Top Five From 2017 and Five Goals for 2018

I’m happy to share my top five from 2017 and five goals for 2018 today.  However, am I the only one who is having a hard time believing that 2017 is already at an end?  It’s been an incredible year.  The highlight for me was our big move to the Southern Oregon coast.  The coast is the really important part of that statement – I’m so happy being back near the ocean.  I’ve also really enjoyed having easier access to local foods.  We joined a CSA this year, went to the farmer’s market regularly, and enjoyed the overall bounty around us, including some incredible seafood.

I’ve managed to keep on blogging, though I haven’t been able to focus on it quite as much as I could when we were in Portland.  My job takes a bit more of my time.  Still, I have a list of top 5 recipes from 2017 that I’m really proud of.  But before I get to them, I thought I’d take a quick moment to review my goals for Fix Me a Little Lunch from 2017.  First was to improve my food photography.  I’ve done a slightly better job with this.  I’ve tried to be a little more attentive to lighting, though when we moved, my blog set up had to change.  Second was to create and stick to an editorial calendar, which I managed through the first half of 2017 until we moved.

Third was to continue to participate in food challenges.  I’ve been able to do this more or less consistently.  I’m still doing the occasional contribution to Food ‘n Flix (and am hosting in March – yay!), as well as reading the books for Cook the Books, even if I haven’t always managed to make a recipe right away.  I continue to enjoy the blogging community – I’ve had great fun this year participating in the Food Advent Calendar, in #Choctoberfest, in #Cookoutweek, and in #RecipeMakeover.

Fourth up was to try my hand at sponsored posts, which I did with some pretty good success.  Last was to build my follower list – ok, so I did say I wanted to get to 1,000 subscribers and I’m actually at 35, but I count that as a success since I haven’t had nearly the time I’d like to focus on growing my list.  I’m really grateful for my 35 subscribers!

So, without further ado, here are my top 5 from this year:

I really loved making these easy sweet and savory pinwheels.   It was so much fun showcasing some great Oregon products: cheddar cheese, cranberries, and hazelnuts.   It’s no surprise to me that this recipe did the best this year (and is, in fact, my overall most viewed recipe in the two years I’ve been blogging).

My almond brownie martini recipe has been very popular. I can totally appreciate why – this cocktail is super decadent and super yummy!

I have to say I’ve been a little surprised that my limoncello lemon drop recipe has been so popular.  But I’m so glad I shared it, as it’s always been one of my favorite easy happy hour cocktails.

And speaking of lemons…my penne with burratta, peas, and preserved lemons has been very popular.  My one and only regret with leaving Portland is that I can’t find a single source for burratta here.  I can, however, find minimally processed milk, so maybe it’s time for me to make my own burratta.

Last, but not least, is my cherry vanilla vodka cola cocktail.  I had a great time creating this cocktail as it reminded me of when I lived in the Marshall Islands.

2018 Goals

Some of my goals for 2018 are fairly similar to 2017’s.

1. I’d like to keep on working on my photography. I’d like to get back to better backdrops and better lighting.  I love taking photos of my food!
2. I’d like to grow my subscriber list. I’ll keep doing my monthly email and have added the feature of a freebie recipe each month exclusive to my email list.  I’ll also be working on a e-book for my subscribers this year.
3. I’d like to get back to my editorial calendar. It helps me stay on track and especially when the CSA season gears up, I think it will help me stay on top of the mountain of veggies that come my way.
4. I’ll keep on enjoying the food blogging community. I’m looking forward to hosting Food ‘n Flix in March.
5. One thing I haven’t done is reach out to a favorite product and offer up my blogging services to promote the product. I’d really like to do this in 2018 and I have a couple of products in mind.  I did a terrible job with being an Amazon affiliate, so want to make some effort again to be an affiliate with a company.

So there it is – we are heading on into 2018.  I’m looking forward to sharing many great lunch recipes and cocktails with all of you in this new year!