Best of Project Domestication 2012 + My Favorite 12 Recipes

2012 has come and gone. It was a big year for me in many ways. The biggest change was venturing into the complete focus of my own recipe development on Project Domestication as I closed the Tuesdays with Dorie chapter. I've really come to see who I am as a cook, what ingredients and techniques I love and it has been so rewarding.

I continued to support local with my Utah Local Love posts, plus some. Perhaps my favorite find was La Nay Ferme, a local CSA, that really added lots of joy, health and good food to our lives. One of my hopes in 2012 was to channel my Swedish heritage and the foods I grew up eating. I wasn't as successful in the beginning of the year but once the holidays came around there was no escaping the plethora of Scandinavian food.

I attended my first big food-centric blogging conference in Seattle. Then made my way up to Vancouver for a killer time and much-needed vacation with my husband. Sadly, I never got to posting my recaps. Ingredient exploration led me to a love of black rice, medjool dates, coconut oil and almond milk. And my love of quinoa grew exponentially. New gadgets and equipment entered our kitchen. But none has been more loved and used than our Blendtec blender. We've used it nearly 600 times and can't get enough of our green smoothies. I've also enjoyed juicing and playing around with obscure ice cream ingredients.

I am so happy to welcome 2013. I'll be stretching myself to new heights both off and on the blog...and I'm happy to share that Project D will be getting a facelift in the next few months just in time for its 5 year birthday! You will love the new design and features. I leave you with my personal favorite recipes of 2012. Happy New Year. Thanks for your friendship, readership, comments and fun. I wish you a healthy and tasty 2013.

Grandma Beda's Swedish Pancakes - My great grandmother's recipe...it's finally recorded with legit directions.

 I've been making roasted apples with agave and cinnamon for what seems like forever. I finally posted it and added it to my favorite type of oats: steel cut oats. Roasted Cinnamon-Agave Apples over Steel Cut Oats with Toasted Coconut

I adapted one of my favorite Dorie Greenspan cookie recipes into these Buttery Strawberry Jam Cookies with Crystallized Ginger and Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting.

The lazy-ice-cream-making-bone was struck in me and I went on this huge kick of adding whatever flavor or ingredient to evaporated milk. My creation was this 2-ingredient Biscoff ice Cream. If you've never tried Biscoff cookie butter, you haven't lived.

Fleur de Sel & Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats -  These speak for themselves.

 Zucchini Noodles with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto - My favorite way to use up that ridiculous amount of zucchini during August.

Pineapple Mango Green Smoothie - I've become a green smoothie lover. This is my favorite recipe.

Apple, Bacon and Cheddar Grilled Cheese Sandwich - My husband went nuts for this and I'm happy to report I use a killer Utah cheese in it!

Pumpkin Butter with Cinnamon and Star Anise - Star anise really makes this pumpkin butter special.

Roasted Maple-Chipotle Butternut Squash - Another recipe I've made for years...finally written down.

Asian Whole Wheat Noodles & Carrot Ribbons with Pea Shoots and Avocado - The beauty of a CSA is that you get fresh produce like these pea shoots during the winter. The addition of avocado is perfection. Did I mention I averaged an avocado a day for most of 2012? Truth.

Lingonberry Cave Shortbread Cookies - I made these cave cookies for a SLC cookie exchange with some of my favorite blogging friends. I adore them and they'll forever be in my holiday baking line up. Lingonberry is a gift from above.



What were your favorite recipes you made this year?