Happy Friday! Can you believe this is the last Friday of 2016? I’m only about the 145,668,723rd person to say that today…As we get ready to say goodbye to another year (or good riddance, depending how you choose to look at it—like, how are we allowed to lose Leonard Cohen, David Bowie*, and Carrie Fisher in the same calendar year?!), I thought it would be fun to look back at some 2016 highlights. Cheers to positive thinking! I had some fun with Analytics for a few of these, whereas some are just based on my thoughts and opinions for the year.

Most Popular Recipe Post

PB & J Frozen Yogurt Bar recipe featuring Justin’s Peanut Butter and Stonyfield yogurt.

Most Popular What I Ate Wednesday Post

Week 289: A Day in the Life. This was a snapshot of my

Biggest Blog Traffic Drivers 

Most of your guys are finding me on Facebook and Instagram, which makes sense since those are the two platforms I use most. I was intrigued to see that Pinterest-driven traffic has actually become a substantial part of my readership. That’s probably because, until about six months ago, I barely used it at all! I’ve also found Pinterest really helpful for sharing recipes and meal prep ideas with clients.

My Favorite Recipes

• Spiced Savory Oats—I’ve been making it several times a week.
• This Secret-Ingredient Green Smoothie features cauliflower rice—try it!
• Black Garlic Miso Pork Tenderloin made on this grill pan I wrote about in my gift guide earlier this month. It was easily one of my favorite purchases all year!
• PB & J Sweet Potato

Favorite Food Trends

• Cauliflower Rice. My favorite version is this turmeric one.
• Sweet Potato Toast

Most Rewarding Recipe Experiment 

Lemon Rosemary Yogurt Bread 

Most-Used Kitchen Equipment

Aside from basic pots & pans, it’s probably a tie between my blender and my slow cooker.

Favorite Cookbook

My Kitchen Year by Ruth Reichl. I have cozy memories of savoring a snowy afternoon at home reading this while making gnocchi soup and ignoring the phone.

Favorite Non-Food Book

Elvis Costello’s Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink. It took me several months of before-bed reading to get through this, but it was such a treat. I was legitimately bummed when I reached the end. I love learning about a writer’s process and the stories behind favorite albums and songs, so this was right up my alley.

Most-Played Song

I’m surprised I couldn’t figure out how to look this up in Spotify, but I’d be willing to bet it’s Elton John’s “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters.” I guess that’s an improvement from the earlier part of the year, where I was feeling lonely and stuck on “Rocket Man.” Another top track for me in 2016 was the Louis Armstrong version of “La Vie En Rose.”

Favorite things I wrote

• Shape: How to Deal with Food Porn
• Fitness: How I Learned a Vegetarian Wasn’t For Me

Favorite Tech Thing

Shine Text.I was introduced to this service at a Six Degrees Society event and am just loving having a daily affirmation sent to my phone. It really helps me get the day started on a positive note. After only a few weeks, I felt much calmer as I went about my day.

Favorite Beauty Product

Clinique’s High Impact Lip Colour in Red-y To Wear. I love a classic red lip year round. Add a swipe of black eyeliner and mascara, a little tinted moisturizer, and I’m good to go. I was so bummed about the demise of my trusty red lipstick this fall, but I shouldn’t have mourned. This shade is legit and wears wonderfully.

Well, that’s all she wrote for now! I’ll be back with some New Year’s stuff and resolution chatter next week. Happy New Year! See you on the other side.

What’s on your best of 2016 list? 

*Speaking of David Bowie, I really appreciate that this coloring book exists. Awesome Christmas gift. Thanks, Mom & Dad!

Just a heads-up: This post may contain a few affiliate links. As always, I only post products and services I love and would share with you anyway.