2012's Most Popular Recipes

I am super excited to finally be able to write this post! I started my blog in November of 2011 and towards the end of the year I was reading all of my fellow bloggers posts about what recipes were the most popular from that year. I only had a blog for two months so it didn't really make sense for me to do it too, but now with a year of blogging under my belt I am finally showing my readers what posts were the most popular!The funniest thing about these posts is that the top 3 most popular recipes of the year were posted within the same week! What a great week I had!

"Healthified" Spicy Pumpkin Mac & Cheese

Did I ever tell you how obsessed with mac & cheese I am? The creamy cheesy noodles, the crunchy panko topping. Ugh, honestly I could eat it every day. I like trying new twists on mac & cheese because the usual ole dish can get a bit boring. I am a sucker for yellow cheddar cheese and anything spicy so I did what any normal person would do.. add pumpkin and peblano peppers! Maybe not everyone would have done that, but I am sure happy I did. 

Potato Skin Bites

Is everyone recovering from their Christmas celebrations? I know I am. Every Christmas there are so many left overs! I can only have left overs one or two times before I am totally sick of them. Mashed potatoes are one of my favorite foods so whenever I find a recipe that lets me use them I do a happy dance inside because I can eat them and change them so the don't feel like leftovers. I have become pseudo famous for making these golden balls of goodness over the last few years. They are super easy to make and are always a hit!

Merry Christmas from Around the Table

Just wanted to wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas!!! Hope you get all the foodie gadgets you want and eat until your buttons pop off of your pants...well, maybe don't eat that much. Rest assured you can look forward to lots of posts this week with delicious recipes!

I will leave you with a ugly sweater family photo of myself, my husband and our pug Meatball! Enjoy your day with family & friends!!

Xoxo Leanne

Guest Post: Eating Great and Saving Money When Traveling

 
I am very happy to introduce you to Gracie, our guest blogger from across the pond in the UK! Gracie writes about home improvements, travel, health & beauty and technology. Since it is the holiday season, many of us will be traveling nationally and abroad. What better article to have than this one! Planning in advance snacks to bring or not falling into tourist traps are the best things to do when traveling in a place that is unfamiliar to you. Check out Gracie's top tips for saving money and eating great when traveling.

My Healthy Eating Mantra: Buffalo Turkey Meatballs

My mantra for eating is to try to eat healthy most of the time and when you have a hankering for pure crap you know you shouldn't eat, go for it! Part of what helps me do this is finding healthy ways to make the fattening foods I love. It actually is alot easier than you may think. 

Home Made Cocoa Roasted Almonds

Ahhhhhhh. That is the sound of me realizing how simple some of the best things in life are. I tried cocoa roasted almonds a few months ago. Super smokey and a perfect snack for a sweet tooth craving without the guilt. The down side: It was $5 a canister and like most processed foods there is a laundry list of ingredients.
Ugh,but do not fear loyal readers. I have your back.

Roasted Butternut Squash & Pesto Pasta

 

You know me. I love me a heaping bowl of pasta any day! Pasta is so versatile. It can take on the flavor of anything you pair with it. I happen to be on a roasted butternut squash and pancetta kick lately, so why not add this delicious combo to pasta! Add some pesto and this is the ultimate, decadent dinner that you can make for your family!

Butternut Squash Black Bean and Kale Quesadillas

Quesadillas are that food that everyone loves. They are also super versatile. You can make them sweet or savory and add hundreds of toppings to them depending on what you like. I like quesadillas because you can make them for appetizers, breakfast, lunch or dinner and you will have a speedy and delicious meal or snack in less than fifteen minutes.

Spicy Sweet Potato Burgers with Roasted Garlic Crema

I am so excited to share this recipe for yet another veggie burger with you today! I try not to eat too much meat mainly because I saw the movie Food Inc and it completely grossed me out because it talked about about where our meat comes from. So after I nearly gagged while watching it I decided to try to eat organic local meat when I can. I actually really enjoy not eating too much meat because it keeps my food budget down and I am able to become inventive with the veggies and beans that I use. Oh, and did I mention I love pasta???? So it makes it pretty easy to not eat meat.

Cinnamon Scented Ornaments

It is already December! Can you believe it? My husband and I got our Christmas tree this weekend and I was super excited to decorate it because of this awesome idea I found on Pinterest, Cinnamon Scented Ornaments! While these bake for a few hours, the ornaments fill your house with the smell of Christmas! Not to mention, when you hang them on your tree they continue to make your house smell like you just baked a boat load of snickerdoodles.