Hi Friends! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas! And now we look forward to parties to celebrate the New Year!

If you are new to Tasty Tuesdays, I am not a gourmet cook, but my recipes are easy and delicious. And anyone, no matter your skill background can do this. I include step by step pictures and no tricky terminology, just good solid recipes to add to your collection! And all of them are “tweakable” to your own tastes! I’m sure you can think of ways to take these recipes and make them even better for your taste and for your family! But they are fun and easy starting points and where you take them, well the sky is the limit!

My dear friend Maribeth Schmidt is a master at food photography and I thank her for her gift at helping my recipes look so lovely week after week! If you would like to see more of her work or for an inquiry, you can learn more here: Maribeth Schmidt Photography 

So I thought I would review some past recipes that you might enjoy to help ring in the New Year! Festive and fun and sure to please!

First up, an appetizer … Cool and Creamy Taco Dip! This is a recipe I included last June, you can find it here: Cool and Creamy Taco Dip (easy and delicious!) Its mild and oh so good, even finicky palates will love it!

Next, I did a Taco Bake in September that got lots of rave reviews from folks. Nothing like a delicious hearty taco dish on a cold night! My husband and son love this dish. The last time I made it, my son Jake (who works out every day) said, “Oh my gosh Mom I am going to destroy that Taco Bake when I get home tonight!” I have learned that “Destroy” means “I am going to eat lots and lots of it!” Pictures are below, you can find the recipe here: Taco Bake (hope you love it!)

And finally a fantastic dessert I had in my June Tasty Tuesday Recipes, Fruit Pizza, a Little Slice of Heaven!

Every time I make this dessert, my husband raves about how fresh it tastes. And its stunningly beautiful! I think its the perfect dish to celebrate the changing of the New Year! You can find the recipe for it here: Fruit Pizza, A Little Slice of Heaven

I would love to hear some of your favorite treats that you like for parties, and also if there are any dishes you are curious about trying, I may have a recipe for it and could put it on the blog! I have a few I am testing out over the next week, that is always fun!

So this week many of us will follow the time honored tradition of reflecting back on the past year and looking ahead at goals we want to set in 2018. I encourage you to treasure the best of the past year, and to commit to making 2018 even better! Great moments take some planning. Maybe taking some new steps and trying something you’ve always wanted to do!  Or maybe planning an awesome trip. Or taking some classes. Or a personal challenge. I have a few things in mind and am going to take some time to think of some additional things as well. Once you liberate your mind to the fact that you don’t have to be defined by yesterday, it is as though your life becomes big sky country and there are no limits! So dream big, my friend! You are worth it! And the rewards will be sweet!

I hope you have a fantastic week! I’ll be back Friday for another Fashion Friday!

Love Always,

Amy

When we own the story, we can write a brave new ending.   ~Brene Brown