6 Months Down, 6 Months To Go: Cooking Through Magnolia Table In A Year

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While I typically try to keep the posts regarding our Magnolia Table cookbook journey to just once a week, this week I felt we should celebrate the highs, lows, and unexpected blessings of the past 6 months as we are now halfway through cooking through a cookbook in a year!! It is hard to believe that I have already cooked halfway through Magnolia Table Vol. 1, however the look of my worn (and slightly spattered) Cooking Through Magnolia Table In A Year Guide reminds me that indeed this year has consisted of lots of meals, fellowship and new experiences. Whether you have been following this journey from the beginning, or are just now wanting to jump in, I hope the reviews and recipe favorites of the past 26 weeks will encourage you to take a chance, invite people in and bring both new food and guests around your table.

6 Months Down, 6 Months To Go: Cooking Through Magnolia Table In A Year

Highs

Favorites

I believe a mid-year cookbook review would be sorely amiss if I did not address the recipe favorites from throughout the year up until this point! Based on our rating scale (1 being that you couldn’t make it through and never want to see it again, and 10 being that seconds and thirds are not enough, you absolutely love it), each of these recipes gained an AVERAGE rating of a 9 or higher. Many a recipe has been delicious for an individual, but dreaded by another, so these recipes are winners that maintained a high average after being rated by groups ranging in number from 2 to 20. Obviously, if you are going to give them a try, these recipes must still appeal to your interests. However, on the whole, they have been thoroughly enjoyed by our tasters.

Average Rating – 9 | Week 2 | Green Beans Amandine (p.175)

Average Rating – 9 | Week 14 | Flatbread Pizza (p.87)

Average Rating – 9 | Week 15 | Cinnamon Squares (p.63)

Average Rating – 9 | Week 16 | Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip (p.139)

Average Rating – 9 | Week 19 | Orange Scones (p.61)

Average Rating – 9 | Week 22 | JoJo’s Biscuits (p.18)

Average Rating – 9 | Week 22 | Pop’s Strawberry Jam (p.20)

Average Rating – 9 | Week 26 | Peach & Almond Tart (p.270)

Honorable Mentions

While it is hard to gain an average of a 9 or higher, especially with a larger crowd rating the dish, we did have many recipes that still received solid averages, were generally well liked, and would be ordered again if they were a dish at a restaurant. For the honorable mentions, these recipes have received an AVERAGE of an 8 or 8.5 and certainly are dishes that will be appearing at our table in the future.

Average Rating – 8 | Week 2 | Perfect Roast Chicken (p.203)

Average Rating – 8.5 | Week 3 | Party Queso (p.135)

Average Rating – 8.5 | Week 4 | Tomato Basil Soup (p.107)

Average Rating – 8 | Week 5 | Fried Chicken (p.223)

Average Rating – 8 | Week 5 | Sticky Poppy Seed Jam (p.225)

Average Rating – 8.5 | Week 6 | Fresh Spinach & Leek Risotto (p.227)

Average Rating – 8 | Week 8 | Mina’s Lemon Bars (p.309)

Average Rating – 8 | Week 9 | Brussels Sprouts (p.165)

Average Rating – 8 | Week 9 | Balsamic Reduction (p.166)

Average Rating – 8 | Week 11 | Becki’s Mac & Cheese (p.169)

Average Rating – 8.5 | Week 12 | Savory Ham & Cheese Bread Pudding (p.37)

Average Rating – 8 | Week 12 | Shepherd’s Pie (p.246)

Average Rating – 8 | Week 13 | Sweet Pepper & Pancetta Frittata (p.95)

Average Rating – 8 | Week 15 | Baked Bruschetta (p.143)

Average Rating – 8 | Week 16 | Cherry Almond Crisp (p.279)

Average Rating – 8 | Week 19 | Three – Cheese Quiche (p.25)

Average Rating – 8 | Week 20 | Bevie’s Chocolate Roll (p.297)

Average Rating – 8 | Week 20 | Hot Fudge Sauce (p.298)

Average Rating – 8 | Week 21 | Homemade Whipped Cream (p.285)

Average Rating – 8 | Week 23 | BLT Sandwiches (p.75)

Average Rating – 8 | Week 23 | Lemon Angel Food Cake (p.303)

Average Rating – 8 | Week 24 | Blackened Fish Tacos (p.234)

Average Rating – 8 | Week 26 | Grilled Salmon (p.231)

While there were so many other delicious recipes that gained averages of 7 or 7.5’s, the recipes listed above were some of the biggest hits of the first 26 weeks of this year. Thus far, the Magnolia Cookbook has gained an average rating of a 7.4 for the recipes tried this year! Honestly, I am so impressed with the high ratings that this cookbook has gained as we have had many a varied audience testing each of the dishes. If you are looking to grow your cooking abilities with recipes that will be well loved, then I would highly recommend integrating the Magnolia Table Vol.1 into your kitchen.

Unexpected Blessings

The Rating System

While there have been highs and lows over the past 26 weeks of cooking through Magnolia Table, there have also been many extraordinary, unexpected blessings. The first unexpected blessing has got to be the rating system we have used for the recipes. Having not created the recipe, but simply made it to the best of my ability, I have absolutely loved hearing people’s ratings and feedback. Instead of just hearing that someone thinks the recipe is “good”, I have been able to have a more defined response as most people also follow up their rating with what they loved about the dish, why they were hesitant or what they would have changed. For some, a “good” rating means a 5 and others it is an 8, so having a specific number attached to a recipe instead of just a word has really helped me learn more about those around our table. This insight has given me a greater understanding of people’s likes and dislikes which has made it enjoyable for knowing them on a deeper level and it allows me to tailor meals to include their interests. Even after concluding this challenge, I believe we will keep the rating system around for table for many years to come.

Doing Life Together

Likewise, the community, conversation, and joy of being together has been an unexpected blessing. Going into this challenge, I was hoping that our table would be filled, and that hospitality would flow easily, however I have been so pleasantly surprised at how it has expanded beyond that. As some recipes have had huge portion sizes, many dishes have been shared with our neighbors or traveled with us to family and friends for dinners and desserts on the go. Similarly, this routine of cooking and bringing people into our home has helped to establish a rhythm of sharing life together that is no longer accompanied by nerves of having everything all together. If a recipe takes an extra 20 minutes than expected or even if half of our group gives it a rating of a 2, the laughter, joy, and enjoyment of being together supersede everything going perfectly smoothly. If you are at all interested in hospitality, I would encourage you to take the leap, knowing that it does not have to be perfect and that the more you do it, the more comfortable and enjoyable the process will be.

Meal Planning

Finally, the last unexpected blessing of cooking through Magnolia Table in a year has been the organization and plan of recipes. I typically am not a planner of meals beyond a couple of days or a big occasion, so having a schedule of meals that I know already how to shop around and integrate, has been so wonderful! It has given us variety within our palette without me constantly having to research recipes that I want to try. Taking the guess work out of shopping is such a treat as each weeks’ recipes help provide the base of my shopping list while allowing me to fill in in between. I believe I will try to stick more to a schedule of this sort even after we finish this challenge, as I have been so surprised and encouraged by the ways that it has lifted the mental stress of meal prep.

Final Thoughts

While cooking through a cookbook in a year might seem totally overwhelming or like too much of a challenge, I have found it to be extremely rewarding; far beyond just the delicious food that we have enjoyed. If you have been trying this challenge with me, what are your thoughts? Have you had similar revelations? If you are just joining us, I hope that this midyear review will help encourage you to take the leap and set out on a journey that will fill your life with an abundance of wonderful food, company and the joy of purposeful living.

Happy cooking!