Most Popular Posts in 2011

Dear Readers,

A big “Thank You” for reading my blog this year. I hope you have found my posts helpful in your efforts to create delicious gluten-free meals. I wish you all a very healthy and happy New Year!

As we wrap up 2011, I thought it would be fun to take a look at my blog’s 10 most popular posts this year.

Coconut Truffles

The chocolate truffle. Need I say more? Well, probably not, but since this is a blog post, I feel compelled to.

Seriously though, a truffle is basically ganache rolled into a bite-size piece of goodness. They are incredibly rich, amazingly smooth, and really expensive at your favorite bakery or chocolate shop. However, they are really easy to make at home, and a surefire way to impress all the chocolate lovers in your life.

Toasted Coconut

Although coconut is quite delicious straight from the package, toasting it for a few minutes give it a slightly crunchy and dried texture that is perfect for many recipes. And it’s lightly browned color makes it perfect for garnishing.

On occasion I have seen prepackaged toasted coconut, however it is quite expensive and not always available. Besides, it is super easy and less expensive to simply toast it at home in the oven.

Kids Cook Monday- Chai Tea Mix

My teenage daughter enjoys tea, so when I saw a recipe for a Chai Tea Mix in a Southern Living Christmas Cookbook I knew we’d have to give it a try.

This recipe is super easy to make, the most time-consuming part is probably accumulating all the ingredients. The end result is a spicy, flavorful Chai Tea Mix perfect for a cold winter day. And perfect for gift-giving as well.

Bird Feeders

Friday was the first day of Winter Break at my house and I am already trying to find activities for my preschooler. If you haven’t had a four-year-old around for a while, let me tell you, they are busy, busy little creatures. And from my experience, it’s far better to find something productive for them to do, before they find something to entertain themselves.

So, today after breakfast we made bird feeders for our backyard. I thought today would be a great day for this craft project, as my kitchen floor was filthy and a bit of birdseed and popcorn wasn’t going to hurt anything.

Double Chocolate Peppermint Bark

Peppermint bark is a simple and delicious holiday treat. In fact, I can’t believe people buy the stuff, it’s so easy to make.

Although I typically make mine with white chocolate and peppermints (or candy canes), I keep seeing it in catalogs and stores with both dark and white chocolate layers. And of course I had to give this version a try.

Cinnamon Popcorn

We love caramel corn at my house and enjoy it occasionally throughout the year, although we never miss making it and giving it away in December. This year I thought I would mix things up a bit, and branch out from the standard caramel coating and try a nice cinnamon popcorn.

Cranberry Pistachio Bark

If you are looking for a quick and easy holiday candy, bark may just be what you are looking for.

With cranberries and pistachios, I think this bark is very festive and quite tasty. Personally, I love the sweetness of the white chocolate paired with the slightly salty pistachios, but you could use unsalted pistachios if you prefer.

Cranberry Relish

I am posting this recipe with full knowledge that most people will simply purchase a can of cranberry sauce when they need it. Especially this time of year, when you are likely to score a sale brand for under a dollar.

However, making homemade cranberry sauce is super easy and tastes much fresher than the canned variety. You can also jazz it up a bit, adding dried fruits, nuts, citrus peel, etc to make a sauce much more extraordinary than anything you can find on the store shelves. And if you live someplace (like here in Oregon) where there are cranberry bogs, you can support those local farmers and get some fresh cranberries for a bargain.

Pumpkin Pie

Although there are numerous versions of pumpkin pie, it seems to me that there are basically two main types. One with evaporated milk and the other with sweetened condensed milk.

Having made both, I have to say that I am a fan of the sweetened condensed milk variety. Not only is the flavor better, but I find the texture of the pie to be more appealing as well. This recipe is my adaptation of the pumpkin pie recipe from the back of my pumpkin can.