Best of 2013

It is almost the end of 2013.  It's a great time to look back and reflect on the year that has passed.  I thought I would share with you the Top 10 Recipes of 2013 on Chocolate & Chillies!

Microwave Kalakand (Indian Milk Fudge)

I love Indian desserts but they are very rich and sweet so I rarely make them.  They are also very time consuming.  I pinned this recipe for Microwave Kalakand from Sadaf's Culinary Adventures awhile ago but never got around to making it.  The thought of making an Indian dessert in 20 minutes sounded so appealing.  I remember the last time I made Gajar ka Mitha (Carrot Halwa) it took forever!  So I gathered the ingredients for the Kalakand (there are only 4 of them and that includes the garnish!).  It took about 20 minutes to make and then you leave it to set in the fridge.

Banana Oatmeal Pecan Breakfast Bars

Seems like I've been posting lots of breakfast items lately.  Here is yet another one!  This is a recipe I found on Baking Bites.  I omitted the chocolate chips and used pecans to keep this more on the healthy side.  I also added a little bit of whole wheat.  These were a great breakfast item, especially if you eat breakfast on the go.  It makes quite a bit so next time I will try to halve the recipe.

Skinny Oreo Banana Milkshake {Guest Post}

Today I have the pleasure to be guest posting at my best blogging buddy Henna's blog My Ninja Naan! I can't even remember how I discovered Henna's blog.  I remember when I would visit she would make things that I had recently also made or things that I would most definitely want to make.  We both posted the same Spinach Quiche and Wheat Thins recipes.  Henna posted a recipe for Garlic Knots which I had also made but never posted about because they over rose and where humungous!  I had long ago pinned the Jalapeno Popper Chicken recipe she posted but have never gotten around to making it because half of my family are not cheese fans.

Homemade Oyster Crackers

Placement in the photo was made by Mummy.

I feel bad that I do not do a lot of baking with Bilal.  When Hasan was younger he would always help me.  Since we were not on any schedule we could always find time to do things together.  Since Hasan is in school everything has to follow that schedule.  Also it's very hard to get both of them to help me when I'm making something.  So when Hasan was at school, Bilal and I made these crackers.  Bilal loved making the crackers.  We used tiny cookie cutters to make some shapes but it started to take too long so we also used a pizza cutter and just cut it into small squares and rectangles.  Bilal also loved to eat the crackers as well.  He was calling them "Yummy Crackers".  While I was praying Zuhr I could hear Bilal was up to something in the kitchen.  So when I was done I quietly went to the kitchen to find him with his mouth full of crackers :).