Goodbye 2015, Hello 2016 (+ a Reader Survey)

Well, it’s been a while now, hasn’t it? I had plans to post a couple of recipes while I was on vacation but my good intentions were taken over quickly by a need to relax and unplug. I’m still in Cartagena, Colombia with Daniel and we will both be going home this afternoon. With a stopover in Miami for Christmas, I’ve been out of the office and my normal routine for 12 days and it has been wonderful.

This down time has given me a chance to reflect on 2015 and create goals for 2016. I can’t promise that I’ll reach all my goals for the year, but I want this to be an honest place where we help each other, so I plan to keep you updated.

This was a big year filled with lots of ups and downs (as usual) and I am excited to make this little blog space even bigger and better this year. So here’s what I got up to in 2015:

In addition to some older recipes that are always on the top list, here are six of your favorite recipes from 2015.

TOP 6 RECIPES OF 2015:

1. Baked Cheesy Potato Croquettes
2. Dried Fruit Bars and Bites
3. Vegetable Rice Casserole
4. Chocolate Covered Stuffed Dates
5. Spicy Baked Sweet Potato Fries
6. Latte Overnight Oats

BONUS- MY FAVORITE RECIPES:

1. Cold Brew Lattes with Homemade Lavender and Ginger Simple Syrup
2. Shredded Beef Breakfast Tacos
3. Pumpkin Fig Granola
4. Peanut Butter M&M Cookies
5. Greek Yogurt Curry Chicken Salad

TOP INSTAGRAM RECIPES OF 2015

Instagram is by far my favorite form of social media and I follow some really amazing food bloggers who inspire me to eat healthy and creatively every day. In 2015, I shared some of my favorite meals that don’t require a formal recipe. Make sure to follow me for even more Instagram exclusive recipes this year. Here are four of the most popular Instagram recipes I posted:

1. Black Bean Nachos
2. Sweet Potato Breakfast Nachos
3. Butternut Squash Baked Ziti
4. Banana Cherry Smoothie Bowl

LIFESTYLE POSTS OF 2015

I also shared some lifestyle posts with you all!

1. Best Portland, OR Foodie Spots – With two trips this year to Portland, I’ve scoped the place out for you and shared some of my favorite spots in this foodie city.
2. Getting Back on Track– When you feel like you’ve fallen off the healthy wagon a bit, here are some of the ways I get myself back on track.
3. Blog Brulee Recap– This was the year that I went to my first blogging conference/retreat and I am so thankful to have some blogging friends!
4. Cooking on a Budget – I joined up with TODAY Food to share 5 of my favorite tips for food shopping and cooking on a budget (plus there is a 6th bonus tip!)
5. Tips for Staying Healthy During the Holidays– Staying on track with your healthy goals is tough for anyone during the holidays but I shared some of the tips I use to enjoy the holidays without guilt.

I MADE MY FIRST RECIPE VIDEO

At the end of 2015, I dove head first into making my first recipe video. It wasn’t the prettiest thing but now I feel more confident about making videos and I’m hoping to make even more in 2016.

I REDESIGNED MY BLOG

With help from Julie at Deluxe Designs, I redesigned my blog and finally got myself a logo! 2016 is the year I take full advantage of the rebrand (umm…business cards) and keep consistent branding across all my platforms. I am also excited to make the blog even more user friendly especially the recipe search and categories page. 

I traveled A LOT this year, both for work and for pleasure. I made it to Boulder, CO; San Francisco, CA; San Diego, CA; Los Angeles, CA (twice); Portland, OR (twice); Boston, MA; Burlington, VT (twice- for work and for Blog Brûlée); Mexico City; Oaxaca, Mexico (twice); Santa Fe and Albuquerque, NM; Miami, FL (more than once); and Cartagena, Colombia! Phew- I certainly racked up some airline miles in 2016.

 

I did a similar recap and goals post at the end of 2014, and it’s fun to look back and see how many of my goals I reached. Here’s what my goals were:

2014 GOALS

1. Get back into fitness and healthy eating. Check. Classpass helped me get serious about working out and I can tell I am stronger and more dedicated than I was at the end of 2014!
2. Focus on growing the blog. Check. I got my blog redesigned and stayed relatively consistent with posting 2x per week.
3. Finish decorating my apartment. Check. I love the way my apartment turned out and it is my own little sanctuary now. I didn’t quite meet my goal of sharing my apt with you all on Instagram but maybe this is the year.
4. Be nicer to myself. Check. I was much kinder this year to myself and I will continue working on this (probably forever).
5. Go to bed earlier. Not quite. Having a 9-5 job, blogging on the side, working out, and doing some other projects all mean that I didn’t go to bed as early as I should have most nights.
6. Read more. Check. I started a book club with some of my friends and not only has it been a ton of fun but it forces me to read more!

2015 GOALS

1. Do 3 unassisted pushups and run a half marathon. Keeping these goals means I will be active and stay at a healthy weight, which is much better for me than having a goal to lose x pounds.
2. Complete a 3-week sugar detox once per quarter (more to come on this soon!)
3. Reshoot and share old recipes. Some of my old recipes have horrific photos and since food blogging is all about the mouthwatering photos, I hope to redo some old posts and I’ll let you know when I do!
4. Read at least 1 book per month. This goal continues…fingers crossed.
5. No TV during weeknights. I am really excited about this goal because it will force me to be productive after work by working out, cooking dinner, reading a book, working on the blog, or finishing other projects. I’ll look forward to the weekend even more since it will be my chance to catch up on my favorite shows!
6. Share 1 recipe video per month. This is a lofty goal since it takes significantly longer for me to shoot and edit videos but I had so much fun doing my first one that I really want to continue practicing.

So there you have it- my year in a nutshell and goals for this year. Thank YOU for reading and following along since without you, I wouldn’t have much of a blog. Cheers to a new year!

What were your highlights from 2015? What are your goals for 2016 and how do you ensure you stick to them?

**READER SURVEY**

If you’ve made it this far and have less than 5 minutes, please help me make this blog even more useful for you by filling out a quick survey.