2013 Favorite Recipes

I can't believe another year has come and gone! Here's a highlight of some of my favorite recipes from 2013.

White Chocolate Snickerdoodle Blondies

Strawberry Cupcakes

Slow Cooker Carnitas

Nail Polish Bites

Bowtie Chicken Alfredo

White Chocolate S'mores Gooey Cake Bars

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

Slow Cooker Chicken Caesar Sandwiches

Mexican Pasta Salad

Soft Frosted Pumpkin Spice Cookies

White Bean and Fennel Stew with Italian Sausage

I recently had some fennel in my Bountiful Basket and I wasn't sure what to do with it. I like trying new ingredients but it also makes me a little nervous. I wasn't sure how this soup would turn out or if it would even be any good at all! I've heard that fennel has a licorice taste and I'm not a fan of black licorice so I was definitely a little nervous to eat this. When I tried the fennel I noticed that it does have a licorice taste but it's very subtle. When I made this soup I was pleasantly surprised. It reminded me of Zuppa Toscana soup with beans instead of potatoes. The big shocker was that my husband said that this is now his favorite soup!

Printable Recipe

White Bean and Fennel Stew with Italian Sausage
1 lb mild Italian sausage
1 small onion, diced
1 fennel bulb, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
32 oz chicken broth
2 cans (15 oz) white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes with garlic & Italian herbs, undrained
6 oz frozen spinach, thawed and drained
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, brown sausage over medium heat. Add onion, fennel, and garlic and cook until sausage is cooked through, about 7 minutes. Add chicken broth, beans, tomatoes, and spinach. Mix well. Cover and bring to a boil. Uncover; reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 15-30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 6-8

Recipe adapted from Kitchen Scoop

Shredded Beef Tacos

This recipe has been moved to The Traveling Circus.

Click the link below for the recipe

Shredded Beef Tacos

Soft Frosted Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Printable Recipe

Soft Frosted Pumpkin Spice Cookies
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
2-3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, or a bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla. Mix until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.

Bake for 15-20 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

To make frosting, cream together butter and cream cheese. Slowly add powdered sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon and beat until thick and creamy. Spread on cooled cookies.

Makes 3 dozen cookies

Recipe adapted from: The Baker Chick

Past Recipes:
One year ago: Peanut Butter Truffles
Two years ago: Cream Cheese Chicken and Vegetable Soup
Three years ago: Chocolate Toffee Pie