Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! We had a fabulous Christmas and that picture above is us on Christmas morning. I can’t believe it’s almost 2012. This year has flown by. We started out 2011 saying we didn’t want to be as busy this year. Well, we won’t be saying that again because this was our busiest year yet!:) It has been full of so much fun and blessings though, I definitely wouldn’t trade it. We got to travel to some wonderful places, move to a new house and my blog even made a big move too! At the beginning of this year, we decided instead of making resolutions that we would make more realistic goals and also list practical steps to attain that goal. We tried to go over our goals each month to assess where we were at and to help remind us if we needed to continue to work on things. While I didn’t reach all of my goals, this method definitely helped me get closer to achieving them. What about you, do you set New Year’s goals or resolutions? I pray you all have a wonderful, full and fun 2012! So thankful for you all!
I also thought would be fun to share my favorite recipes that I’ve posted this past year. So without further adieu, here’s the Top 11 of 2011.(Sorry for the different sizes of the pictures, some were from before I moved my blog & I couldn’t find the original pics on my computer).
Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Biscotti
And just for fun…my biggest flop of 2011 was….FUDGE. I have attempted 3 times this past couple months and the trash has loved them-haha. I will say I don’t think its the recipes but the candy maker (a.k.a ME-haha:)). They say weather can play an effect and it was raining the first time I tried. I’ve decided to take a break from fudge for a few months and then try again. Anyone have any fudge making tips I can try in 2012?
Welcome! I'm Stephanie, a thirty something girl loving life with my husband Adam and our two little miracles living in gorgeous Southeast Tennessee. I'm passionate about Jesus, traveling, sports (Go Titans!), and of course food! Read more about me 
Yum, these all look delicious! I’ve made fudge before and I don’t own a candy maker, so I recommend trying to make it without the candy maker. Good luck!
Thanks Laura! I meant the candy maker is me:)
Hi Stephanie – the food looks super yummy! Cute photo, too! 🙂 I wanted to tell you that my mother-in-law and I baked some fudge Christmas Eve; it was my first time ever making fudge, and even though the recipe called for using a candy thermometer, we didn’t use one because we didn’t have one, but the fudge turned out great! This is the exact recipe we used (it was on the side of a jar of marshmallow creme that my mother-in-law found) 🙂 It’s called Fantasy Fudge http://www.christmas-cookies.com/recipes/recipe191.fantasy-fudge.html I was in charge of the boiling stage and I literally stood and stirred the mixture NONSTOP until it was taken off the heat – maybe that’s part of the trick? 🙂 I’m sure weather affects it, too! I’m from NC and it was ALWAYS humid and rainy/stormy. Maybe the CA weather helps? I hope this sounds like something that you’d like to try and that it helps. I’m sure you make FABULOUS fudge! Everything else you make looks phenomenal! I love your blog!
Sorry – I forgot this: we used semi-sweet Baker’s chocolate instead of chocolate chips, chopped into small chunks… but I don’t think that would make too much of a difference. 🙂
Thanks so much Brittany! I will definitely try this fudge recipe out! It sounds great! Thank you!!! and thank you for your sweet comments!
Ahhh great list Steph!! You have had a wonderful 2011 so far, and I’ve been a faithful follower, too!! 2012 will be a blessed year…can’t wait to see what it brings for the both of us!! Happy New year!!!!
Thank you so much!! Happy New Year to you!! Faithful follower of yours as well!:)
Happy New Year!! I think it would be perfect to celebrate with your Pizza Foccacia Bread – yuuummm 🙂
Thank you!! Happy New Year to you as well!
I just found your blog and I absolutely adore it!! I could tell immediately that you’d had your blog designed by Emily – you look a lot like me at the top of my blog! =)
Nice to e-meet you! I’ll be back often.
So glad to e-meet you too!:) your blog is super cute as well!:) Love Emily, she does a great job!
brittany m. is correct – that is the recipe my candy-making family has used for years and it turns out perfectly and everyone asks for the recipe – unless it’s raining or more than 75% humidity, or unless I put a whole can of milk instead of 2/3 cup (this is my usual mistake – Lol). I make tons of candy every year and for some reason the trash can gets to eat fudge more than anything else, so don’t feel too bad! Happy candy-making!
Thanks Lori! So glad to know I’m not the only one!:) and thank you for the tips!
Remember how I told you I was going to make your Golden Grahams S’mores bars? Yeah, well I made them and now everyone loses their mind over them and demands I make them. They are incredibly delicious, so thanks for that. ;o)
Love it! 🙂 so glad everyone loves them!! Sorry I created more work for you 😉 Haha!