Guest Post Contest!

That’s one handsome-looking bowl of quinoa, isn’t it? Looks pretty tasty, right? It’s really healthy, too. And so versatile. Have you heard about the extraordinary nutritional properties of quinoa? Amazing stuff. Packed with protein. The Incas survived on it! Now try writing 500 words about this bowl of quinoa, but it can’t be too similar to the 500-word post you wrote about the magic of (sigh) barley a few weeks ago, and it definitely can’t be like the other quinoa post you did about six months ago, the one in which you… extolled its extraordinary nutritional properties (protein, Incas, etc.) and its versatility (feta, pesto, etc.) and the way it goes so well with zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. We want to be clear here: we are not complaining. We love cooking and we love doing this blog, and we’d happily do it for free. (Wait, we already do it for free!) All we’re saying is, posting three or four or five times a week for two and a half years — about things like quinoa — isn’t always easy. There have been nights when Jenny, sitting there in bed with her laptop and trying to write about the raw kale salad we just had for dinner, has turned to me with a look of true despair and said, “I got nothing.” It’s rare, but it happens. I figure you can handle the truth.

So here’s a question: how would you like to guest post on DALS? If you’re interested, here’s what we need from you, by midnight, May 14:

  • A presentable photo of something you’ve cooked.
  • A story (not more than 500 words) about that something you cooked.
  • A recipe that works.*

Once all the entries are in, we’ll pick a winner and you (or your food blog, if you have one) will be a featured – and tweeted-about, and commented-upon — guest poster on a day, tbd, in June. Not only that, there’s a prize in it for you, too: the winner gets a free, personally inscribed copy of Jenny’s book when it is published a few weeks from now OR a call-in from both of us for your book club if you select Dinner: A Love Story as your group’s next pick. Up to you. Essie, mek, Amanda, Julia, Kendra, Cecilia, Carolyn, Melissa, June, Caitlin, Jan, Minty Pea Todd, Torie, MommyLisa, Auntie, 654Carroll, A Plum By Any Other Name, the Russian Guy Who’s Always Spamming Us About Cheap Cialis: I’m talkin’ to you, people! Start writing. Help us out. Win a book. — Andy

* And to be clear, the post doesn’t have to be about quinoa. Send all entries to: jenny AT dinneralovestory.com with the subject “Guest Post Contest.” Many of you have asked if you can still submit something if it’s not your own recipe. This contest is going to be focused more on the writing and the story than the recipe. You can still submit with someone else’s recipe, but please credit the source and embed the link to that source in the post. If it’s a recipe from a cookbook, please send us a link to the cookbook.

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49 Comments

Kendra

Wow, the personal callout really hits me in the Jewish-guilt-gut. I’ll see what I can do…

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Essie

You had me at “guest post”! But the personal callout put me over the edge… I feel like I just won an academy award! For real, I’m a little giddy right now.

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Amanda @ DinnersintheFourOneFive

I Got Name-Checked at DALS!

That is my new bumper sticker for the car.

Like Kendra above, now I feel obligated to create something! It may be out of my comfort zone and my kids may not eat it, but what the heck, I’m game.

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andy

Kendra and Amanda — I was just playing around and paying tribute to your awesome support. Feel no obligation whatsoever, for real.

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Tara

Very exciting! Considering the readers here, you may have to run a series of these guest posts. I have a feeling you’re going to get a lot of great stuff. Are we limited to a single entry or can we submit more than one?

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Ann

Saw the article on you in Martha Stewarts little
Mag. I showed to my husband and said, “this is the blogger’s food I like to try on you guys.” Congrats!
I have to tell you that I made your yogurt marinated chicken for a camping trip for a crowd and people were going nuts over it! Everything I make from your site turns out fab. Thanks for the great meals.

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jen

here’s another thought – if you get lots & lots of great entries, post a few finalists & let the readers vote on the final winner!

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Susie

A dare… I like it. Sadly my schedule will allow for an entry in the next 3-4 months, not 3-4 days… But I’ll still spam you with it :).

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Carolyn

Squee! In my world, I’m the Carolyn you shouted out to! (No worries, if I did do a guest post, I would never ever leave a preposition dangling at the end of a sentence. Never.)

So am I the Carolyn?

Is that the gauntlet being thrown?

Would it be wrong to write about Vanessa Chicken? My guess is that it wouldn’t be a winner because
a) it ain’t my recipe
b) you already wrote about it.

I’m on it. Let’s see what I can come up with. (Whoop. Look at that. Another preposition at the end of the sentence…)

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Nina

I’m excited about the guest post contest, but I think I’m more curious about the bowl of quinoa in the photo. Can you tell us what’s in there? It looks delicious! (And I for one would love someone to write about how to get my kids to eat it.)

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Maria

Ooh, I’ll have to think about something to submit, but in the meantime I just bought my first bag of quinoa yesterday and was sooo hyped to see that you were posting about it today of all days! Only you weren’t! And you didn’t link to the “other quinoa” recipe either! I’ll search for it on the blog anyway, just had to razz you a bit about getting my hopes up 🙂

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Megan

Can it be a story about trying a recipe from someone else’s cookbook or does it need to be an original recipe? I am interested because I have a pretty good story, but wasn’t sure if you could borrow (but give credit) from other people.

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Jenny

“I read — no, LOVE — your newsletter, do I win the Jane Marvel tote?”

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Lara

“I read your newsletter, do I win the Jane Marvel tote?”

The timing of this is perfect. My husband made a quinoa salald the other day, but put in celery and mango – not a combination I recommend. I’m glad you posted what the pciture above includes because it looks so much tastier than celery and mango quinoa, let me tell you!

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leslie

“I read your newsletter, do I win the Jane Marvel tote?” I would love to win this as I am just getting my kids interested in all of the farmers markets around our area. Amazing what they will try in a setting like this. Thanks!!

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Sara

I’m impressed you do come up with so many ideas!

“”I read your newsletter, do I win the Jane Marvel tote?””

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Caroline

Just discovered this blog! Thank you!

“I read your newsletter, do I win the Jane Marvel tote?”

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Anne

“I read your newsletter, do I win the Jane Marvel tote?” – this post reminded me we haven’t had quinoa in awhile – it’s for dinner tonight!

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Caitlin

I just did a little non-verbal squeal when I saw my name (ok, if there’s another Caitlin commenter, I’ll just pretend it’s me and you just pretend it’s you and we’ll never talk about it, deal?) but considering I have made some version of a boring roasted veggie/brown rice meal for the past three nights I am not the food blogger commenter. Exciting idea though, looking forward to hearing who gets this!

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Molly

I read your newsletter, do I win the Jane Marvel tote?
We will be trying the pork ragu or milk-braised pork for my Mother’s Day.

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Ann May

I read your newsletter, do I win the Jane Marvel tote? Thanks for the Mother’s Day idea, I just preordered your book!

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Laurie

I’m with Megan–do we need to create our own recipe, or just tell about our experience making something amazing from another source?

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Caitlin

Oh if what Laurie says is allowed I may just be able to enter. If it needs to be original though, refer back to previous roasted veggie and brown rice comment.

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KimP

yum! i’m in!! i assume that we can branch out and not just cook…but bake too?? 🙂

and….I read your newsletter, do I win the Jane Marvel tote?

so exciting! thanks for the chance to enter!

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