And just like that, we close one door and open another. Goodbye 2016 and hello 2017!
Many of the blogs I follow have wrapped up 2016 by dwelling on the negatives they’ve experienced this year. They’ve written about the election, deaths of celebrities, personal challenges, and subjects that left me feeling depressed rather than inspired to greet the new year. I can’t. Life is too dang short.
The last year has been full of surprises, some good and some bad, but such is life. It’s time to move on to a brand new shiny year, with new opportunities and challenges that you can make work for you, instead of against you. I’ve never been one for setting new year’s resolutions, but I’m making an exception this year, because I feel like I need to up my game in some specific areas. So….
This year I will try to be understanding and compassionate to those who have different opinions than I do. That doesn’t mean that I won’t ask tough questions and explain my points of view when appropriate, it just means that unless I’ve walked in their shoes, I don’t truly know their stories.
This year I will volunteer at my local shelter at least once a week.
This year I will share more healthy and affordable meals for you and your family.
Do you see a pattern? All of my resolutions are about being kind and helping others. 2016 was a pretty exciting year for me. My tennis team went to the USTA National Championship, I ran my first marathon, and Veganosity grew significantly this year. However, accomplishing all of those things made me feel like I lost my way when it came to helping others. That’s why I’m committing to resolutions this year. If I say it, and write it down, I’ll do it.
The inspiration for planning healthy and affordable vegan meals, instead of only single recipes, for my readers came from a conversation that I had with a friend. She’s had some ongoing health issues, works full time, is a wife and mom, and she is a foster mom for a dog rescue. To say that her plate is full would be an understatement.
One of her struggles is that she doesn’t have the time to coordinate healthy meals during the week, and she doesn’t have a lot of time to cook, but, she wants to make changes so that she and her family can start eating healthier.
Talking with her reminded me that helping people discover how healthy and delicious vegan food can be was one of the reasons that Alex and I started this blog. I’ve always been health conscious, and an animal lover, so going vegan was a logical step for me in my pursuit to eat as healthy as possible. It was also a platform that I could use to help my readers find healthier ways to enjoy their favorite foods. As I recreated my traditional family favorites, such as, meatloaf, cornnbread, BBQ, and desserts, a wonderful thing happened. My husband got on board and is almost one hundred percent vegan, my friends started asking me to call them to be taste testers, and my extended family began requesting certain recipes when we all get together. Better yet, email, comments, and shout outs have been flooding my inbox and social media channels, letting me know how much you, your family, and your non-vegan friends have enjoyed my recipes. I can’t tell you how much that has meant to me. All of this just inspires me to keep creating more healthy and delicious recipes for you, and, to go one step further and help you plan out your meals, not just one recipe at a time.
So here we go, let’s say goodbye to 2016 and welcome in 2017 with a commitment to make the world a kinder place, and to treat ourselves better by eating healthier and exercising more. I’m so excited to share my newest recipes and meal plans with you. Hopefully they will make your life easier, healthier, and delicious. But let's not forget the old while we ring in the new, because good food never has an expiration date. Let’s take a look back at twelve of Veganosity’s most popular recipes of 2016. How many have you made?
Twelve Delicious Plant-Based Recipes to Impress Your Friends and Family
11. Raw Super Sprouts Pad Thai With Spicy Peanut Sauce
9. Healthy Single Serving Oil-Free Pesto Sauce
7. Old Fashioned Vegan Fluffy Pancakes with Spicy Apple Compote
6. Vegan Mushroom Bourguignonne
3. Chunky Monkey Chocolate Banana Muffins
Bonus Recipe!
My Smoky Southern-Style Meatless Meatloaf is rapidly climbing the ranks and will be in the top ten soon. Like all of the recipes above, it's one of those dishes that make non-vegans think that they could actually give up meat.
Smoky Southern-Style Meatless Meatloaf
As I scrolled down this page something obvious stood out to me, most of the recipes that made the list are comfort foods. What is comfort food? Food that speaks of tradition and takes you back to a happy place. I recreated the recipes that I grew up on and loved, and they became my most popular recipes because my readers connected to them. This makes my heart sing, because it means that I've shown so many people that they don't have to eat animal products to enjoy the foods that remind them of home. I'm going to make a promise to you that I'll continue to create recipes that you and your family will want to put on your weekly meal plan so that you can eat well and stress less.
2016 Gratitudes
Celebrating my youngest child's college graduation. Roll Tide, young man. I can't wait to see what you do next.
Running my first marathon and raising over $2000 dollars for the Alzheimer's Association. Thank you to all who supported me, you'll never know how much you mean to me. ♥
Winning the USTA Midwest Sectionals and going to the National Championship with my tennis team. We beat the team that won it all, and we ended up taking fifth place. It was an honor and privilege to be on a team with so many loving and supportive women.
Seeing Veganosity hit one million views, and then watching the numbers grow to over 1,600,000 views in just a few short months after that! All of the love, sweat, and tears that I've poured into this blog is paying off, and knowing that my recipes are helping people eat healthier, saving animals, and just making a difference is overwhelming and amazing. Thank you so much!
My readers. I couldn't do what I love without you, and I love you all.
My husband. I owe my husband a BIG thank you for putting up with me over the past three years. He's come home to a disaster of a kitchen, no dinner in sight, and me in tears more than once, and he's never once complained. He's my biggest supporter, my rock, and my world.
My friends. Even though none of you are even vegetarian, I love that you support me the way that you do. And, I love that you enjoy my food and let me know when you make it.
Alex. Without you Veganosity wouldn't exist. We started this blog together three years ago and our journey has been incredible. You teach me something new everyday and I admire and respect you more than you'll ever know. Thank you for being my business partner, my friend, and the best daughter a mother could ever ask for.
Looking Forward 2017
2017 is shaping up to be an exciting year for Veganosity. I'm working on a few big projects and I can't wait to share them with you, but you'll have to be patient because I need to iron out the details and finalize some things before I make any announcements. Stay tuned!
The 2017 Chicago Marathon and a few half-marathons. Yes, I'll be back at it again this year, only this time I'll be training with Alex!! I'm so psyched to be running with my girl by my side.
More volunteering, more recipes and meal plans, more happiness and love for all.
And with that, it's a wrap!
Have a HAPPY NEW YEAR! See you in 2017!
Let’s connect! Hop on over to our Facebook page and give it a like, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter, and follow us and share this and other Veganosity recipes on Pinterest. We'd be so grateful if you did. If you like this recipe and can't wait to see what we're going to share next, subscribe to Veganosity. Just fill in the subscription box above our picture in the top right corner of the page. And, Alex and I love hearing from you, please leave a comment and let us know what you think of our recipes.
Christine @ Run Plant Based says
Great recipes! Agreed, I'm focusing on being positive as well for 2017. You've had a great year and Happy New Year!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you! Happy New Year, Christine!