Reader’s Choice: Best of 2013

Well, 2014 is almost upon us. How did that even happen? 2013 was kind of a blur for me. Work was busy, wedding planning kept me really busy, and then there were all those trips for friends’ weddings, the honeymoon, and a whole bunch of other reasons I can’t even remember now sprinkled in the mix. Phew. What a great year though, huh? It was certainly a great year for Just Putzing Around the Kitchen. Lots of recipes came out of my kitchen this year, and you all seemed to like them, if Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr are any indication. Here are the best posts of 2013, according to you:

APPETIZERS:

Restaurant-Style Queso – I’m happy to see that you guys love chips and dip as much as I do. Sometimes the best part of going out for Mexican food is the free chips and melty cheese, amirite?

Roasted Potato Bites with Brie and Mushrooms – These were, coincidentally, my favorite recipe from 2013. Crispy, buttery potato bites loaded with melty brie and sauteed mushrooms? Yum.

Chili-Crab Deviled Eggs – Some people were all “ew, seafood in my deviled eggs, NOPE”, but for the most part y’all embraced this recipe. I’m telling you, it’s delicious!

Bacon Cheese Fries – These fries definitely did not help me fit into my wedding dress, but they made me happy, so that’s something. And they made you happy too! Fries for everyone!

MAINS & SIDES:

Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken – Crockpots are God’s gift to busy working people, and/or people who don’t want to slave over a stove for hours. And this recipe was Damn Delicious blog’s gift to her legions of followers, which I then re-gifted to you. You’re welcome.

Steamed Pork Buns (Bao Zi) – Ah yes, my attempt to be a good Chinese girl and make bao zi for Chinese New Year. These were not as beautiful as my mom’s bao, but tasted pretty close!

Sauteed Garlic Bacon Brussel Sprouts – Can I just say that I love how much you guys loved this recipe? Brussel sprouts fo’ life.

Korean BBQ Short Ribs (Kalbi) – These were amazeballs. Crazy good, and super easy to make. I could eat kalbi every single day and be totally happy.

DESSERTS:

No-Churn Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream – Loooots of Foodgawker and Pinterest love for this one. Can’t blame you – delicious ice cream that doesn’t require an ice cream maker? Perfection. Will definitely be making variations of this again next summer.

Single-Serving GF Chocolate Chip Mug Cookie – In 2013, “gluten free” was all the rage, which pissed off a lot of people who actually have gluten allergies. As several readers told me, being GF is not a fad, it’s a lifestyle. And you know what? It’s a lifestyle that comes with damned good food, like this amazingly easy and delicious single-serving mug cookie.

Ferrero Rocher Cupcakes – Ferrero. Rocher. Candies. In. Cupcake. Form. Need I say more?

Charlene’s Red Velvet Cupcakes – I loved these cupcakes so much I made and served them at my wedding. So yes, super pleased that you guys recognized the amazing-ness of Charlene’s recipe!

Apple Crunch Pie Apple Cups – Normally I would not be on board with a crust-less pie (the crust is the best part!), but holy cow this was good.

S’mores Blossoms – Everybody loves a good s’mores recipe. And if the recipe happens to involve cookie butter, well…all bets are off.

DRINKS:

Lemonade Spritzers with Berry Ice Cubes – When it gets as hot out in the summers as it has been lately, icy cold spritzers are the way to go. And berry ice cubes are amazing, so yeah…good selection, guys.

Cherry Berry Frozen Mojitos – Cocktails were a big hit this summer. Probably because it was so frickin’ hot. These are probably my favorite concoction – I made them upwards of a dozen times this summer.

Frozen Peach Margaritas – You guys really really love to drink, and you know what? I respect that. I will definitely have a ton more cocktail posts next summer – stay tuned.

Green Smoothies – I was a little surprised by the popularity of this recipe. Are you guys…secretly into being healthy (gasp)? Or maybe every one just wanted to give their livers a break post-St. Paddy’s day? These smoothies were the bomb, either way.

DO-IT-YOURSELF:

DIY Flavored Extracts – Holy crap, you guys REALLY loved this post. Like…a lot. And according to my site stats today, you guys are continuing to love the s**t out of it. Is it the bottles? The labels? The ribbon? Is it…me? I think it’s probably me. Thanks, y’all.

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Thanks so much for liking, tweeting, pinning and sharing my posts all year! This blog would have long since fallen into disarray and neglect if it weren’t for the continued love and encouragement of all you loyal readers. I promise to do my best to put out even better recipes in 2014!