Countdown to 2011: Desserts

You knew it was coming.

The dessert-crazy lady has gone.....indeed......crazy.

I was not capable of choosing one or five or even 10 favorite desserts from this past year....and there were many more that I managed to leave off the list but still enjoyed immensely.

You may notice there's a lot of chocolate on this list.  And a lot of cream cheese.  Hmmm.  What does that say about me?

I'll tell you just a smidge about why I loved each one of these.

 Celebration Chocolate Cake 
Our Christmas dessert last year....but I didn't technically post the recipe until January. This cake was so moist, so chocolaty, the frosting was the perfect consistency and the ganache on top just took it over the edge.  I snuck little slices of it when all the guests had gone to bed.  It was that good. 

 Double Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
I invented this cheesecake for Grant's birthday in January.  He has in fact requested it again for his birthday next week!  I  will be making extra raspberry sauce to serve on top.....and can't wait to taste it again.  

 Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Squares

These were just so wonderful.  Delicate caramel flavored cheesecake.....perfectly smooth ganache that sliced into little squares like a dream....these were an ideal finger dessert for a large party.  And this was my first accepted photo on foodgawker.  :)

Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies

I seriously need to make these again.  They were wonderful.  The cookie was so nicely paired with the soft marshmallow and the frosting (which was addictive on its own).  Yum. 

Chocolate Turtle Cheesecake

I made this for my birthday.  We hadn't had it in a couple of years, and it was just as good as I remembered...chocolate crust, gooey caramel with pecans, chocolate cheesecake, ganache, and topped with more caramel and pecans.  It will always be one of my favorite desserts ever. 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Squares

What's not to like?  Graham cracker crust with mini chocolate chips - Check!  Vanilla cheesecake - Check!  Chocolate chip cookie dough - Check!  Drizzle of chocolate - Check!  Major winner of a recipe.  

Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Cupcakes

If you're an Oreo lover, these are great!  I especially loved how easy the crust was - hahaha!  The portion sizes are small and portable, which is really nice.  So much fun!

Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Bars

Ahhh, one of the all-time favorite flavor combinations.  Chocolate and peanut butter.  Add in cheesecake and it's a match made in heaven.  

S'Mores Brownies

I included this because the base brownie recipe (minus the added graham crackers and marshmallows that make it "S'Mores") is hands-down the best brownie I've ever eaten.  I couldn't get enough.  The add-ins didn't hurt anything, but boy howdy.  Those brownies. 

Mandarin Orange Pineapple Cake

Made lower fat with applesauce replacing the oil, this cake is super moist, light, flavorful, and perfect for summer.  It's especially popular with ladies.  I was glad Grant wasn't crazy about it, because that left more for me.  I loved it. 

Mississippi Mud Brownies

Yes, another recipe with brownies and marshmallows.  What is my deal?  

Oh but these are just so good, I could barely stand it.  The kids thought they were top-notch as well.  As did the recipients of a tray of them...even the non-chocolate eater.

  

Gina's Pumpkin Cheesecake

I love pumpkin.  And obviously, I love cheesecake.  They're perfect together....and with some whipped cream, sugared pecans, and a caramel drizzle, it's the best ending to a Thanksgiving meal I could want. 

Chocolate Overdose Cake

This is really over the top. It was time-intensive and not one of the easiest things I've ever made, but it was amazing.  A layer of brownie, chocolate mousse, then chocolate cake, all covered and decorated with chocolate ganache.  

Raspberry Chocolate Cake

Our truly fabulous Christmas dessert......stay tuned for the recipe coming soon!

Be sure to check out SnoWhite's Countdown to 2011: Desserts for more tantalizing meal-enders!

Countdown to 2011: Main Dishes

I had a hard time picking favorite main dishes for SnoWhite's Countdown.....we had quite a few new ones this year that we really liked.  I ended up choosing the ones that the whole family liked, which is saying a lot when you have four kids 7 and under.

In no particular order:

 Chicken Enchilada Pasta

French Onion Salisbury Steak

Chicken Parmigiana

Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce

Barbecue Meatballs (can also make into Meatloaf)

Be sure to go check out the other main dishes at the Countdown to 2011: Main dishes

and stay tuned tomorrow for my list of favorite desserts from this year.  

P.S.  It will not be a short list. 

P.P.S.  I have the hips to prove it.

Countdown to 2011: Soups/Stews

I'm participating in SnoWhite's Countdown to 2011 - where each day bloggers highlight our favorite recipes from 2010 in a few categories.

December 26 was Breakfast:   There were lots of great entries....check them out!

I submitted Clone of a Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls.......one of my favorite things to eat.  Ever.

and Biscuits with Chocolate Gravy. Because how can you go wrong with an excuse to eat chocolate for breakfast?

There are others I love....but I just didn't have time to submit them all. :)

December 27 was Breads:

I submitted Italian Cheese Bread.  Truly delicious.  Definitely a favorite. The kids LOVE this.

December 28 (today!) is Soups/Stews.  As I browsed my archives, I realized I didn't make very many new soups or stews this year.  Hmmmm.  Guess I tend to rely on the old favorites a lot.
One of those is Potato Soup.  Simple and yummy.

Another one we like a lot is White Bean Chicken Chili.  Not too spicy, but definitely has some kick.

Tomorrow is supposed to be Meatless Main Dishes....I'm afraid I don't make any of those....so I'll just have to skip a day.  But I'll be back on the 30th for Main Dishes and for sure on the 31st for Desserts, although I don't know how I'll pick my favorites.  Too many options!

Bargain Yeast and Vanilla

Most of you probably know this, but just in case you don't, I wanted to share how I save money on yeast and vanilla. Costco or Sam's. I know those bulk warehouses don't have bargain prices on everything (though they'd like you to think they do), but I think getting two pounds of yeast for $4.00 and a pint of pure vanilla for less than $6.00 is so much cheaper than the grocery store, it's not even funny. I don't have a membership to either place, but since I have family members and a friend who are, I either ask them to pick it up for me or tag along when they're already shopping.

Substitution for Cream

I often try to make dishes as healthy as possible without compromising taste or appearance. One of my favorite substitutions is evaporated skim milk for cream. Now I love a good sauce with cream, but my goodness, my bathroom scale doesn't.....so I'll just use equal parts of the fat free evaporated milk and maybe add a little cornstarch (dissolved in a tad of cold water) for additional thickening, as evap. milk is truly not as "creamy" as cream, go figure. The main recipe I use this with is Cajun Chicken Pasta. It's delicious and SO much less fat without the cream. Give it a try!