It has been a while since our last installment of The Finest Foodies Friday. But now that I am back from all the hub bub and settling in to what qualifies as a “normal” life here in the Leftover Queen household, it is time to get back to our regularly scheduled programs here on The Leftover Queen.

For those of you not familiar with the Finest Foodies Friday, we have it every Friday (Duh!), and it is where we showcase favorite blogs from
The Foodie Blogroll. It is a way to share and discover all the wealth of food information we have at our fingertips with The Foodie Blogroll, the fastest growing blogroll for food bloggers. The only requirement to be featured in an installment of FFF is to be a member of The Foodie Blogroll. If you are not yet a member, but you have a food blog and would like to join, please click here, to join in on the fun.If you have a favorite foodblog on The Foodie Blogroll, that you would like to be featured here, please join us over on The Forum, and post your favorite Foodie Blogroll foodblogs here.
Many weeks we pick from the list, and other weeks we just wing it!

This week I would like to showcase some new and some old favorites of mine.

First some of my old favorites:

Let’s start with Katie from Thyme For Cooking
I always love Katie’s blog because she has a great sense of humor. She lives in the South of France, but has also lived in Spain, and she has some great stories to tell about her various adopted homelands. I always learn something new when I visit Katie’s blog and I always leave with a smile on my face. She also has a tantalizing weekly menu plan, often featuring items from her vast garden, that is sure to give you some great ideas for your week!

Then there is Pixie from You Say Tomato…I Say Tomato
Pixie is a very spunky chica who is also a big fan of food of the Mediterranean. She loves exploring new dishes (lots of time other bloggers’ recipes) and trying them out in her kitchen in the UK. Her family is from Malta and she often shares some delicious Maltese dishes, like her family’s Maltese Pizza where she tells a lovely story about her aunt and a day at the beach, one of my favorite posts.

Next is Courtney from CoCo Cooks
Her blog is so interesting, because you never know what kind of food to expect on any given day - she gets inspired by different ingredients or a dish and then goes into her kitchen and makes something based on that inspiration. You can also see her cooking up new dishes based on what she gets from her weekly vegetable box, like those yummy looking Mashed Turnips with Feta! Did someone say Feta???

Looking for great Lebanese food? I always am. If you are too, then you’ve got to check out Mag’s Blog Hommus & Tabbouli.
All of her dishes are totally authentic and she takes the mystery out of all your favorites like falafel, hummus and stuffed grape leaves. I made the Stuffed Grape Leaves from her blog and they were amazing! I could eat everything on her blog, everyday. This is some of the best food in the world!

Now for the two newbies. Like I’ve said in the past, I get tons of new requests to join The Foodie Blogroll everyday, and I have the pleasure of checking them all out. I love this job because I get to see all the great new blogs and get inspired all over again!

A few weeks before my big break, Aaron from Xocoatl Express joined The Foodie Blogroll and I fell in love with his blog right away. Aaron is chocolate obsessed and enjoys making and eating chocolate, like these delicious truffles that he created for The Royal Foodie Joust. For me, I have always described myself as a “vanilla girl” because most of the chocolate that is readily available is honestly crap and not really chocolate at all. Aaron gets this, and his blog is all about real chocolate and how to pair it with the right wines…and cheese! What’s not to love in that equation? There are also non-chocolate related recipes as well.

Last but not least is the lovely Kari from Anticiplate.
Kari is a ballerina who has a love for cooking gourmet foods. She finds many similarities between dancing and cooking from artistry, to technical aspects to plating and performance. I really love how sophisticated, yet simply elegant her foods are. One of my recent favorites is her twist on Caprese salad. Her husband does not like tomatoes so she substituted the tomatoes for sweet, juicy mangoes! What do you say Roberto? You game? (Roberto on the other hand is a lover of tomatoes, and not a lover of mangoes…)!!!
Also, she has the cutest profile pic of her stuffed in a large stock pot - no joke, get over there and check it out!

I really want to also give a special shout out this week to Ivy, Valli
and Judy for awarding me with such honors as these. Things like this really do make my day and keep me going. I thank you all for all your support and keep blogging! Consider all of you tagged for these awards, because you all make my day and give this blog purpose

Summer is definitely closing in on the heels of spring here in the Sunshine State of Florida. We finally had to succumb to putting the AC on yesterday. The humidity here is getting out of control - so we use the AC to take the moisture out of the air. This always portends the coming of summer in this climate. Since by the time we get back from the wedding, summer will be in full swing here, I thought this week I would feature blogs that make me think of summer for various reasons. That way, if you are still in the beginning of spring where you are, you can use ideas from this blog to get your summer on!

First off, we must talk about Cynthia’s Blog Tastes Like Home
She lives in Barbados, but is originally from Guyana and talks about Guyanese food (as well as other Caribbean cuisine). Everyone in the food blogosphere knows Cynthia - her blog is very popular and she has many loyal readers. I think it is because the way she writes about food and her food photography makes it feel like you are sitting at her table, sharing her food with her, while she talks to you about it. I imagine visiting Cynthia, would be much the same as reading her blog. Cynthia was one of the first people to welcome me to the foodie blogosphere and her passion for the foods of the Caribbean is what keeps all the visitors coming back!

Next we have my good friend Ben, from What’s Cooking?
Ben grew up around food in his parents’ restaurant in Mexico. So his love and understanding of food goes way back to his childhood. Mexican food is so ubiquitous these days - with restaurants dedicated to that food in nearly every town in the US. Ben focuses on real, authentic Mexican food - which is actually very hard to find, despite all the restaurants that claim to serve it. I love reading his posts because I usually learn something - whether it be an ingredient, or a way of preparing a dish I have eaten, but never really knew how to make it. His blog is fresh and delicious!

Then we have Sylvia of La Vida en Buenos Aires y afines…
Sylvia’s blog impresses me each and every time I visit it. Her dishes are always innovative and beautiful. The composition of her dishes is clearly a work of art and she has a very fine touch - very aesthetic and I am sure delicious as well. I always knew there were a lot of Italians in Argentina, because I had a few Argentinian friends in high school. There is a fusion to Argentinian cooking - it is a mix of Latin and Italian flavors. A taste of Europe in South America. Fusion cultures always fascinate me. I love to see how the native foods of a country change after its people emigrate elsewhere. Although Sylvia is originally from Brazil (another wonderful food country), her husband is Italian, so she is often making Italian food - in ways that are slightly different than their Americanized counterparts. She also makes a lot of beautiful dishes native to South America and the grilling culture there. Always intersting.

Next is Nikki from Canary Girl
Nikki and her family live in the Canary Islands, Spain. Her food is so good! She has a good time in the kitchen, often experimenting and just enjoying time with her kids. Her blog gives off this fun-loving feel. Again, her food just always looks so fresh and delicious - like it is just jumping off the plate at you and you just want to bite right into it!

Another Caribbean blog I love is Sarina’s Trini Gourmet
The goal of her blog for her is to bring the cuisine of Trinidad to a larger global market. It really is an impressive blog, full of great pictures and step by step instructions for some fabulous recipes. I tell you, there is a whole world of food out there that I really don’t know much about, but it sure gets my taste buds working when I look at those beautiful dishes.

So here is my tribute to summer coming on!

If you would like to nominate your favorite blog from The Foodie Blogroll, please click here

If you would like to JOIN The Foodie Blogroll, for your chance to have your blog featured here, please click here

Okay, so the theme for today’s FFF is yours, the readers’ favorites. I have spent the last several weeks introducing you all to my favorites (and believe me, there are still more to come), but today I wanted to educate myself even more and feature blogs that you all have recommended, that I am not very familiar with. If you would like to nominate your favorite blog, please click here and write in your favorite blog. Remember the only rule for nominations is that the blog has to be a member of The Foodie Blogroll! With almost 2000 blogs, that can’t be too hard! If you have not joined The Foodie Blogroll, click here to join!

Now onto the blogs.

I know there are a lot of lovers of pork out there. There have been many discussions about this, the finest of meats, over in the forum. So this one is for you: Bacon Unwrapped. Now, sausage is personally my favorite way to joy in the pork, but I think the majority’s favorite is Bacon and Heather, who runs this blog must agree. It always impresses me to see blogs that are are so singularly minded - as it takes a lot of work to find material to write about all the time. So when you want to learn the latest trends in bacon, you gotta give this blog a try!

The next blog intrigued me to check it out based on the name:
Bake & Destroy!
I love the dichotomy here- baking is always associated with domestic living, while destroying is clearly a warrior quality! So I had to find out - what is going on over there?! This is a great blog devoted to the sweeter things in life, like cupcakes, chocolate and confections but with a punk rock twist. These are not your ordinary cupcakes either, my friend oh no, there are mac n’cheese cupcakes, and I understand there is to be a Boston Baked Beans cupcake coming up! Count me IN!
Here are some great quotes that give you a flavor for this blog: “My mom and my bosses at the bakery taught me a lot about the science of baking, but punk rock taught me to make it my own” and “The world is your cupcake, dudes! So make it rad.” Thanks for your rad blog.

Then there is Matt from Wrightfoods a blog devoted to local, seasonal eating in the Pacific Northwest. The Pacific Northwest has a lot of great local markets and that whole region of the US has a different way of looking at the world. It is pretty much cutting edge in the local eating revolution. Which of course, I am a big fan of. Which has made me a big fan of this blog. The recipes are down to earth, but with a real touch of class. I am sure if you have enjoyed my recent posts about local and seasonal eating, you will enjoy this discovery as much as I did.

Another great cupcake blog is Airy Fairy Cupcakes, by Sinead.
I really do love these blogs devoted to cupcakes. There is something childlike, sophisticated and whimsical all wrapped up in a cupcake. When you eat them, they make you feel like a kind again, but with people for a real passion for cupcakes, they decorate them beautifully to appeal to adult tastes as well. I am very much into the whimsy aspects of life and this blog has whimsy plastered all over it, from the name, to the look of the cupcakes themselves. A real artist’s touch - and the medium is cupcake.

And finally to end this with a punch, is Michelle’s blog, Thursday Night Smackdown! Every Thursday night she dusts off one of her old cookbooks and her oven mitts and bends a recipe to her iron will! This blog is witty and real and will make you start feeling a little bold. I dare you to read a few entries and not laugh! But it isn’t just for the humor that this blog is written - there is a real love for food and a great cook to serve it up to you.

Just a reminder! You have only 4 more days to post your entry for this month’s Royal Foodie Joust! The ingredients are:
something from the sea, lime and coconut!

It never ceases to amaze me how many interesting food blogs are out there. You could try a recipe every day from every single blog on The Foodie Blogroll and it would take over 4 years! As it grows it will take longer and longer and with blogs hailing from all over the globe there is an education to be had out there!

Every week there are new blogs that join The Foodie Blogroll that are so interesting, so I have decided to take a little break from highlighting old favorites to talk about some new favorites this week. Next week, I am going to feature 5 blogs from the Nominations List. Remember to nominate your favorite Foodie Blog-rollers and if you haven’t joined The Foodie Blogroll yet, what are you waiting for?! Join us today! It is a great way to network with foodies from all over the globe, learn about new styles of cooking and cuisine and chat with them on our Foodie Forum.
Remember to be featured in The Finest Foodies Friday, you must be a blogroll member!

Now on to this week’s picks!

Ewa’s blog Third World Gourmet really struck a chord with me this week. She is Polish/Australian and together with her Japanese boyfriend lives in Sierra Leone. She writes about all of her food finds and using her flexibility and creativity to create wonderful meals from the local ingredients. For a Foodie and Anthropologist, this blog is just a feast for the mind for me. It hearkens back to the days I spent in Navajo Country that really made me think about the world in a whole other way. Made me learn to see people for people - not rich, poor, white, brown, what have you. It was one of the times in my life that I felt the most alive! I told Ewa, I have always dreamed about doing what she is doing and reading her blog has inspired me to never say never!

Another blog that spoke to my heart this week was Drew’s Blog How to Cook Like Your Grandmother. As any regular reader of this blog knows, I am not shy about letting people know I learned everything I know about cooking from my Grandparents and my mom. They were a huge influence on what has become my cooking philosophy and style. So I love this blog because it gives a shout out to The Grandmothers of all cultures and walks of life. It is about respecting the older generation and what they taught us. Common sense things - like making things that taste good, using real ingredients, not chemicals, making things from scratch and not packages and using up you LEFTOVERS!

Next is Tiffany and Schaefer a couple from San Francisco who write The Guerrilla Gourmet. It is all about their journey from eating decent food that didn’t require much effort , that filled their bellies, but not their souls, to creating delicious, high quality, gourmet food at home “radically cheap”. I love everything about this concept and the need to feed the soul. I can’t wait to see what they come up with next! This is their journey to better, soulful food.

Next is Gumbeaux Gal of Gumbeaux in the Kitchen. She is a Louisiana girl living in Southern California! Her blog features great New Orleans classics like Shrimp Po’ Boys, Crawfish Etouffee and Muffalettas but using her techniques to lighten them up for a more health conscious crowd. Her blog is spunky and witty and full of spark. Like Gumbeaux Gal says: “you can take the gal out of Louisiana, but you can’t take the Louisiana out of the gal!”

Then we have Angela from Angela’s Food Love.Given the e-book I just wrote, The Secret Energy of Love Through Food, this blog really spoke to me. She is all about the ritual of cooking and eating. She has beautiful pictures on her blog and I was especially touched by her story about going to Kyrgyzstan to write about the people there who are claiming their right to land under a U.S.-assisted land reform program. It is a very interesting article and the food looks amazing!

I work hard everyday to make this day Greener in my household than the last. It is a constant struggle between convenience and doing what I know is better for the earth. This year I have made a commitment to my local farmers by purchasing over 75 % of my food items from the Farmer’s Market and changing my recipes to suit what is available seasonally. I am still as committed as ever to using leftovers and not throwing away food AND taking less trips to the grocery store because of it.

I recycle like crazy – people call me the “recycle nazi”. I use recycled paper products when I use paper products – but mostly use cloth napkins and placemats for eating. I ration paper towels and plastic bags – rewashing them for later use. I use environmentally friendly cleaning products. We have even stopped eating non-organic meats and have cut way down on meat intake altogether. I am a self-professed Tree-Hugger, no I am NOT a hippy or flower child – though there is nothing wrong with those labels, they just never really fit me.

I get asked a lot why I went to college to study Native American studies. Being a white anthropologist comes with its baggage, but for me, it was not about learning about “the other” it was about me needing to learn from Native peoples how we can better take care of the earth. It is something I have always been passionate about, but not something ingrained in our culture, so I wanted to go to the experts.

I have always respected and it has always resonated with me that Native people have a spiritual and environmental approach to the way they look at the earth, which cannot be separated from each other – they go hand in hand. It has always been the same for me as well. The earth is our mother, we cannot own her and we should not ravage her – we should be more considerate about how much space we take up in the world – or we will have no world left to take care of. This does not mean we all have to become militant about being Greener, but just being conscious about it and doing little things in our daily life to make our imprint on Mother Earth a little smaller. Small changes can make a big difference.

So today, in honor of people who are doing their part, I want to feature my Top 5 Green Blogs – these blogs are managed by people who are doing what they can to look out for our Mother Earth – through the food choices they make, how they prepare their food and how they purchase it. I commend them for their conscious effort to make the world a little Greener. So go check these blogs out – get ideas, and that can be your one step closer to Green-ness TODAY!

First there is Eat Here Now. This blog focuses on eating locally and sustainably. The mission of the blog is to bring awareness and understanding that there are social, political and environmental factors to what and how we eat. Not only does it give you a more cerebral take on food, it offers up some yummy recipes that you can feel good about preparing!

Food Revolution: This blog is relatively new and currently having some technical difficulties due to a change in blog hosting – but please go check it out – it is a great concept for all of us foodies and we can all learn something – how to make a food budget and really stick to it – buying only what you really need and trying to make that food last! It causes you to be really creative and really think before you buy! When you purchase food with this concept, you can’t help but eat healthier!

Food Stories: This is a great blog all about the experiment of eating seasonally and really doing only that. Many studies relating to health show that having a seasonal diet is better for you, because it is genetically what our bodies are looking for. I love that this blog because behind it is a second philosophy - food as a celebration. Good food tastes good too!

The Year of Eating Seasonally: The philosophy behind this blog is, the fresher the food, the better the taste. It all came from eating a strawberry fresh, when it was in season, and getting so excited about the concept that when foods are in season, they taste better. This experience launched a whole experiment – to see if food is really better seasonally and if one is stuck eating only cabbage in winter. It is also an experiment to learn more about the hunger gap – if you eat what is only in the ground that season, is it really that bad or do you really feel deprived or hungry? Very cool stuff. Her family is going to learn so much about the environment – I think it is great to raise kids this way!

Then there is, Straight From The Farm. It is all about living in an urban area, but still committing to eating locally, or straight from the farm. In this blog you get the perspective of the farmers as well as those that support them by using their food exclusively. It is a wonderful project and so inspiring!

And here I need to honorable mention Judy, from No Fear Entertaining. Over the past several months there has been a HUGE transformation in Judy and the focus of her blog. She has been frequenting her local Farmer’s Market as well – and has made a commitment to eating locally. I feel a special bond with Judy, because not only are we both Florida girls, but we both started this journey around the same time. We get inspired by each other’s bounty and the dishes we make from our finds! So way to go Judy! You Rock, Girlfriend!

Sorry that this came a little late today…but I promise I have a good excuse - we went off today to get our marriage license!
So…can I be forgiven?

We can all see a little bit of spring beginning…even where it is still cold, blustery and even maybe still snowy for another month or so, it is intrinsic in humans as well as other animals to begin feeling the pull of the spring tide. I think for me it is a lightness in the air. Even though it is still cold, the quality of the air has changed, almost as if it is beckoning me to spend more time outside and stop and smell the roses more often. With the coming of spring also comes all the long awaited Farmers Markets for those who are not able to enjoy them year round.

In the spirit of being creative with Farmers Market veggies and produce, it is time to recognize those Vegetarian and Vegan food blogs that can help us all get some great ideas and learn to be more creative with our food! I know for myself, once the warmer seasons come, the majority of what I eat is of the vegetable variety. So I am looking forward to seeing more Vegetarian and Vegan blogs on The Foodie Blogroll! So if you know any Vegetarian/Vegan bloggers who are not on the blogroll, please send them here to join!

And if there is a blog you love and want to see featured in another edition of FFF, please
write your nominations here.
So without further ado Jenn’s Top 5 Vegetarian or Vegan Food Blogs:

Holler from Tinned Tomatoes was one of the first food bloggers I met in the blogosphere. She is one of the nicest people you will come across, a yoga enthusiast and a great cook. She loves to experiment with exotic flavors and her chutneys and preserves look amazing! Like this Apple and Red Onion Chutney Plus she lives in Scotland, which is a place I have loved to visit in the past and hope I re-visit many times in my life (Maybe has something to do with the fact that my dad is of Scottish decent???).

Then with Holler comes Lisa of Lisa’s Kitchen! Those two just started a very successful event called No Croutons Required where there was lots of blogger participation. I myself cannot wait to join in the fun! But back to Lisa – her blog features lots of Spicy Indian dishes but this recipe for Olive Cheese Balls had me drooling profusely and thinking I need to make them for movie night this weekend!

Then there is Johanna from the Green Gourmet Giraffe. With a name like that, how can you go wrong??? I love green, gourmet foods and giraffes! And as Johanna points out, green is the color of hope! Johanna hails from Melbourne, Australia and she is all about really good vegetarian comfort food, and her scones are out of this world! Her latest post about the Queen Victoria Market makes me realize although I do love my Farmers Market – there are some out there of a whole other league.

Next is Lyra from The Gluten-Free Hippie. Now Lyra is pretty new to the foodie blogroll, but she stands out. She wowed me with her entry for this month’s Royal Foodie Joust . Lyra also features a lot of yummy raw food recipes. I really love her blog because she comes up with things I would never think of, but that I am compelled to try. She is also planning a wedding like I am, so one more thing in common!

Then last but certainly not least is Jenny from Rabbit Food Jenny has an adorable rabbit named Nutmeg and get this, they are both vegetarians! Jenny admits that although they like the same kinds of food, their eating styles are different. She made these awesome Chocolate and Lavender Cookies that not only look so pretty but are pretty ingenius!
We are a big fan of bunnies and cookies, in this house, so there you go!

And I really need to special mention a 6th person here. Heather from BeBop Vegan Cooking. She is spunky and fun as her food is colorful and original.

And since we are talking about The Foodie Blogroll, I just wanted to throw everyone a little nibble – with over 1000 members now, we are going to be making some changes - to make it easier to host the blogroll and to continue the community building that we started almost a year ago! Bringing foodies together online is one of my greatest passions in life!
So stay tuned, there are lots of exciting things afoot!

Finest Foodie Friday: Top 5 Wittiest Food Bloggers and a MEME and an update! Whew!

We all need some humor in our lives, right? Well I find myself trying to visit these blogs as often as I can because they make me laugh along with giving great tips and recipes for food. If you would like to participate in the FFF and have a nomination, please enter your nominations here
And since only members of The Foodie Blogroll can be nominated, if you are not yet a member of this group which is over 1000 bloggers strong, please join us today!

Ley of Cilantro & Lime
is a crack up. She along with giving you recipes for all kinds of goodies and sweet treats, gives you dose of humor with every bite. She tells you like it is and entertains me all the time! Ley was the first Royal Foodie Jouster to receive an apron and she did a great little post about it – that had Roberto and I cracking up and rolling on the floor! Ley is also getting married soon and planning a wedding, so I also love her blog Boho Bride which is a great little blog all about the alternative bride – which we both CERTAINLY are!

Then there is Heather of Gild The Voodolily
– by now all of you have heard of Heather – she is making waves all over the food blogosphere with her fast talking, tongue in cheek humor that keeps everyone on their toes. I love going over to Heather’s blog and seeing all the familiar faces over there getting their attitude on. Everybody just lets it hang loose over there because Heather is so laid back and doesn’t take offense to any of the jabs. Not only this, but I need to give serious props to Heather because she is one of the most creative cooks you will find in the blogoshpere. I mean check out her winning entry for The Royal Foodie Joust last month! She really is a go-getter when it comes to food and life and laughter.

Next in line is my friend Emiline (ohhh…look at me rhyme!) of Sugar Plum
Emiline has a quiet dark kind of humor that she puts to constructive use. She has many a blog post about something someone did to tick her off (I mean the girl DOES work in the food industry and man, people in her position take a lot of crap from the rest of us) and then she goes home and takes it out on her food. But wow, is that food awesome
She kills me with her sweet and salty delicacies which pop up frequently. Very creative mind. Emiline is a young food blogger but she has a lot of talent and I am so excited for her – she is well on her way to becoming a culinary Goddess.

Then there is Sue from Food Network Musings
who is an absolute stitch. For those of you who are addicted to The Food Network – and I know a lot of you are, you have got to go check out Sue’s rants raves and musings about all the celebrity chefs and cooks on there. Sue is a culinary school graduate, so she really knows what she is talking about – so she calls these celebs out on the mistakes and mishaps in their shows. It is a riot to read!

And last but certainly not least is Brittany of Musings of a Barefoot Foodie She is relatively new to The Foodie Blogroll, but not new at all to the trials and tribulations of raising boys, and taking care of her family – all done with a super dry wit that makes me laugh so hard my face hurts. She is also a great resource for cooking meals for a family, because she does it every single day. I know when I have kids, I am going to Brittany for sanity checks.

Next Week: Top 5 Vegetarian/ Vegan Food Blogs

Please see the post below for a Meme sent to me by Ivy of Kopiaste and an update about my blog!

This is the day when I feature the best of the best of The Foodie Blogroll Membership - which is over 1000 members large now!

I love how things work out. The topic of this Finest Foodies Friday is the Top 5 Food Bloggers With Heart.
In lieu of being awarded the Nice Matters Badge (you can see it sitting over on my left hand sidebar under “awards” by both Nuria and Ivy, this week, (THANKS GUYS!) I’d say the timing couldn’t be better.

I just love how the blogosphere has made the world a little bit smaller and puts you in touch with all kinds of people you would never get to know, if it weren’t for this funny little thing called the internet. The Foodie Blogosphere is kind if like one big pot luck table of the world, where all of us foodies bring to the table our dishes everyday to share. It is this sharing of knowledge and friendship which really is the motivation behind why I created The Foodie Blogroll - a way to bridge cultural gaps through food and to build the best online community for foodies! If you have not joined The Foodie Blogroll, sign up today!

So you know those bloggers who are just always there to say a nice and encouraging word? The ones who will always be there when you try something new – like a blogging event, or the creation of a forum? Or the bloggers who send you gifts from the heart just because they think you might enjoy it? These are the people who day in and day out are there – so much so, that even though they live sometimes thousands of miles away, they have become a part of your daily life? Well this goes out to them.

Jenn’s Top 5 Food Bloggers With Heart:

Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef
has been there from the beginning. When the Leftover Queen Forum was in its budding stages, and the Royal Foodie Joust was but a blip on the radar of Foodie Events, I could always count on Dharm to be there lending support. When I expressed my desire to learn how to make a curry, Dharm was there offering up his mum’s famous Kheema. Dharm is always there to lend support and I am really thankful for it. Which is why when I take the month of April off from The Royal Foodie Joust, to get married, I am putting Dharm in charge of the event! So thanks Dharm for being a great blogging friend!

Cris of From Our Home To Yours
is one of the nicest people in the Blogosphere. She and I were both exchange students once upon a moon, through the same program AFS (American Field Service). Although we were in different host countries, at different times, we still share a bond that only an AFSer can understand. Cris has also been there from the beginning of the Forum and The Royal Foodie Joust, participating in every single one. Although she is quiet, she has a huge heart. She sent me some special treats from her native Brazil just because she thought I’d like them – coffee, a dish towel her mom made and a Native Brazilian ornament. All of which I hold very dear.

Then there is Valli of More Than Burnt Toast
who I kind of see as the cheerleader of the Foodie Blogosphere. I see her around on every single blog I read – even some of the blogs I don’t frequent as often as I’d like, she is consistently there! She certainly gets around and always has the kindest words to say – never a criticism. She is always really respectful and has a big thirst for knowledge and is not afraid to ask questions. She is so warm, seeing her comments on my blog makes me smile.

And how could I forget Nuria of Spanish Recipes
Seeing her little icon around the blogosphere is like getting a little hug, because I think if we were to meet in person, that is exactly what Nuria would do – give me a big hug! Her positive energy and glow just comes right off the computer screen. You can feel how much she cares about her family, her friends, her puppy and the delicious meals she creates. Such a genuine person.

Then there is my dear friend Lisa of the coffee blog Lisabeeen
She is my “real life” friend because she and I have been friends in the real world for several years and we kind of followed each other into the blogosphere. But besides being my friend, I love her unabashed enthusiasm for coffee and the four leggeds of the world. She has a great section of her blog devoted to Coffee Critters – people’s pets with coffee. It is surely to bring a smile to everyone’s face. Lisa’s enthusiasm for coffee and roasting beans is contagious!

Who are your Top 5 Bloggers with Heart?

Next Week: Top 5 Most Witty Food Bloggers