Yummy Chatter

Thanks so much to everyone who has stopped by The Yummy Life. Your comments provide ideas and inspiration for me and all who visit. Here are announcements, and links to some favorite blogs.

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Penzeys Spices Giveaway Winners and Results

(Giveaway Deadline was 8 pm CST, January 27) 

Congratulations to these 4 giveway winners (they were chosen from 123 entries via a random number generator):

• Missy K - "I love cumin (a.k.a. comino). I cook a lot of Tex Mex food and I always use cumin."
• Amy - "My favorite spice - ooohhh, this is hard, there are so many - but I think it would have to be fresh ground pepper. I love it in so many dishes - it just adds a great little zing. And of course, it is Penzey's peppercorns in their peppermill - I love, Love, Love Penzeys - yay!!"
• Nancy S - "I like Chili Powder for making homemade chili that is a crowd pleaser on a cold night... and for sweet things... cinnamon of course! Thanks for the chance for the drawing! I'll share your blog on Facebook again... you have great ideas here!"
• Karen - "Mine would be cinnamon. I use it for baking, in chili, and my husband uses it as part of his rub for the ribs."

Your boxes of spices are all in the mail and on their way to you!

Thanks to all my yummy readers who entered the contest, left comments, and shared the Giveaway on Facebook and Twitter!

I had so much fun reading all of the comments about your favorite spice/herb/seasoning. 

Many of you are really passionate about your spices. I love what Rebecca said of Dalmation rubbed sage and garlic powder: "love that with a passion greater than a thousand suns...."  :-)

Debbie's comment made me laugh when she said being asked to name her favorite spice is "like asking me to pick a favorite grandchild." Ha!

She wasn't the only one who had a hard time choosing a favorite. A number of people listed more than one. I thought you'd like to see the list of favorite seasonings from the contest. Here's a compilation of your favorite spices/herbs/seasonings with the number of votes for each:

• cinnamon 37 
• cumin 10
• rosemary   8
• black pepper 6
• ginger 5
• garlic powder 5
• red pepper flakes 4
• oregano 3
• smoked paprika 3
• cocoa 3
• basil 3
• dill weed 2
• chili powder 2
• sea salt 2
• allspice 2
• garlic 2
• cilantro 2
• cardamom 2
• nutmeg 2
• cayenne 2
• paprika 2
• thyme 2
• sage 1
• garlic salt 1
• curry powder 1
• marjoram 1
• Penzeys 4S (seasoned salt) 1 
• Cavenders Greek Seasoning 1
• lemon pepper 1
• garlic pepper 1
• Dalmation rubbed sage 1
• cloves 1
• kosher salt 1
• tarragon 1
• vanilla 1
• celery seed 1
• key lime spice 1
• onion powder 1

One thing we can conclude from this list:
CINNAMON RULES! 

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Comments emails temporarily not working

My 2 techie what-would-I-do-without-them sons, T-Man and Brackenthebox, are currently making some upgrades to The Yummy Life so that we can accommodate the growing traffic to the site. Until they are finished, it won't be possible for you to receive email notifications when there are replies to your comments at the end of my posts. Everything should be back to normal within a couple of weeks. In the meantime, you'll need to return to a post to read any follow-up comments. Sorry for the inconvenience. It's temporary! And, please keep those comments and questions coming. I love hearing from you!

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Recipes and ideas from other bloggers:

Here are some great-looking recipes and ideas I've come across recently. Check them out! 

How to Make Light and Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits from RecipeGirl.com. I love her easy to follow photos and technique that is simplified by mixing everything in the food processor. Can't wait to try this!

Maple Almond Butter from FoodInJars.com. I love almond butter, and it's so easy to make. This recipe has a hint of maple syrup in it. Yum.

Stuffed Triple Chocolate Cookies from KeepItSweet.com. Cookies stuffed with Reese's peanut butter cups, Peppermint Patties, Hershey's kisses? Seriously. I'm not sure this is legal, but it has to be good.

Spinach, Sausage, and Bean Dip from OilAndButter.com. This has Super Bowl Party written all over it. I've never seen this particular combination, but it looks delish.

French Onion Soup from SmithBites.com. One of my favorite soups. This recipe looks yummy and easier than many I've seen.

Before You Make A Big Decision, Clean House from ABloggableLife.com. Sandie's blog has a new topic every day--daily sources of information, inspiration, and food for thought. I could especially relate to this post. When I have a big task to take on, I often end up doing something completely unrelated first--like clean the refrigerator or oven. Now I know I'm not the only one.

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Wishing you all a Yummy weekend!