Happy New Year: Top 10 Posts of 2009

I can’t believe this year and decade is just about over.  As I have been sitting here thinking about past decades I really start to wonder, what will the years between 2000 – 2009 be called?  We had the 80’s, the 90’s and now… ?  The zero’s, lol!  I can’t help but wonder who will coin the right phrase for this past decade.  Also, as I think about the 80’s and the 90’s and what they represent I wonder what the zero’s (lol) will be known for.  I asked on facebook and got some great answers.  The decade of technology and social media.  The internet, facebook, blogging, and twitter.  Also, the decade of getting back in touch with real food.  The local food movement and establishing relationships with local family farmers.  The decade of a war on terrorism.  The historical events that took place on 9-11.  A decade of pushing ethnic boundaries and the United States taking a huge leap forward and voting for our first African American president.  Wow, I guess there is a lot to be said for the zero’s!  I wonder what this new decade will bring?  For me, I’ll keep setting my sights on Christ and praying for a stronger relationship with Him and in turn my husband and boys.

It’s been so much fun blogging and meeting all of you out there!  It’s been fun digging into my statistics and finding out what posts were the most popular.  My stats are a little off since I started on one statcounter and then moved to another.  However, based on both these posts made the top 10 for 2009.

1. Polvorones (Spanish Christmas Cookies) – I can’t believe how many hits I got with this recipe.  It’s to no surprise as they are excellent!  Beautiful, traditional cookies made with farm fresh LARD!  YUMM!
   
2. A Naturally Sweet German Chocolate Cake – This was AMAZING!  Made with coconut flour and sweetened with raw honey.
   
3. Pumpkin Soup – This really is one of my favorite Fall soups!
   
4. Tamales Verdes – These turned out delicious.  Also, made with farm fresh pork lard!
   
5. Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Red Onions and Pancetta – I’m pretty proud of this one and so happy that so many people tried it and loved it as well 😀  Thank you so much for the feedback!
   
6. Baked Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal – I was also pleased that one of my baked oatmeal recipes made it to the top 10!  I’m so glad to share such a nourishing way to start your day 🙂
   
7. The Miracles of Broth – This was one of my favorite posts of the year!  I was so excited to share such a traditional and nourishing technique.
   
8. Real Milk – I was definitely excited that so many people found this post interesting and hopefully educating.  In this post I explain the difference between traditional, commercial, and industrial milk.
   
9. Pimientos Asados – To no surprise, roasted peppers 😉
   
10. Preserving Cucumbers – This was another part of my blog I was so happy received good response.  Learning how to preserve our harvest and food from farmers markets for the best in nourishing food and a step towards self sustainability.
    

All in all, I was pleased that so many people have come to visit me and my ventures into urban homesteading, organic gardening, traditional cooking, baking, and learning about real food.  For the coming year I do have some goals I would like to share.

• Artisanal bread making – This is an area I would like to be able to do well.  I’m not there at all, but armed with a couple of good books that should help me in the coming year.
• Soaking and sprouting my own wheat berries for bread making.
• Soaking and drying raw nuts.

In the new year I have some great content that I will be sharing.  Topics from grassfed beef and how one can afford this, using real fat such as butter, pork lard, tallow, and fat from foul.  Topics and diagrams to once again understand the anatomy of the animal and what parts of meat come from where.  It used to be a given that every consumer would ask for a cut of beef from our butcher and understood how to properly prepare that cut of beef or pork.  Also, be prepared as I’ll be raising my own broiler chickens next year and harvesting them myself and sharing with all of you how to properly cull a chicken.  A technique that all of my grandparents knew how to do and one that I will pass down to my children.  I’m already excited and know that 2010 will be a great year to push the local food movement and let industry know that we will not sit silently anymore, that we will take back our food system!  I would love to see Iowa fight for REAL MILK!  For a consumer to be able to choose what type of milk we want to nourish our families.

Also, in the New Year I wanted to share with all of my readers that I was invited to be a part of the Real Food Media Blog Network.  I am so excited to be able to be a part of this and in a lineup with such passionate and dedicated blogs to real food such as Cheeseslave, Kelly the Kitchen Kop, The Nourishing Gourmet, The Nourished Kitchen and Food Renegade!  I am completely honored and can’t wait to start with these driven people making a difference in our food system!

In the new year  I will be switching over to WordPress and will have my own domain of www.spaininiowa.com.  In this new format, I will also start a book list of books that I plan to read in 2010.  I would like to get through the entire list starting with books about deepening my relationship with Christ and how to be a better mother and wife.  We’ll see how far I get, lol, as 2010 starts tomorrow!  Thank you so much readers for the encouragement and words.

Have a blessed New Year!!