Blog-iversary!!!!!!!!

GUESS WHAT!!!

It’s my blog-iversary! :D :D :D I’ve made it a whole year on Le Petit Artichaut! (That’s pronounced “luh puh-tite ar-tee-show” just in case you’ve been wanting to kill me for that blog title :) And I’m SO excited. I don’t care if you’re sleepy/hungover/want-to-kill-your-boss right now, jump up and down with me like this!…http://cinemagr.am/showMobile/112927459 It’ll be like my brother said:

“Talking with you when I am this tired and when you are your normal, energetic self is like being hungover and having the blinds flung open and then every item in my room coming to life and singing a show-stopping Disney musical number.”

…except more fun. So I started after much encouragement from fellow blogger and best friend, Tim, as well as others who simply loved the idea. It’s been a fun, and I’ve loved all of it. Things we’ve learned:

-Blogging is best done on a lazy Friday morning/afternoon (let’s be real, I sleep in on my days off)

-Blogging is also best accompanied with a big omelette and French press coffee

-I’m a HUGE sucker for comments on my blog posts ;) **Hint**Hint**

-There is such a thing as too much cinnamon

-Don’t mess with web coding unless you have a trusty computer geek by your side (thanks Liz!)

-And of course, spread the love and joy of living :)

And he we gooooooo!!! DRUM ROLL PLEASE! Your TOP recipes of this past year are…

Dessert!

#3: Banana Coconut Cream Pie It’s so creamy and dreamy! And so fabulously southern. I love it.

#2: Coffee Birthday Cake So dark and rich. I have dreams about that coffee butter cream frosting. Make it for the coffee lover in your life.

#1: Salted Caramel and Dark Chocolate Macarons The pièce de la résistance. My Everest for so long. They’re delicate little cookies with a sinful center – salted caramel is heaven.

Cocktails!

#3: Cinnamon Cidercane Stranded during the hurricane, we made this tasty autumn cocktail!

#2: Suzanne’s Lemon Thyme My mom’s birthday cocktail with a beautiful thyme and lemon simple syrup to balance out the gin perfectly :)

#1: The 712 Cocktail Aaaaand THE 712. Delicious. A refreshing and surprising combo of ingredients.

Savory!

#3: Pumpkin Shrimp Curry A wonderfully warming fall curry. I went on quite a curry kick this year! :)

#2: Homemade Garlic Herb Bread There’s nothing like homemade bread. My mom has always said, “If there’s one thing for you to perfect, it should be bread.” Seriously, I decided a couple of years ago that if Heaven were to have just one scent, it would smell like a French bakery…largely due to all of those baguettes. This bread takes a different twist with the garlic and herbs – nothing to hate there.

#1: Creamy Corn & Leek Soup Perhaps a surprise? But honestly, there was absolutely no being modest for me on this one. I may or may not have declared myself a cooking goddess after I made this soup. It’s bursting with flavor with all of those fresh farmer’s market ingredients and the cashew cream makes it so luxurious.