The time has come to announce the winner of the first annual (but probably not the last) Super Souper Challenge. Let me say this...
Maybe I am destined to only have one child someday. Maybe I'm destined to be a kindergarten teacher in my other life. I dunno...but picking a winner between all of these amazing entries has been GRUELING. What I really want to do is pat all of you on the head, give you a gold star and reward you ALL for a job well done.
Unfortunately,that's not how this works,when you appoint yourself judge and jury. Therefore, I have ended up with a first and second place. Next time I do this, you folks are voting!
When the entries started coming in, one caught my eye early on. This is someone whose blog I think is top notch all the time. The writing, the recipes *and* the cooking. I've seen their entries in several Hay Hay It's Donna Days and thought their photography was just great. I appreciate people who know that its most appetizing to get right into the food. I also loved this recipe because it embodied the spirit of the challenge and its dedication to my mom: a homey, loosey goosey recipe that was a home-kitchen favorite and wasn't straight from the pages of a cookbook.
Congratulations to Peabody from Seattle, Washington and her blog Culinary Concoctions By Peabody with the recipe for Roasted Onion and Gorgonzola Soup!
Peabody wins a copy of Simply Elegant Soups, which has GORGEOUS photos and amazing recipes in it. Also included is a trio of Dagoba candy bars (roseberry, lime, and lavender - the lime is one of my favorite chocolate flavors *ever*) because one cannot live on soup alone.
I was sure about my choice as the winner..but I kept coming back to another entry that I received close to the deadline. It was so unusual and tasty sounding...and photographed in a way that made me want to eat it. So light and refreshing and delicious...and an unexpected flavor combination. When I asked my friends to pick a soup they liked, this one came up time after time. I just COULDN'T let it go without some recognition.
In a TOTALLY unexpected second place is Priya of Arkansas's Sugar and Spice with her Mint Soup. The recipe was very unique and the photos - especially the ingredient shots - were just lovely. There was another cookbook that I wanted to give out as a prize...so I'm sending it to you!
Priya is the winner of a copy of "A Beautiful Bowl Of Soup - The Best Vegetarian Recipes". Congrats!
I want to thank *everyone* for entering this challenge. Since September, in one way or another, this blog has been so therapeutic and good for me. This blog event was an amazing tribute to my mom and the power of the network of food bloggers. Thank you again to everyone who took part!