2015 has been a good year for me. How about you? I finished my second full year at our farmer’s market selling my gluten-free treats. I switched jobs to one that I love and have creative freedom in, plus some radical bosses. I had some great times with my family and friends. There was lots of laughter. Of course there were tears (I find the older I get the more sentimental I get). There was much to be thankful and I am filled with gratitude. I am eager to see what kinds of adventures 2016 has in store. Here are 11 of my favorite recipes from the past year. I was going to do a nice 10, but I am not a very conventional person and 11 is what I wrote down and so it is what I am sticking to! I hope you enjoy them and there will be much to come in 2016 (I already have January planned)!
Bacon Wrapped Goat Cheese Stuffed Parsnips
I love goat cheese. I don’t know what it is, but I think the last year I posted at least 5 recipes with it (probably more). I know a lot of people who have never eaten parsnips. They have an interesting flavor. The bacon. The goat cheese. The rosemary. I really feel like I nailed this recipe. It made the parsnip sing. And all the flavors married together perfectly. I was majorly happy with this one!
The last year and a half, I got really attached to plantains. I also have a thing for pizza crusts. Once again I probably have over 5 recipes just for pizza crust alone. Seeing as I live in Indiana, many of my friends have never had, nor heard of plantains. And so, like a good friend, I introduce them to it. A pizza is a good gentle nudge. This is an ugly picture. I know. And it doesn’t look impressive (although I feel a bacon woven top should always be admired), but it tasted AMAZING. This one went to my best friend Tab and she said it was her favorite crust ever.
Blueberry Basil Goat Cheese Tart
See another goat cheese recipe! This is hands down one of my favorite recipes I have ever made. Market fresh blueberries. The basil from my front porch. The quinoa tart crust. Perfection. What really makes it memorable, is my mom and 6 year-old nephew Trenton coming over. They ate it straight from the tart pan. They didn’t put it on a plate. They knelt on the ground and devoured it right there. Mouths stuffed, they proclaimed, “this is really good Britt.”
Usually a mess-up for me, turns into something better than the original vision. I messed up on a crust, and seeing as I am not one to waste, I crumbled it instead. Hmm…..From there it just came to me to pair it with cheesecake. Why not put it in a mason jar? I had a bunch from the kombucha I get at the market. They looked like parfait. Cute. I’ll take it! I probably did at least 12 different flavors this year and they even got me. Bacon pecan? Yes that happened in 2015!
Another plantain recipe. You see how I get hooked on things? I wonder what it will be in 2016? My ex used to (still does) love to get me baking/cooking acessories. He got me these fancy taco bowls. One night I opened my cabinet and just stared at them. What the hell am I going to do with these? I glanced down and saw some plantains. Hmm… The trick was getting a batter, stiff enough to mold into the pan. This worked beautifully. So good.
I also have a thing for butternut squash. I can’t believe this is the only one that made the cut. Probably because 2014 was the year of butternut (at least 20 recipes with it). My friend Heather ventured to a local farm called the Pickery. Obviously from the name, you go to the farm and pick your own produce. Cool shit for a self-sufficiency lover like myself! We went home and spent a bliss-filled hour making this pizza. Butternut and apples? A magnificent pairing. This was so good and worth the prep time and picking time.
I walk to work everyday. I love it because I am a hiker. If I can’t get in a hike, at least I get in a walk. It’s probably maybe a mile there and home. It gives me time to slow down and chill out. I also do a lot of creative thinking. I come up with a lot of recipes on this walk. This pie idea literally just popped in my head. Macadamia are my favorite nuts. It was freaking delicious and probably the second best thing I made all year. I also made these at work, only with white chocolate chips layered on the bottom. Awesome!
Caramel apple was my go-to fall flavor combination both at the market and work. I sold some fruit pizza crust. When I finally had one that didn’t sell, I eagerly made this up. It was post hike at Cataract Falls, so I was on another level of bliss. It was so good and a small slice went a long way.
Scrolling through my pinterst, seeking inspiration, I had to stop on a picture of similar muffins. I HAVE TO MAKE THESE GLUTEN-FREE. One Sunday afternoon on my day off, music blasting, I was majorly in a mood to bake something. These were fire. Straight up so good. For breakfast with a sunny-side up egg.
I love to be outdoors. My passions and the things I talk and post most often are either about cooking or hiking. I went all year without camping. It’s not my friends cup of tea. Finally at the tail end of October I got my mom to go with me. We found our way to southern Indiana with a tent tucked away in the Hoosier National Forest. It is nothing for me to whip up a batch of cookies. And so I put together these little gems in few minutes, they were still warm from the oven when I packed them. This post and day are pretty much me. Outdoors and baking. My perfect weekend!
Brittany’s Blissfilled Burgers
I post a lot of baked goods and treats. However, this recipe is how I actually like to eat. Post market, my fridge stocked with local goodness, I want to make and consume things like this. And these burgers are probably the best burgers I have ever made. My apartment smelled delicious for hours afterwards. Try them with the pretzel bun recipe I created this year or enjoy on lettuce!
Happy New Year to you ALL and thanks for reading!!!!
