Taste of Home

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FIELD EDITOR NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2014

Sue's Announcements

Susan Stetzel
Online Community Manager, Taste of Home,
sue.stetzel@rd.com

Hello Fellow Field Editors!

Wow, can you believe it's December already? Where did this year go? We're sure many of you are knee- deep in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, but I want to encourage you to take just one minute each day to stop, close your eyes, and reflect on the year that will soon be behind us. Each day from now until the end of the year, try to pull to the front of your mind one thing that made you smile. After all, it's not the things we've done that will be remembered, it's the feelings that anchor us. Make sure to grab some happiness this busy season (and share a little with others while you're at it).

Did you get a chance to check out the Taste of Home Cooking School Online program we told you about last month? Take a minute to visit the Field Editor forum and tell me what you thought. I'm passing all your feedback on to the Taste of Home team so we can continue to make a great product. Add your comments to the thread titled Hey Field Editors!!! Did you see the news? We can't wait to hear your thoughts.

Bloggers, tell us what you've been up to this year; we want to know all about it. As the New Year approaches, we'll be brainstorming some ways that we can work together. Be sure to send a link and a description of your blog to me at sue.stetzel@rd.com.

Last but not least, Taste of Home wants to wish you all a very joyous holiday season.

Get Cookin'

Topic 1:
Italian Favorites

We want your absolute favorite Italian-inspired dishes, brimming with Old World flavor and fresh ingredients. Share your best original recipes that showcase the Italian heritage.

Submit Recipes >

Topic 2:
Restaurant Copycats

Have you re-created one of your favorite restaurant dishes at home? Maybe a super creamy cheesecake or a juicy steakhouse steak? Send in your best original copycat recipe that you'd like to share.

Submit Recipes >

Topic 3:
After the Holiday Feast

The celebration is over but the leftover feast continues! We'd love to try your recipes using leftover ham, turkey, stuffing and more. Show us your original ideas for giving new life to day-after foods.

Submit Recipes >

Enter One of Our Recipe Contests >

Field Editor in Focus

Meet Lisa LaFontaine Bynum

TOH: What's your favorite part about being a Field Editor?

LLB: Being a Field Editor is a little like a badge of honor for me. My grandmother was a subscriber for years and got me hooked on the magazine—she even gave me my first subscription. Now that she's gone, I view Taste of Home as a special connection to her. She would be tickled to know I became a Field Editor.

TOH: Has being a Field Editor changed how you cook in your own kitchen?

LLB: Definitely! Because Taste of Home's reach is so widespread, I've been trying recipes from a variety of regions. As a mom who cooks every day, I often find myself in a rut. Being a Field Editor has challenged me to try new things.

TOH: Do you have any tips for your fellow Field Editors?

LLB: A well-loved favorite recipe that you make over and over has a compelling way of telling a story or allowing you to relive a memory. For instance, every time I make a chocolate pie for my husband's birthday, I think back to the first time I made it for him, while we were still sweethearts in college. The next time you are standing over a stove making a meal you've made maybe a thousand times, try to remember some of the good times associated with sharing with those you love.

TOH: What's your most-loved Taste of Home recipe, and why do you love it?

LLB: I have a lot of favorites, but I can say without a doubt Slow-Cooked Jambalaya gets made most often. Cajun and Creole cooking are always favorites here in Mississippi, and I love that I can dump everything in my slow cooker and dinner is ready in a few hours. It even freezes well!