Can you believe it – we are already two days into a brand new year. You know what that means – time to reflect. This time around as a way of looking back on the year that was, I thought I’d share the one day each month with the most visitors and revisit the recipe shared that day as well as the one that drew the most attention, new or old.
January 15 saw the most views for the month, at a whopping 931. While archives were scrolled through the most, and Big Bang Spaghetti was popular, that day’s recipe share was for Shredded Chuck Roast Sandwiches. Yeah, that’s me, keeping it simple.
February viewership was down from the month before, no doubt since January was a very good month. The big day for entertaining visitors came early in the month, on February 3. While archives were still scrolled the most, and Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Coca-Cola Pulled Pork was a second runner up in the recipe views; the recipe shared that day received the most hits. And no wonder, it was such a pretty cake. Presenting my Triple Layer Pecan Carrot Cake.
Hello March! The Lenten Season seemed to occupy most of my daily themes. That makes sense since Ash Wednesday came early in the month. Still we did managed to have some fun in the kitchen in a non-Lenten way. March 21 was the day most of you decided to drop in. While Tacos for Now and Later was the hit of the day, it was An Alternative to Crunchy Tacos with my Shrimp Tostadas that was the day’s recipe share. Hum, I’m sensing a theme here.
Wow, April was a busy month. So glad so many stopped by to see what we had cooking. I really thought April 9th was going to be the big day for visitors with 284. But then April 19th came along with 295, only to be beat out by Easter Sunday at 299. The recipe with the most views was an oldie but a goodie, Better Betty Crocker Au Gratin Potatoes. Guess folks were looking for an almost from scratch potato recipe to share with their Easter Ham. Our share of the day was And so the Easter Season Begins, with a collection of Easter Brunch ideas.
May was a busy month for us. In our neck of the woods the weather is beautiful this time of year and all you want to do is be outside. Every small town within a hundred miles is having some sort of festival. You would think that Mother’s Day would have been the highlight of May, but it wasn’t. It was May 12 when most folks stopped by. The recipe that drew the greatest attention was one we had shared back in 2019 – A Portuguese Feast to Honor Our Lady of Fatima. It makes sense since the Feast Day of Our Lady of Fatima is May 13. Guess some were looking for a little inspiration. As for the recipe of the day, it was all about Chocolate, Fry Bread and Cowboys.
June is my birthday month. This year was a biggie in terms of age. I am now officially older than dirt. As for folks stopping by my kitchen to see what’s cooking, ya’ll came early. Way early, as in the first of June. What’s That You Say was post of the day and the one to receive the most attention. Must have been all you burger fans out there who put these Alfresco Smash Burgers over the top.
Looks like a lot of you were traveling in July. I know this because the most popular post of the month was an Oldie but a Goodie from July 2019. It was all about Picnic Wraps for the Road. The nice thing about traveling is that we can still manage to stay connected. Most of you decided cocktails were the thing that would prompt the most visitor in a single day. We had plenty of visitors on July 19 to check out the Shake, Shake, Shake That Cocktail post for a Daiquiri inspired by the 40s. Whatever you do, please don’t drink then drive!
August was a baffling month when it came to entertaining visitors. On the 2nd of August nearly 1,000 of you stopped by to take a peak. While I am grateful, I don’t fully understand what resonates with people. It wasn’t a Holy Day nor a National Day or anything out of the ordinary. It seems everyone was hungry for breakfast – and the most viewed recipe was also the recipe of the day. Sausage and Green Onion Frittatas were a big hit – among viewers and at home. Hurray!
September was one of those months that seemed to move so slowly. In some ways it felt like the Covid lock downs of 2020. At lease for me it seemed long and difficult. Saddly September will be remembered as a wake up call for so many. I once believed that in America, we are not martyred for our faith. A gunman in Utah proved me wrong. And yet I know in my heart that God will turn what seems a senseless tragedy into something powerful. September also saw a surge in visitors to my little cooking blog. Perhaps it was for the scripture and words of inspiration found at the close of each post. God is amazing that way. As for the day with highest traffic, it was September 24. The most visited was also a shared Beautiful Autmn Evening with a delicious pork chop supper.
Like September, October had an amazing uptake in traffic. I don’t know if this is a fad since faith based anything seems to be on the tip of so many tongues, or if the return to family values will last. I pray we have turned the corner and regained at least some of our senses. Only time will tell. October 11 was the busiest day, with over 1,000 folks stopping by. I felt honored. Not since the lock downs of 2020 have so many people been searching for inspiration in the kitchen. The recipe that drew the most attention was my Golden Perfection Oven-Roasted Capon from 2018. As for share of the day, it was Embracing Simple Joys of the Season with an amazing Applejack Turkey Panini.
Boy I really jumped the gun in November. On the 1st we saw the highest traffic since the Pandemic. It blew everything out of proportion with 1,700 folks stopping by that day. So I went ahead and wrote my post for the month, figuring that was as good as it would get. Wrong. You all know what they say about Ass-u-me. Turns out the 9th of November was the high point of the entire month, and that November was the high point of the entire year. The traffic was like nothing I had ever seen before. While Old Fashion Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies scored the most views, the share of the day was a Welcome to the First Friday and a delicious Honey Garlic Shrimp Stir-Fry.
Thank you so much for making December a month to remember. The traffic was like nothing I have ever seen before. A steady stream of visitors nearly every day of this most blessed month. For people of various faiths, December gives us much to celebrate. If a month had a message, December would say “Be the Light that shines in the darkness and the hope for tomorrow.” Somehow that seems fitting since December 12, the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, saw nearly 5,000 visitors. The post that drew the most attention was Break Out Those Bread Pans, a share from March of 2020 with a recipe for Beer Bread. Naturally the post for December 12 was dedicated to Mary with A Little Friday Spice for Our Beautiful Lady. Yeah, Black Bean Burritos with plenty of spice.
The year that was delivered its share of ups and downs. Five years after the death of our daughter, I finally allowed myself the time to grieve. Life presented an array of struggles, changes, heartache and lessons. Often those are moments that the Lord speaks to us in quiet ways. When we allow Him in, He changes us and even in the darkness we are filled with His uplifting joy. It is my most sincere hope and prayer today that whatever is troubling you, give it up to Him. Place it on His alter and walk away. May Christ be with you and the Holy Spirit dwell within you.
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