2019 was truly a good year. Our family got to do some amazing things in 2019 and make incredible memories and everyone ended the year happy and healthy. Sharing the Best of 2019.
On a personal level, I was able to do some amazing things, most importantly, read a victim impact statement in court to a serial pedophile, who was then sentenced to a lifetime of prison. From this experience, I met some amazing ladies, who are now my best friends, and began advocating for other sexual assault victims. It was very fulfilling and good for my soul and has helped me heal from some of the trauma.
As a family, we traveled to our favorite vacation spot, Myrtle Beach, and soaked up the sun for a week. I also returned to Myrtle Beach with a friend later in the year for a girl’s trip!
My mom, daughter and I took our annual trip Christmas trip to NYC, which we all look forward to each holiday season. My best friend lives there, so we love getting to see her!
My husband and I met friends at Deep Creek Lake and we loved the laid back atmosphere and beautiful scenery! If you live on the East Coast, it is a great place to visit!
Our baby started preschool and has fallen in love with learning! She has some amazing teachers that she looks forward to seeing each day. She makes us laugh every single day with her antics!
Our 2nd grader amazes us each day. She is super busy with sports and dance and is doing great in school. She is truly a special girl who we love so very much.
Despite tons of illness, we had a wonderful holiday season full of family and love. We love that time of year and we soaked up every minute of it!
Businesswise, the blog had another great year! I feel so thankful to have this creative outlet. I am so glad that you all continue to read and share my recipes. I love knowing that my recipes are being made in your kitchens. The eight most popular recipes from 2019 are…
8. Instant Pot Bacon Wrapped Balsamic Pork
This recipe is a stunner. Seriously, what’s more beautiful than pork wrapped in more pork and then cooked in balsamic vinegar?! Nothing is! This one tastes great, too!
We love thai food, but since we live in a small town, we do not have thai restaurants at our disposal. When thai cravings hit, this easy chicken pad thai is a great recipe to satisfy those cravings!
6. Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Rigatoni
This was one of my personal favorites this year, so I was so happy to see it on the list. This Instant Pot chicken is seriously delicious and so easy to make!
5. Spinach and Artichoke Puff Pastry Cups
I was so excited that this recipe made the top 5! It was brand new this year and skyrocketed to popularity quickly! It is an amazing appetizer recipe and is actually super easy, even though they look fancy!
This recipe has been in the top 5 for a couple years now. Everyone loves this recipe during the holidays, but you can sub the Christmas sprinkles for regular ones and serve it any time of the year!
This traditional Hungarian cookie recipe is usually in the #2 spot for the year, but got bumped this year! You guys love this Christmas cookie every year and for good reason. My friend Carrie gave me this recipe years ago, so it is tried and true!
I was excited to see another new recipe from 2019 on the list! This dip is a hot version of a super old recipe on the blog, and it is really fun for serving at parties! You dip french fries in this dip instead of chips, so it is heartier than your regular chip and dip appetizer!
1. Mini Macaroni and Cheese Bites
No shocker here, these macaroni and cheese bites are my most popular recipe for the last three years running! These delicious little morsels are seriously the best appetizer recipe ever and everyone loves them. If you haven’t made them yet, what are you waiting for?!
