Happy New Year 2014!
I’m looking back at 2013 – What a year it was! I didn’t post as much as I did in previous years, but I’ve had some high adventures. The highlight of the year, though…twin grand babies, a boy and a girl…
I also lost a few weeks off my feet due to a small disaster: What I learned? My jumping days are over, and frozen dinners…blech…worse than I feared.
Every year, though, at New Year’s, I try to gather together the top-viewed recipes on my site. This year, though, what has surprised me, is that more than any other year, these are almost all down-home comfort recipes! I guess we can all use more of that!
My top ten, always a surprise!
White Sauces and What To Do With Them is a consistent top ten posting, and this year, it topped the list with literally thousands of views. Many viewers come to my site looking for “what to do with leftover white sauce,” and I have some great ideas. Everything old is new again, in food, with just a simple twist.
A white or bechamel sauce
Those who read my blog probably know I like to use a little hooch to elevate dishes; as a matter of fact, I’m more likely to cook with alcohol than drink it…over the years, I’ve added to my Substitution lists and my Discussions, and I think I probably have one of the most comprehensive on the web…and I get a ton of visitors. I never know if they’ve found what they wanted, so if you don’t find an answer, ASK! If you’re looking for recipes that might contain a certain type of alcohol, the search bar on the top right of my page should lead you right to them.
Alcohol Substitutions
Cheesy Chicken (or Turkey) Casserole: I’m always flattered that this simple, down-home recipe gets so many views. It’s just an old-fashioned, tasty casserole…this year it passed up Scalloped Potatoes for the number one recipe. I love that this recipe makes one huge casserole or two smaller ones, one to eat and the other to give or to freeze.
Cheesy Chicken (or Turkey) Casserole
Frozen Coffee Frappe: Who would believe that you can make a Mcdonalds dupe of their coffee frappes for about 50 cents? Especially one that tastes BETTER than any fast food frappe out there. 3 real ingredients, no additives, and it topped the charts this year. Drink them fast, though…there are no additives.
Frozen Coffee Frappe
Cream of Anything Soup: is a simple recipe to substitute just the right amount of white sauce and “anything” flavor to use in a recipe that calls for a can of cream soup…it tells me I have some discerning viewers who want to avoid some of the nasty ingredients out there in prepared food…or else a LOT of people who ran out of it! It moved up this year into the number three recipe spot…
Cream of Chicken Soup Substitute
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls: a true dark horse, my cabbage rolls came from behind with barely any views and topped out at the top 10. This is the recipe that puts any other cabbage rolls to shame – just my opinion!
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
1950’s Better Crocker Scalloped Potato: Ever since I posted the very classic recipe, it’s been one of the top posts on my blog. It’s not surprising that for many, this is the ultimate comfort food – in the Midwest, the dish has become almost synonymous with Church luncheons and family functions.
Even when there’s lots of room, you might get boil over! Put something under your dish.
Home Made Egg Noodles come in next, the first time this humble little recipe has ever hit the top 10. They’re much easier than you’d think and fabulous in Chicken (or Turkey) Noodle Soup. Roll a bit thicker, and these are rolled Dumplings (Sinkers) for Chicken and Dumplings. Shown here in my Home Made Chicken (or Turkey) Soup.
Chicken or Turkey Noodle Soup
Wild Rice and Smoked Turkey Chowder: is one of our family’s absolute, hands-down favorite recipes, and this year seemed to get some recognition…and a lot of hits. The ingredients sound a little strange, I’ll admit: parsnip, sweet potato, bell pepper, corn, and a touch of jalapeno, but the flavor is absolutely incredible.
Wild Rice & Smoked Turkey Chowder http://frugalhausfrau.com/2011/11/10/wild-rice-smoked-turkey-chowder/
The Runza, coming in at number 10, edged out my Navy Bean Soup recipe. It had a surge of views over the holidays. I’m picturing families getting together and making these to honor traditions (and have something for everyone to grab and eat when they’re hungry). It’s always a great thing to have something on hand when the kitchen is tied up with holiday preparations.
So while I keep working on finding and developing recipes that reflect the better trends in nutrition and still keep the budget under control, what this year has taught me is that sometimes the old favorites from Grandma’s day and beyond still have relevance. Like that old Girl Scout song:
“Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver, but the other gold…”
Happy New Year, Everyone! And may you have many more new memories this year to cherish along with the old…
Mollie