Top 10 Recipes of 2013 (and my favorites that got overlooked)

I love looking back and seeing which of my recipes were your favorites.  So without further ado, the top 10 recipes of 2013:

Counting down to number 1, we have:

10. Strawberry Rhubarb Chia Seed Jam
9. No-Bake Cookies
8. Spiced Pumpkin Hot Chocolate
7. Teff Pizza Crust
6. Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
5. Pumpkin Hand Pies
4. Oven Fried Pork Chops
3. Soft Ginger Cookies
2. Teff Sandwich Bread

and the most popular recipe of 2013?

1. Calzones

Well, going through all of the recipes again, made me realize some of my favorites fell through the cracks and kind of went unnoticed by you. :(  So, because they deserve a shout out, too, here are a few of my favorites from this past year that didn't make it to the top 10 (and it was really hard to narrow it down).

In no particular order:

Cranberry Pomegranate Sauce
Crispy Waffles
Chana Saag Aloo (made with Kale)
Indian Spiced Chicken Soup
Asparagus Fries
Cashew Chocolate Chip Cookies
Lentil Chili
Garlic Dill Teff Biscuits
Trout UnParmesan
Hazelnut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Gingerbread Pancakes

So, what recipes to do you want to see this next year?  I am very much open to suggestions!

Weekly Menu (12/29/13-1/4/14)

There was no Bountiful Basket this week, but I do have some clementines, pomegranates, lettuce, potatoes, bananas, peppers, and such.

The kids are out of school this week, so breakfasts will consist of their choice of:

• cereal
• muffins (banana chocolate chip, blueberry, pumpkin chocolate chip, or double chocolate zucchini muffins)
• scrambled eggs and toast
• hot cocoa
• etc.

 and lunches will consist of:

• Sandwiches (Peanut Butter and Jelly or Ham)
• or Pizza Flatbreads (Schar crispbread topped with cheese and pepperoni)
• or Crackers, veggies, and hummus
• taquitos
• chicken nuggets
• chips or crackers
• fruit (usually apples or bananas)
• milk

Sunday:

• breakfast:  smoothie
• lunch: leftovers
• snack: cashews and a clementine
• dinner:
• Meatloaf
• Mashed Potatoes
• green salad

Monday:

• breakfast: smoothie
• lunch: leftovers
• snack: cashews and a clementine
• dinner:
• Tacos with homemade tortillas and Salsa Verde 
• Green Salad
• pomegranates

Tuesday: 

• breakfast:  smoothie
• lunch: leftovers
• snack: cashews and a clementine
• dinner:
• Coconut Shrimp
• Basmati rice
• green salad

Wednesday: Happy New Year

• breakfast: smoothie
• lunch: Leftovers
• snack: cashews
• dinner:
• Chicken Nuggets
• Oven Fries
• green salad

Thursday:

• breakfast:  smoothie
• lunch: leftovers
• snack: pomegranate seeds
• dinner:
• French toast
• Bacon
• Hash browns
• clementines

Friday:

• breakfast: smoothie
• lunch: leftovers
• snack: carrots and celery
• dinner:
• Pizza
• Green Salad

Saturday: 

• breakfast:  smoothie
• lunch: leftovers
• snack: apple slices and peanut butter
• dinner: 
• Hamburgers
• green salad
• clementines

Hazelnut Fudge

Merry Christmas, everyone! How about some fudge for the holidays?  There are a lot of Paleo friendly fudge recipes out there, so I thought I'd give it my own spin and add in hazelnuts in a few forms, since they are one of my very favorites. :)

Hazelnut Fudge
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup roasted hazelnut butter
1/4 cup agave nectar or honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
~3/4 cup roasted hazelnuts, chopped

Directions
In a blender combine the coconut oil, cocoa powder, roasted hazelnut butter, agave, and vanilla.  Pour into a greased loaf pan and stir in about 1/2 cup of the hazelnuts.  Spread evenly in the pan, then top with remaining hazelnuts and chill in the fridge before cutting into squares and serving.  Store remaining fudge in the fridge in and airtight container.

This post was shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays and Gluten Free Fridays.

Weekly Menu (12/22/13-12/28/13)

This week in our Bountiful Basket (which we share with my brother and his family) we got:

• lettuce
• yams
• broccoli
• corn on the cob
• cucumbers
• yellow squash
• green onions
• blackberries
• bananas
• grapes
• pomegranates
• oranges

We also got a Mexican add-on pack:

• green chilies
• tomatillos
• grey squash
• cilantro
• green onions
• avocados
• dried chile peppers

The kids are out of school for the next couple of weeks, so breakfasts will consist of their choice of:

• cereal
• muffins (banana chocolate chip, blueberry, pumpkin chocolate chip, or double chocolate zucchini muffins)
• scrambled eggs and toast
• hot cocoa
• etc.

 and lunches will consist of:

• Sandwiches (Peanut Butter and Jelly or Ham)
• or Pizza Flatbreads (Schar crispbread topped with cheese and pepperoni)
• or Crackers, veggies, and hummus
• taquitos
• chicken nuggets
• chips or crackers
• fruit (usually apples or bananas)
• milk

Sunday:

• breakfast:  smoothie
• lunch: leftovers
• snack: carrots and almond butter
• dinner:
• Grilled Steak
• Baked Potatoes/Sweet Potatoes
• corn on the cob
• green salad

Monday:

• breakfast: scrambled eggs with green onions and peppers
• lunch: leftovers
• snack: apple slices with peanut butter
• dinner:
• Tacos with homemade tortillas and Salsa Verde (I may use the chipotle peppers instead of jalapenos, and see how it turns out)
• Green Salad
• pomegranates
• Grapes

Tuesday: Merry Christmas Eve!

• breakfast:  smoothie
• lunch: leftovers
• snack: apple slices and peanut butter
• dinner:
• Oven Fried Chicken
• Mashed Potatoes
• steamed broccoli
• green salad
• grapes

Wednesday: Merry Christmas!

• breakfast: Gingerbread pancakes, hashbrowns, bacon, scrambled eggs
• lunch: Christmas dinner at my Mother-in-Law's...not sure what we are having, but she takes great care to make sure it's safe for us. :)
• snack: cucumber slices
• dinner:
• left overs (we'll still be at my mother-in-law's)

Thursday:

• breakfast:  cereal, or scrambled eggs and toast
• lunch: leftovers or sandwiches
• snack: apple slices and peanut butter
• dinner:
• chili
• green salad

Friday:

• breakfast: smoothie
• lunch: leftovers
• snack: carrots and celery
• dinner:
• waffles
• hashbrowns
• bacon
• pomegranates

Saturday: 

• breakfast:  smoothie
• lunch: leftovers
• snack: apple slices and peanut butter
• dinner: My family's Christmas Party!
• Ham
• Baked Potatoes
• veggie and fruit trays
• rolls (this and this recipe)

Gift Ideas: P.F. Chang's

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of P.F. Changs for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Do you have people on your Christmas list that are really hard to shop for?  I know I do. But as a working mom, let me tell you something...I would love a night where I didn't have to cook.  I know I'm a food blogger, and I really love cooking, but some nights I'm really tired and I could use a break.  So, if you know someone in that same boat, give them that break.  A lot of restaurants offer gift card deals around the holidays, P.F. Chang's is the perfect example on one.

P.F. Chang's has a unique environment that combines Chinese and American cultures.  The food does the same.  The great thing is, it's one of the few Chinese restaurants around here that understands Gluten Free.  They have a great Gluten Free menu and understand the importance of cross contamination.

Some of my favorite dishes there include their famous Chicken Lettuce Wraps. They are an appetizer, but easily make a whole meal on their own. It's chicken, mushrooms, green onions, and water chestnuts, that are then servied with crispy rice sticks in lettuce cups. 

Another great dish that they have right now is their Harvest Vegetable Quinoa "Fried Rice".  I LOVE Quinoa, so this one is an obvious choice for me.  They wok-toast red quinoa with butternut squash, brussel sprouts, corn (I just ask for mine without corn, since I can't have it), snap peas, carrots, zucchini, and green apples, then they top it with a sunny-side up egg....seriously doesn't that sound like the perfect fusion dish?

They also have an amazing Gluten-free spicy chicken dish that rivals any that I've had. 

So, take a break from your shopping, head over to P.F. Chang's for a bite, and while you are there you can finish your shopping with gift cards.  They have a deal going right now that when you purchase $100 in gift cards, you get a bonus $20 gift card to treat yourself!

So, think about who close to you deserves a P.F. Chang's gift card and go get one for them, and for you, too! And then enjoy some amazing food!

Also check out their site: pfchangs.com, follow them on twitter: Follow @pfchangs, and on Pinterest, too: Follow P.F. Chang’s on Pinterest.