As the year winds down and the best-of lists start flying, I'd be remiss not to single out some of the best, blog-est and most interesting cheese stuff we've encountered on the blog in 2012:

My inner anarchist delighted in cheese-smuggling Canadian cops who confirmed that the siren song of cheese crime corrupts even (or especially) the law.

After a period of reflection and repair in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, the judges have reached their decision on our 2012 Scary Dairy Contest.

First prize goes to Erin Thorne's gooey tale of cheese voodoo

Dave Goudsward:

Erin Thorne's story "I'm Melting" starts strong, establishes characterization right off the bad and ends with the perfect blend of horror and dairy. The cheese is integral to the plot without being obvious.

Amanda Affrunti:

Erin Thorne, with her tale of scorned love and Voodoo dolls of cheddar, wins first place. Her original idea and clever execution (of the words and of the antagonist) made the perfect Scary Dairy tale.

Kristi Petersen Schoonover:

What is Scary Dairy? It's the rasp of a grater wielded by a mad monger, a ghostly image imprinted on the face of the pizza, the cold panic of losing your bread in the burbling depths of the fondue.

Scary Dairy is our annual Halloween short story contest.

The rules are simple: spin a spooky cheese-centric tale of terror in the comment thread below, ~500 words or less. The best story will win a bag of cheesy Halloween tricks and treats. We will pick a winner November 1st.

Hungry up-and-comers Y.N. Rich Kids dropped a seriously dope track that's on its way to becoming this summer's #1 jam. Big ups to Hot Cheetos, and some tight lyrics from the Y.N. crew:

yo, i'm hungry where them cheetos at?
they stay bitin' like where them mosquitoes at?
i'm on point like a elbow, hands red like elmo

my mama said "have u had enough?"
i looked and i said "no ma'am"
i go ham, in the grocery store orange fanta and takis
ridin' with my allowance, so nobody can stop me
all the kids wanna be him, go crazy when they see him
my mom hit the ATM, cuz she know i need them

And big ups to the YMCA program that encourages the flow.

Boska USA, purveyors of fine cheese gadgetry and upholders of great European cheese traditions, recently sent along a sweet set of photographs of an event they'd held with the help of Jason Sobocinski, host of the Cooking Channel's The Big Cheese. Now, besides looking overwhelmingly delicious, the photos got me thinking—especially this one:

And the winner is...

Evan Kendall, of Carlisle PA!

It was a tough call, and judges were divided on the sandwich itself. While I waxed nostalgic for the Frankenfood of my own college days, at least one of our panel felt the soup/sandwich/condiment combo was "kinda gross."

Despite this, the general consensus was that Evan showed clear enthusiasm for the great American grilly (as befits a self-described beer & cheese geek), and significant ingenuity in raising the culinary level at the Dickinson College cafeteria. It was this bold and hearty spirit, as well as his bearded punim, which finally won our hearts.

Plus, of all the entries, he was the one most clearly in need of help.

Update: contest closed! The judges are conferring

Competition is heating up for our Grilled Cheese Photo Contest. Folks are sending in photos of themselves with their master- or monster-piece grillies, competing to the grand prize: a stylish Romano grater, fabulous cheese curler, and innovative partyclette from Boska USA:

Five runners up will also receive Boska's no-fuss, sandwich-ready toastabags, which can make grilled-cheese in your pop-up toaster for near-instant grilly satisfaction:

Over at the coupon-crazy FrugalDad.com, Jason, the eponymous dad, did a bit of research and came out with this helpful infographic on the delicious pairings and salubrious effects of beer.

Consumed in moderation, and with the force-multiplier of a good piece of cheese, beer can be quite the frugal beverage, turning a modest investment of money and a small amount of preparation into an outsize portion of happiness and health.

This joins FrugalDad's many other helpful and money-saving hints, ranging from the basics of beef selection to the importance of preventative dental care.

Okay, holy smokes. Apropos of lambs, here's something you don't see every day: a pair of baby lambs paling around with a whistling tupperware nest of little goslings.

The lambs are pets of Alex Komechak, whose website Camels and Friends has dozens of sweet videos of her menagerie. (You may have seen her racing her pet camel Nessie on the Today Show.)

April is National Grilled Cheese Month, and in honor of the great grillie, culture is teaming up with Boska, and asking you to show us your sammich!

Entries are pouring in. Click to see our proud grilled-cheese eaters!

Everyone has one perfect way to make a grilled cheese... and we want to see it! Send us a picture of yourself brandishing your favorite grilly and you could win fabulous Dutch-design cheese tools from Boska Holland.

Is it a simple white-bread & American-slice traditional? Is it made with Grandma's secret-recipe home-baked bread? Tomatoes, bacon or Worcestershire sauce? Dipped in soup or eaten straight up?