2017 in Review

2017 was a bit of a rough year at The Messy Apron. I missed the first two months, getting no posts in whatsoever, being overwhelmed with my day job. That day job got even worse in the fall, when I accepted a promotion that totally ate my life.

If there is a silver lining to that particular cloud, however, it is that there was a greater concentration of good stuff that got onto these pages. I was surprised at how many of the recipes that I did manage to test, photograph and post were for really delicious dishes. From cakes and breakfast foods to salads and even jam, I had a lot of fun playing with my food this year, and I’ve missed being able to put more time into doing just that. Here is a list of 9 of the absolute best recipes posted from January to December 2017.

I’ve never really thought that a Messy Apron year had a “Recipe of the Year” before now, but I’m ready to name one for 2017: Lemon Layer Cake! With lemon curd sandwiched between lemon-infused white cake layers brushed with Limoncello, it’s truly, madly deliciously delicious.

 

Another fabulous and much simpler cake: Rhubarb Pudding Cake. This was one of the most popular recipes (based on clicks) this year.

Marmalade Baked French Toast is a warm and comfy bread and butter pudding infused with cream cheese and orange marmalade. I’m sure it could be varied with your favorite sweet jams and preserves.

And speaking of jam, this Easy Apricot Jam is simple to prepare, but could make you look like a kitchen pro. I also used the same basic recipe method to make lovely jams with other summer fruits.

I love hearty, main-dish salads and this Lentil Salad with Curry Lime Yogurt Dressing was a pleasantly spicy and creamy surprise.

Many recipes I tried this year were fabulous finds on Pinterest. This Shrimp and Pea Macaroni Salad is one such delicious adaptation for The Messy Apron.

These Orange and White Chocolate Cookies were some of the most satisfying eats I produced in the sweets department (and I have high expectations for cookies.)

I’d love to have these Barley Flour Scones on my breakfast table or ready to accompany an afternoon cup of coffee more often. 

 

Last, but not least on the list is Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal.

Of course, there were a few other things I mucked about with over the last 12 months, including homemade sourdough bread (actually pretty great!), a cranberry marmalade that wasn’t quite right, and some cookies that needed a tweek or two. And what’s to come on The Messy Apron? If I had my way and my time was my own, a lot of big changes. I’m afraid to promise you these things, however, because my time is way more limited than I would like. Sigh.

I do have a cranberry cheesecake pie to tell you about, and I’m going to collect together some archive recipes for winter salads and other winter vegetable favorites. I want to tell you about a peanut butter version of the baked oatmeal above. I have two new cookbooks I want to dig into. I’m trying to use social media, like The Messy Apron Blog Facebook page more effectively. One thing is for sure: seasonal cooking curiosity with a bit of a messy spin will carry on!

Happy New Year!