The Blog Best of 2010
I love reading all those end of the year wrap-ups during these last few days of the year. Today is my last blog post of 2010, so I thought it would be fitting to bring you the Best of the Best – recipes, discussions, and things that were new in 2010 here at A Better Bag of Groceries. For those of you who are new here, it’s a great way to catch up. And for those of you who would like some great recipes all in one place, this one’s for you!
In January, I debuted 2 new blog features: 2 of my Favorite Things and Cart Confessions. Both have been well-received, although I do need to do a few more of those favorite things! The Beans That Scored 100 was the top-read post for a very long time! ABBG readers love beans.
January’s Best Recipe: Grandma’s Casserole (I am sending this one out to my friend Caroleeena, who believes that casseroles can’t be healthy. Yes, Caroleeeena, they can!)
In February, my kids and I had our youtube debut. Thanks to a new Flip camera compliments of NuVal, we were now taste-testing cereals and making whole-wheat pancakes and putting our results on you-tube. Hundreds of people have tuned in. I started a new feature called Cooking With Kids, so my kids now worked for NuVal too (for free!) The top-rated post for a very long time was Twins Take on Cooking With Kids, where our colleague and friend Kim and her twin sister made No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Bars with their daughters.
February’s Best Recipes: There are 2.
- Chicken Soup (Lots of work, but worth it)
- Slow Cooker Italian Style Steak (Easy)
In March, it dawned on me that I would be turning 40 really soon (gulp), so I started yet another new blog feature, Fit Friends at Forty. My friend Heather was the first victim honoree. My kids made Rachel Ray’s Turkey Sloppy Joe’s and it amazes me that now, 9 months later, my daughter practically makes them without reading the recipe. My favorite March blogpost? How to Throw a Green Party! Dig that one up in a few weeks if you’re inclined to celebrate St. Pat’s in a big way.
March’s Best Recipe: Carrot Soup
In April, we launched my favorite new feature of the year because it was the beginning of a lovely friendship: Cooking with Catherine Katz. The first Catherine recipe I made was Pan-Seared Tilapia With Lemon Chives and Capers and it was heavenly! The blog post I heard about the most? Retro popcorn! People could not believe the difference between old-fashioned popcorn and microwave.
April’s Best Recipe: (After Catherine’s Tilapia, of course) Cooking Light Garden-Style Lasagna
In May, I actually have a Blog Blunder (I’m not sure if you all noticed!) I featured a recipe by former Weight Watchers-spokeswoman Sarah Ferguson (because I made it and loved it for years!) Just days after the blog-post ran, Sarah was caught on tape, accepting cash from an undercover journalist in exchange for access to her ex husband, Prince Andrew. Oops! It’s still a good recipe! My favorite blog post in May? How to Throw a Tea Party!
May’s Best Recipes: There are 2
- (Easy) Heather’s Cool Chinese Vermicelli
- (Impressive) My Mom’s Chicken & Pasta with Greens and Beans
In June, I ran probably the most inspirational post of the year. The Healthy Pasta Night that Changed Everything is the story of Peter Streit, an Assistant Manager at a Sioux City, Iowa Hy-Vee, who not only changed his own life using NuVal, but went on to educate thousands of school children about good nutrition.
June’s Best Recipes: There are 2
- To Bring To a Party: Avocado Salsa
- For Dinner: Catherine’s Pasta Fagioli
In July, I began a new feature called ABBG Readers Ask, I Answer. Meaghan, who just began her career as a Management Consultant, wanted some advice on how to live a healthy life while on the road, so I wrote a post for her. I’m getting some great questions these days, so look for more of this feature in 2011.
July’s Best Recipes: There are 2 and my kids love them both!
- My Recipe: Pasta Fra Diavolo
- Annette’s Recipe: Zucchini Ribbon Lasagna
In August, we saw the biggest response to a Trade-Up Tuesday Giveaway ever. On August 10th, there were 221 entries for the Barbara’s Puffins and Kashi Autumn Wheat Giveaway! ABBG readers really love cereal! My favorite post of August? Mom, Does Ravioli Come From Cows? Yup, that’s what my 7-year-old son thought, since we buy Venda Ravioli from our milkman nearly every week!
August’s Best Recipe: Catherine’s Quinoa Salad
In September, there were a lot of posts that stood out. There was The Most Useful Blog Post. That was the list of shelf-stable kindergarten snacks. I bumped into friends at the grocery store who had it printed out as they decided what to buy! Then there was The Post That Made Me Feel Like a Real Journalist For One Day. That was when we stopped at the rest area in New Jersey and I had to hunt down the nutritious food, because the big corporate signs are over the unhealthy food. There was also The Most Labor-Intensive Recipe of 2010. That was when I decided to make Farm Fresh Ratatouille – you know just 2 weeks before moving my entire family out of our house! What was I thinking!
September’s Best Recipe: Baked Pasta With Sausage, Tomatoes and Cheese
In October, we moved! And I got a new kitchen! 
My favorite post from this happy month? Now We’re Cooking With Gas!
October’s Best Recipes: There are 2
In November, ABBG readers really got talking! I loved the discussions on Kashi Frozen Dinners and all the different scores on Bread Crumbs. That’s what I love about you guys. You get all hot and bothered about Bread Crumbs! On a Friday morning! My favorite post (and the top-read in November)? Re-enacting a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. We did actually do this again this year, with our friends on the day after Thanksgiving. Good Times.
November’s Best Recipe: Kaitlyn’s Roasted Root Vegetable Soup
And Finally, December! I started a new feature called Melissa’s Makeovers where readers send me their meal and I make it over for them. My first victim participant was my Sister-In-Law, Christine, an expectant Mommy due this March. I just got a new request today, so stay tuned for more Melissa’s Makeovers in 2011! ABBG readers were chatty again and I loved the discussion on Maya Angelou’s Cooking Advice where she asks, “Are we raising a generation of kids who eat at counters?” ABBG readers were very inspired by my high-school BFF and Fit Friend at 40 Shannon and her amazing meal-planning. What an inspiration for the New Year! My favorite post? Definitely, We All Make Our Choices, when my family took over the shopping and decision-making because I had a neck injury. Please know that I cleared it with my husband before publishing his less-than-stellar wrapping paper and blanket purchases. He is a great sport when it comes to this blog.
December’s Best Recipe: Catherine’s Pecan-Crusted Chicken
Thank YOU!
I hope you enjoyed reading A Better Bag of Groceries in 2010. What a year it’s been! We grew from 6,000 readers to 10,000 readers monthly over the course of the year. I am sending a huge thank you to my colleagues at NuVal who are always super-supportive and open to new ideas in social media. Thanks to everyone who has contributed recipes and guest posts, especially Catherine, Rachel, Kaitlyn, Annette, Kim, Tina, Heather, Shannon, Kalli, Robin, Wendy, Barbara, Christine, Alicia, Candy, Alison, Laura , Leslie and Stephanie (and anyone I may have missed). Thank you to my husband and children who have come to accept the Blog as a part of our daily life. And most of all, thank you to all my loyal readers and commenters! Without you, there would be No Better Bag of Groceries! I am looking forward to many more recipes, stories and discussions in 2011. Happy New Year!
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Posted in: Happy New Year
Tags: Best of 2010, Happy New Year
