I decided that in 2012, on the last day of each month, I am going to do a compilation post, highlighting everything I made during that month.
If you’re like me and see so many recipes on different blogs that you want to try, but then can’t remember where you saw something or even that you saw it until you see it again, consider the last day of the month as a memory refresher.
I can’t wait until the end of the year to be able to look back and see what I made, month by month, and remember, Oh those were the cookies I made on Skylar’s first day at her new school or there are the potatoes that I almost didn’t make but ended up being one of Scott’s favorites. Looking back at the pictures of food that I made and remembering what the weather was like that time of year, special milestones of Skylar’s around that time, how I was feeling about life when I was rolling out little thumbprint cookies is fun for me.
It’s interesting how much I can remember about life in general as I look at old food pictures in old blog posts. The feelings and memories the pictures conjure up months and years later is amazing, and I can’t wait to look back at this post in almost a year.
2011 Highlights were posted and we came home from our trip and I got busy in the kitchen.
January 2012 Recipes
Pretzel Peanut Caramel Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Truffles
White Chocolate Snickerdoodle Cookies
Ritz-Stuffed Peanut Butter Cups
Orange PushUp Smoothie (I think this is the highest viewed recipe I’ve ever made, thanks in large part to Pinterest)
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites
Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
Banana Cream Pudding Pie & Caramel Smoothie
Avocado, Cream Cheese and Salsa-Stuffed Puff Pastry
Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookies with Reese’s PB Cups & Peanut Butter M&M’s
Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprint Cookies
Caribbean Citrus Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Peanut Butter Cocoa Krispies Smores Bars
Sweet Potato Graham Cracker “French Toast” Sticks
What did you make in January that was memorable?
If you have wish-list items you want me to make, I’m all ears.
I do tend to prefer to bake and make sweet things rather than savory. It tends to be more fun for me.
Plus, with food photography, I can make cookies ahead of time and photograph them at my leisure whereas hot tofu and quinoa and a salad with dressing on it for dinner isn’t so easy to just “wait” and photograph later on with better lighting. Trying to take pictures with bad lighting and with hungry family members waiting to eat dinner is a recipe for a bad night, which why you don’t see as many savory recipes.
And, bottom line, I love dessert.
What’s on your to-make list?
Your photos are amazing. If you could try another pastry type baked good that would be much appreciated :)
What did I make this month that was memorable? The ironic answer to that question is that it is one of your recipes! LOL! Thumbprints, thank you very much! :-)
I want to make some kind of zucchini pasta dish at some point. I am kind of getting tired of a salad every night for dinner and I just got a spiralizer, like 3 days ago! Gotta use it soon!
Great collection of recipes this month! I so wish I was sitting on that beach in the first pic right now :) My favorite thing I posted this month was probably cheddar ale soup – pure winter comfort food.
My fave of yours just this week are those oatmeal cookie pancakes I’m thinking :)
why can’t we be neighbors? I would love the sugar overload!! Love this post!
Risotto is on my to make this year…can you believe I have never made it before?
I’ve only made risotto once…like 5-6 years ago!
I’d love to be neighbors with you! We could talk cake, baking, and picture taking for ages!
I just love looking at the photos. I swear I can just reach through the screen and grab a bite!
Thanks my friend, that’s a huge compliment for me :)
OMG, the orange push ups!!! I remember those … loved ’em! Can’t wait to make this recipe!
Use the sugar, to taste, and you’ll be set! :)
deep dish cookies and lentil pizza!
it’s wild how pinterest makes the recipes you forgot about the most popular.
like my coconut truffles from decades ago are the most popular now
i love all those avocado recipes….keep those coming…..
Pinterest is a crazy medium. I have this recipe for a 3 ingredient microwave granola bar that I wrote years ago and all of a sudden in the past week, that post has been viewed a highly ridiculous insane amount of times. And the same with the orange smoothie. Yet there are recipes that I make and think, wow, this was soooo gooooood, but it gets very little lovin’. You just never know.
Love this post idea– you’ve made some great eats this month!!! Those french toast sticks are going to haunt my mouth until I make them :-)
Hmm… what’s on my to-make list? All of this.
ALL of it. ;)
I love your desserts and especially the new gadgets you show (even though you say your kitchen is too full, I can relate) But its great to see what you come up with as a result of the new gadget. Your month end wrap up is very helpful. Don’t forget your nature photos though. I remember when you went on your trip, I looked forward each day to seeing those wonderful new shots of the beach, or flowers, gorgeous!
Glad you enjoy my gadgets and “show and tell” posts. Sometimes I talk about things and think, well, I bet a thousand people think I’m a dork for talking about a cookie scoop or a chocolate mold or whatever like it’s the best thing ever but sometimes, that day or that week, it was a pretty stellar find :)
Beach pics will resume on our next trip, probably the summer or for sure Dec.
Oh wow, thanks Averie for the recap from this past month. I hadn’t seen those graham cracker sticks or the peanut butter and jelly thumbprint cookies before, but now I can’t wait to give em a try. I’ve made the pretzel peanut butter cookie dough cookies probably 4 or 5 times now and they’ve always been a huge hit with everyone. They are definitely on the menu for my super bowl party this weekend. Your blog is always the first one I head to when I need a new idea for a cookie or other fun dessert recipe. I can’t wait to see what February has in store for LV&Y :)
You’ve made the pretzel peanut butter cookie dough cookies 4 or 5 times?! That’s awesome! And that they’re a hit…YAY. Thanks for telling me and the feedback; much appreciated!!
xo
I’m trying out some different seasonings for my roasted roots, tubers and squash this winter (am I allowed to admit that when commenting on a dessert blog?!?!). There is definitely room for dessert experimentation and I use your method of making small batches so I can try lots of different things!
yes the small batch approach helps with the variety is the spice of (dessert) life approach I like to have.
I think I am most proud of my wasabi-crusted eggplant, as eggplant is usually not so appealing to me. And it was so surprising that my toddler twins liked it- although I think the wasabi peas I used may have been more mellow than other brands I’ve tried. I can’t believe I didn’t catch that avocado contest in time- I don’t know how I missed that. Avocado smoothies are amazing- especially with boba :)
Hmm, I think the most commented on recipe I made was a polenta pizza, which is here: https://scrumptiousgruel.wordpress.com/2012/01/27/almost-a-pizza-but-not-un-pizza-week-day-5/but my personal favorite was the salsa recipe I got from Brown-Eyed Baker:)
I NEED to make deep-dish cookies from your site!
I saw Michelle’s salsa and I’ve wanted to try it. You may have convinced me!
Pinterest DOES rock. It owns my soul during the work day.
I got introduced to coconut flour in January and I am now having a love affair with it. I made these coconut flour shortbread bars with a chocolate raspberry topping for a dinnerparty… They were a hit! ‘Healthy’ and super delicious! I am really looking forward to making more variations :)
How about some more savory dishes? I love to bake sweet stuff as well but it’s just me and my boyfriend and the dessert leftovers can really add up! Dessert happens much more infrequently than Bfast, lunch and dinner… So I bet those kinds of recipes/concoctions would come in handy on a more normal basis. Curious what you guys do for regular meals!
I actually just edited the bottom part of the post and fleshed out my thoughts on savory. I’ve said it before why I don’t blog a lot of savory meals but wrote it out. The lighting, the hungry family factor, etc. Plus, desserts are fun. I just love to bake!