My Favorite 2014 Yankee Belle Posts - Year-end Review

I don't mind saying it, I am as big a fan of my fellow Yankee Belle cooks as any other reader. We're all in different parts of the country, at different points in our lives, but we share a love of food, Jesus, romance and fun!

Lots of great posts this past year as sugar was exiled, life changes happened, and kitchen fails were confessed. It's hard to pick favorites of mine but I'm giving it a go.

Jan Drexler - anything with Mt. Rushmore, corgis or bison caught my eye. My favorite recipe was Jan's pumpkin curry soup . So simple and so good. And exotic!

You also may have noticed we've talked about life and events more this year. After all, we are more than just cooks, more than just writers. My favorite non-foodie post from Jan, A Story of Poverty and Redemption about her grandparents, included some of the most stunning family pictures I've seen. But it is the story of  the couple that had me teary-eyed. Just a marvelous message.

Mindy Obenhaus - has a ranch. In Texas. Need I say more? Yes! The woman had some fabulous chocolate themed posts but what struck me the most was her soldiering through six weeks of a liquid diet post surgery and her campaign to get sugar reduced in her diet. In between all this excitement was a wedding. My favorite recipe post was the scones in her bridal shower buffet post.  

We got an education in Texas culture this year, thanks to Mindy, and her Friday Night Lights and Homecoming post  introduced me to something I've never heard tell of, mums. Only they are not like any flowers my mother ever introduced me to!

 Yep, boas, streamers and teddy bears make up these mums!



Virginia Carmichael Munoz  -lives on the West Coast in a small town and a house bursting at the seams with children and creativity.  Her appliances have lives of their own and she has found more retro treasures than you can shake a stick at. My favorite recipe post from Virginia? Stuffed Cheese rolls . Yep, I am gluten free but I can still appreciate this marvelous recipe based on the Hunger Games and full of pictures of her adorable sons. I mean, head on over to the post and  look at those eyes.

Favorite non-recipe topic? So easy. In fact it was the first post I thought of to include in my year end review.   Virginia's Little Free Library is as charming a post as can be. I've seen local LFLs and read about them but never knew anyone who made their own.
 

Ruth Logan Herne - doesn't ever stop. In fact, I don't think she sleeps. But that is to be expected of folks who live in the Northeast. The woman is the queen of easy recipes so it was really hard to pick one but Amish cauliflower salad really won me over to cauliflower. Not to mention there are baby chicks and cute kids in that post.

The non-recipe post I loved the best was when Ruthy got to play (SHE GOT TO PLAY!) for the Weekend in Manhattan with the boys .

Missy Tippens is the Belle in Yankee Belle. Southern through and through. We also share a history as microbiologists and Methodist buddies. She has taught me when it comes to cooking, the easier the better. I loved this Low Country boil she posted because I always thought that meal was hard to make. Of course, I leave the corn out but I serve it over rice.

Favorite non-recipe post? Well, it does involve food but what warms my heart the most about Missy's Ham and Egg Supper post is it is representative of all her lovely church community stories. And there's cracklins!

Bonus thanks: This year, we've all needed some fill in help. We've been blessed with a ton of guests who brought fabulous recipes, new insights, books and gadgets to Yankee-Belle. Thank you all, especially semi-regulars Tina Radcliffe and Mary Connealy.  How great is that? And readers with great comments always made the cafe hum.

Blessed New Year to you all!

So, what do you remember most about this past year? Did you have a favorite meal or does one event stick out in your mind?