Year!

Check out more green ideas on our Whole Story blog. Visit our website for more Earth Month tips, trivia, contests and more.

Send this Earth Day Greeting to your friends! Share through Facebook. Digg It.

But this year, have no fear.  Along with a couple of food blogging friends, we’ve put together a tasty Big Game spread sure to please any fan of good football and/or good food:

Appetizers

Spicy Cheddar-Jack Cauliflower Dip (Vegetarian, Gluten-Free) and
Eight-Layer Mediterranean Dip (Vegetarian) from Whole Foods Market

Vegan Pita Chips, Caramelized Onion Dip (Gluten-Free), and
Cheesy Straws from Bittersweet (all Vegan)

‘Best’ Guacamole (Vegan), Jalapeno Lime Hummus (Vegan), and
Parmesan Crisps with Roasted Tomato Salsa from Karina’s Kitchen (all Gluten-Free)

Main Course and Sides

Spinach-Mushroom Quesadillas with Feta (Vegetarian), Chipotle Chili (Vegetarian, Gluten-Free) and Turkey Chili (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free) from Whole Foods Market

Easy Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas (can be made Dairy Free),
New Mexican Stew and Yeasted Quinoa Cornbread (Vegan) from Karina’s Kitchen (all Gluten-Free)

Dessert

Chocolate Pecan Brownies from Karina’s Kitchen (Gluten-Free)

Malted Chocolate Chip Cookies from Bittersweet (Vegan)

Have a great Game Day and let us know what you plan on making!

Chicken soup may be the “Jewish penicillin,” but latkes are the “Jewish soul food.”  And there’s nothing I’m craving more this Hanukkah than a plateful of earthy, humble, pan-fried potato pancakes – warm and crispy on the outside, soft and savory on the inside – shared with friends and loved ones, with a little sour cream on the side.

Latkes are cooked in oil to remind us of a 2000-year-old story of hope, the story of the Maccabees, a plucky band of five brothers turned freedom-fighters, who successfully overthrew an oppressive Greco-Syrian regime, and allowed the Jews to reclaim their land, their faith and their holy Temple in Jerusalem after years of persecution. After cleansing and repairing the Temple, the Maccabees found a tiny flask of oil to light a menorah (ritual lamp) as part of the Temple’s big rededication ceremony. The oil was supposedly only enough to light up the Temple for one day, but it miraculously kept the lamp burning for eight days. Hence, Jews around the world commemorate Hanukkah with eight days of candle lighting and feasting on soul-satisfying foods, such as hearty lentil stew, tender roast brisket, ginger-spiked applesauce and latkes galore – from no-frills potato to zesty zucchini to this Southern-bred girl’s personal favorite, the sweet potato pancake.

Looking for more latke love to get you through the eight days of Hanukkah? Check out these soulful recipes and latke love stories from a talented cadre of food bloggers and journalists:

An Equal Opportunity Sweet Potato Latke with Ruby Red Cranberry Sauce

You don’t have to be vegan or gluten-sensitive to enjoy these egg-free, gluten-free sweet potato latkes and ruby red cranberry sauce from Karina’s Kitchen. And as Karina reminds us, you certainly don’t have to be Jewish to love the latke:

Latkes. Oy, how I love them. What’s not to love? You have my favorite comfort food- potatoes. You have olive oil. And with a little bit of elbow grease (grating said potatoes) you have crispy tender goodness. You don’t have to be Jewish to love the pure genius of latkes. You can be Half- Jewess, like yours truly, or even Honorary Jewish like Diane Keaton seems to be, slipping in Bubbe and schmata and drek in casual conversation. They say on St. Patrick’s Day that everyone is Irish. Maybe during Hanukkah, everyone is Jewish?

An Indian-inspired latke and some fun facts on oil

While most people don’t equate oily,deep-fried foods with optimal health, Jodi of Food Touring points out that we need dietary fats for our health including glowy skin, regulation of cholesterol metabolism, and to carry and aid the absorption of vitamins. Unsaturated fats from fish, nuts, and vegetable oils are good for us in moderation and reduce high cholesterol levels that can lead to heart disease.

In addition to dishing up a good rationalization on why it’s ok to induldge in a second or third helping of deep-fried potato pancakes, Jodi also graciously shares a recipe for Indian curry-seasoned sweet potato latkes.

Latkes: easy on the wallet, big on taste, potentially potato free and oh-so-versatile

Our Jewish grandmothers from The Old Country knew a thing or two about stretching their meager food rations, and hence the traditional potato latke was born. Phyllis Glazer of the L.A. Times shares a brief history on the traditional latke and some very non-traditional latke recipes:

The word latke derives from Yiddish, the Jewish language spoken by East European Jews. For Jewish villagers living in Russia or Poland, pickings were slim in winter, and potatoes were cheap and available from the root cellar. Grating and making potatoes into little patties to be fried, millions of Jewish mothers provided sustenance to their hungry children with just a few potatoes and very little fuel…..

Ms. Glazer also reminds us that it’s the olive oil, not the potato, which is central to the story of Hanukkah. Forego the potatoes all together and try these latke recipes using olives, sweet ricotta, even beets.

What’s your favorite spin on the soul-satisfying latke?

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas from Karina Allrich of Karina’s Kitchen

Here’s what she’s got to say about her victory:

Thank you, Whole Foods! It was an honor to participate in Budget Recipe Challenge. I am thrilled to receive the Whole Foods gift cards. I plan on giving away several gift cards at my blog- Karina’s Kitchen. I’ll be sharing the rest with my two sons- both on their own, cooking on a budget, fans of Whole Foods.

Our heartfelt thanks to Karina and all of the other food bloggers who participated in our Budget Recipe Contest for showing us that creating complete meals on a budget doesn’t mean sacrificing taste and quality. Way to go, guys!

We’d also like to thank all of our readers who left comments on the finalists’ recipes and helped us pick a winner. Thanks for taking time out to try these recipes and vote for your favorite – we hope that they’ve inspired you to be more creative in the kitchen.

Here are the winners…

Grand Prize ($500 gift card)

• Katherine of Philadelphia, PA

First Prize ($25 gift card)

• Jenny of Rockledge, FL
• Rachel of Hartford, CT
• Jan of Indianapolis, IN
• Katherine of Princeton, NJ
• Ciera of Los Angeles, CA
• Hayley Ann of Charlottesville, VA
• Elisabeth of Upper Saddle River, NJ
• Terry of New York, NY
• Susan of Oceanside, CA

Jaden Hair is a self taught cooking teacher, food writer and food photographer. Her blog specializes in modern Asian cooking, and is designed to teach people how easy it is to cook Asian meals at home. Started in February 2007, Steamy Kitchen launched Jaden’s cooking career; she now has monthly guest appearances on local television and she writes a weekly food column for the Tampa Tribune.

Don’t lie: what did you have for dinner last night?

Last night I was LAZY! I turned leftover rice into fried rice. I had shrimp and frozen peas/carrots in the freezer, cold jasmine rice in the fridge. 15 minutes later, a one-wok dinner was ready, plopped the entire wok right on the dinner table and chowed down.

Remember: Don’t comment here if you want to support Jaden in our contest. You have to comment on her recipe page. We turned comments off to help you remember!

Can you give us 3 to 5 of your favorite money-saving tips when it comes to cooking and eating?

The most expensive things on my grocery list is meat and seafood. Well, and wine too, but let’s not count that. If you shop at a good market like Whole Foods, don’t be shy to ask the butcher to break packages for you. If you only need 1/2 pound of ground beef for a recipe and all the packages are much bigger, ask for just 1/2 pound. They’ll happily sell you exactly what you need. Sure, you could freeze the rest, but if you don’t need it, why buy it? Same with seafood. It could save you $3-5 each trip.

Don’t underestimate the stir-fry. You can stretch a half-pound of chicken meat to feed 4 in a stir-fry! Start with marinating the bite-sized pieces of meat in soy, rice wine, pinch of sugar and a bit of cornstarch. Fry the meat until mostly done, remove. Fry garlic and ginger until fragrant, add whatever vegetables you want and then add the meat back into the pan. A touch of oyster sauce, sesame oil and you’re done. The meat gets cooked first to ensure that it has the room and enough heat in the pan to get a nice sear all around. If you try to cook everything in the pan at the same time, either the meat will get overcooked or it will end up being “steamed’ with so many watery vegetables in the pan.

Have a few good sauce recipes. With a tasty sauce, simple steamed vegetables go from plain to divine. Search your cookbooks and online for a tickly tangy sauce, a luscious creamy sauce and a fresh herb sauce. The recipes should be simple and made with everyday ingredients that you normally have on hand.

Grow your own herbs. Why pay $3.99 for a bunch of herbs when your recipe might only call for 1 tablespoon of chopped herbs? I’m a horrible gardener, but I discovered the Earthbox, which lets me have a thriving container garden year round, even as an absent-minded gardener. I plant Thai basil, cilantro, mint, green onions and parsley. If I need just a sprig of cilantro, I go right outside and pick it myself. No waste and gardening is good for the soul.

How do you continue to come up with fresh ideas to share with readers?

I use Twitter a lot – since I work out of my home, my Twitter friends are my “co-workers” and often I’ll throw out questions and polls out. Within minutes, I’ll get a dozen of responses, ideas and opinion back from the community. It’s more fun than email, less intrusive than instant messaging and faster than blogging. Twitter is like my home office water cooler. Except, like totally more awesome, since you get to choose who hangs out at your water cooler!

What’s your favorite comfort food?

BREAD! There are days when all I want to do is rip open a loaf of fresh-out-of-the-oven bread and just snuggle up inside the warm, pillowy soft interior. Oh, yes, on those days when comfort is needed, off to a local bakery I go.

The other type of comfort food for me is just plain white Jasmine rice. It always reminds me of home, of Mom’s cooking and just makes me so happy. Do you see a starchy theme here and why the Atkins diet never worked for me?

If you could host a potluck dinner with any three people, who would you invite and what dish would each person bring along?

Wow, just three? I think I’d like to have a dinner party full of music and laughter. If I invited a member of Duran Duran, we could rock out to their 80’s music. Bring a guitar shaped cake and hottie Simon LeBon can jump out of it.

Then, I would request from the angels above to bring back my fav comedian, George Carlin, for an evening – he can just bring the booze.

Lastly, since I doubt neither Simon nor George cook, and with those kind of dinner guests, who would want to slave away and hide out in the kitchen? I’d probably have to invite someone who COULD cook, like rock ‘n roll chef Kerry Simon. He can bring his signature dish, a Bone-in Ribeye Cowboy Steak…one for each of us pleeeeeeaaaazzzz.

But then who would wash the dishes?

Wonton Noodle Soup is a favorite in our home because the kids get involved – even my 3 year old is a wonton folding master now! I’ve found that if my kids help me in the kitchen, cooking is so much more fun and the kids actually eat whatever it is they help cook. If you think wontons are difficult to make, nope – these wontons were made by my kids.

Remember: Don’t comment here if you want to support Jaden in our contest. You have to comment on her recipe page. We turned comments off to help you remember!

Katy Zandy is a 26-year-old full time attorney and part time food blogger.  Her blog focuses on healthy, fresh, seasonal recipes with elegant presentations — all from a tiny Manhattan kitchen!  Having now posted over a hundred recipes, Katy spends a good portion of her nights, weekends, gym time, and lying-in-bed-trying-to-fall-asleep time filled with imagining new recipes, thinking of twists for classic dishes, or listing the traditionally “challenging” recipes that she can’t wait to try.

Don’t lie: what did you have for dinner last night?

Miso Soup, edamame, and vegetable sushi rolls (plus a few pieces of spicy tuna roll off my fiance’s plate).  And frozen yogurt with crushed peanut butter cups on top for dessert!

Remember: Don’t comment here if you want to support Katy in our contest. You have to comment on her recipe page. We turned comments off to help you remember!

Can you give us 3 to 5 of your favorite money-saving tips when it comes to cooking and eating?

1) Buying what’s in season is always cheaper — berries, corn and greens during the summer, and apples, potatoes and winter squash when it’s cold. Who wants to pay $7 for a pint of raspberries in December, when they won’t taste as good as they did in August anyway? And the summer foods taste better when you’ve been waiting for them! 2) I go to the grocery store almost every day, and buy what I need for a day or two, rather than doing a big trip once a week and having things spoil by the time I get around to cooking them. 3) I definitely recommend experimenting with frozen vegetables. They’re frozen just after being harvested so they’re nutritionally comparable to fresh vegetables, and they’re great for dishes where you don’t have to worry about the texture difference (soups, stews, and frittatas, for example). They’re often really inexpensive, and I stock up whenever I see a good deal.

What inspired you to start your blog?

I love to cook, but when I started the blog I was living by myself and it used to drive me crazy that no one but me could see my creations!  So I would photograph them and send them to my poor family, and eventually I decided to stop flooding their email boxes and start just putting up my recipes onto a blog as a way to keep track of everything.  But now it’s really taken on a life of it’s own!  My favorite thing is when someone tries one of my recipes and taken the time to tell me they like it — those make my month!

What is your “go-to” weekday meal recipe – the one you pull out in a pinch for yourself that you never get tired of?

I love simple dinners like bread, fruit and cheese, or a salad made with vegetables from the farmer’s market and freshly grated parmesan.  In a pinch, I also love to cut up vegetables, toss them with sea salt and olive oil, and quickly roast them.

If you could host a potluck dinner with any three people, who would you invite and what dish would each person bring along?

Ruth Reichl, because I’ve read all of her books and feel like I practically know her.   Hopefully she would bring leftovers from the Gourmet test kitchen!  Kate Hudson, so that I could ask her to lend me her entire wardrobe.  She wouldn’t have to bring food, she could just come with a lot of size seven shoes.   And Ina Garten could bring something incredibly decadent and chocolatey for dessert.

How do you spend your time when you’re not cooking, eating or blogging?

Going to the gym!  I’ve run two marathons and love to stay active and healthy.  I also love reading, watching tv on the couch with my dogs (particularly scaring myself to death watching cheesy horror movies), and traveling whenever I can.

s_bliss12 wrote:
Great dish! I made this last night and everyone enjoyed it. Not to mention, it was super easy! The only thing I found was that it didn’t take quite as long to cook the farro…maybe only 25 or 30 minutes. Also, I used the 365 Brand low-sodium chicken broth. It made the dish even lower in sodium and still tasty!

Comments on Katy’s recipe from her Budget Recipe Challenge page:

suegrainsaregood wrote:
A dish that can be loved by vegetarians and meat lovers. Packed with healthy grains, greens, and veggies. Very flavorful and rich in ingredients our bodies need. Excellent recipe!! Try it everyone.

Remember: Don’t comment here if you want to support Katy in our contest. You have to comment on her recipe page. We turned comments off to help you remember!

Karina Allrich is a creative cook who enjoys developing easy rustic recipes featuring seasonal ingredients and Mediterranean inspired flavors.  Her illustrated blog, Karina’s Kitchen: Recipes from a Gluten-Free Goddess showcases delicious family recipes for the gluten-free lifestyle with Mediterranean diet, casein-free, vegetarian and vegan recipes galore. She is the author of two cookbooks- Recipes from a Vegetarian Goddess (reprinted as Cooking By The Seasons) and Cooking By Moonlight.

Don’t lie: what did you have for dinner last night?

A bowl of pumpkin-apple soup with a slice of homemade gluten-free multi-grain bread (testing a new recipe) grilled in a dab of extra virgin olive oil. Yum!

Remember: Don’t comment here if you want to support Karina in our contest. You have to comment on her recipe page. We turned comments off to help you remember!

Can you give us 3 to 5 of your favorite money-saving tips when it comes to cooking and eating?

1. Eat in season.
2. Make soup! Soup is a fabulous way to feed a lot of people- and if you make enough for leftovers, the soup tastes even better the next day.
3. Dust off your Crock Pot or slow cooker. I love to simmer less expensive cuts of meat in savory sauce all day until it melts in your mouth.
4. Make your own snacks- pop your own popcorn, fry your own corn chips from stale tortillas, whip up your own hummus from cans of beans on sale. Marinate your own olives.
5. When a product you love is on sale- stock up. Whenever Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomatoes go on sale, for instance, I buy as many as I can carry home.

What inspired you to start your blog?

Six and a half years ago I discovered I had celiac disease. Translation? I needed to be gluten-free for the rest of my life. Learning to cook gluten-free was a challenge, but I rolled up my sleeves and tackled it head on. I’m lucky. I love to cook. Learning to bake gluten-free was a tougher challenge. There were, what? Two- maybe three- gluten-free cookbooks out there. And they were less than inspiring. The gluten-free diet was presented without humor or passion (or even, if I am honest, anything approaching a tempting recipe). I began blogging in 2005 as a way to not only share my growing pile of gluten-free recipes but to help others starting out on their gluten-free journey- I wanted to let folks know that cooking gluten-free is not only doable- but delicious- that gluten-free doesn’t mean dreary, tasteless or boring. And I posted sexy photographs of my recipes to prove it!

How do you continue to come up with fresh ideas to share with readers?

It’s easy when you have dedicated readers. They inspire me. I receive so many heartfelt personal e-mails- and blog comments- thanking me for a particular recipe that they imagined they’d never be able to enjoy again, or to tell me a sweet story about their child loving one my cookie bar recipes. I also have a large vegan and vegetarian following because I develop gluten-free vegan and vegetarian recipes; if you think living gluten-free is a challenge, try gluten-free and casein-free. And egg-free. Fifty percent of those with celiac disease are intolerant to dairy products, and more and more folks (myself included) are discovering additional food allergies coexisting with gluten intolerance. I’m one of the few food blogs who develops recipes for those with multiple food allergies. I thrive on the challenge of it. It keeps me inspired.

What’s your favorite comfort food?

Why Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas, of course! Seriously? Potatoes- white, gold or sweet. Mashed, baked, sliced into fries, mixed into a potato salad- it’s all good.

How do you spend your time when you’re not cooking, eating or blogging?

I’m an artist- I paint large abstract expressionist paintings. I love to read. And watch movies. I’m a home body.

Comments on Karina’s recipe from her Budget Recipe Challenge page:

princessmorgan72 wrote:
I just made this with a couple of other girls in my dorm as one of our “Sunday Night Specials,” and it was amazing! It’s hard to deal with Celiac Disease in college, but having these leftovers in my fridge will make it just a little bit easier (for this week, anyway). Thanks for the recipe!

Dana wrote:
I served this two days ago to my husband (who doesn’t like sweet potato), my father-in-law (who doesn’t like beans), my mother-in-law (generally health-conscious) and myself (allergic to gluten, dairy, and eggs), and made everyone happy! Thanks, Karina and Whole Foods.
P.S. Karina’s gluten-free vegan cornbread is also fabulous.

A lovely shot of one of Karina’s works-in-progress.

Remember: Don’t comment here if you want to support Karina in our contest. You have to comment on her recipe page. We turned comments off to help you remember!

Rachel Rappaport is a food writer, recipe developer, cooking instructor and commentator on all matters relating to food and cooking.  Her blog, originally started in 2004 as a place for Rachel to share recipes with her friends.  It now features hundreds of original recipes and easy home cooking tips covering a wide range of international cuisines from authentic Indian curries to traditional American favorites to vegan, Korean and Japanese food.

Don’t lie: what did you have for dinner last night?

Last night we were in NYC to attend a taping of a blog focused episode of Martha Stewart’s show so for once I didn’t cook! We went out for Thai with some friends and I had a great shrimp & glass noodle dish.

Remember: Don’t comment here if you want to support Rachel in our contest. You have to comment on her recipe page. We turned comments off to help you remember!

Can you give us 3 to 5 of your favorite money-saving tips when it comes to cooking and eating?

Despite having a two person household I often buy family packs of meat and divide it into meal sized portions to freeze for future meals. Buying in larger quantities is often cheaper than buying smaller sized packages.

I try to stock up on baking basics like flour and sugar near the holidays when they are on sale at heavily discounted prices. The expiration dates are often many, many months in the future so it is safe to buy a few months supply at once.

I always eat fruit and vegetable in season. Not only is it tastier, it is much cheaper than buying it out of season.

I keep basics like rice, beans, canned tomatoes, frozen spinach, and dried pasta on hand for quick dinners-no need to make a costly last minute shopping trip or resorting to takeout.

I also study the circular and plan meals around what is on sale and make a list rather than just picking out things at the store. It is a great way save money-I stick to the list and stay on budget.

How do you continue to come up with fresh ideas to share with readers?

I really like trying to recreate foods I’ve had out in restaurants or from bakeries at home. I also enjoy putting a new twist on an old favorite: artichoke macaroni & cheese, mango-chile cupcakes.  I always say that we have to eat every day so every day is an opportunity to try something new!

What is your “go-to” weekday meal recipe – the one you pull out in a pinch for yourself that you never get tired of?

I love to make quesadillas-it is a great way to use up leftover vegetables or meat and is super quick to make, even if you make your own refried beans.

If you could host a potluck dinner with any three people, who would you invite and what dish would each person bring along?

Simone Beck would bring the perfect loaf of French bread, James Beard would bring hors d’oeuvres and canapés, and my Grandpop would bring his perfect Maryland style fried chicken and home fries.

Comments on Rachel’s recipe from her Budget Recipe Challenge page:

SailGirl207 wrote:
We made this for dinner last night – OMG it’s soooooo good. My 7 year old asked to put this recipe in our “family” cookbook (she has started making one with her favorite meals). My husband was thrilled to have a differnt kind of chili instead of what I normally make, lol. The spaghetti was a great idea. I ususally use rice, but this made the meal more filling we though.

Here’s a picture of my new favorite cupackes: Eye of the Tiger Cupcakes–my original recipe.

Remember: Don’t comment here if you want to support Rachel in our contest. You have to comment on her recipe page. We turned comments off to help you remember!