The holidays are here! For many of us, today kicks off a season that will keep you busy in the kitchen. Whether you’re baking for gift giving or a neighborhood cookie exchange, you’ll want to give our contest-winning recipes in the October/November issue a try!

And if you’re already thinking about Christmas dinner, we’ve got plenty of scrumptious menu ideas in our huge December/January issue. With all the special meals and parties this time of year, you’ll need both issues at your side in the kitchen. They’re our biggest issues ever!

REGIONAL COOKING

Taste of Home will introduce a new column in April/May by Jane and Michael Stern, two of America’s most widely read food writers. The couple will focus on great American regional foods and home cooking. We’re asking readers and Field Editors to contribute their favorite regional recipes to accompany the Sterns’ stories.

Here are some of the recipes we’re looking for. Please submit them to fieldeditors@tasteofhome.com and put “Sterns” on the subject line of your E-mail.

* Burger favorites, including Steamed Cheeseburger (Connecticut), Butter Burger (Wisconsin), Juicy Lucy (Minnesota), Onion-Fried Burger (Oklahoma) and Green Chile Cheeseburger (New Mexico)

* Kitchen sink meals, such as Hoppel Poppel (Midwest), Garbage Plate (Rochester, New York), Horseshoe (Springfield, Illinois) and Slinger (St. Louis.)

* Nut pies, from pecan pie and peanut pie to Karo-nut and maple-walnut.

TASTE OF HOME COOKBOOK

In 2006, we launched The Taste of Home Cookbook—our first book ever to be sold in stores. Four years and more than 2 million copies later, we knew it was time for a change. The result? The Taste of Home Cookbook, New 3rd Edition: Best Loved Classics and All New Favorites has more than 1,000 new recipes and variations, hundreds of new color photos and a special all-new chapter of 30-minute light entrees. The approach is new, too: a mix of traditional and new flavors for any meal, situation or diet. We’re also trying something new in the months to come: We’ll be promoting the cookbook using Field Editors like you in various markets across the country. Watch for more information in upcoming newsletters.

Remember that the cookbook makes a great holiday gift. To order one and get FREE shipping, go to http://www.shoptasteofhome.com/new. Make sure to enter the promotion code 1139 at checkout.

THE COMFORT FOOD DIET

Have you tried Taste of Home’s Comfort Food Diet? This unique diet plan allows you to indulge in hearty family dinners and still take off pounds. If you or someone you know has followed this delicious diet and lost weight, we want your success story. Just drop us an E-mail at comfortfooddiet@tasteofhome.com and type “Success Story” on the subject line.

FREE OFFER! Try the Comfort Food Diet on us. We’ll send you a free copy of the brand-new Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook: Family Classics Edition, featuring 400 Test Kitchen-approved recipes (all with nutrition facts), plus a 6-week meal planner. You’ll lose weight while enjoying family classics such as Weeknight Chicken Potpie, Slow-Cooked Mac ‘n’ Cheese, Fully Loaded Chili and Chewy Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies. Everyone in the family will love these great-tasting dishes.

In addition to receiving the free cookbook, you’ll have access to an online Comfort Food Diet community forum to share tips and successes, provide encouragement and ask questions of other Comfort Food dieters. The forum will be monitored by registered dietitians, who will also provide support. In return, we ask that you make an earnest effort to follow the diet basics for at least 12 weeks, regularly participate in the online forum and are willing to share testimonials if you are happy with the cookbook.

If you’d like to be considered for this exclusive offer, send a message to comfortfooddiet@tasteofhome.com.

LAST CHANCE!

Don’t delay: November 30 is the deadline to enter The Taste of Home Cookbook Recipe Contest. We’re looking for appetizers, casseroles, slow-cooker favorites, main dishes, soups, salads, sides, cookies and more. You could win $500 as a category winner or the $25,000 grand prize. Enter today at www.tasteofhome.com/cookbookcontest. And if you are a teacher, a school staff member or volunteer, you also have until November 30 to enter the Teachers Recipe Contest sponsored by Taste of Home and Books Are Fun. You and your school could win a big cash prize! For complete details and to submit recipes, visit www.tasteofhome.com/teacherscontest.

ARE YOU A BLOGGER?

If you have a blog, let us know. We’d love to have our Field Editor bloggers talk up Taste of Home, promote new cookbooks, share special offers and more. Just send an E-mail to fieldeditors@tasteofhome.com and type “Blog” on the subject line. Thanks!

FUN WITH FOOD

Teena Petrus of Johnstown, Pennsylvania recently taught a 2-hour class at the Bottleworks Ethnic Arts Center. She demonstrated how to make and preserve apple butter and pumpkin butter.

“I learned from the chefs at a Taste of Home Cooking School I attended how to pre-prepare dishes for demonstration. So the pumpkin butter was fairly cooked down and the apples were soft enough to go through the food mill when I got there. Everyone got a container of each butter to take home, and I was invited back to teach another class.”

If you teach a class, do a cooking demonstration or promote the Field Editor program and Taste of Home in any way, please let us know! We’ll include your event here.

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS

Have you been recognized in public as these Field Editors have? We want to hear your stories. Please send them to fieldeditors@tasteofhome.com and put “Close Encounters” in the subject line.

Shannon Arthur

“Last summer, a group of us from our high school class got together for dinner. We all knew each other, but we didn’t all know each other’s spouses. As we were talking, one of them said to me, ‘Hey, aren’t you in a food magazine?’ For a moment, I felt like a celebrity.” —Shannon Arthur, Lucasville, Ohio

“I received an E-mail in my Facebook account titled ‘Taste of Home.’ It was a note from a woman asking if I was the Denise Youles in the back of Taste of Home magazine. I replied that I was. Turns out, she lives in a nearby town, and Taste of Home is her favorite magazine. We have since become Facebook friends.” —Denise Youles, Fallon, Nevada

Amy Voights

“I called the local medical clinic to make an appointment for my son, and when I told the receptionist my name, she said, ‘Oh, my. I just made one of your recipes last night, and it was a huge hit.’ She had recognized my name on the recipe, and when I called that day, she realized why.” —Amy Voights, Brodhead, Wisconsin

KEEP CURRENT!

Please remember that if you move, you must contact Jane Stasik (Jane_Stasik@rd.com) in addition to the subscription department. And don’t forget to let us know when your E-mail address changes, so we can keep your newsletter coming. 

That's it for this month. See you in December.

Barbara Schuetz, Editor