Hello, 2016!

Happy new year! Doesn’t it feel so good? I rang in the new year with new friends here in Charlotte and spent the first day of the year cleaning the kitchen and attending a yoga class. It was refreshing and renewing! 

Over the weekend I spent some time reflecting on my 2014 and 2015 goals for Feast + West and for myself. This year I’ll be posting a lot less — around three posts per week instead of five. This will allow me more time to rest, spend time with friends and family and practice self-care, but more importantly it means I will have more time to develop quality content for you! I have been known to stay up until 2 a.m. just to get out a blog post for the next day — and I know I can do better than that. You and I both deserve better than that.

I have lots of new things in the works, too. Crazy exciting collaborations, more newsletters, a bunch of brands I want to work with and a growing list of recipes to try. A new look, too — coming soon! I’m really, really excited about all that’s in store for 2016. I’m no longer worried about sticking to my resolutions — I’ve proven to myself every day for the last two years (yes, two!) with this blog that I can do it! (Happy birthday, Feast + West!)I do hope you’ll follow along!

So much happened in 2015, though. Good stuff, yes, but some darker things too, of course. But overall, it was a good year. I was daring and worked hard. Here’s a quick recap, Ann Friedman-style.

Taught you about bourbon, tequila and sparkling wine. And whole bunch of other spirits. Brought in 45 bloggers to tell you about the hidden gems in their cities. Celebrated Hot Breakfast Month, Popcorn Week, Ice Cream Week, Popsicle Week, Pumpkin Week, Cookie Week and Wine Month. Made a ton of new friends at Food Blog Forum in Orlando. Visited South Africa and let some friends run the show for a bit. Introduced you to 16 of my favorite makers through my Dream Jobs series. Shared my go-to packing list. Drank martinis. Was featured on Buzzfeed, The Huffington Post and Instagram. Started a company. Styled the most gorgeous summer supper. Visited the Florida Space Coast and explored Orlando, Cape Town, Seattle. Raleigh, Charlottesville, Asheville, Chapel Hill and Myrtle Beach. Said goodbye to my beloved grandmother. Co-hosted the second annual Blogsgiving. Threw a smashing holiday party. Participated in my second food blogger cookie swap. Drank all the cocktails and ate all the desserts.

Thanks for making 2015 so great. This blog wouldn’t be here without you to read it, and I’m so grateful for your support. What were your favorite posts of 2015? I scoured my blog analytics and drummed up my top 20 posts. Click through to see them all! // susannah

Click through to see the top posts of 2015!

20. Rosemary Sparkler

19. White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Popcorn

18. Molasses Chai Cookies

17. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

16. Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Seed Bark

15. 7 Must-Have Apps for International Travel

14. Drunken Gummy Bears

13. Baby Guinness / Irish Coffee Jell-O Shots

12. How to Cook with Sparking Wine

11. Hidden Gems | Charlotte Travel Guide

10. Tootsie Roll Cocktail

9. Bright Blog Bash Recap
(Photo by Sara Logan Photography)

8. Instagram 101: Editing Your Photos

7. Meyer Lemon Drop Champagne Punch

6. Bloody Mary Salsa

5. Mexican Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

4. Maple Leaf Cocktail
(Photo by Sara Logan Photography)

3. Cinnamon White Russian

2. Dirty Chai Cinnamon Rolls

1. 3-Ingredient Pesto — Featured on Buzzfeed!

Honorable mention: Champagne Jell-O Shots — I guess technicallyI shared this at the end of 2014, but it was by far my most popular recipe in 2015! It was even featured on Mashable and Brit + Co!