Here’s a look back at the last 52 weeks of 2019. The Best of Feast + West 2019 remembers my favorite posts as well as yours! Check out the most popular posts from the year.
Another year has come and gone, and HOW? It really seems like every year just goes faster and faster.
This was a big year for me personally, and for Feast + West too.
What was the biggest thing? Well, in September, Chris and I tied the knot!
Our colorful day was so incredibly fun. We had the best time planning it and it was so special to celebrate with all our family and friends.
And the best part is now I get to be married to the best guy ever!
I promise to share a recap with tons of wedding photos soon, but here’s our engagement story from 2018 if you are feeling nostalgic like me. I can’t believe it’s been almost 2 years since we got engaged!
Afterward we went on an epic Eastern Europe honeymoon to Prague, Budapest and a road trip in Croatia.
I am still going through the bajillion photos we took but I promise to share about it here soon too!
And I can’t forget that you guys nominated Feast + West for a Saveur Blog Award this year!
I still can’t believe you guys think I have one of the best entertaining blogs out there. Absolutely floored.
I spent an incredible long weekend in Cincinnati with other finalists, amazing speakers and Saveur team members.
It was a wonderful experience and I left feeling so humbled but also proud of the work I’ve done here. It really means so much. Thank you.
2019 also brought a ton of travel. I already mentioned our honeymoon! But there was so much more.
I traveled a bunch for work this year, but had just as many fun trips too. (And work is fun!) I visited 11 states (1 new — Michigan) and 4 countries (2 new — Croatia and Hungary).
But this year has also been really hard. I feel like life has thrown blow after blow lately.
I am still dealing with my achilles tendinitis, which I told you about in this post about flying with an injury. It still has me wearing tennis shoes and orthotics most days. Thanks, I hate it.
In an effort to stay positive, it has been a good lesson in taking care of myself and developing better habits, but I can’t deny it’s been really tough.
Things that involve lots of walking (like parts of our honeymoon) and standing (like a day in the kitchen making recipes and shooting photos for the blog) can be so painful still.
Oh and car shopping. No one tells you how much walking is involved in that! We had to do it in December, as Chris’s car was totaled in an accident (everyone is fine, thankfully).
And then there’s the heaviest of all: Losing my grandmother two weeks ago on Dec. 12.
Much of our holiday season was spent in a whirlwind of unfamiliar places — car dealerships, the hospital, a rehab center, the hospital again, the hospice center where she died. It just felt so different.
The weeks following were both empty and full.
Empty, because she wasn’t at our family Christmas party donning her signature snowman sweater and armed with a red velvet cake from her favorite bakery, later showing off her latest Zumba moves.
But full in a strange way — with memories swirling their way through everyday life, family and friends from all over making their way for the memorial services, kindness from strangers that just meant the world.
I’m still processing all of it. I plan to write a longer remembrance post soon the way I did for my Granny Nova who passed away four years ago. But I just couldn’t write this recap post without sharing all of the ups and all of the downs of this year.
Now, as is tradition, I’m sharing a few favorite posts — yours and mine. It’s always fun to look back at what I made in the last 365 days and to see what you guys like the best around here!
I started writing these posts one year into my blog, which pairs up nicely with celebrating her birthday. Feast + West will be 6 years old tomorrow!
I hope your year was wonderful and that your year ahead is even better. 2020 is going to bring great things, I can just feel it. // susannah
Photo credit: Our wedding photos were taken by Mary Costa Photography.
Best of Feast + West 2019
Here's what you and I both loved in 2019!
My Favorite Posts in 2019
Here are the Top 10 Posts I loved creating for you in 2019!
I made these to celebrate F+W's 5th birthday on 1/1/2019. Birthday Cake Cinnamon Rolls are a colorful way to start your birthday! Sprinkles make these rolls more fun, from the inside to the icing.
By far some of my favorite photos I took this year! You can brighten up anyone's day with a batch of Winter Citrus Spa Water. With four kinds of citrus and sprigs of fresh rosemary, this water is both a beautiful centerpiece for a party and the most colorful way to increase your daily H2O intake.
I made these shiny silver sugar cookies for Valentine's, but they are great for ANY time! You can make Sugar Cookie Cutouts with Royal Icing for every holiday! This classic recipe will get you through every occasion.
The Beerita is a beer margarita recipe that's perfect for sipping while watching the the big game! I will definitely make these beer + tequila sippers again for game day of any kind.
For my 30th birthday, Chris and I went to Louisville, Kentucky and hung out on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. We visited distilleries, ate and drank well and enjoyed checking out this super cool city.
This is by far one of my favorite drinks of 2019. With graham cracker cream, homemade marshmallow vodka and a real toasted marshmallow, this spruced up classic is so much fun for summer, or any time!
While I didn't love the reason for writing this post, I really hope that sharing my experience with flying with an orthopedic boot has helped someone else in this less-than-awesome situation. Flying with an injury is no fun, but it's totally possible!
If you love some fire in your drinks, you will love having homemade cinnamon whiskey on hand!
Christmas Spa Water is the perfect non-alcoholic, festive drink for the holiday season!
I've been working on this recipe for years, and I'm glad I finally figured it out to share with you in time for the holidays! Chocolate Chip Cookie Shots are edible shooter glasses that are filled with Irish cream and coffee liqueur. So delicious for the holidays!
Readers' Favorite Recipes in 2019
Here's what you guys loved in 2019!
It cracks me up how much y'all love these! Drunken Gummy Bears are the solution to summertime snacks by the pool. They're boozy, fruity and sweet. Make a big batch and share with friends!
These are a sparkly gelatin alcoholic treat for New Year's Eve or any time! They are always a hit when I make them!
The Yule Mule festive, red and green holiday cocktail with ginger beer, cranberry, vodka and rosemary. We enjoy them all holiday season, too!
The Elderflower French 75 is a floral take on the classic champagne cocktail with lemon, gin and St. Germain elderflower liqueur. This elderflower cocktail will be your new favorite drink for toasting and celebrating!
The Tootsie Roll Cocktail is a black candy cocktail fit for Halloween or any time. Made with root beer and coffee liqueur, it tastes just like the candy. Even though it’s spooky and dark, it is sure to satisfy any sweet tooth!
This traditional South African dessert is creamy and delicate. Make it for Easter, Mother's Day or teatime any day!
South African Pannekoek are a traditional Afrikaans breakfast treat or dessert. Enjoy these thin pancakes with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar and a drizzle of lemon juice.
A mimosa made with beer — perfect for brunch or watching the game! My friend wrote this as a guest post years ago and I love that you are still enjoying it!
Tiramisu Trifle is a delicious, show-stopping dessert. You guys love it at the holidays, but all year long too!
A fragrant floral and gin cocktail — it's so fun for Valentine's because of the romantic rose flavor, but any gin lover will love it any time!
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