2014 Year in Review: My Favorites

The other day I posted the Reader’s Choice for 2014.  Let me tell ya, we were pretty much on the same page with our tastes in 2014.  I think we all had a bit of a sweet tooth throughout the entire year..which I have no problem with at all!  There were, however, a few of my favorites that didn’t quite make the cut for reader’s choice, so I wanted to take a minute and reflect upon a few of my favorites from 2014.

So…here we go!

The mother of all cookies; brown sugar bacon cookies.  This was by far my favorite recipe of 2014, and to this date still the most requested by my family and friends.  It hits all the flavor notes; sweet, salty, nutty and chocolaty and it’s all packed in a perfectly thick, chewy cookie.

Two of my favorite things found their way together in this recipe.  Fudgy brownies topped with cookie dough frosting.  Folks, if you missed out on this recipe in 2014 don’t make the same mistake in 2015, head in the kitchen and make these cookie dough brownies.

There isn’t a week that goes by that we don’t have at least one pizza night.  9 times out of 10 I like to make my own pizza; sometimes I enjoy playing around with various topping combinations, while others I keep it simple and traditional.  But, one thing is for certain, you have to have a basic, fool-proof dough recipe.  Thanks to Lauren of Lauren’s Latest, I’ve found mine {and my families} new favorite dough and cheese stick recipes; fail-proof pizza dough and cheesy garlic bread.

I can’t tell you how many times I enjoyed this mocha-nut frappuccino; all the deliciousness of a coffee house but half the cost and all in the comfort of your own home.

Pound cakes are one of my favorite desserts. They are a classic.  I love a basic pound cake, but I also enjoy playing with different flavor combinations.  One of my favorites of 2014 is this orange blueberry pound cake with orange glaze.  It’s a perfectly moist cake that is sweet with hints of tang from the orange, the orange glaze is the perfect compliment that really brings it all together.

Along with pizza night, wing night is another regular occurrence in house.  We have a favorite wing restaurant, but there are times where we just want to stay in and make our own at home.  This year, I got a little more comfortable with the process, and perfect the baking method…at least to our liking.  The chicken remains moist and tender, the skin has a nice crispy, then the chicken is ready to be tossed in your favorite sauce.  These sticky honey soy baked wings are sweet, salty and perfectly crispy.  One of our must makes on wing night!

I love a basic cinnamon roll.  What’s not to love about fluffy, sweet dough that’s stuffed with a cinnamon sugar mixture?  But, add roasted bananas to the mix?  Well, why not.  These roasted banana cinnamon rolls became an instant favorite.

Salted caramel is an obsession of mine, to say the least  So adding it to one of my favorite fall drinks seemed like a no-brainer.  I can’t tell you how much I’m obsessed with this salted caramel apple cider.

Southern sweet tea and bourbon cocktails, the best way to unwind on a hot summer day.  I can’t tell you how many times we sipped on these cocktails throughout the warmer months.  They are so good and incredibly easy to make.

I love soup during the winter months.  Even better if it’s easy and super quick to throw together, but tastes like it’s been simmering all day.  Well, such is the case with this white bean soup.  A thick, creamy soup packed with tender white beans and juicy chicken.  Serve with some toasted garlic bread and it’s a complete and satisfying meal.

I had several more favorites, but figured it would be best for all of us if I stopped with 10…otherwise I may set a record for the longest, single blog post!  I had so much fun trying and creating new recipes this year.  I am so excited to see what delicious eats and treats 2015 holds.