La Buena Vida
Source: La Buena Vida
La Buena Vida features seasonally inspired recipes and drinks by photographer Nicole Franzen. Building on more than a decade of experience in the restaurant industry, Franzen displays her passion for food through her recipes and gorgeous photos. She also loves to travel, showcasing a wide range of food experiences.
Blue Kitchen
Source: Blue Kitchen
Terry Body authors this weekly blog that caters to both beginning and experienced cooks. Boyd is a contributor to the Chicago Tribune and Christian Science Monitor. We love this blog because it features dishes that are realistic for any cook, but without any gimmicks.
The Year in Food
Source: The Year in Food
Photorapher and blogger Kimberly Hasselbrink authors The Year in Food, which focuses on dishes that feature seasonal fruits and vegetables. We love both the creativity of her recipes as well as the beautiful photography.
My Life Runs on Food
Source: My Life Runs on Food
Sanura Weathers leads this blog as part of her mission to “put a well-blanced meal back into our lives.” She certainly accomplishes her goal, providing her readers with well-planned, wholesome dishes that provide rich and diverse flavors. Our favorite post from 2012 was a delicious sausage and brussel-sprout grits recipe.
Herbivoracious
Source: Herbivoracious
It was a big year for Michael Natkin, author of the Herbivoracious blog, who released his first cookbook. (He also began writing for the PBS Parents blog.) A former software engineer at Industrial Light and Magic, Natkin is now committed to creating creative vegetarian dishes that pack big flavor. This blog has become required reading for any vegetarian.
So Simple Gluten Free
Source: So Simple Gluten Free
With more than 2 million Americans estimated to have celiac disease, gluten-free diets are becoming increasingly popular. One of the best resources for gluten-free recipes is So Simple Gluten Free, authored by Jen Cafferty. Cafferty has been a leader in gluten-free cuisine since the 2000s. We love her site because it tackles many of the real-life issues that go with a gluten-free family lifestyle.
Evil Shenanigans
Source: Evil Shenanigans
We can’t always eat healthy. Sometimes, we just need a good, decadent dessert. Where better to turn than Evil Shenanigans by Kelly Jaggers? What kelly does focus on is using fresh, wholesome ingredients and recipes that provide big taste. We couldn’t even try to narrow down our favorite dessert on the site. We might just need to sample them all first.
Zesty Cook
Source: Zesty Cook
Cory Gallant launched Zesty Cook as a way to provide his perspective on cooking and to create a place for foodies to engage. Gallant not only offers a wide-range of achievable recipes, he also provides informative cooking techniques and advice from how to buy beef to the best knives.
Honey and Jam
Source: Honey and Jam
We were originally drawn to Hannah Queen’s blog because of her spectacular photos. But we realized how much we also love her culinary creations, even if we have to wait too long for them. One wish for the new year would be to see new posts from Hannah on a much more frequent basis.
Spoon Fork Bacon
Source: Spoon Fork Bacon
Jenny Park and Teri Lyn Fisher combine to create and photograph the wonderful dishes on Spoon Fork Bacon. The pair combine to create interesting and appealing dishes, with an emphasis on party food. We get most excited for their cocktails, which are always gorgeous and inspired.