The Best of 2015

It’s time again to look back on the year and reflect on all the delicious things that we’ve put into our mouths (and published on the blog) this year. This annual look-back is something I’ve done for the past 6 years (for a true time-warp check out the favorites from 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010 and 2009) and it’s always fun to look back and see just how far we’ve come (and how our tastes have changed).

This year has been a roller coaster of adventure. We’re ending it in sort of an odd way, being that we’re consumed with home repairs (remember the floors? Still not fixed.) and a cat recovering from knee surgery that requires our full attention. So the New Year doesn’t feel quite as celebratory as it has in the past… our minds are simply focused elsewhere. That’s not stopping us from looking ahead to 2016, when the floors will be fixed, when Desmond will finally be able to run free once again, and when plenty of new and exciting adventure awaits!

This year’s most popular post (by far) was the amazing Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Bark. It went viral in January and has kept itself afloat on the popular post list for virtually the entire year. It’s like the post that keeps on giving. No surprise, either, it’s dead simple and downright addictive for anyone who loves chocolate and peanut butter together (if you’re more of a mint chocolate person, be sure to check out the riff I posted this past month). Despite the peanut butter bark’s firm standing at the top of the charts, I want to focus here on posts published in 2015, and since the aforementioned bark actually went live last December, it’s not included in the list below.

2015 by the numbers:

• Posts published: 114
• Comments received: 7,743
• Spam comments received: 31,218 (and subsequently deleted)
• Most commented: KitchenAid® Blender Giveaway (1,106 comments)
• Most commented that’s not a giveaway: Vegas Slot Machine Birthday Cake (41 comments)
• Most shared: Soy Sauce Noodles
• Instagram photos published: 288 (follow me!)
• Total Instagram likes: 72,671
• Most liked: Kentucky Mudslide Cake (1,258 likes)
• Miles traveled: 25,400 miles or 40,877 kilometers (woah)
• Books read: 29 (new Good Reads post coming soon!)
• Jars of jam canned: 54
• Sticks of butter consumed: 108 (give or take a few)
• Batches of ganache ruined: 9
• Recipe fails: Seriously? I stopped counting.
• Days I’m thankful for being able to do what I do: 364 (there was that one day I maybe, just a little bit, wanted to quit lest I ruin another freaking batch of ganache. Luckily I got over it pretty quickly.)

That was fun, and one of these days I swear I’m going to master ganache.

Anyway, without further ado, I bring you the best recipes of 2015 (be sure to click through to see all of them, including your favorites, my favorites, and some pretty tasty eye candy!)

Your Favorites (the most popular posts published in 2015, based on total pageviews) 1. Soy Sauce Noodles / 2. Beef Taco Salad with Homemade Tortilla Bowls / 3. Bakehouse Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars / 4. Spicy Asian Chicken Noodle Soup / 5. Thai Almond Milk Bubble Tea / 6. Double Chocolate Peanut Butter-Stuffed Cookies with Sea Salt / 7. Peanut Butter Millionaire Shortbread Bars / 8. Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies / 9. Boozy Salted Caramel French Toast

My Favorites (in addition to the ones above, of course!) 1. Mini Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Skillet Cookies / 2. Chicken Tortilla Soup / 3. Olive Oil & Pistachio Brownies / 4. Blueberry Crème Fraîche Cheesecake / 5. Chewy Muscovado Sugar Cookies / 6. Mango Passion Jam / 7. Chicken & Goat Cheese Enchiladas / 8. Double Chocolate Banana Bread / 9. Aztec Chocolate Caramel Ice Cream

Eye Candy (my favorite images of the year) 1. Fresh Blueberry Margaritas / 2. Tart Cherry Fondant Creams / 3. Sea Salt & Vanilla Fudge Chunk Ice Cream / 4. Blueberry Yuzu Preserves / 5. Tomato Watermelon Gazpacho / 6. Tart Cherry Chocolate Tart / 7. Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes / 8. Triple Citrus Marmalade / 9. So-Long Summer Salad

Here’s to 2016 being the most delicious year yet!