Top 5 Posts of 2013

As we look toward a new year, I wanted to look back at your favorite Fruitful posts from 2013!

Let's dive in:
 

1. Easy Pie Crust
I'm glad that you guys were as excited as I was to find this super easy pie crust recipe. And Lord knows, I've use it to make near a dozen pies in the past few months. Talk about upper crust...

Simple Saturday: Roasted Vegetables

I hope you all had a beautiful and very merry Christmas and spent lots of time giving thanks and feeling blessed with others.

This month I have been getting used to the end of the farmers market...and it hasn't been easy.

I'm really missing my Arkansas black apples (though I might have found a place to get those, but please share if you have any orchard connections), fresh greens, fun squashes and fresh herbs.

But we have been eating a lot of root veggies, broccoli, cauliflower and kale, so that's not too bad.

After you've eaten veggies steamed and mashed, sometimes you want to cook them in a way that lends a little more flavor and texture.

When that's the case, you need to try some roasting.

Dinner Out: South on Main

A few weekends ago I got to try a new restaurant that I have been eyeing since it opened a few months ago.

It's South on Main in Little Rock and, oddly enough, it's located in the old "Juanita's", a concert venue where I saw many a good and not-so-good band play. But I have good memories there, either way.

The restaurant is neighbors with the Oxford American magazine, famous for its Southern literature.

I found South of Main to be a breath of fresh air with its fun, folksy decor, relaxed atmosphere but high-quality, Southern-influenced food.

Goodies to Gift Day 5

We finally made it...through 5 full days of treats!

I hope you've found some recipes and ideas for things to bake, mix, season and give away.

I'm pretty stoked to give away my goody sacks this year. This is about as crafty as I get, folks. (Thanks to Spoon Fork Bacon for these fun labels.)

Goodies to Gift Day 4

Today's installment of Goodies to Gift is something that I make every few weeks.

It's perfect for breakfast, snack, dessert, travel and absolutely great for gifting.

And it's The Best Granola!

Goodies to Gift Day 3

Today we're continuing in the spirit of giving with a goody that no one can say no to.

If you can say no to pie, get out.

Just kidding, but I'm fairly certain that anyone you give a pie to will gladly accept it and want to dive a fork into it as soon as possible.

And this pie is absolutely no exception.

Goodies to Gift Day 2

Happy Tuesday and second day of Goodies to Gift.

This week, we're taking 5 days to highlight various treats for you to give to your loved ones, friends, neighbors or complete strangers.

Today, I'm sharing a recipe for Rosemary Crackers that go splendidly with the Goat Cheese Dip that I shared last Saturday.

Goodies to Gift Day 1

Today we're starting a little week-long (well, work-week long) list of delicious, tasty and fun-to-share sweets and savories for you to give away!

It's one of the best times of the year to get your giving on and I'm giving you some recipes and ideas to help you along your way!

Today, we start with Eggnong Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Simple Saturday: Goat Cheese Dip

What's better at this time of the year (or, well any) than sitting around with family and friends and snacking.

Or, who am I kidding, lounging by yourself watching way too many episodes of Chuck (which just got added to Netflix) and sitting up just far enough to reach a bite to eat.

Sometimes you want a sweet bite and sometimes you want something salty with a kick.

If you're in the latter mood, then this dip is for you.

Pasta Making

A week after I graduated high school, my mom and I hopped on a plane and flew to Paris then Florence for a week of travel, eating and celebrating!

Indian Comfort Food

Today, I'm sharing a food that's made it into my favorite foods list over the past few months.

It's eaten in many countries of the world (India and Southeast Asia mainly) and is a fabulous vegetarian, spiced comfort food that's actually not bad for you.

It's also something that was on my 2013 Food Resolutions to make and I finally made!

And it's something that I couldn't get out of my culinary mind after eating it for breakfast in Burma.

It's Chapati and Dahl!

Simple Saturday: Holiday Shake

Around our house, it's not only the season of joy, giving and celebrating Jesus' birth, but also a time to consume egg nog and peppermint ice cream.

My husband already bought our first jug of egg nog last weekend and we've been slowly sampling it since. And I made it clear that we had to buy some peppermint ice cream to get in the holiday mood.

Do you ever feel like you're taking the gallon challenge when you drink egg nog? It's so rich that I really can only drink a shot glass amount at a time, but I love the eggy, spiced taste.

Rugelach for the Holidays

When I had just turned 16 and had my license and a car to drive, I decided I would find myself a part time job to make a little cash...and be able to pay for my gas so I could actually go places.

I had a friend from school who worked at a local bakery and she said she could get me a job so I jumped at the opportunity!

And for the next 2 years, I worked behind the counter, refilling the cookies and cakes and delivering special orders to many happy faces.

Fruitful Travels: Escape to Mexico

After almost a year of planning, a few weeks ago my family (including my husband, parents, two sisters and their husbands) took a week-long vacation to Manzanillo, Mexico. It's a beach town on the Pacific coast.

We found a gorgeous house (complete with maid, chef, house manager and two pools) at VRBO.com and it was absolutely amazing being there!

We had a fabulous view of the ocean and mountains and the tropical weather was just right for swimming and margarita drinking. We spent most of our time swimming, reading, laying out, going to the beach, playing games together and the guys even went deep sea fishing and we ate the mahi mahi that they caught!