Sorry I’ve been on an extended blogging break. We went down to my mother-in-law’s for Christmas and since I had leftover vacation days, I decided to take off the whole week of Christmas through New Years so I could just relax and enjoy my time there. This also meant that I barely picked up a computer.

I’m so behind on reading and commenting on other blogs, so if I haven’t been to your blog in a while, that’s why. I will catch up soon hopefully!

I’ll be back with a new recipe in the new year but for now I’ll leave you with a countdown of my top 10 recipes of 2013, based on how often they’ve been viewed. Enjoy and have a safe and happy holiday!

 

10) Goat Cheese, Chard and Herb Pie in a Phyllo Crust– I can’t take credit for creating this pie, but it’s a good one!

Goat Cheese, Chard and Herb Pie ~ ElephantEats.com

 

9) Brothy Black Bean Soup– I guess I’m not the only one that prefers brothy soups to thick ones! It’s the garnishes that make this soup.

Black Bean Soup ~ ElephantEats.com

 

8) Chicken and Chorizo “Paella” with Mushrooms– a quick version of paella that’s made in one pot! A perfect weeknight meal.

Chicken and Chorizo "Paella" ~ www.ElephantEats.com

 

7) Turkey, Pumpkin and Veggie Chili– this recipe got quite a few views during the colder months. There are so many good chili recipes out there, but I hope you’ll give this one a try :)

Turkey, Pumpkin and Veggie Chili ~ ElephantEats.com

 

6) Red Wine Chocolate Cake– when you combine red wine and chocolate, you know it’s going to be something good. This is super easy to make and definitely tastes like wine!

Red Wine Chocolate Cake ~ ElephantEats.com

 

5) Peppermint White Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake Bars– I posted these in December and they were my 5th most viewed page before the end of the month!

Peppermint White Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake Bars ~ ElephantEats.com

 

4) “Buffalo” Chicken Salad Sandwiches– I came up with these after going through one of my many put-buffalo-sauce-on-everything phases.

"Buffalo" Chicken Salad Sandwiches ~ ElephantEats.com

 

3) Stir-Fried Spicy Rice Cakes with Pork and Mushrooms– If you’ve never tried rice cakes like these, you need to get to your nearest Asian market and get some. So chewy and delicious!

Stir Fried Rice Cakes ~ ElephantEats.com

 

2) Light Carrot Dill Cream Sauce– I came up with this recipe when I was trying to use up the dill in my fridge and somehow it made it onto the Recipe.com site!

Light Carrot Dill Cream Sauce for Pasta ~ ElephantEats.com

 

1) Zesty Roasted  Pumpkin Seeds– not sure if this was popular because of my pumpkin carving or the seeds, but it went crazy on Pinterest.

Zesty Roasted Pumpkin Seeds ~ ElephantEats.com

Are you guys doing anything special for New Years? I have to work today, so I don’t get to go down to Nate’s mom’s as usual. I’m really sad. He’s going to go down to be with his mom and bro so I’m heading across town to my friend’s apt. She’s an amazing cook and is going to cook us a gourmet meal! I’m definitely excited for that. She went over the menu with me and it sounds delicious :)

2012 was a busy year, with wedding planning, and so I didn’t get to blog as much as I would have liked to. Hopefully 2013 will bring me more free time :)

But in the meantime, here were my most popular posts of this year!

#10) Meat Lover’s Vegetarian Tamale Casserole– who knew there were so many meat-loving vegetarians out there! This recipe is super simple and really delicious.Thanks to Katherine  for the shout-out!

IMG_5613

#9) Aunt Rita’s Noodle Pudding – Not your standard kugel, it’s a recipe that’s been in my family for years and I crave it often.

IMG_5703words

#8) Tabouli– a simple but classic recipe. People love some good healthy food!

Tabouli

#7) Mexican Stuffed Shells– I got some great pics of this recipe and so it made it onto foodgawker and pinterest and spread like wildfire. It’s amazing what a good pic will do for a recipe. It was one of my favorite meals though- creamy and delicious! I also shared my wedding drama…maybe that’s what made it so popular?

Mexican Stuffed Shells4 | ElephantEats.com

#6) Vegetable Lasagna– So funny that a recipe I got from my grandpa’s copious newspaper clippings would become so sought after. It was pretty tasty though :)

Vegetable Lasagna

#5) Cilantro Lime Hummus– I barely adapted this from another recipe, but got some great photos of it and it got repinned like crazy! Honestly, it’s one of my favorite recipes I’ve made.

Cilantro Lime Hummus

#4) “Spanakopita” Pasta Bake– I will take full credit for inventing this tasty dish. It ended up being extremely popular, due in part to getting my photo on foodgawker and tastespotting…having the luxury of getting to take pics in daylight on weekends certainly pays off!

Spanikopita Pasta Bake

#3) No-Bake Crispy Choco-Covered Peanut Butter Bars– I can’t take credit for inventing this recipe but it’s popularity was insane! It could be due to the fact that they were posted during the insanely hot days of summer when no one wanted to turn on their ovens…

Crispy Peanut Butter Bars

#2) No-Cream Mushroom Sauce and Engagement Pics- I don’t know if it was the pics that drew visitors or the recipe, but this post was the second most popular this year! I actually don’t even think I posted the recipe this year.

#1) Rosemary Buttermilk Tea Cake– who knew this creation that came about because of leftovers would be my most popular post ever! I think it was because it photographed so beautifully- but honestly, its texture was so fluffy and it tasted amazing.

Rosemary Buttermilk Tea Cake

There you have it! Here’s to an amazing 2013.

Happy New Year, everyone!!!