Tasty Tuesday: The Top 15 Divulge and Indulge Favorites From 2015

I should probably start this post by clarifying that these are my personal favorite recipes. And, to be perfectly honest, it was difficult to narrow it down to just fifteen. (I have no idea how I managed to make a very simple "Top Five" recipe list last year!)

I made things a little easier on myself by only including recipes I tried for the first time in 2015. Although I'd love to put something like Arni Giouvetsi or Tortellini Soup on the list, these are things I've been making for a long time ... So I felt they didn't accurately represent the "Best of 2015."

I also tried to only include recipes that I've made over and over (or that I plan to make over and over in the future!). For me, these were the true winners of 2015.



1. Sausage, Onion, Pepper, and Tomato Frittata

This, along with potatoes and mimosas, has become our "official" New Year's Day brunch meal. It may not be the healthiest way to start the new year, but it's worth every calorie.

2. One Pot Turkey Kielbasa Dirty Rice

I love one pot meals (trust me, there will be several of these on this list!), and this is no exception. Slightly spicy, slightly smoky, slightly healthy, and very easy, this is one of my favorite quick weeknight dinners.

3. Zesty One Pot Lemon Chicken Pasta with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Artichokes

This recipe really surprised me. I honestly didn't have very high hopes for it, but it wound up becoming one of my favorite new pasta dishes.

4. Grilled Steaks with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce and Red Garlic Mashed Potatoes

This is a completely decadent meal that's perfect for a special occasion. I'd love to have it all the time, but I'd probably gain about 500 pounds.

5. Chorizo Potato Enchiladas with Green Chile Sour Cream Sauce

I'm proud to say that this something I came up with on my own. I used a sauce I already knew how to make, but I didn't use a recipe for the overall meal. The result was even better than I initially hoped!

6. Lemon Herb Roasted Potatoes

This is the only side dish to make this list. I was so excited when I first made these because they were almost identical to the potatoes Eric and I get at our favorite Greek restaurant (and man, do I love those potatoes!).

7. One Pot Tortellini with Italian Sausage in a Tomato Cream Sauce

Sometimes the simplest ingredients can combine to make the best meals, and this is a perfect example. Cheesy, creamy, and super easy, this was, without question, one of my favorite one pot dinners in 2015.

8. Tex-Mex Mini Meatloaves

I combined two recipes to make these mini meatloaves, and the result was fantastic. They're spicy and smoky and will melt in your mouth. What else could you possibly ask for?

9. Crockpot BBQ Chicken Chili Mac

This meal quickly became a favorite in our house. It's a crockpot meal, so it's obviously pretty simple, and the combination of Tex-Mex and BBQ flavors is awesome.

10. Chicken Veggie Avocado Rice Bowl

This is another meal I created without the help of a recipe. It's probably one of the simplest recipes I've ever posted, but it has become a staple in our house. There's no way I was leaving it off this list!

11. Caesar Crusted Salmon

We try to have salmon fairly often, and this is by far our favorite way to make it. If you don't typically cook fish at home but think you might want to try it, don't feel intimidated ... This recipe is super simple!

12. One Pot Lemon Herb Chicken and Rice

I thought I'd probably enjoy this meal, but I had no idea I'd love it. This has become one of my favorite ways to prepare chicken and rice!

13. Steak Penne with Caramelized Onions

This is one of the most unique meals I made all year, and it was amazing. It took a bit of time and effort, but it was totally worth it.

14. Red Curry Lentils with Coconut Jasmine Rice

Eric and I are both huge fans of curry, and this recipe was a big hit. I'd never cooked with lentils before, so this took me a little out of my comfort zone. I'm so glad I tried it, though ... It's delicious and definitely one of the best vegetarian meals I've ever made!

15. Crockpot Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Pasta

This is another indulgent recipe that I can't make all the time (I wish!). If you're willing to splurge on some extra calories, though, you should definitely give this dish a try.

I tried a lot of really amazing recipes in 2015, and I'm looking forward to trying many more this year!

My Favorite Books of 2015 (a.k.a. The Year I Finally Hit My 50 Book Goal!)

I wanted to link up the day this bonus edition of Show Us Your Books! with Steph and Jana went live, but, as some of you know by now, getting stuck in Chicago for two days derailed any plans I had for writing blog posts (or doing anything productive, really).

When it comes to reading, 2015 was a huge year for me. I'd been saying I would read 50 books in a year for at least 10 years, but I never managed to hit my goal. But last year? 59 books! I still can't believe I not only met my goal, but exceeded it. (It even inspired me to set my goal a little higher this year at 60 books!)

Because I read so much last year, I came across my share of amazing books (and a few duds). It took some time for me to narrow down my favorites, and I put a lot of thought into it.

The books I chose for this list aren't necessarily the books I rated 5 stars on Goodreads. While several of these would definitely fall under that category, I tried to pick books I'd recommend to others with little to no hesitation. (I say little hesitation because, let's face it, I read some pretty fucked up books sometimes, and I realize that some things just aren't for everyone).

I also tried to pick the books that stuck with me long after I turned the last page, whether it was because they made me see things in a new way, brought a lot of emotions to the surface, or were just that good.

These books are listed in the order in which they were read. If you click the link in the title, you'll be taken to my original review.



1. The End of Everything by Megan Abbott

This was the first book I read in 2015, and, after feeling stuck in a reading rut for several years, I credit The End of Everything for reigniting my passion for reading. This is one of those "not for everyone" books: a 13-year-old girl is abducted by a much older man, and her best friend is left to try to piece together exactly what happened and why. But, while it could be disturbing at times, it was a beautifully written story.

2. The Contortionist's Handbook by Craig Clevenger

I occasionally reread books I really enjoyed, but I'm often disappointed the second time around. It says a lot, then, that I loved The Contortionist's Handbook just as much last year as I did when I read it about 8 years prior. The main character is a master of forgery who constantly needs to reinvent himself in order to escape mental institutions and legal authorities, and the story completely sucks you in from page one.

3. The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld

If you're looking for a lighthearted, feel good kind of book, The Enchanted is not it. This book was heartbreaking and beautiful and tragic and horrifying. Set in a prison (more specifically, death row), the story is told from the point of view of a nameless, mute death row inmate who seems to see and know everything that goes on within the walls of the prison. I've never read anything quite like it.

4. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

When I dread going into work because I don't want to put a book down for 8 hours, I'm clearly really into it. It definitely lived up to the hype for me, and I loved that I wasn't able to completely figure everything out before it was revealed. (I love when an author can surprise me with his/her plot twists!) I think most people have probably read this book already, but if you haven't, you should.

5. White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi

This book had been on my "To Read" list for years, and I'm so glad I finally took the time to read it. The unconventional writing style may not be for everyone, but I thought it was almost poetic. Haunting, heartbreaking, and, at times, unsettling, White is for Witching tackles themes of family relationships, fear, alienation, and race (among others). It's not an "easy" read, but it's fantastic.

6. The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

I haven't gotten around to reading everyone else's "Best Of" lists for 2015 yet, but I'm about 99.99% sure this book has popped up on a ton of them. It's just such a great story about first love and second chances featuring damaged yet realistic characters that you really fall in love with. I didn't expect to be hit so hard emotionally with this book, but I was a sobbing mess by the time I reached the end. I've been recommending this book to tons of people in real life, and, if you haven't read it already, I'd recommend it to you as well.

7. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

This powerful, beautifully written story of a family living in small town Ohio in the 1970s was yet another book that reduced me to tears. The characters were all dealing with some major issues, but it never felt over-the-top. Instead, Everything I Never Told You felt very real ... And it was brilliant. I loved everything about this book.

I tried to be very selective with my choices, so I left off quite a few books that I really enjoyed but wouldn't necessarily list as my absolute favorites of the year. I decided to make a quick list of the books I thought were really awesome, but not quite good enough to make the final cut.

Again, these are listed in the order in which I read them, and the link in the title will take you to my original review.



1. Don't Breathe a Word by Jennifer McMahon

2. The Poison Tree by Erin Kelly

3. The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey

4. A Pleasure and a Calling by Phil Hogan

5. Summer House With Swimming Pool by Herman Koch

6. You by Caroline Kepnes

7. The Kingdom of Childhood by Rebecca Coleman

8. Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes

9. Girl Defective by Simmone Howell

10. The Man From Primrose Lane by James Renner

11. We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver (review coming soon)