Top Ten Fabulous Food Blogs for 2011

1/3/11 - By Katia

During the post holiday winter months meal prep can be a real drag. The New Year has me searching for something different to do with all those root vegetables, and desperate for a way to make winter salads palatable. And with my resolution energy I'm looking for better ideas for my kid's school lunches. There are tons of great food blogs that provide exotic ideas and great desserts, but I need something inspired and also practical for my family. Luckily, there's help out there. Here are some of our top picks for desperate parents and their hungry, sometimes picky, children.

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One Hungry Mama
As food writer Stacie claims "Kids change the way we cook, but they don't have to change how well we eat." Her site covers any craving or age group. And within her site you can sign up to save your favorite of her recipes in one convenient place. This New Yorker brings fine dining and easy prep to any age group.

Babble Family Kitchen
Great food writers like Stacie, above, are featured here at Babble in the Food section. This is the place to find anything that any parent needs to feed your child, from recipes to product reviews. And it's a great place to find a new favorite writer, as there are so many contributors. And quite honestly, they had me at "New Year's Resolution Food: Low-Fat Potato Chip Chicken".



Weelicious
Catherine's site has not only the usual mix to help you whip up something for the whole family, but features dairy free, egg free, and vegan options as well. Her site has a recipe box for faves, and videos and a message board to boot.



Dinner a Love Story
What I love about this blog is that Jenny is super forgiving, and though she loves food, she does not make you feel repentant for reheating leftover pizza, just offers to help us through the nights when we want a little something more. And she blogs about more than just food, which is such a kindness. In addition to all this she offers a great site with recipes that I want to start making now.



The Naptime Chef
Another Babble featured writer, Kelsey, provides a great compendium from a foodie turned mom, determined to not disappoint her taste buds. You can look up a recipe by category or ingredient, and she even has webisodes.



Pioneer Woman
I have a soft spot for this city dweller turned rancher's wife's story. Ree Drummond fell in love with a cowboy and wrote about it on her award winning blog--a comprehensive spot, and a good place to get lost while you've got something simmering. This little lady has four kids, so she can tickle any taste bud, and makes dropping everything and moving to a cattle ranch seem like a great idea.



Mark Bittman
Following a Bittman recipe is overwhelming and thrilling. This man can take any basic idea and give you five to ten different variations on the theme that will all prove to be tasty. As long as you can stay focused--wait lemon juice if I'm using blueberries, but only cinnamon if I'm using apples-- this is your go to to please any picky eater in your family. His site is currently sporting a five-minute drizzle sauce that can go on anything from pasta to fish, with several variations. And I printed out his 101 Simple Salads over the summer for sure bets as well as more adventurous ideas. Plus he has a cool phone app.



Food Network
I know everyone knows about the food network, but I include it because it houses my favorite queen of butter and cream, Ina Garten. I realize that I should be touting Ellie Krieger, as we are all on diets for the new year, and Ellie is wonderful, but Ina has created some of my go to dishes that my family craves: Chicken Stew with Biscuits, and Broccoli and Bow Ties. The stew with biscuits takes a bit of work, but it's not complicated, and you can make the stew part ahead of time (or double batch it--or even freeze it) and just make the biscuits the day of. The broccoli pasta dish is easy, quick, and if I make sure my pantry is stocked (and pine nuts are in the freezer) all I have to buy is the broccoli and lemon. Mommy Poppins herself is crazy about Giada's Asian Chicken Salad, which I intend to add to my family's repertoire, stat.



The Kitchn at Apartment Therapy
I could spend hours, I have spent hours, perusing the many faces of apartment therapy. And it's Kitchn section is especially wonderful, from product reviews to round ups of recipes. They are doing their own best of lists currently so it's a great time to see a listing of the cool ideas they post all year long. Plus, sometime in the new year, I'll be making homemade dog biscuits.



$5 Dollar Dinners
Thirty minute meals, sure, but $5 dinners? You don't have to figure out how to stretch the dollar in these challenging times, Erin Chase has figured it out for you, and documents her recipes and tips here.
 

And if you are looking something with a little more zing that harkens back to your single days when you cooked what you wanted, when you wanted it, check out Orangette, Molly Wizenberg's brain child, or Deb's Smitten Kitchen (with a baby food recipe section!). And for great information from local food writers, Cathy of Not Eating Out in New York has got me interested in trying sunchokes, and our own Lia, of This Little Piglet, has me Brooklyn bound with her excellent coverage of Brooklyn food spots and all things related to good food.

Got a favorite food blog? Share it with us in the comments. And for more meal planning ideas, check out It's Sunday night: do you know what's for dinner for the rest of your life?