As cliché as it sounds, I really find it difficult to comprehend it is now 2019. Can you believe it has been 20 years since 1999 has come and gone?
Do you remember all the Y- 2000 millennium hype? I sure can! At that time, I was working in the Operating Room of our regional hospital and I remember we spent months preparing for any possible untoward outcome….and thankfully, there were none.
Before totally engulfing myself in a new year of blogging and challenges, I always find it enlightening to check the blog stats from the previous year.
Recipes make up a large part of our blog content, so I always love to look back at the most popular recipe posts from the past year.
The following are the Top 10 Recipes of 2018, hope you enjoy these great recipes as much as we have:
#1 Seafood Linguine ~ We make this delicious Seafood Linguine two or three times a year; almost always to mark a special occasion such as a birthday, Christmas or a family celebration. It isn’t difficult to make and we usually all gather in the kitchen with a glass of wine and everyone pitches in to help.
#2 Banana Oatmeal Muffins ~ The recipe makes a tasty, tender muffin with a nicely rounded top. Call me weird, but I like muffins with a nice dome-like top. If they don’t have a top like that, I feel like I’m a bit of a failure at muffin making…lol!
#3. Broccoli Salad ~ There is a very good reason for the longevity of Broccoli Salad. It is simple to make, delicious can be made ahead of time (bonus!) and is easily customizable to suit your own family’s likes and needs. Set your imagination free and switch up the ingredients to make this recipe your own.
#4 Caramelized Brussels Sprouts and Bacon ~ Over the years my daughter and I have often experimented with the cooking of this vegetable and have finally come up with a winning recipe. My daughter, Shannon, is actually the author of this delicious recipe for Caramelized Brussels Sprouts. As much as I would like to claim this recipe and the accompanying photos as mine, they are all hers.
#5 No-Bake Chocolate Macaroons (aka Frogs)~ These Chocolate Macaroons are always a hit at any occasion. Trust me when I tell you, these simple to make, no bake morsels of chocolate, oatmeal and coconut will quickly become your “go-to” cookie and a family.
#6 Confetti Squares ~ These are definitely not difficult to make. Just a little melting of butter, peanut butter, and the chips, then letting the mixture cool a bit. Stir in marshmallows, put them in a pan, toss in the fridge and you are done! Coloured marshmallows + butterscotch chips + peanut butter = happy kids!
#7 Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Pinwheel Appetizers ~ I love a few things about this recipe! 1.) These look impressive but are in fact, very easy to make 2.) They can be made the morning of or even a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator until ready to slice. 3.) They are pretty and colourful and 4.) They don’t cost a fortune!
#8 Skor Squares ~ With only four ingredients, these squares are delicious. Please trust me when I say…these Skor Squares will definitely be a huge hit at the next potluck, baby shower or family gathering. Not one person will suspect how easy these are to make!
#9 Oatmeal Molasses Brown Bread ~ What is a girl to do with all of this wild weather but to head to the kitchen and start baking! We had a big ham dinner on New Years Day and a couple of days later, to my surprise, had some ham still remaining! So for dinner that night, to serve with the ham, I decided to make a big batch of homemade baked beans and a couple of loaves of my grandmother’s Oatmeal Molasses Brown Bread.
#10 Lady Ashburnham Pickles ~ Not sure if these are eaten in the rest of the world, but here in Atlantic Canada, these Lady Ashburnham Pickles are always a huge hit! Our favourite way to eat them is with a creamy mound of mashed potatoes, but they have an almost relish like consistency so they would also be great on a burger or a hot dog too.
We had lots of fun making (and eating…lol!) these recipes and it was interesting to find out where they ranked for the past year. We hope you will give a couple….or all of them a try, they are delicious!
As always, if you have any questions at all, please feel free to ask and I will do my very best to answer.
PIN IT – TOP 10 RECIPES OF 2018
YASS! I LOVE LOVE LOVE Brussel Sprouts these days and cannot believe all the time I spent in my childhood hiding them in a napkin on my lap at my family dinner table. What was I thinking?! They are AMAZING (if cooked right – boiled? not so much…)!
We don’t eat meat in my home (veggie hubby) so I’d love to hear recommendations on other ideas to toss in with them!
I had forgotten all about Frogs – which my house had called Spider Cookies. I think everyone has a different name for these. What a fun tradition to pass onto my daughter, and memories to create together. So much love in my heart for the memories of my mom, sister, Nanny and I making these together.
Yes, “frogs” are so easy and I have great memories from these too! As for the brussels sprouts…maybe a bit of a savoury items like onion and garlic and lots of butter to replace the fat from the bacon may work.
Ahhh, these all look so YUMMY! I always love your recipes. Totally trying out your banana muffins this week. I failed miserably at making banana bread on New Years.
Thanks for sharing!!!!
Thanks so much, Amanda! The banana oatmeal muffins are always a big hit with us, hope you love them too! Monica
Oh my God, those all sound amazing! I’m definitely saving that Seafood Linguine recipe for when we get lobster!
These all look so good! I want to make your seafood linguini and the brussel sprouts!
Thanks so much, Teresa. Those two recipes are favourites of ours!