I hope everyone who celebrates had a wonderful Christmas holiday! And now that New Years is on the brain, it would not be right if I did not share a 2013 wrap-up post focused on one of my favorite topics and the main topic of this blog: FOOD! This was my first year following a completely vegetarian diet, and it was also a year of transitioning to a mostly plant-based (vegan) diet. The transition was actually easier than I originally expected, and it has been a good and oh-so delicious one. In celebration of my year of good eats, I decided to create a survey to review my favorite recipes and food experiences in the year of 2013. Because honestly, who doesn’t love food and a good survey? 😉
2013 Year of Food Survey
1. What was your favorite breakfast recipe that you created this year?
I did not really start creating and sharing breakfast recipes until the end of this year, but even still, I had a hard time deciding. Therefore, I will leave you with my two favorite breakfast recipes:
The Banana Pumpkin Breakfast Cookie
and the Chocolate Zucchini Bread Pancakes for One
2. What was your favorite sandwich recipe that you created this year?
This was another tough one to narrow down, especially since I made several grilled cheese and grilled pb & j-style sandwiches, but I think my favorite one was definitely this one:
3. What was your favorite soup recipe that you created this year?
You know how I love my soup! It doesn’t matter what time of the year it is, I eat it year round. This one was by far my favorite for 2013:
Slow-cooker Pea and Carrot Rice Soup
4. What was your favorite entree recipe that you created this year?
Nothing immediately stood out when I began thinking about my favorite entree, possibly because I have posted so many. But after searching through some of my past posts, a few really stood out:
BBQ Pulled Tofu Sandwich with Spicy Sriracha Coleslaw
and my Vegan Vegetable Lasagna
5. What was your favorite faux “meat” recipe that you created this year?
As a vegetarian who eats a mostly plant-based diet, I have A LOT of favorites in this category. But I have narrowed it down to two:
Tempeh “Chik’n” Nuggets with Sriracha Ketchup
and my Hot and Sweet Pepper Jelly Tempeh
6. What was your favorite dessert recipe that you created this year?
I know, I know…I just posted this one. But let’s be honest, I do not have very many dessert recipes on here! 😉
6. What snack did you eat most frequently this year?
I ate a whole lot of fresh fruit and raw veggies with hummus, but who wants to see more of that? Instead, let’s focus on my more indulgent snacks! It definitely has to be a tie between these two:
Popcorn…lots and lots of popcorn
Sweet Potatoes with Justin’s Maple Almond Buttah!
7. What is your favorite holiday-inspired recipe that you created this year?
I am doing really bad at narrowing it down to just one when answering these questions, but can you blame me? I am a foodie :). This year I really loved:
8. What kitchen appliance/product did you use the most this year?
I absolutely fell in love with my Ninja Ultima blender this Fall. I use it almost every day, especially for my green smoothies. I might be slightly obsessed. How cool is it to be able to be obsessed with spinach?
9. What food product did you try, obsess over, and eat the most this year?
There are probably a lot of products that I could mention here, but I am just going to keep it to one- my one. true. love.
Justin’s maple almond butter. Enough said.
10. What new restaurant did you try this year and love?
I have tried a lot of new restaurants this year since moving to Omaha and I have loved so many of them. However, the one that truly sticks out in my mind is Kitchen Table. They have some darn good food.
I have tried their vegetarian tacos and their vegetarian curry so far, and I have my eye on SO many of their sandwiches. They post pictures every day on their Facebook page and they always make me hungry! I’ll definitely be frequenting here again in 2014.
11. What recipe from another blogger did you cook the most this year?
This is an easy one!
Robyn’s Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai was by far my most eaten meal. I did not discover this recipe until October, but even still, I have cooked it at least four times and already have plans to make it again next week. Yyyup. This one is definitely my favorite of the year from a fellow foodie!
12. What was your most searched/popular recipe that you posted on your blog this year?
It seriously cracks me up every single time that I look at my most viewed and most searched recipes. At any one time, these two are always at the top:
Vegetarian Tater Tot Casserole
Apparently people really like their vegan “hot dogs” and tater tots. Don’t worry, I do too! 🙂
13. What recipe did you share on your blog that you are most proud of?
I must say that I am pretty proud of the Carrot “Hot Dogs,” but I don’t want to be repetitive. I am proud of many of the tasty dishes that I have developed over this past year and narrowing it down to just one seems almost impossible. But, if I had to choose then I would pick…
My Thai Chickpea Pizza on a Cauliflower Sweet Potato Crust
And now that I think about it, I really need to make this one again ASAP.
14. What food picture are you most proud of taking?
My pictures are nowhere near “professional,” but lately I have been trying to put a bit of extra effort into my photography. My proudest photography moment is actually a recent one:
I really love the way the pictures for my Gingerbread Almond Cashew Butter turned out. My recipe was even accepted on Finding Vegan, which I thought was pretty cool!
15. What food did you try this year that you expected to hate, but actually loved?
Since becoming a vegetarian, I have found many foods that I love but once hated. Your taste buds really can change! One of my favorite foods that I used to hate but now love is sauerkraut. I like it so much that I will literally eat it straight out of the can. Oh how things change! 😉
16. What are you main food goals for the year 2014?
I have a few…
Continue to eat a mostly plant-based diet.
Try to eat fewer processed foods.
Attempt to cut out artificial sweeteners whenever possible.
Eat out more frequently- Omaha has fantastic restaurants that need to be enjoyed!
Bake more vegan treats!
Fellow foodies: Feel free to fill out this survey for yourself. There is no such thing as too much food talk, right?
Of possible interest: Last Year’s Review of my Favorite Recipes of 2012
