Happy Seventeenth Anniversary to you and my blog, I’m Turning 60… !!
Thank you for visiting, whether it's been on a daily, weekly or occasional basis!
Also, a big Thank you! to those who've told their friends about my blog!
I also want to thank everyone who has been kind enough to comment over the years.
I love hearing that your family enjoyed a recipe, or that it brought back memories.
I also like it when you ask if I have a recipe for a particular dish.
I’m Turning 60… - with 1,183 posts - has had over 3,177,000 visitors since July, 2010, when Blogger started keeping track of my blogs.
Let’s take a look at the recipes which deserve the credit for all these visits!
The weekly, as well as the monthly, top ten choices have frequent changes, especially during holiday seasons.
The current all-time top twenty posts, and the number of their visitors, are:
Carmela Soprano's Ricotta - Pineapple Pie (Cheesecake)
32.5K
Carmela Soprano's Penne alla Vodka / Penne in Cream Sauce
29.5K
Carmela Soprano's Ziti al Forno / Baked Ziti with Tiny Meatballs
28.8K
Carmela Soprano's Sfogliatelle / Shfooyadell' (Baked Ricotta-Filled Pastries)
27.4K
Carmela Soprano's Peppers and Eggs Sandwiches
22.7K
Anna Sultana's Imqarrun il-forn - Baked Macaroni, Maltese Style
22.3K
Carmela Soprano's Anginetti / Italian Lemon Knot Cookies with Lemon Glaze
20.4K
Carmela Soprano's Braciole / Stuffed Beef Rolls in Tomato Sauce
17.9K
Carmela Soprano's Manicotti with Ricotta Filling / Filling for Large Shells
15.6K
Carmela Soprano's Meat Sauce and Lasagne #2, with Basil Leaves
13.9K
Carmela Soprano's Sunday Gravy
(Tomato Sauce with Meat) and Homemade Meatballs
13.4K
Anna Sultana's *Ross il-Forn* - Baked Rice, Maltese Style
12.3K
Carmela Soprano's Mom's Pear and Grappa Pound Cake
11.9K
Carmela Soprano's Scungilli in Hot Tomato Sauce l Preparing Conch and Friselle
9.08K
Carmela Soprano's Rigatoni with Sweet Sausage and Tomato Sauce
8.24K
Eaton’s Original Red Velvet Cake
8.15K
Anna Sultana's Ful bit-tewm - Broad Beans and Garlic, Maltese Style
7.96K
Hoito Restaurant’s Finnish Pancake Recipe, a Thunder Bay Favourite
7.75K
Carmela Soprano's Stuffed Hot Cherry Peppers
7.35K
Carmela Soprano's Roasted Sausages, Peppers, Potatoes and Onions
6.77K
These 20 recipes have received 323.9 K visitors!
When Covid came to Canada and we were told to avoid large gatherings, I collected ‘recipes for two’, as well as recipes according to type of ingredients, and shared the posts on Facebook.
Here they are:
Bread Recipes made with Yeast, Baking Soda, Baking Powder or Sourdough Starter
Anna Sultana's Roasted Cornish Game Hens / Chicken and Meat Recipes for 2 Links
Anna Sultana's Lemon Cranberry Muffins / Baking Powder Substitutes
/ Brunch, Dessert and Drink Recipes for 2
Anna Sultana's Pull-Apart Pizza
/ Cheese, Egg, Vegetable, Meatless and Fish Recipes for 2
Anna Sultana's Pork Chops in Lemon Caper Sauce / Wine Substitutes for Cooking
/ Links for Capers Recipes
Anna Sultana’s Milkless, Eggless, Butterless Cakes (Chocolate or Raisin)
and Two-Egg Sponge Cake
Anna Sultana’s Coconut Cake, Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting, Boiled Frosting
and Quick Fudge
Please, if you haven’t already, do try a few of the recipes on these lists.
Just copy the name of the recipe and place it in the space under ‘Looking for a recipe?’ and click ‘search’.
Hope you find these grouped listings useful.
I've always enjoyed learning where you live.
I expected visitors from the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom since many Maltese immigrated to these countries, especially after World War II.
The other top countries are a pleasant surprise.
The top twenty countries and their visitors are:
United States……….1.19 M
Singapore………….….…280 K
Canada…………….……. 157 K
Brazil………….…….….…154 K
Hong Kong………..……106 K
Malta……………..…....… 97 K
Australia……………….... 84.1 K
Germany………….……... 81.5 K
United Kingdom…...... 77.4 K
Russia…………….…....... 53.4 K
Vietnam………………..…. 50.7 K
France…………..….….... 48.9 K
Türkiye………….…....... 39.5 K
Japan………………….…… 37.9 K
Mexico……………..….…. 31.3 K
Bangladesh………….…. 27.8 K
Argentina………….……. 25.4 K
India…………………..…… 24.3 K
Indonesia………..…..… 24 K
Ukraine………..…….….. 23.9 K
During the years there have also been visitors from Sweden, Netherlands, the Philippines, Italy, Finland, Poland, Spain, Macedonia, Afghanistan, Thailand, Slovakia, Ireland, Denmark, Israel, Moldova, Malaysia, Kuwait, Greece, Kenya, Czech Republic, Bermuda, Namibia, Cyprus, South Korea, Norway, New Zealand, Madagascar, Armenia, South Africa, Iceland, Kyrgyzstan, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, Belgium, Tunisia, Taiwan, Paraguay, Columbia, China, Jamaica, Portugal, Bahamas, Kazakhstan, French Guiana, Côte d’Ivoire, Bangladesh, Egypt, Kenya, Oman, Hungary, Belarus, Switzerland, Czechia, Lebanon, Austria, Venezuela, Bulgaria, Dominican Republic, Lebanon, U.S. Virgin Islands, Gibraltar, Jersey, Nigeria, Serbia, Equador, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Albania, Romania, China and Luxembourg.
There are so many countries in the world!
Hello to you all!
Thanks again for visiting!
I hope you'll drop by again real soon.
Stay safe and well!
~~~~
Trump's trade dispute with Canada has gone beyond 50% tariffs.
Thanks to his import ban on Canadian honey and molasses, it’s more expensive, and sometimes impossible, for Americans to buy some food items.
Not luxuries, just basic food items.
Canadians will have honey and molasses, at their regular prices, for holiday baking.
Don't just sit there, get baking... Christmas is only two months away!!
Hints:
Place a bit of oil in the cup, or use the measuring cup you used to measure oil, for measuring molasses or honey.
About the Soft Molasses Cookies…
Covered, these cookies will stay fresh at room temperature for one week.
About the Gingerbread…
Don't have sour milk?
Just pour a Tablespoon of white vinegar into a measuring cup.
Add enough milk to make 1/2 cup, stir and let sit a few minutes.
This also works when a recipe calls for buttermilk.
Just don't drink it.
Not all molasses are the same. Those labelled Cooking or Blackstrap are stronger in flavour compared to Fancy molasses.
About the Honey Crunch Peanut Spread…
You can add chopped raisins or bacon bits.
Spread on celery or carrot or pear or apple slices.
Also good on slices of bread.
Have on hand 3 baking sheets, ungreased.
Sift together into a medium bowl
2 Cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
Set aside.
Place in a large mixer bowl
3/4 Cup shortening or oil
1 Cup sugar (granulated or brown)
Beat on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add
1/4 Cup molasses
Beat until combined.
Add
1 large egg
Scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed, beat until well combined.
Gradually stir in the dry ingredients, about 1/2 cup at a time, to the creamed mixture.
Place in a rimmed pan
1/2 Cup sugar (add more if needed)
Preheat oven to 350º F
Form dough into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter, roll them in the sugar in the rimmed pan, and place on a baking sheet, about 3 inches apart.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until browned and edges appear set.
Let cookies cool 5 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to cooling racks.
Repeat with remaining dough.
Grease 2 8-inch square pans
Sift together into a medium bowl
2 1/2 Cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Set aside.
Heat to boiling
1 Cup water
Set aside.
Place in a large mixer bowl
1/2 Cup butter or margarine or 3 ounces oil
1 Cup brown sugar, packed (either light or dark or a mixture of both)
Cream together, about 2 minutes.
Add
1 Cup Fancy molasses
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
Scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl, blend until well combined.
Place in a medium bowl
the boiling water
Stir in
1 teaspoon baking soda
Add water/baking soda to the molasses mixture.
Stir well to combine.
Add
the dry flour mixture
Stir until well blended.
Add
2 large eggs, well beaten
Mix well.
Preheat oven to 325º F
Pour batter into the prepared pans.
Bake 35 to 45 minutes, until a tester inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Serve warm or cold with lightly sweetened whipped cream.
It also goes nicely with Caramel Sauce:
Place in a small saucepan
1/2 Cup butter
1/2 Cup light brown sugar, packed
3 Tablespoon dark brown sugar, packed
2/3 Cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking over medium heat, stir until the butter melts and the mixture comes to a boil.
Boil for 4 minutes, or until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
Pour over servings.
Place leftover sauce in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until needed.
Honey Cookies
Have on hand 3 baking sheets, greased.
Sift together into a medium bowl
2 1/2 Cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Place in a large bowl
2 Tablespoons butter
!/2 Cup light brown sugar
Place in a small pot
! Cup honey
Heat to boiling.
Add to butter/sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved.
Let cool 10 minutes.
Add
1 large egg, beaten
Stir into flour mixture.
Beat until combined.
Add
1/4 Cup muttermilk
Stir until well blended.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Turn onto lightly floured surface, knead lightly, and roll 1/4 inch thick.
Using floured cookie cutters, cut into desired shapes.
Place on a baking sheet, about 3 inches apart.
Bake for 10 12 minutes, until browned and edges appear set.
Let cool for five minutes on baking sheet before transferring to cooling racks.
Grease 8 inch square pan
Sift together into a medium bowl
1 1/2 Cups flour
3/4 Cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
Combine in a large mixer bowl
1/2 Cup butter or margarine or 3 ounces oil
! Cup oatmeal
Add
1 Cup boiling water
Stir and let stand 20 minutes.
Add
1 Cup honey
2 large eggs
Beat together until well combined.
Stir in flour mixture.
Scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl, blend until well combined.
Preheat oven to 325º F
Pour batter into the prepared pan.
Bake 60 minutes, until a tester inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Combine in a small bowl
1/4 Cup butter
3/4 Cup chopped nuts
1/3 Cup honey
1/4 Cup flaked coconut
Remove cake from oven.
Turn on broiler on low.
Spread butter/coconut mixture over top of cake,
Return cake to oven and broil until top is bubbly.
Remove cake from oven and allow to cool.
Honey Crunch Peanut Spread
Preheat oven to 350º F
Place on ungreased pan
2/3 Cup oatmeal
Toast in oven for 20 minutes, then remove from oven.
Place in medium bowl
1 1/4 Cups peanut butter
1/2 Cup honey
Add toasted oatmeal and combine.
~~~~
Food prices have been on everybody’s mind.
Les Verts Living is a new Canadian business.
This is a part of their message:
A head of lettuce flown into a remote northern community can cost $10 or more. A fresher, more nutritious head of lettuce grown locally with the Terrace Pro Community Harvest System costs $1.25 or less in input costs.
That’s not a rounding error. That’s a completely different relationship with food.
The Community Harvest System grows 60 heads of fresh lettuce (or other crops) every week using a room your community already has, powered by a standard electrical outlet, operated by anyone on your team in under 2 hours a week. No new infrastructure, no permitting, no technical expertise.
Could an unused room in your school, organization, or community become part of your food security strategy?
Empowering anyone anywhere to grow fresh, quality food for their family, friends and local communities with the Les Verts Terrace indoor hydroponic garden system.
Please check out their website for more info https://lesverts.com/
