Last year I did a round up of the 10 most visited posts of 2009 on this blog. I was surprised to see that this year several posts from last year are still in the top 10! I just wanted to say thanks to all of you that read Amanda’s Cookin’, those of you that share my posts with your friends and family, and those that make my recipes and come back to tell me. Your feedback is invaluable to me, not to mention a fun ego boost. Hee hee. :)

But seriously, I love working on this blog, being in the kitchen, and sharing my recipes with you. I have developed many great friendships through this blog and hope to develop more as time passes. For those of you that comment on Facebook and post pics of the recipes you’ve made from my blog, thank you! For those of you that leave comments on my blog posts, thank you too! May you all have a blessed new year full of good things. Here’s hoping that 2011 is a better year than any that came before it.

So now on with the countdown. These are the top 10 posts, most visited, from 2010. Looking forward to a slew more in 2011!

TOP 10 COUNTDOWN

#10 - Brownies in a Cast Iron Skillet
This was actually one of my favorite recipes this year. The brownies are rich and chewy, you don’t need any bowls, everything is done in the cast iron skillet. If you don’t own a cast iron skillet, you should consider it. Cast iron will last FOREVER. Even if you allow it to rust over, you can clean the rust out and reseason it. Check thrift stores, but even investing in a new one is worth it, it’ll last a lifetime.

#9 - Monster Brownies
Remember these from Halloween? I made these to participate in a challenge for Betty Crocker’s website. It was really fun and they got a LOT of attention. The eyes are made from Cheerios dipped in a powdered sugar glaze, then dotted with a mini chocolate chip. The Royal Icing is prepackaged and from a tube! So these are easy peasy. :)

#8 - Thanksgiving Cookies
These were #4 last year and their popularity continued this year. I don’t do a lot of decorated cookies, I won’t lie, they are time consuming. They are really fun, but they take a long time. Mixing different colors, doing all the decorating… love the results though! :)

#7 - Banana Upside Down Muffins
These were also in the countdown last year at #6, dropping only one notch! I only made these that one time but they were definitely good. So if you are tired of banana bread and banana cake, try these muffins for something different!

#6 - KFC Coleslaw
This is really, really good. If you love KFC coleslaw, make this. It’s that close to the real thing. I made this over the summer and that’s when my food processor went up in smoke. *sigh* But, I got a new one for Christmas, so.. happy day!

#5 - Watermelon Cookies
Another favorite of mine! I actually made these for the first time several years ago, then made them again over the summer and posted them here. They are really cute and are great for a summer barbecue or birthday. They don’t taste like watermelon, but if you are willing to seek out some watermelon extract or flavoring, I’m sure you could change that. :)

#4 - Cookie Sticks
I’ll be honest, this was such a simple recipe I never expected them to take off the way they did… but they did! These were really popular this year and they actually make a fun addition to a party, get together or just something fun to bake with your kids.

#3 - The Best Meatloaf Recipe Ever
The name says it all and doesn’t lie. I know the picture isn’t the greatest, and one of these days I’ll get a better one up there, but that hasn’t stopped how popular this recipe is. In fact, this is so good, it’s almost insulting to call it a meatloaf since that word isn’t really all that appetizing. This recipe looks like it requires a lot of effort, and the first time you make it it will feel that way. It’s much easier after you’ve made it once before, so don’t be afraid to try it!

#2 - Italian Lasagna with Meat
This recipe was #1 in last year’s countdown. This is the lasagna recipe from the back of the Creamette lasagna noodle box. I love this lasagna, it’s the best in the world in my humble opinion. Love, love, love.

And the #1 recipe of 2010 is…

#1 - Baked Ziti
I’m going to be totally honest, I was really surprised that this was the #1 recipe this year! Not because it isn’t good, but because a) the picture is horrendous, and b) it’s a pretty basic recipe. Who knew? This is another favorite in our house, so now that I know how popular it was this year, I’ll try to get another picture! :)

And so ends the countdown of the most popular posts on Amanda’s Cookin’ for 2010. I hope that everyone has a marvelous New Year’s celebration, drive safe, and please, don’t drink and drive. Thank you all for sharing your time with me and welcoming me into your home. May you have a blessed 2011!

P.S. if you would like to see last year’s countdown go here.

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