So far we have announced the 2013 Ultimate Reader's Choice award as well as the 2013 Best Recipe Ever $10,000 Grand Prize winner.
Over the next several days, we will be revealing the winners in our monthly blogger recipe contests from last year. Along the way, we will be thrilled to introduce you to some outstanding recipes and stellar bloggers!
Today we start with the Best Blogger Smoothie Recipe contest. A huge round of applause to "ErikaKerekes" for her "Summer Smoothie with Honeydew!"
For her healthy and delicious green smoothie, Erika won $1,000 and a full page spread in "Eat Well, Lose Weight" magazine from Better Homes and Gardens. It's on newsstands now through March 31st. The feature is on page 13. Check it out!
You can try her award winning recipe for yourself here: http://ift.tt/1cjoJ4V
Keep reading…
(Image courtesy of Erika Kerekes)
What made you decide to enter the BetterRecipes.com "Best Blogger Ever" contest?
After five years of writing my blog In Erika's Kitchen, I've got hundreds of delicious recipes that have been tested, proofread, and photographed. Entering contests like this is a great way to dust off some of the recipes I haven't looked at in a while and give them a fresh new look. Also, the prize!
How did you come up with your winning recipe?
My husband is addicted to the green smoothies I make for him. I make huge batches a few times a week and keep it in the refrigerator. He sometimes drinks three or four glasses a day. Guess that's why his doctor is so happy! When I make green smoothies, I like everything that goes into them to be green – it keeps the color of the smoothie more vibrant. Honeydew is one of our favorite melons and it's exactly the right hue.
Do you have any recipe development or photography tips to share with our readers?
Recipe development: I think a lot about how flavors and textures go together. I always try to go for contrast. If there's sweet, there needs to be acid; if there's smooth, I like to include something crunchy. It's all about balance.
Photography: Find the one spot in your house that has good light for food photos and take every single picture in the same spot. The end of my dining room table nearest the window is getting a worn-out spot because I shoot there so much. And don't neglect the floor – sometimes it's where your best indirect light is, especially smack in the middle of the day.
Would you encourage other bloggers to enter recipe contests?
Absolutely! I enter every contest I can find, especially if I've already written a recipe that fits or is close to the criteria.
When did you start your blog, In Erika's Kitchen?
December 2008. But please don't go back and read the posts I wrote then. The photos are terrible and I had no idea what I was doing.
I hear ya! I look back and some of my old posts and cringe too. I think we all do!
Why did you start writing a food blog? What motivates you to write and create new recipes for your audience?
Actually, my inspiration was different from most of the other food bloggers I know. I was an early player in the dot-com product development world, but I retired in 2001 to stay home with my kids. When the recession ate my husband's job in 2008, I had to go back to work, but I'd been on the sidelines as the industry matured. I started In Erika's Kitchen as a resume-builder, to prove that I still understood how to create compelling online content and build an audience. I didn't actually expect to love blogging so much – I thought I'd give it up when I got a job. But I'm still doing it more than five years later!
Do you focus on a particular angle or subject matter?
(sigh) No, not really. And I always tell other bloggers who are just starting out to learn from my mistake. The more "angular" and focused your topic is, the easier it is to grow an audience, in my opinion. But I haven't listened to my own advice.
That is great advice for anyone starting out in the blogging world. Do you have any other tips for readers interested in starting their own blog?
Choose a blog name that will help you get found via search – include the words that you know people will type into the search box. Recipe, food, cooking, kitchen, yummy, delicious, whatever. And don't do it because you want to get on TV and earn a million bucks – you probably won't. Do it because you like to tell stories and you want to create real relationships with your readers through the food you talk about.
(Image courtesy of Erika Kerekes)
If you want to learn more about Erika Kerekes, here are a few links to her blog and social media pages.
By the way, Erika recently launched her own food product business! It is called Not Ketchup, a line of gourmet fruit "ketchups." (Erika said, the FDA has strict rules about what can be labeled ketchup – no tomatoes, can't use that term, thus the product name). http://www.notketchup.com
Blog: http://ift.tt/1m0uBbz
Post for her winning recipe: http://ift.tt/1m0uDQU
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Google+: http://ift.tt/1cjoM0A
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