Welcome back everyone! Summer is usually a quiet time in the Foodie Blogosphere with school and family vacations. Much needed time to spend in the outdoors, traveling, relaxing and spending time with loved ones. Usually around the beginning of the school year, bloggers start coming back to make their regular rounds. I know I haven’t been around as much this summer as I normally am. We had my lovely stepdaughters here with us for about a month in June and July, and my brother in law, just left to go back to Italy after being here for about 3 weeks.

But now that our house is empty one again (besides me, Roberto, Pepino and Nimue, that is) we are ready to get back to work! This summer, in between (and during) visits, Roberto has been hard at work on a new (and MUCH improved) version of The Foodie Blogroll website! We have been working on this new version for almost a year, and will hopefully be unveiling the new version soon. It will be a much more interactive website and we are really looking forward to launching it! 🙂

To celebrate being back from summer holidays, we are going to be giving away a lot of great stuff this month to Foodie Blogroll members. So if you are not a Foodie Blogroll member yet, what are you waiting for? Come on over and join over 5,000 food bloggers who are already part of our wonderful community! Now for the giveaways!

CUBE ARTISAN:

(photo courtesy of Cube Artisan)

Our first giveaway, I am pleased to announce is from Cube Artisan. Cube Artisan Foods is a line of 100% natural frozen foods inspired by best-selling menu selections at Cube Cafe in Los Angeles.

Each item produced under the Cube Artisan label exemplifies Cube’s goal of offering foods that feed a healthier America. Ingredients are simple and flavorful, and Cube Artisan products never contain any artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. A portion of the profits from Cube Artisan sales goes back to Cube Foundation, the company’s non-profit arm working to create garden-to-table projects for underprivileged youth. Cube Artisan Foods can be purchased nationally at the Cube Marketplace! .

The winners of this giveaway will receive a four-pack of products from Cube Artisan Foods, including their Velvet Tomato Soup, Roasted Kabocha Soup, 4 Cheese Mac & Cheese, and Triple Berry Cobbler.

I promise you, these frozen meals (and dessert!) are phenomenal. When I got my sample pack in the mail we tried the Kabocha soup that day, and it was so good. Now that our company is gone, and we don’t have to share…I can’t wait to dig into the other boxes! 🙂

This contest is available to all members of the Foodie Blogroll who live in the United States due to overnight shipping.

THE FRUGAL FOODIE COOKBOOK:

This awesome cookbook that contains 200 gourmet recipes for any budget was written and created by Alanna Kaufman and Alex Small, founders of the popular blog Two Fat Als, who are also members of The Foodie Blogroll! 🙂 Their cookbook offers you 200 mouthwatering recipes that will please your palate and pocketbook, such as:

* Pomegranate Fig Bites

* Balsamic Grilled Artichokes

* Honey-Thyme Pear & Goat Cheese Sandwiches

* Seared Tuna with Fennel

* Apricot Brandy-Baked French Toast, and more!

Cookbook is complete with tips on how to affordably stock and maintain a frugal pantry, as well as price breakdowns for each serving, this cookbook shows how to eat well—without breaking the bank!

Keep an eye open for The Foodie Blogroll Monthly Newsletter where we will be featuring a few delicious recipes from the cookbook!

This giveaway available to all Foodie Blogroll members!

STUFFED: An Insider’s Look at Who’s (Really) Making America Fat:

Our Stuffed Nation Giveaway, in conjunction with author and former former food executive turned anti-obesity exponent, Hank Cardello, will be starting next week, on September 11, 2009 and will be running for 8 weeks. I will be discussing this giveaway in greater detail next week. This is going to be a much more interactive giveaway where bloggers are encouraged to discuss their views on food policy and the obesity problem. This is a way to get people talking about the very important issue of escalating obesity and diabetes (as well as other health related concerns). As two-thirds of Americans struggle with being overweight or obese, nothing has worked to take off the pounds. Diet plans, Food Pyramid Guidelines, package nutritional labeling, and five-a-day fruit & vegetable programs have all failed to arrest America’s increasing girth. Hank offer’s solutions in his book, but we want to hear your thoughts and ideas as well! Stay tuned for more information on that.

FOODIE BLOGROLL TOTEBAG:

We are also still featuring our awesome Foodie Blogroll Totebag for one more month!!!! Take it to the grocery store with you, on a picnic, or a super oversized purse! LOL! Totebag is 100% cotton canvas and have plenty of room to carry everything you need when you are on the go. They include a bottom gusset and extra long handles for easy carrying.

* 10 oz heavyweight natural canvas fabric

* Full side and bottom gusset

* 22″ reinforced self-fabric handles

* Machine washable

Again, this giveaway is available to all of our members!