I hope you’ve had happy holidays and are feeling warm, fuzzy and rested. Before we head into a new year, I couldn’t resist jumping in and taking a sneaky look back at the old one and in particular the posts that have been most popular. It’s fun to find out which posts have been getting the most love and it’s sometimes surprising too!
As informative as putting this list together is, it’s also such a fun reminder for me to re-visit some of my posts from yesteryear. It’s so easy to get caught up in creating new content that you can too easily forget about the old stuff – these posts are oldies but goodies! I hope you have as much fun flicking through this Top 10 as I’ve had putting it together!
10. Luce’s Easy Cauliflower Relish
In at number 10, is a recipe from one of my kitchen heroes, my Sydney neighbour, Luce AKA Grandma. One of my fondest memories of Sydney living, is popping up to Luce’s apartment to cook with or be cooked for by Luce. She is such a fabulous cook and I’m so pleased that I’ve got some of her recipes on the blog – they’re pure gold! This relish is kind of like piccalilli, only not as sharp, a little sweeter and balanced out with some mustard curry notes. I love that it’s in the top ten posts this year because it’s an absolute kitchen classic!
9. Buttermilk Birthday Cake
I’m so pleased this cake made the cut (excuse the pun!) because this is one of my most loved recipes (via another of my kitchen heroes, Nigella) on the blog. I use this recipe for all the birthday cakes I make because it’s so easy, delicious and holds it’s shape brilliantly. Everyone always comments on this marvellously moist sponge – it’s a crowd favourite!
8. Onion and Spinach Pakoras with Mint Raita
These oven baked vegetarian pakoras never get old. They’re healthy, delicious and are freezer friendly too. They make a great starter, can be enjoyed as a main with some sides and go great in a lunch box. I love them and it seems that lots of readers do too!
7. Date and Walnut Slice
Everyone will go nuts for this old skool, dairy free slice. Packed with walnuts and dates – it tastes so great! It’s quick, easy and totes delish. Put this at the top of your to-make list, I promise you, you won’t regret it!
6. Tomato and Cheesy Mozarella Pasta Bake
I have three words for this dish – easy, cheesy and delicious. What more could you want? The secret hero of this pasta bake is the fresh mozzarella – don’t skip it!
5. Best Ever Bread Pudding
In this recipe, I tried to recreate my nana’s speciality a la maison – the classic Bread Pudding (not to be confused with Bread and Butter Pudding.) It has to be the most delicious way to upcycle stale bread and it’s so old skool, the only equipment you need to make it is a bowl and a spoon. I think nana would be tickled pink to know that so many people are loving on her recipe after all these years!
4. Thermomix Beef Risotto
This post is always so popular – it’s a risotto but not as you know it! I know it’s not the prettiest of dishes but it’s definitely one of the yummiest and even David who doesn’t care for ‘wet rice’ will happily enjoy this dish. It’s a real family favourite!
3. A Ted Lasso Walking Tour
Have you seen Ted Lasso? If not, you have a Ted shaped hole in your life. When we went to London this year, we really wanted to do an official Ted Lasso tour but there weren’t any available on the time/day we visited so we improvised and did one of our own. It was so much fun finding all the filming locations and I love getting messages from Tedheads who have followed in our footsteps on our self guided walking tour.
2. 10 Delicious Low Iodine Dinners
This is probably one of my proudest posts to date because the main reason I started writing here in the first place was because I wanted to be able to offer help and hope to others facing a thyroid cancer diagnosis. Prior to having radioactive iodine treatment for thyroid cancer, patients usually have to go on a low iodine diet for one to two weeks. It’s pretty dreary as you can’t have dairy, eggs, fish or seafood, soy and iodised salt and sea salt. In Australia, this includes bread and bread products as commercially produced loaves contain iodised salt. Convenience and pre-prepared foods are out and cooking from scratch is in. In this recipe round up I’ve put together some really delicious dishes that the patient and their whole family can enjoy!
1. How to Make a Real Grass Dog Toilet on a Budget
I have Teddy Roosevelt to thank for the best performing post of the year because before I got a dog, I wouldn’t in my wildest dreams have imagined that I’d be writing a post about a real grass dog toilet, never mind it about being the most popular post on the blog but here we are. People say that when you blog, you should offer people a solution to a problem. Well, this was our solution to our problem (apartment living and a new puppy) and it makes me happy that sharing this has helped so many other pet parents… And their pooches!
Did your favourite post make the Top Ten, if not what’s your favourite? Tell me in the comments!
