family recipes

Top 12 Country Girl Gourmet Recipes of 2014

The end of the year is here again and I have been looking over what my readers thought were my  top 12 recipes of 2014. Some of the recipes that made it into the top 12 completely surprised me while others have had the staying power to make the list for a repeat year. There is one thing for sure though, they are all great recipes!

Check out my top 12 Country Girl Gourmet Recipes of 2014 and see if your favorites made the list!

Top 12 Country Girl Gourmet Recipes of 2014

12. Potato Soup

This soup is a favorite of my family! It is easy to make and simmers in the crockpot all day. I knew this recipe needed to be on my blog after sharing it with friends and they all agreed it is delicious!

11.New York City Lox and Schmear Bagel in a Bite

A year ago I developed this recipe for RITZ and I have to say the schmear is simply delicious! I have made the schmear much more than just for the super bowl in the past year! It goes well with gluten free crackers too.

10. Gluten Free Corn Casserole

My family LOVES corn casserole and now that I am gluten free I knew I needed to come up with a gluten free version. This recipe is perfect! I have fed it to others who had no clue they were eating something gluten free.

9.RITZ Country Fried Ribs with Zesty Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

This is one of the recipes that made it into the top 12 that really surprised me. Who would have thought to bread and fry ribs? My family assured me they were delicious!

8. Faux Mashed “Potatoes”

This recipe came from my husband deciding to be Paleo. His Paleo lifestyle only lasted  a couple months but I still make this recipe. It is a keeper!

7.Gluten Free Eggplant Parmesan

This Eggplant Parmesan came out of a craving I had and has become a family favorite since! There is no frying of the eggplant either. This eggplant is breaded with gluten free cracker crumbs and then baked.

6. Crockpot Pumpkin French Toast Casserole

This crockpot breakfast has been a hit on my blog since I first blogged about the recipe in 2012.

5.Buckeyes

Who doesn’t like chocolate and peanut butter? You don’t have to be from Ohio to enjoy this treat or wait until Christmas to make them. We love Buckeyes year round! They are among my families favorite sweet treats.

4. Spinach and Strawberry Salad

This is my favorite salad! As long as I can find decent priced strawberries I always have the ingredients to make this salad on hand.

3.Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon Rolls or as my family calls them Sweet Rolls are a family tradition and this recipe makes a perfect cinnamon roll. These are one food I dearly miss now that I am gluten free. My goal in 2015 is to venture into the world of gluten free yeast breads so who knows a gluten free version of these may be coming in the future.

 

2.Gluten Free and Paleo Almond Flour Pancakes

These aren’t your typical pancake but they work in a pinch! They are perfect if you are gluten free or paleo.

 

1. Roasted Spaghetti Squash

…and the #1 recipe! This post going viral really surprised me! Roasted spaghetti squash is a staple in my diet.  Yes, there are other ways to prepare spaghetti squash but they don’t taste as good as roasted spaghetti squash.

 

So there they are the top 12 Country Girl Gourmet recipes of 2014! Have you made any of them? What do you think? What was you favorite Country Girl Gourmet recipe of 2014?

I can’t wait to bring you some more tasty recipes in 2015!

12 Days of Homemade Christmas

Country Girl Gourmet 12 days of Homemade Christmas!

Where has the time gone? It is time for Christmas again! I have been working hard to bring something special from my home to yours this holiday season. Starting tomorrow I will sharing my 12 Days of Homemade Christmas. I will have recipes for cookies and candy along with a few crafts that you can make for yourself or your family. I will be posting family recipes that have been handed down over the years to other recipes that have become family favorites. They range from being super easy to a bit more difficult but as long as you have patience you can make it too!

Day 1- Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments

Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments- 12 days of Homemade Christmas

Day 2- Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon Rolls

Day 3- Swedish Peppakakor

Swedish Peppakakor

Day 4- Salted Caramel Sauce

Salted Caramel Sauce

Day 5- Peppermint Chip Cookies

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Day 6- Sugar Cookies

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Day 7- Homemade Marshmallows

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Day 8- Reindeer Food

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Day 9 – Cocoa Can Fudge

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Day 10- Buckeyes

Buckeyes

Day 11- Peanut Butter Blossoms

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Day 12- Molasses Krinkles

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Merry Christmas from my Family to yours!12 Days of Homemade Christmas From Country Girl Gourmet

Great Grandma Freda’s Apple Cake

After my grandma passed this summer  I took her cookbooks so I could type up her recipes and my hope is to create a family cookbook.When I saw this recipe for Apple Cake it caught my eye and now that it is apple picking season what better time to bake it up!

Start with some nice baking apples. These are Gala’s. Granny Smiths would work well also. You want a nice baking apple.
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Now Chop them up
IMG_4251Set these and the chopped pecans aside. I used already chopped pecans. I am thankful for that option. I remember picking pecans for my great grandparents as a kid and cracking them. It is a ton of work.

Next we make the wet ingredients nice and fluffy.
IMG_4254Then add the dry ingredients.

IMG_4255I did reduce the salt to 1/2 tsp and upped the cinnamon to 2 tsp.

Mix it up until it looks a little something like this:
IMG_4257and then add apples and pecans.
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Add it to a bundt pan
IMG_4261and bake for 1.5 hours at 300 degrees.
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Then enjoy!

IMG_0224We topped it off with a yummy caramel sauce and it was delicious!

I hope you like it!

Apple Cake

3 cups apples, peeled and chopped

1 cup pecans, chopped

3 cups flour

1t nutmeg

1t cinnamon

1t baking soda

1t salt

1 1/3 cup Wesson oil

3T vanilla

2 cups granulated sugar

3 eggs

Preheat oven to 300*

1. Peel and chop apples and nuts – set aside

2. Beat oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla until creamy

3. Add all the other ingredients and put in 10″ tube pan

4. Bake for 1.5 hours