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    Home » odds and ends » So Long, 2012: The Year-End Recap

    So Long, 2012: The Year-End Recap

    Dec 31, 2012 · 7 Comments

    I have no idea where the past 52 weeks went, but went they did nonetheless.

    All in all, it was a pretty darn good year, though. I traveled to lots of new places - Puerto Rico, Pennsylvania, Montreal, Chicago, and New England. I tried kayaking (fun!), surfing (I suck) and made a point of riding my bike to work all summer long. I went to TechMunch in TO and The Big Summer Potluck in PA, and finally got to meet some of my very favourite bloggers in person. I shared many wonderful meals shared with family and friends. Heck, I even managed to lose 20 lbs somehow, despite all that delicious food I ate.

    Oh yeah, and this happened too. :)

    Squeeee!

    So with just a few hours left to go before we ring in the New Year, here's one last post with my favourite moments, recipes and posts of the past year.

    --

    Most Popular Post of 2012

    Killer Artichoke Bread

    Aside from being my first-ever post for the Secret Recipe Club, this recipe is also insanely popular.

    Like, more pageviews than all of my other content combined. It's been featured in a zillion round-ups, and it's been pinned so often that the counter on my social media widget can't even display the number any more. (So I'm guessing it's somewhere in the neighbourhood of a bajillion times.)

    It's totally understandable, mind you. This bread lives up to the hype - it's gooey and cheesy and OMG delicious.

    Killer Artichoke Bread

    Most Pinned Post in 2012

    Lemon-Ricotta Pasta with Seared Scallops

    This one's an oldie (going all the way back to the early days of the blog in 2008), but it's definitely a goodie... at least if its sheer popularity on Pinterest is any sign.  It's racked up a whopping 174,730 pins to date.

    Lemon-Ricotta Pasta with Peas and Seared Scallops

    Most Searched Post in 2012

    Kabocha Squash Soup

    Totally understandable. It's really easy, and really good. (In fact, I've got it on the menu for later this week, though I'll be making it with a buttercup squash instead.)

    Spicy Kabocha Squash Soup

    Weirdest Search Term of 2012

    "Shmale"

    Ummm... this one is a little less understandable. Especially since it was used by SIXTEEN different people. (Sixteen people who were also probably deeply disappointed to discover the post involves a kale and white bean soup, as opposed to what they were actually searching for.)

    My Favourite Savoury Recipe of 2012

    Red Lentil Patties with Spicy Tomato Jam

    These crispy little patties were inspired by the flavours of a traditional Indian daal, and are probably one of my favourite vegetarian creations ever. A tangy tomato jam provides the finishing touch, along with just enough heat to keep things interesting.

    Red Lentil Cakes with Tomato Jam

    My Favourite Sweet Recipe of 2012

     Brown Butter Pear Cake

    A simple variation on Nigel Sax's ingenious recipe for Ligita's apple cake, this is probably the quickest and easiest dessert in my current repertoire... not to mention one of the most delicious.  All it requires is a handful of ripe pears and some basic pantry staples.

    Brown Butter Pear Cake

    My Favourite Secret Recipe Club Pick of 2012

    Iced Pumpkin Chocolate Spice Bundt Cake

    The Secret Recipe Club is one of my favourite blogging events. It's kind of like a secret santa exchange, only with recipes - each month, we're assigned a secret blogger buddy and pick one recipe from their blog to re-create and share.

    There wasn't a single recipe in this year's batch that I didn't love, but this lovely chocolate and pumpkin bundt cake blanketed with thick brown butter and pumpkin icing from Kitchen Trial and Error is definitely top of the heap. (Though the Salted Chocolate Cookies from Sweetie Petitti and the Coriander Planked Salmon from Cook Lisa Cook are close seconds.)

    Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Bundt

    My Favourite Photo of 2012

    It's hard to pick just one, but I think this dramatically backlit photo of a stack of Salted Chocolate Cookies is my favourite of all. (It definitely helps that the cookies themselves were incredibly tasty.)

    Salted Chocolate Cookies

    My Very Favourite Post of 2012

    Sausage-travaganza!

    We invited a few friends over to make a big heaping pile of homemade sausage and then shared it as part of the Foodbuzz 24x24x24 monthly event (which, sadly, came to an end in 2012... so long, Foodbuzz, you're sorely missed). The day involved lots of beer, lots of meat, and lots of fun.  One of the first things I plan on doing in 2013 is scheduling another one of these, since we're in dire need of more homemade sausage. :)

    Sausage 101 - Good Times

    --

    As sad as I am to be closing the books on 2012, I'm pretty excited about what's in store for 2013 - there's a wedding to plan (and celebrate!), a blissful two-week honeymoon in Basque country, a family reunion in Vancouver, and what I'm sure will be lots and lots of delicious new recipes to concoct.

    « Holiday Cheer: Pistachio-Cardamom Icebox Cookies
    Secret Recipe Club: Limpa (Swedish Rye Bread) »
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lawyer Loves Lunch says

      January 3, 2013 at 12:09 am

      The seared scallops look fantastic. And not just because the Pinterest gods say so. Also, can't WAIT to read more wedding planning posts :) Happy New Year, friend!

      Reply
    2. dixya @ food, pleasure, and health says

      January 2, 2013 at 5:13 pm

      what a beautiful recap of the year with your personal life as well as blogging world. I feel so out of this world i havent tried this killer recipe yet. its going on my list pronto. I hope 2013 will be bigger and better for you :) and congrats on 20lbs weight loss

      Reply
    3. Aurora Importing says

      January 2, 2013 at 3:13 pm

      Happy New Year Isabelle!

      That's a nice compilation! I'm glad to see it was such a succesful year for you and Crumbblong, congrats!!! I hope 2013 is even better!

      PS: Love to see that artichoke bread high up there in the top!!!

      Reply
    4. David @ Frenchie and the Yankee says

      January 1, 2013 at 3:37 pm

      Bonne Année ! And congratulations! So exciting!

      Reply
    5. adam @unorthodoxepicure says

      January 1, 2013 at 12:27 pm

      Wow! I can see why all of those grabbed some major attention. Happy 2013!

      Reply
    6. Asiya says

      January 1, 2013 at 12:17 am

      I love this roundup!!! The categories are different from what is typically going around now!

      Reply
    7. bellini says

      December 31, 2012 at 5:17 pm

      I hope that 2013 is rich in experiences, filled with love and happiness and of course great food Isabel Have a safe and happy New Year. Keep smiling it is contagious.Congratulations of course!!!!

      Reply

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    Hello! I'm Isabelle, and this is my blog. I'm a 40-something coffee-chugging, booty-shaking, bargain-shopping, trucker-swearing self-taught cook with a major addiction to vintage cookbooks. Come for the recipes, stay for the terrible puns! Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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