Southern Shelle: Top 12 Posts of 2012

Where in the world did 2012 go? It started off kind of slow-- I was still looking for a job and taking the bar exam, by the middle of the year things were picking up with the new job and the swearing in and the last three months flew by with all of that danged running in Baltimore and Philly. Who knows where 2013 is going to take us, but Santa was good to me in terms of things to use to make blogging more awesome this year. First, I got a new camera! All of the photos up until to this point were shot using my iPhone 4 and later iPhone5, but now I have a brand spanking new DSLR that I need to learn how to use! No more yellowish photos, I am so excited! Second, I got THE cutest apron set from Anthropologie. I am convinced that when I am rocking this apron that my food has to taste better, guaranteed. While I am looking forward to using my new gear, I thought that now would be a great time to look back on the Top 12 posts on Southern Shelle for the last year. Some of them were wildly popular (thanks Pinterest), others were just so good that I think they need a little more exposure. It was extremely hard to pick out the Top 12 posts because there are so many posts to choose from. Jamie and I had a few heated debates about the order, but I think we got it right:

12. Bingham Pot Roast. Jamie might have said that this was better than his Mom's. I don't want his mom to kill him, but it is pretty danged good. Thanks Megan for sharing your recipe!

11. Orange Ginger Glaze Carrots. Easy glaze that transforms regular carrots into super heros.

10. BLT Bites. The cutest and tastiest appetizers on this site.

9. Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins.
I definitely went through a muffin phase this year and these were the best. I'd make a big batch and freeze most of them for breakfast on the go. When we started running out Jamie would conveniently start buying more blueberries so he could say "we don't want to waste those, maybe you should make more muffins".

8. Cate's Corn and Black Bean Salsa.
I begged for almost a year for this recipe. To be fair, Cate has a busy job, was planning a wedding and trying to move into a new house. This salsa is so good that I just kept begging until she sent me the photos. Any time Cate makes this for a party at least 3 people ask her for the recipe. Unbelievably good.

7. Nine Day Coleslaw. Cole slaw without Mayo= Sold. I made this for my office holiday potluck and 3 people asked for the recipe. It's not bad.

6. Pecan Encrusted Pork Chops w/ Beer Sauce. Pecan Encrusted anything is awesome. Great Chops with a grown up gravy. As I am typing this list Jamie says, "When can we have those again?" If that's not an endorsement, I don't know what is.

5. B B Bro Cakes: Beer, Bourbon & Bacon Cupcakes. My friend Brian turned 30, which is reason enough to drink, but he also LOVES bacon which made for a pretty tasty compromise.