2009 December — Cooking During Stolen Moments

The Best of 2009

December 30, 2009 By Kate 9 Comments

I thought it would be fun to compile a list of some of our family’s favorite recipes that I posted throughout 2009. However, I didn’t realize what a challenge that would be! So instead of just one recipe a month, I decided to give two for each month.

I know I’m leaving out so many of our favorites though. And honestly, if my family doesn’t like something, it doesn’t get posted here, so you can find the complete list of our favorites just by scrolling through the archives.

But these are the best of the best…our very top favorites for 2009. Enjoy!

January, 2009

Morning Glory Muffins

Pizza Bread

February, 2009

Cinnamon-Apple Stuffed French Toast

Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit Cups

March, 2009

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Taco Pinwheel

Ridiculously Good Chocolate Cake

April, 2009

Ditch The Box Brownies

Homemade Chicken “Things”

May, 2009

Bacon Maple Cookies

Tropical Paradise Crepes

June, 2009

Blueberry Coffee Cake

Monterrey Chicken Quesadillas

July, 2009

Easy & Creamy Italian Skillet

S’More Topped Brownies

August, 2009

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Spinach Artichoke Dip Casserole

September, 2009

Chicken & Gravy with Homemade Noodles

Homemade White Cake

October, 2009

Simple Chocolate Pots De Creme

Stuffed Bread Sticks

November, 2009

Pear & Cream Cheese Muffins

Bacon Cheeseburger Soup

December, 2009

Meat Lovers Lasagna

Santa’s Whiskers Cookies

Did I miss any? Do you have a favorite recipe that I posted this past year? I’d love to hear about it. I’d also love to hear about any of your favorite recipes from 2009!

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Homemade McDonald’s McSnack Wraps

December 29, 2009 By Kate 5 Comments

A few months ago, my husband fell hard for the newest McDonald’s goodie – the McSnack Wrap. It’s like a Big Mac rolled up in a snack-sized tortilla. He would pick one up whenever he needed a little pick-me-up while working late at night.

So I was more than excited when he said he wanted to experiment with making his own version at home. (I guess my favorite hobby is starting to rub off on him.) He picked up the ingredients and got to work. I helped out a little by whipping up a homemade 1000 Island dressing, but the rest was all him. And I think he definitely nailed the re-creation. These were awesome!

Homemade McDonald’s McSnack Wraps

1 lb. ground beef
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
Salt and garlic powder to taste
1 c. 1000 Island dressing (homemade recipe below)
Sliced cheddar cheese
Dill pickle slices (We used the Kroger-brand “Fast Food Style”)
8 tortillas

1. Season ground beef with Worcestershire sauce, salt and garlic powder. Press meat into 8 thin patties. Cook on a large griddle about 10 – 15 minutes, flipping about halfway through. Cut each patty into thirds.

2. Spread dressing on tortillas. Top with hamburger pieces and layer on cheese and pickles.

3. Roll up tightly and enjoy.

Homemade 1000 Island Dressing

3/4 c. mayonnaise
3 T. ketchup
1 T. pickle relish
2 t. sugar
1 t. vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste

Stir all ingredients together until well combined.

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Some End Of Year Housekeeping

December 28, 2009 By Kate 3 Comments

We are home and recovering nicely from our trip out of town to spend Christmas with my family. We had a wonderful time, aside from my husband’s rather violent reaction to shellfish on Christmas Eve that had him out of commission much of Christmas Day. I hope you had a wonderful (and uneventful) Christmas!

Now I have a little bit of blog housekeeping to get caught up on before the end of the year. The recipes will be back tomorrow!

Michelle (aka Scrappy Gypsy) over at Trading Ashes For Beauty posted a delicious variation for my favorite pull-apart rolls. She turned the breakfast bread option of the rolls into a French toast/breakfast puff spin-off that sounds heavenly! Please go take a look at her recipe and give a try. I’m looking forward to trying it out myself!
The winners of the Wal-Mart gift card are commentors #2 (Amy B)and #68 (Carrie). Congratulations ladies. I’ll be emailing you shortly!

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For the entire month of January, Money Saving Mom and Life As Mom will be hosting an Eat From The Pantry Challenge. I would so love to participate since I love eating from the pantry. In fact, some of our all-time favorite family recipes have been desperation dinners thrown together with pantry staples. However, between the trip to Disney World last month and the Christmas traveling this month, I’ve let my pantry surplus dwindle beyond repair. So although I’ll be spending the month refilling my pantry and freezer, I’ll still be checking in daily to see how the ladies (and other bloggers) are faring.
I’ve been spending some time these last two weeks working on a yearly plan for this blog – something that I can use as a guide to hopefully make it better and more user-friendly. So I would love a little input as I plan out recipes to post and experiments to attempt. Please just take a few minutes to answer this quick survey letting me know which recipes or features you’d like to see more of in 2010. (NOTE – If the embedded survey below is not working for you, you can click over here instead.) Thanks!