2024 Food Trends

Here we go! All the wrap-up posts. I really like reading weekly eats round-ups (hence why I started my "What I Used" series).  Birchwood Pie Project does an annual round-up, and though I cannot report on the specific "best" recipes of 2024, I can tell you about trends in my cooking this year.

I cooked mostly from Good Housekeeping Family Italian Cookbook. Although there are plenty more recipes to cook, I think I am about tapped out on pasta. I have plans to start into a different cookbook for the new year.

I made lots of oatmeal mug cakes. (Many of these were for a special project. We shall see whether or not it sees the light of day.)

I once again cooked a lot of muffins (at least 30 different types).

I made quite a few grilled cheese (35), but we pretty much extinguished our use of tortillas. (Well, my husband had me buy a few packages, but then he stopped even that.)

A new trend is sourdough. My husband is making all of the actual bread, but I am using the discard (8 recipes and counting). 

I completed 12 Sally's Baking Challenges.

I completed 13 Handle the Heat Baking Challenges.

I completed all of the Fit Foodie Find Cooking Club Challenges (6). I also made all but two of the recipes in the protein dessert series (13 recipes).

Cooking gets tiring some times, a lot of times, but it is also an area of exploration and play for me. Thank you, Lord for this gift!

2023 Food Trends

Time for all the yearly round up posts! We will start with this one: things we ate. In the past, we engaged in food trends for an entire year (or years, in the case of tacos!) This year, was more of a seasonal year. 

We did burritos most Tuesdays (but not a new recipe every week-30 new recipes):

Christmas-style beef burritos (Home Chef)

After our Wisconsin cheese fest, lots of grilled cheese and quesadillas (34 new recipes):

Grilled ham and cheese with honey mustard sauce (Tastes Better from Scratch)

Plenty of muffins (More than a recipe a week-69 new recipes), 

Apple banana oat muffins (Sally’s Baking Addiction)

And then lots more mug cakes (More than one a day-424 and counting). 

Orange mug cake (Veltessa)

It's been a good food year. Praise the Lord for His provision!

All the Cheese

We just returned from a lovely trip to visit my brother in Wisconsin. This trip ticked all the boxes: good food, special times with family, and lots of outside time and exploring new spaces. I would totally go back, like tomorrow. But anyway. Brother said I should name my trip recap "cheese and gadgets," so in his honor, here is part one: the cheese.

We ate, like, a lot of cheese. There are stereotypes about Wisconsin cheese, and then there is the real thing. Yes, cheese is really a big thing up there! I mean, have you every seen this big of a cheese aisle in your grocery store? This photo was one side of the aisle, and this was at a budget store!

Needless to say, we picked up some cheese at the store, and tried it later at home.

Bread cheese (fried on the stove)

But before that, we visited a local farmer's market and bought some local stuff

Yes, the curds squeaked when we ate them. It's a freshness thing?

Spicy cheese roll with havarti

We ate fried mac 'n cheese bites at brother's company picnic.

The boys loaded up their baked potatoes with some shreds when we grilled out.

Brother got a pesto grilled cheese and shared when we went out for coffee at Barrique's Market.

We got all the cheesy appetizers at dinner:

Bavarian pretzel with cheese sauce and fried cheese curds at Great Dane Pub and Brewing

And plenty of cheesy entrees:

Texarkana burger (with sharp cheddar) and waffle fries

Irish road reuben (with melty Swiss) and house salad

Big dog smash melt (with sharp cheddar and white American cheese)

We tried goat cheese with marinara at Sugar River Pizza Company for lunch another day.

As well as some green goddess pizza

and ricotta be kiddin' me pizza.

We snacked on some tiramisu we made with marscapone cheese at brother's house.

And yes, we brought some smoked gouda cheese home. I don't think we're cheesed out yet?

Cheesy Vacation Eats

A good vacation, in my opinion, includes lots of exercise, time in the sun, and good eats. Our Payson vacation definitely had all three! Apparently we like cheese, because we had it at almost every one of our meals....

At Macky's Grill:

Grilled ham and cheese with fries

The mega ooey gooey burger

At La Sierra Mexican Restaurant:

The La Sierra Burrito

The veggie enchilada

And in true cheese form via woodfired pizza at Old County Inn:

The Lefty

*Be forewarned: sitting is sparse at Old County Inn and the wait can be awhile.

You can bet we were cheesin' big after all these scrumptious eats!

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Any Arizona natives have Payson food recommendations for future trips? Please share in the comments!

30 Days of Oatmeal: Pumpkin Chili Cheese

Maybe I should have called this recipe risotto. I didn't taste the chili as much as I tasted the oregano, and with the addition of pumpkin, oh, was it creamy and rich.

Add gooey melted cheese, and this is a satisfying savory breakfast (or perhaps dinner!).

Ingredients:

1/2 c quick cooking oats
1 c water
1/2 c pumpkin puree
1/4 t chili powder
1/4 cumin
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t onion powder
1/4 c shredded cheese

Directions:

1. In a small sauce pan, combine oats and water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium.
2. When oats reach desired consistency, add pumpkin puree and spices. Stir to mix.
3. When oats are warmed, transfer to a bowl and top with the shredded cheese.