I don't know about you...but I'm a bit of a freak about recipes.
I own dozens and dozens of cookbooks and have a lot of recipes saved to my "favorites" on the computer.
And then...along came Pinterest. Like so many others...I, in vain, tried to stay away from "what everybody else was doing." (Now I'm kinda wondering what my reason behind that was?)
I am now at the point where I can't seem to go to sleep at night without a quick scan of the pins of those I follow. Therapy, people?
Anyhow, if you follow me, you may have noticed I tend to repin a lot of um...recipes.
(Especially lots of chocolate recipes!)
One of my goals for 2012 is to introduce some new meals to our family. We've been stuck in a little bit of a rut this last year, and I thought some new flavours would do us all good. So I've been referring back to those pins and actually making the recipes instead of just drooling over the pictures.
If you've been doing this as well, you have probably experienced the same thing as me...sometimes the picture looks a whole lot better than the recipe tastes.
And then other times...the opposite!
The recipe was totally and completely drool worthy, just like the picture.
So without further yakking...here are some of my favorites!!!
Homemade Ricotta.
I can't even tell you how excited I was when I saw this recipe (Go Jane!). And even more excited that it did, in fact, work. I celebrated the success (and it's very easy, by the way) by making lasagna with homemade pasta and of course the ricotta. Yum.
I don't know what ricotta costs where you live, but where I live, it's about $7 - $8 per 500 ml. container.
I figured out I can make the same amount for about $3 and in about the same time it would take me to pack up my two kids, drive to the store and buy some. Gotta love that!
Oh. My. Goodness.
There are no words for this recipe for chicken gyros. Totally amazing.
If you like Greek food, you will be in tastebud heaven. Make your own pitas and it's even better.
Love, love, LOVE!!!!!!
Lemon Garlic pasta with pine nuts.
I made my own pasta, so that took a bit more time, but otherwise this is a quick, simple and easy dish to put together and delivers a lot of flavor. I especially liked the added crunch from the pine nuts.
I don't know if these really even needs an explanation! How could you possibly go wrong with nutella or fudge? Put the two together and...it's amazing. I made a batch for Christmas and conveniently forgot to put out all of them. Then I went on a month long no-sugar diet right after New Years, so they are still sitting in the fridge waiting for me. Lovely nuggets of bliss.
I've been on a Greek kick this past week, and these Greek nachos fit the bill!!!
Yummy, yummy, yummy is all I have to say. My kids loved them too!
Low Carb Cauliflower Leek Soup.
Okay, to be fair, I didn't repin this one. My sister-in-law made it, posted the recipe link on Facebook, I pinned it and then made it. In fact, I'm making it again tonight...it's simmering away while I write. Do yourself a favor and try it...it's deelish!!!
Oatmeal pancakes.
Sunday night is pancake night at our house cause this momma wants a break from any serious cooking, and I knew I had to try this recipe out.
My pancakes didn't turn out as fluffy as these, but the flavour was all there. Yum, yum!
Crusty Italian Bread.
I loved how easy this was! There is nothing like a fresh loaf of bread with dinner...or at any time for that matter!
Rolo cookies.
These are also super easy and fun to make, not to mention slightly addictive to eat!
Okay, this one I am still a little bit confused about.
The concept is chilling coconut milk and then whipping the heavy cream that rises to the top. I tried it and found that it didn't "whip" like I expected it to and it didn't taste like I thought it would. So in that regard, I wasn't totally thrilled with it (although maybe it wasn't supposed to be really, really thick after whipping...I don't know.). However, I still list it here as a favorite because of what I used it for! After adding a bit of sugar and vanilla, I used it to top off a pina colada pancake concoction...and wow! THAT had some serious yum factor!! I'm hoping to share that whole recipe with you soon!
Fig & Prosciutto Pizza.
Need I say more? It's delicious!
And last, but definitely not least, the Ferrero Roche Nutella cupcake.
Seriously heavenly. I made these for a little pity party I threw for myself for my bday and wow, were they awesome!!
I hope you were able to find some eye candy here that you can soon create in your kitchen...and hey!
When you do, let me know your thoughts! I love hearing from you all!
Till next time!
E.
Wow!! Great post! I also own a crazy amount of cook books (and have a slight addiction to buying them) but am loving this Pinterest thing! I've tried a few recipes I've "pinned" as well and have been quite happy with them. I am TOTALLY trying that Chicken Gyro one! (and the pasta, and the soup....) I think I'll bring the comment to an end so I can go "pin" your recipes!! :-)
ReplyDeleteI have made a couple of my pinterest recipes lately too and they turned out very good, one was a taco pizza that my girls said was yummy, I nearly fell over when I heard them say that, they hate everything I make unless it's mac and cheese! lol
ReplyDeleteOh you're killin' me. I'm a recipe junkie too and I have SO many in all different places, Pinterest included, that I feel like I'll never get to try them all.
ReplyDeleteI have a ricotta recipe ripped out too that I've been wanting to try. I'll have to check out the one you made and see if they differ. The rest of these are making my tummy growl. They ALL sound amazing.
I have a chocolate pudding recipe that you make with coconut milk. I came across it when looking for a dessert to make for a friend who doesn't do dairy. I keep meaning to post it and have yet to get to it. It'll make ya cry it's so good.
I make notes on my Pinterest boards in the comments section after I've made something, so I can a) remember that I've made it months down the road and b) someone else who may come across it will have feedback from an actual human and not just a yummy looking picture.
Thanks for sharing your finds. I'll be adding them to my boards, and hopefully my belly soon. :o)
wow, you make me hungry - gotta try the soup for sure. Mo
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