A Year in Review and Top Ten Recipes in 2015

2015 Best Nine from Victoria Sponge Pease Pudding

Above: My top Instagram posts of 2015

2015 was awesome/scary/exciting/disappointing/surprising/all the adjectives. When I first sat down to write this post I couldn’t think of a thing to say, but as my mind wandered over the last 12 months I started to remember all the things I did, places I saw and people whose company I enjoyed. It wasn’t a year of making mad resolutions (I went on exactly one run, did not win the lottery, stayed in the same flat and didn’t go on my ultimate dream holiday to New York) but what I did achieve were a lot of small milestones, smiled and laughed a lot and generally became happier in myself. It was challenging in many ways, but luckily I had C by my side for all of it. We organised and went on our first holiday together in Paris and as cliched as it sounds, it was truly magical. We watched the Eiffel Tower sparkle on the hour from the ground and above, watching over the city as it glittered on the last lift at 11pm. We ate pastel coloured patisserie from Pierre Hermes and L’eclair de Genie, sank espressos, enjoyed paper-thin crepes and drank red wine watching the world go by. Just a warning to you New York, when we eventually visit you, you’ll have to pull out all the stops to beat Paris.

I tried to learn as much as possible this year, branching out into analogue photography with my Diana F+ camera, attempting to teach myself crochet via YouTube and to not be scared of what other people think. I bought three of the brightest most in-your-face lipsticks and wore them with pride, attended my first personal training session at a gym, committed to yoga three times a week and became more aware of what foods make me feel my best (vegan food with plenty of avocado seems to be the answer). Of course, I didn’t stick to these all the time, falling out of yoga poses, essentially knitting knots for weeks and learning the importance of invisible lip pencils. But I tried and I’m quite proud of that. You go Peasey.

When it comes to resolutions for the coming year, normally I’d have a list all ready and waiting for the strike of midnight. In the past I’ve done dry January, written 23 challenges to do before I turned 24 and a wishlist of places to visit in the new year. But as I’m a little more relaxed this year (I plan to see in 2016 with a glass of prosecco and a onesie) and when I get around to thinking about the sort of things I want to achieve in the next 12 months, I think it will involve more goal setting rather than achievement driven resolutions with happiness right at the top of the list. For now, I’ll wish you all a very happy new year and I will see you again on VSPP in 2016 with a brand new selection of recipes. 

So here they are, the top ten reader-favourite recipes from 2015

10. Quick Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls with Pecans and Chocolate Chips

Quick Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls with Pecans and Chocolate Chips

9. Salted Almond Brownies (Gluten Free)

Salted Almond Brownies (gluten free)

8. Vanilla Marshmallow Ghosts

Vanilla Marshmallow Ghosts

7. Homemade Orange and Cardamom Jaffa Cakes

Homemade Orange and Cardamom Jaffa Cakes

6. Plum and Hazelnut Cake (Gluten Free)

Plum and Hazelnut Cake (Gluten Free) // VSPP

5. Caramelised Red Onion Hummus

Carmelised Red Onion Hummus

4. Roasted Strawberry, Pistachio and Rose Celebration Cake

Roasted Strawberry, Pistachio and Rose Celebration Cake

3. Homemade Colin the Caterpillar Cake

Homemade Colin the Caterpillar Cake

2. Bourbon Honeycomb Chocolate Biscuit Cake

Bourbon Chocolate Honeycomb Biscuit Cake

And finally, the most popular recipe of 2015 is…

Homemade Apple Pie Nakd Bars (Vegan and Gluten Free)

Homemade Apple Pie Nakd Bars (Vegan + Gluten Free)

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