In addition to being on Facebook, Books n’ Cooks is now also on Pinterest (check out the books on my to-read list, some of the recipes I’ve bookmarked to try, and a bunch of cool book-related and foodie crafts).
I also attended my first food bloggers conference this year – Mixed. It was such a great weekend of networking with fellow food lovers and sessions on all aspects of blogging – from photography and food styling to videography and ebooks. I met some amazing people and came away incredibly inspired, with lots of ideas for the new year.
But without further ado, I give you the top posts of 2012 – both my favorites and yours.
In the Kitchen: Personal Favorites (I couldn’t keep the list to just 5)
- Strawberry-Feta Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Vinaigrette
- Chicken Enchilada Soup (Crock Pot)
- Mixed Berry Salad with Vanilla Syrup
- Citrus Martini
- Almond Poppy Seed Bread
- Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies
In the Kitchen: Reader Favorites – You guys apparently really like my sweets
- Chocolate Cake Batter Cookies
- Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate Mix
- Caramel Macchiato Cupcakes
- Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels
- Pretzel S’mores
In the Kitchen: Recipes Made or Tried That Didn’t Make the Blog (either the photo wasn’t pretty enough, it was eaten before I could photograph, or a friend made the recipe)
- Dark Chocolate Earl Grey Cupcakes from Dessert for Breakfast – Love love love the Earl Grey flavor in the icing. This will definitely be made again!
- Blueberry Crumb Bars from Sweet Remedy – The dessert fairy dropped these off one day. Let’s just say that my husband didn’t quite get his fair share of the package. 😉
- Caprese Salad on a Stick – now I’ve seen this idea several places, but a friend made it for a joint baby shower we threw earlier this year. Simple, easy to make, and tasty. What’s not to ask for. (Link goes to the blog post where she originally found the idea, but again, it’s everywhere).
- Coconut Zucchini Bread from Two Peas and Their Pod – I had sent this recipe to my mom when she had an abundance of zucchini. I only recently pulled on of the loaves she made out of the freezer. Moist and sweet, I like it better than my family recipe.
Off the Bookshelf: Personal Favorites
- The Bronze Horseman Trilogy (The Bronze Horseman, Tatiana and Alexander, and The Summer Garden) – I had read the first book before, but reread it and finished the series this year.
- The Night Circus
- Shadow of Night (second book in the All Souls Trilogy, following A Discovery of Witches, read in 2011)
- The Graceling Realms Series
- The Invisible Bridge
- The Lover’s Dictionary
Off the Bookshelf: Reader Favorites
The Hunger Games review is the only one on this list not published in 2012, but I felt the need to highlight it as it was the top book review for 2012. Also, like last year, my Nook-ADE Tutorial (for getting library books onto your Nook), Nook screensavers, and my tutorial on removing books from your Nook were the top book-related posts of the year.
What were your favorite recipes and/or books read from 2012? Leave me a comment – I’d love to check them out in 2013.