What a year for HoneyBears & SydneyBeans! 2025 was a year of being consistent and growing. It was my second complete year using this new format and blog host and I have been consistently posting and linking up with great blogs to improve my number of subscribers. I have adjusted, tweaked and worked out most of the kinks but would still love to hear your input! Let me know what you like, or what you don’t like or if you’re having trouble reading it on your phone or would prefer a different font! Let me know!
In 2025 I focused on joining more link parties, to get inspiration, to find new blogs and to put my posts out there to likeminded people. It has been SO much fun connecting through comments, being featured and making new “blog friends”.
This year I went elbows up and stopped being an Amazon Affiliate and Ninja has fully embraced being my blog chef! While my MS has made my focus and balance difficult for me to work in the kitchen, Ninja has taken over cooking duties while I do most of the baking, plan meals, shop for them, and I try to prep them. I edit all the pictures and videos that Ninja takes while preparing our delicious meals. It’s a work in progress, I didn’t say it was great, but it has gotten better over the past 12 months. Thank you Ninja for helping me continue to have a creative outlet.
This year, I definitely noticed a trend in my viewership. The posts that get the most views are my Weekly Meal Plans, my Book Recommendations and the posts when I get real about my MS. My annual post about my Mom’s Anniversary always hits a lot of reader’s hearts and you guys sure do like my baking! I received thousands of views this year and I have noticed that the longer the post is out there, the higher the views are. My Top 10 were all written before fall, but my later posts are picking up new views every day. It’s pretty cool but not why I keep this journal. But still it’s a great little community and I’m so glad you are here!
You can follow me on on my socials:
Pinterest @HoneyBears&SydneyBeans
Instagram @honeybears_sydneybeans
Facebook @HoneyBears&SydneyBeans
Thank you SO much for a GREAT year!
Click the post titles below to revisit YOUR 10 favourites posts from 2025!
Christmas is over but winter… Is not. Up north here in Canada, winter truly begins in January and blows hard into February. They are the two coldest months, every year, throughout my memory. My favourite cold day meals involve my trusty slow cooker. Here are 3 delicious recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner to keep you cosy and warm.
Lunchtime memories for me always include tomato soup. Campbells tomato soup. These days we don’t do canned soup, and we definitely don’t do any American canned soup so the alternative is to make our own! This Slow Cooker Tomato Soup was absolutely delicious. Paired with a grilled cheese sandwich, it didn’t matter what the temperature was outside, I was toasty and warm.
If you didn’t get enough cranberry sauce at Christmas dinner, this Slow Cooker Cranberry Pork Tenderloin with Jasmine Rice will hit the mark. You can never go wrong with a pork tenderloin and this delicious sauce over rice with some sweet corn was comfort food at its finest.
The slow cooker works for breakfast too! This Slow Cooker Cinnamon Roll Casserole reminds me of those cinnamon bites that McDonald’s had when I was younger, do you remember those? I freaking loved those! This is the easiest recipe ever and your kids will think that you are the best lol. 2 1/2 hours and you have ooey gooey cinnamon pull parts, sweet and steaming hot.
Slow Cooker Tomato Soup
4-6
servings5
minutes4-7
hoursIngredients
1 can 28 oz crushed tomatoes
1 can 30 oz diced tomatoes
1/2 cup white onion, diced
1 teaspoon dry thyme
1 teaspoon dry oregano
1/2 teaspoon dry basil
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups vegetable broth
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup half & half
Directions
Add all ingredients to the slow cooker. Give it a mix then cover with the lid. Allow to cook for 4-5 hours on high or 6-7 hours on low.
Use an immersion blender to blend soup until smooth and creamy.
Slow Cooker Cranberry Pork Tenderloin
4-6
servings10
minutes5
hours10
minutesIngredients
2 pork tenderloins
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons dried onion
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
½ teaspoon pepper, or to taste
¼ teaspoon ground thyme, or to taste
Garnish: parsley, minced
Directions
Spray slow cooker basin with oil and place the tenderloins in it.
To a medium bowl, add all remaining ingredients (except the parsley), stir to combine.
Evenly pour the cranberry sauce mixture over the pork.
Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on LOW for about 4-6 hours, OR cook on HIGH for about 2 1/2-3 hours.
Set pork on a plate, cover it with foil, and allow the meat to rest for 10-15 minutes. Garnish with parsley.
Slow Cooker Cinnamon Roll Casserole
4
servings10
minutes2-2 1/2
hoursIngredients
2 cans Pillsbury cinnamon rolls (8 per can)
4 eggs
½ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon orange zest
¼ cup orange juice
Directions
Spray inside of slow cooker well.
Open the packs of cinnamon rolls and set the containers of icing aside. Cut all of the cinnamon rolls into quarters. Drop the pieces of dough into the slow cooker, distributing them as evenly as possible.
Add the eggs and heavy cream to a mixing bowl. Whisk the eggs and cream together well. Add the maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, orange zest and orange juice to the bowl. Whisk all of the ingredients together well.
Pour the mixture over the cinnamon roll dough.
Heat one of the containers of icing in the microwave on HIGH for 10 seconds. Pour the icing over the cinnamon roll dough.
Place the lid on the pot and set to cook on LOW. Cook for 2 – 2.5 hours until the cinnamon rolls are nicely browned around the edges of the pot but not burnt.
Heat the remaining container of icing in the microwave and drizzle the icing over the casserole.
Check out How Was Your Week, Honey? Episode #448 Apres Xmas. This week, we get together to recap our holiday season.
Thank you to Life and Linda for featuring my Holiday Cocktails post at their Love Your Creativity Link Party last week.
Last week of winter holidays was a busy one. SBean and Ninja went snowboarding at Mt Baldy for the first time, HBear had date night with her BF and celebrated New Years with him and their friends. Ninja and I did NYE during the day with a walk and lunch at Kin & Folk while SBean did NYE with her Besty. Ninja took them for Jeffer’s Poutine before midnight and then to the beach for the fireworks. Ninja and the Kids met up with my Sis and her family for a day of tobogganing while I got my 2026 read on, started the year off with a month of Yoga with Adriene and we celebrated Grandma’s birthday!
6 thoughts on “YOUR Top 10 Posts of 2025 & 3 New Slow Cooker Recipes”
That looks just like the cinnamon roll casserole my husband’s step-mother makes for our annual Christmas brunch. She really goes all out in the kitchen. It looks quite snowy there! We had some snow but we’re getting lots of rain today so I don’t think we’ll have snow for much longer.. until the next storm comes through anyway.
I love homemade cinnamon buns, but I hate the work, the slow cooker recipe was a lifesaver! We haven’t had snow yet, but there’s lots up in the mountains! We have to drive up for about 30 minutes to hit the good stuff.
Happy new year and happy cooking!
cheers
sherry https://sherryspickings.blogspot.com/
Thank you and Happy New Year to you as well!
Happy New Year Kristen! You always make me hungry. Lol. I enjoy seeing what you’re making.
Thanks so much for sharing with Sweet Tea & Friends. I’m so happy you’re here.
Happy new year to you as well! Thank you for having me. I will see you next time!