My Year in Food 2012

2012 reminded me once again that sooo much can happen in one year. It was an interesting year to say the least, and although it wasn’t my best year to date, I’m okay with that, because 2013 just stopped in to take the title.

One great thing that came to fruition in 2012 was my blog. I’ve wanted to have one for a while and finally made it happen. So since I’m celebrating my first New Year's as a blogger, I thought it would be fun (if not for you, at least for me lol) to recap my year in…. you guessed it, food!

Let me first start by saying, this blog & my online presence through Instagram, Twitter & Pinterest (follow me!) has really helped me to broaden my food horizons. For too long I’ve been eating the same old things and shying away from experiencing new flavours and new dishes, and while those old favourites are favourites for a reason, I’ve realized the potential of greatness in new dishes as well. And not to go all philosophical on you or anything, but the same thing can be said for life – sometimes you just need to break out of the routine and try something different, life’s too short and too incredible to do the same thing (or eat the same food) every day!

On that note here are my 2012 Food Highlights!

I finally got off my arse and out to a few restaurants I’ve been meaning to try:

Gypsy Tea Room

Basho

Piatto

Gracie Joe's

And Zapata's, which I don't have a photo of b/c it was simply to awkward to take a photo while pretty much sitting on top of the people next to us - felt like a double date. The food was good, but layout was horrible... might give it another go since it was in the midst of the holiday season and their seating may have been messed up, but it was still weird. Thank God they do take-out!

Moving on...

I Enjoyed the deliciousness of several new food joints in the city:

 Long Dick’s Sausage Emporium

Smoke's Poutinerie

Relish Gourmet Burgers

Kimchi & Sushi

And a couple of great spots near home:

The Bonavista Social Club

Mifflin's Tea Room

I spent a fantastic day with my Nan learning how to make her delicious bread - a day we both enjoyed, and one I won’t soon forget!

I took some initiative and tried several new foods:

·      Most of which are documented HERE. The only other mentionable food was re-fried beans! Don’t laugh, I tried them once and can’t get them off my mind… you don’t understand, I didn’t even think I liked beans, I’ve always hated the texture, but apparently that’s changed. Oh and I've tried quail... different! and the famous (or at least highly acclaimed food item according to the peeps I follow on Instagram) macarons... turns out I'm not fussy, but perhaps I need to try them again!

I’ve also attempted several new dishes in my kitchen, the more memorable include:

Boeuf Bourguignon – a day’s work!

Enchiladas – will blog the recipe soon!

Eggs Benedict – tricky thing that hollandaise sauce

 

Cooked my first steak (not on a BBQ or broiler in the oven)

Created a few recipes of my own:

Pumpkin Curry Chicken

Fall Squash Salad

Spaghetti Meat Sauce

Candied Bacon Chocolates

 

As far as eating trends went for 2012, I couldn’t get enough of and craved on a semi-regular basis:

• Eggs Benny – I want to eat this every day!
• Extra lean turkey sausages – Such a quick fix supper!
• Shrimp – never been a big fan, but looking back through my Instagram photos, it seems to have been a popular menu item this year.
• Squash – you name it - spaghetti, butternut, buttercup, acorn, I’m on it!
• Mexican food, or at least what they call Mexican around these parts… just discovering it over these past few months and am so eager to try more dishes… you know... now that I like beans and all... and I no longer live in the fear that one might show up in my food!

We finally went on a Ferryland Picnic, had a delicious lunch (with amazing dessert!!), on a beauty day. Then, I blogged about it, and had my post featured on the Ferryland Picnic FB page, and on the Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism website! Not gonna lie, I was (and am) pretty pumped about that!

My hubby and I celebrated our 1 year wedding anniversary, got to eat the top layer of our wedding cake, and had a delicious meal at Bistro on Roe!

Wedding Cake :D

Had a lovely adventure in Cottrell's Cove and a lovely boil up on the rocks. Yummy jigs dinner in a pressure cooker with corn beef gravy!

My husband surprised me with a homemade birthday cake comprised of all my favs! Ben and Jerry's chocolate chip cookie dough and half baked ice cream w/ a layer of melted Lindor chocolates and Oreo cookie crust! There's a reason I married this man ;)

Made it out blueberry Picking for the first time in forever! There’s nothing like traipsing around the woods on the hunt for delicious berries. We had such a good haul and made so many delicious treats with those berries, including one of my favourite desserts (ever!!) blueberry squares!

After decorating cakes for years now, I finally tried fondant for the first time and fell in love! I’ve used it once since, for a friend's birthday cake but can’t wait to use it again - so many possibilities!

And last but not least, I met the one and only Chuck Hughes at a book signing for his Garde Manger cookbook. Such a nice guy, just as friendly and sweet in person as he is on TV.

  

Looking back, it’s been a great year for food… maybe that’s why my clothes are a little snugger?? Oh well, nothing a little New Year’s resolution can’t fix! 

Anywho, that's it from me! I hope you had a wonderful 2012, or at least wonderful moments in 2012. If not, 2013 is your clean slate. Make it great people!

xoxo

Food Diva