Hopefully you enjoyed making the recipes and reading the kitchen tips I’ve shared in 2011 as much as I did. Some of those recipes will help me with my meal planning for 2012 and some I’ll change up and spice up a bit. I’m already excited to share some new recipes and kitchen tips for next year in helping you and your family bring family meals back to the dinner table.

Most Popular Recipes from Noel’s Kitchen Tips in 2011

I took a look at the stats and scanned through them to find some of the most popular recipes of the year. And it made me happy to see you all are sharing them at your family table. Here they are for your family table:

Homemade Crock Pot Greek Yogurt

Make Ahead Breakfast Overnight French Toast 

 Budget Family Meals-Quick Ground Beef Recipes

Most Popular Kitchen Tips from Noel’s Kitchen Tips in 2011

• Freezer Cooking:How To Shred and Freeze Chicken
• Menu Planning To Eat Well And Spend Less
• Timesaving Tips For Meal Planning
• Organize Your Kitchen:Shortcuts To A Well Organized Kitchen
• The Benefits of a Slow Cooker:Come Home To Comfort Foods
• Kitchen Tips and Hints:How To Freeze Meat
• How To Become A Smart Shopper
• Cooking From My Pantry

I have had so much fun sharing various recipes and kitchen tips over the last year and I look forward to sharing many more with you in 2012!

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree:  the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. ~Burton Hillis

Some of my most treasured memories center around a happy holiday table-the people who were there, the family jokes and news bulletins on the most important events, and the good food that helped conversations flow and the time fly; and here we we find ourselves about to ring in a New Year. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas weekend!

Christmas was quite and peaceful this year. Since I’ve lacked writing lately to relax and enjoy the time off with my family, I couldn’t resist writing to all of you today as we are doing absolutely nothing. The stores are beyond insane with the after Christmas sales and I personally don’t have the patience for the undecidable crowds.

These days we all live with busy hurried lives. But it’s still possible to provide the necessary islands of peaceful, enjoyable family living that are traditionally associated with the dinner table. We can still make the most important meals, the family meals, memorable – not just once in a while, but most of the while.

Ringing In The New Year!

The days of those classy New Years Eve parties where we dressed up and rang in the New Year with champagne toasts are a total thing of the past.  We are parents now and our carefree party days are few and far between. While most would say we could probably leave our child(ren) with a family member for New Years Eve, it doesn’t seem to feel right. When they were younger, it was much easier but now as they get older, they want to be included in the entertainment and festivities of the special occasion. We’re not ones to travel much on the holidays. We prefer to stay home, where it’s cozy, and avoid the messy traffic. Over the years, we’ve developed some simple, yet fun traditions for celebrating the new year with our kids. It can be a lot of fun to invent your own New Years Eve traditions to do each year as a family. From homemade noise makers to tasty party food, you will be creating wonderful memories that will last a lifetime.

This year, we’re trying something new. After one last visit from family and friends, we’re creating a Happy New Year tree! We’re taking down all the Christmas ornaments, but leaving the lights on to twinkle through the night; adding some curly ribbon of various colors and topping it off with a beautiful, sparkly star.  With all that said, 2011 has been a pretty great year for our family. We’ve seen goals accomplished and new dreams hatched. Our children have grown in size and in spirit. We have fulfilling jobs and health and food on our table. 2011 has been great to us.

Here’s to a new year full of creating new family memories!

There are many of us out there, me included who look for last minute gifts ideas or think we just need a few extra gifts for our loved ones. That’s why I love finding new ways to make gifts from the kitchen. If you don’t already subscribe to Disney Family Fun magazine, it might be a good idea to just pick up a copy when you’re looking for inspiration on family fun ideas. I was just browsing through it and came across these seasonal treats that are such a cinch to make. And they look just as simple and sweet!

Peppermint Sticks

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dark or milk chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 15 (4-inch) soft or hard peppermint sticks
• White nonpareils

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, microwave the chocolate chips and oil for 1 minute, then continue in 10-second burts, stirring between heatings. When most, but not all, of the chips have melted, stir the chocolate until it is smooth.
2. Spread the nonpareils on a sheet of wax paper. Dip one end of each peppermint stick into the chocolate, then roll it in the nonpareils. Set the sticks on another sheet of waxed paper until the chocolate has set, about one hour.

Place sets of five candies in clear cellephone bags, staple them closed, then affix decorative paper labels.

Recipe courtesy of Disney Family Fun Magazine.

Noel’s Family Meals Premium Members Freebie

In the beginning of the year, I shared with my fellow busy moms, life can get a little chaotic. I created a Home Management Book to help me tackle all of the day-to-day challenges a busy mom has. It’s a great system to have and that’s why I’m offering this Bonus “Merry Christmas” Holiday Fun Package exclusively for Noel’s Family Meals Premium Members, I’m sharing with you:

Bonus “Merry Christmas” Holiday Fun Package Includes:

Holiday Stationery (4 styles)
Holiday Recipe Cards (4 styles)
Holiday Jar Labels (4 styles)
Holiday Gift Labels (4 styles)
Holiday Greeting Cards (4 styles)
Holiday Coloring Pages (5 pages)

These are great fun ideas to add to your Working Mom’s Home Management Book!

You must be a Premium Family Meal member only to view the following information. To see more and view this week's meal plan with recipes and grocery list, pictures and more, log in or for more information on becoming a member of Noel's Family Meals, visit here:

Here’s a fuss-free holiday breakfast, you can have the kids help prepare this yummy dish the night before.

This delicious breakfast is a cross between French toast and bread pudding. It’s a perfect hassle free breakfast for Christmas morning. It’s so easy to make, the kids can do many of the steps themselves:slicing the bread, chopping the nuts, whisking the eggs, and more.  One of my favorite kitchen tools to use when chopping nuts is my food chopper made by Pampered Chef.  It can be assembled the night before, so there’s no Christmas morning scramble for breakfast or cleanup.

French Toast Casserole

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf of day old white french bread
• 1/3 cup toasted pecans or walnuts (optional)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 8 large eggs
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Maple syrup for serving
• Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

Directions:

1. Generously grease a 13 – by 9-inch baking dish with butter.
2. Slice the bread into 1-inch-thick slices, then cut each slice into 1-inch cubes.
3. Chop the nuts using a knofe or a food chopper.
4. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and chopped nuts.
5. Arrange half the bread in a single layer in the prepared baking dish, then sprinkle half the sugar mixture evenly over the top. Add a second layer with the remaining bread and sugar mixture.
6. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs. Add the milk and vanilla extract, whisking until blended.
7. Starting from the sides of the dish and working toward the center, pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread. With a spatula, gently press down on the bread to coat it with the egg mixture. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours.
8. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the casserole covered for 20 minutes, then remove foil and continue baking until the casserole turns a light golden brown and looks slightly puffed., about 30 minutes more. Serve the casserole warm with maple syrup and powdered sugar.