My favorites from 2015...

It's that time again, hard believe we have completed another revolution around the sun.
In looking back, I found ten recipes worth singling out as my favorites from this year.

Here they are in no particular order.

1) Very Orange Cake: This surprisingly simple cake is vegan and came from Joy of Cooking.

2) The Best Pork Chops: Our local farmer's market worker told us about this sure fire way to achieve moist chops. After avoiding them for decades, due to growing up with tough, dry meat, pork chops are back on the menu at our house.

3) Coconut Curried Rice: I adapted this recipe from one I got at a yoga retreat from an Ayurvedic chef. Don't dismiss this recipe if you don't like coconut, it's more about the flavors of the spices. My husband couldn't even tell it had coconut in it ;-)

4) Easy Brownies: I saw this recipe attributed to Kathryn Hepburn and had to give it a try. Sure enough they are easy and very tasty brownies.

5) Not Your Mother's Potato Salad: This dish will make any summer meal a real picnic, while similar to a classic potato salad it goes beyond the mundane.

6) Chimichurri: That silly word is fun to say and the sauce is amazing on so many dishes. How can you go wrong with a sauce that stars garlic, parsley and cilantro ??

7) Almond Milk & Almond Spread: Another gift from that same yoga retreat: fresh nut milks !! When faced with what to do with the almond pulp I came up with a yummy sandwich spread/ dip.

8) Quinoa Potato Pancakes: This recipe came from Mount Madonna, again the simplicity is key.
These cakes make a great addition to breakfast or dinner.

9) Crazy Pecan Toffee: My dear friend and fellow food blogger made this confection for me last Christmas, it sounds so crazy but tastes so good !!

10) Tomato Chutney: This is by far the best thing to come out of my kitchen in a long time. It was the hit of my yearly craft sale and a family favorite as well. I only wish I had made twice as much when those beautiful organic dry farm tomatoes were in season.

So there you have it, hope something in this list inspires you to get into your kitchen and cook !!
Best wishes to all for a delicious 2016 !!

10 holiday gift ideas you can make in your kitchen.

Who really wants to spend all that time out at the mall or even online shopping.
Step away from the Star Wars movie promo-junk aisle, that's NOT what everyone wants for the holidays. Instead step into your kitchen and give a few of these ideas a try.

Here are some holiday gifts you can make in your kitchen.
Most folks are delighted to get a homemade gift, especially one that doesn't need dusting ;-)
1) Cilantro garlic butter is the star of my kitchen gift giving this season.

2) Infused oils and vinegars are always on one of my niece's wish list.

3) There are some spice blends I love to use in my cooking: chili, pie spice, curry powder, Moroccan spice blend, jerk spice and ranch dressing mix.

4) Fruit syrups and citrus syrups, great for parties and mixed drinks.

5) Ice cream toppings for easy desserts over the holidays.

6) Homemade granola, an easy breakfast when the house is full of guests.

7) Smoked pecans and other nutty treats, the perfect host gift.

8) Snack mixes, another great simple hostess gift.

9) This chocolate bark is stuffed with dried fruit and nuts !!

10) Just in case you want a non-food item, here a simple and satisfying body scrub.