Our 2013 Most Popular Recipes Review

Our 2013 Year In Review!

I thought it would be fun to create a post that reflects on our 10 most popular recipes in 2013... here's the count down, from our 10th most viewed recipe to the #1 winner of 2013!

#10

Pineapple Lemonade Punch

#9

Asian Style Noodle Pancakes

(this recipe is a personal favorite)

#8

Oreo Oatmeal No Bake Cookies

#7

Indiana Easy No Bake Cookies

#6

Pumpkin Spice Fudge

(I love everything pumpkin!)

#5

Pumpkin Spiced No Bake Cookies

#4

Sensational Taco Pie

(one of my family's favorite dinners)

#3

Vanilla Oatmeal No Bake Cookies

#2

Coconut Oatmeal No Bake Cookies

And the #1 most popular recipe, for a 3rd year in a row is  (drum rolls please...) our

Diet Coke Brownie's

I also found a few interesting and fun facts about the people who visit us.
Microsoft Windows is the top operating system for browsers while the iPhone is the top mobile platform.

The biggest driving factor that bring visitors to our blog is Pinterest (no surprise here), while Facebook was only the 9th largest website to bring viewers to our blog ( I was surprised here).

Visitors from around the world are ranked by countries with the most visitors in the following order;

#1  United States
#2  Canada
#3  United Kingdom
#4  Australia
#5  Germany
#6  Russia
#7  France
#8  Mexico
#9  Philippines
#10  South Africa 

And finally, as of December 31st 2013, Aunt Peg's Recipe Box has had 2,293,788 visitors (that's 2.2 MILLION!).  Wow!

Thanks to each one of you for making this a fun year for me!  It's amazing how we can be connected globally by simply sharing a recipe.

Wishing you all the best for a fun, peaceful, prosperous 2014!

Pineapple Lemonade Punch

I rarely try drink recipes because I'm not a punch lover. Diet Coke, coffee and water- those are for me.
However, I needed a good punch recipe for a birthday party I was hosting, and I found this one on Pinterest.  It was simple, with just a few ingredients, and fast to throw together... works for me!
My kids and the husband all like lemonade, so I knew that it would be a good choice, and they LOVED it.  I mean LOVED it.  Every person at the party who tried it, loved it.  Lots of recipe requests.  I was proud.

Pineapple Lemonade Punch

1 c. Country Time Lemonade Mix (or similar mix)
2 c. cold water
1 (46 oz.) can pineapple juice, chilled
2 liter bottle of Sprite (or similar soda), chilled
Sliced lemons for garnish (optional)

In a large mixing bowl combine the 1st 3 ingredients and mix until the lemonade powder is dissolved.  Chill well.
Pour into a punch bowl or drink dispenser, add the Sprite, and watch it disappear!

I doubled this recipe for the party, and it still ended up disappearing before the get together broke up.  It was a happy punch bunch!  A couple of people also mentioned that it would make a fabulous base for "Hard Lemonade".  Hmmmmmm.

(I tried to get some pics, but it was gone too quickly, but you get the idea)

Original recipe link:  Kraft Recipes

Pumpkin Pie Milk Shakes

JUST WHEN ALL OF OUR GREAT READERS WERE FEELING RELIEVED THAT MY PUMPKIN SPICE FIXATION MIGHT BE OVER...

ANOTHER RECIPE!!!!!

WOOT ~ WOOT!

Pumpkin Pie Milkshake

Original Recipe by Our Best Bites

1/3 C pumpkin puree

1/4 - 1/2 C {skim} milk

1/4 t vanilla

1/2 t cinnamon

1/16 t cloves

1/16 t nutmeg              {I used 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice instead}

2 T brown sugar           {I used 1 Tablespoon}

2 C vanilla ice cream    {I used low fat vanilla frozen yogurt}

1-2 graham crackers     {I used 1 sheet reduced fat graham crackers}

Pop everything but the graham crackers in a blender. Start with 1/4 C milk and then slowly add more if needed to make the blender process it all. Pour into two glasses and top with graham cracker crumbs. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Latte-No Coffee!

Another reason I love blogland!

Ava at The Retro Housewife Remix (don't you just love the name of her blog?) has given us permission to repost her awesome recipe. This fits in perfectly with my Pumpkin Spice addiction, and provides a fabulous drink for our non-coffee drinking friends!  I have made this recipe, and we all (me, the 2 adult kids, the brother, and the husband) all loved it!
The perfect drink to warm up all the frozen Halloween Trick or Treater's!
No Coffee Pumpkin Latte

• 4 cups of milk
• 1 cup of pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients on stove top and heat until desired temp.
(do not boil).
We added homemade whipped cream to ours
(beat whipping cream and powdered sugar).
This is great for kids since it has no coffee, and if you want coffee in yours go ahead and add some!

Pumpkin Spice Hot Cocoa

Laura at Just for love
posted this great recipe for 
PUMPKIN SPICE HOT COCOA~
 the perfect counter balance for our  
Pumpkin Spice Latte's~

BOTH ARE DELICIOUS!

Ingredients:

(makes 6 servings)

~ 1/2 cup sugar

~ 1/4 cup Hershey's cocoa 

~ 1/2 tsp. pumpkin spice

~ Dash of salt

~ 1/3 cup hot water

~ 4 cups milk

~ 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

~ Mix sugar, cocoa, pumpkin spice and salt in saucepan; stir in water.

~ Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture boils; boil and stir 2 minutes.

~ Stir in milk and heat. DO NOT BOIL.

~ Remove from heat; add vanilla.

~ Top with marshmallows

Pumpkin Spice Latte's (my nod to Starbucks)

MY PUMPKIN SPICE OBSESSION CONTINUES...

I love this latte recipe! I've made it many times, and it never fails to make me happy.

Pumpkin Spice Latte

makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

2 c. milk

2 Tbsp. canned pumpkin 

2Tbsp. sugar (I use sugar substitute)

2 Tbsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1-2 shots espresso

(about 1/4 cup of espresso or 1/2 cup of strong brewed coffee)

Directions:
In a saucepan combine milk, pumpkin and sugar and cook on medium heat, stirring, until steaming. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and spice, transfer to a blender and process for 15 seconds until foamy, or just whisk the mixture really well.
Pour into 2 large mugs. Add the espresso on top. (I actually like my latte mixed together, so I combine everything before I pour it into the mugs)
Optional:  Top with whipped cream - really, who is going to make this an "optional" step - load on the whipped cream!

Loving our Linky Friends!

**Sparkling * Pineapple * Punch**

An oldie but a goody recipe!  I'm back at our annual family Christmas party, waiting for Santa to drop by and give me a candy cane while I sit on his lap posing for a picture that my mom can't seem to take because the "camera isn't working right". LOL
Good times!
This punch recipe feeds a crowd, but is easily cut in 1/2 for smaller gatherings.

(this is not a picture of the actual punch mix, it's a photo I "borrowed" from a google search, but it's a pretty close match!) 

SPARKLING PINEAPPLE PUNCH

2 (12oz.) cans Frozen lemonade concentrate

9 c. Cold water

1 (46oz) can Pineapple Juice

1 (29oz.) can Pears, pureed in blender

1 (16oz.) can Pears, pureed in blender

32 oz. Lemon-lime carbonated beverage (such as Sprite or 7-Up)

1/2 gallon Pineapple Sherbet

In a LARGE mixing bowl combine the first 5 ingredients. Soften sherbet, then stir into punch mix.  CHILL WELL.  Just before serving add the lemon-lime beverage.

Makes approximately 9 quarts.

(You can also freeze this drink before adding the lemon-lime soda. Just allow the frozen mix to soften well before adding the soda and then serving.)

There are tons of options for changing this punch mix up...add fresh strawberries, add canned peaches instead of pears, use orange soda instead of lemon-lime...imagine...create!

This post is linked up over at: