2013 in Review

It may seem late to have a “review” of an old year several days into the new one. That’s because it is. It seems, however, that I’m destined to lag behind, never quite ready for anything, always wondering where the time has gone. But, hey!, better late than never.

It’s hard for me to really say what 2013 was like. Nothing bad happened to me, which is great. I won’t say that nothing good happened to me, because I see pretty much all non-bad as good, but there really wasn’t any big news. I didn’t get to try nearly as many new recipes as I wanted to, but that leaves plenty for the year to come. (I should never run out of new things to make at this rate!) My vegetable garden was a complete bust, resembling a forgotten wasteland far more than the Eden for which I always live in eternal hope. (This year for sure!) I didn’t get as many kitchen thoughts posted to these pages as I would have liked, but the introduction of the Archive Recipe of the Week is helping me to touch base with The Messy Apron more often.

Overall, I was kind of thinking of the past year with a big shrug and an, “eh,” but then I began reviewing the recipes I posted and remembered that 2013 was quite a delicious year. I got to make a birthday cake for myself for the first time in years and it was delightfully yummy. I put some old favorites, such as my usual spaghetti sauce and a beefy pot pie into print. I stumbled upon or came up with a few real gems that have become regular re-makes.

So, while the list of life events outside of this site with my name at the top of it would be pretty boring, the recipe life I’ve had in the last year was pretty darn good. Here is a much more interesting list of my favorite 10 recipes posted to The Messy Apron in 2013. It was hard to pick just 10!
 

Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Energy Bars

Noodle Salad with Sweet Asian Dressing
Hazelnut Cake with Chocolate Glaze (the aforementioned birthday cake)
Strawberry Rhubarb Freezer Jam
Simple Vanilla Yogurt Cake
Peanut Butter Granola
Orange Butter Cookies
Mulled Wine Chocolate Cake
Peanut Butter Cookies with Peanut Butter Cups
Spaghetti Sauce

Happy New (or mostly new) Year!