One Year of Easy Home Cookin' and a Giveaway

This week marks the one year anniversary for this website.

And it has been one heckuva year!

I have posted over 150 recipes.

I've meet over 6,500 new facebook friends and over 400 tweeting buddies.

There are now over 1600 email subscribers to this blog.
This page has had over one million hits (or pageviews).

And a partridge in a pear tree....

It has been such an amazing year. Especially when I get comments from folks who tell me how much their family really enjoyed a recipe I posted. Or that their picky husband loved a particular recipe. 
Or that someone's love for cooking has been reignited because of the recipes I shared.

And when I hear that parents and their kids had a cookie-making project together and used a recipe from this site.

It warms my heart and makes all the hard work that goes into this blog worth it.

My very first post was about how to make a good jug of sweet tea. 

Here are the Top 5 recipes (starting with the most popular) from the blog this past year. 

They are the recipes that had the most views.

Oreo Puddin' Poke Cake

Warm Bean Dip

Honey Bun Cake

Slow Cooker Beef Dip Sandwiches

Easy Cheese Danishes

Many of you know I work a job outside of blogging. Plus I'm a Momma too. 

So life gets a bit hectic some days. But I think it is so important that we all find a passion and/or a hobby that we love. 
Not because we want to turn it into a business necessarily, but do it for the sheer love of doing it.

That's what this website has been for me.

I do it for the love of cooking and baking. And I love to share the good stuff with y'all.

I'm not an expert cook. Sometimes folks will ask me questions about certain types of foods or ingredients and I have to shrug my shoulders because I don't have a good answer. But I'm learning as I do this too. 

And I'm sharing with you recipes that I do know something about.

They may be simple, they may be humble, but I guarantee they are the foods my family loves and that I cook every day.

So that being said, I want to give something back to y'all.

To share with you some of the goodness that you give to me. 

And if I had more money, I'd order one of these for each of you.

Look at this apron!

I ordered this apron special from the lovely ladies at Fried Green Aprons.

They handmade this little beauty just for the Country Cook readers. It is a one of a kind and you won't find it anywhere else.

And I'm going to give it away to one of you!

How to Enter:

Leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite recipe(s) is from The Country Cook.

For another chance to win, leave a separate comment telling me how you found out about my blog.

Must be 18 years or older.

Open to U.S. residents only 

(although you know I adore my int'l friends too)

Be sure to leave me your name and email address in your comment so I can contact you if you win!

Contest ends at midnight on January 11, 2012. Winner will be chosen at random.

Thank you again! And good luck to all who enter.


*Giveaway is now closed. The winner of this giveaway was chosen by Random.org.
Congratulations to Fran Johnston! Fran, I've sent you an email to get all your details!
Thank you so much to everyone who entered! I loved reading all your comments. You inspire me everyday - thank you!*