This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see our privacy policy.
Doesn't it seem like just yesterday we were excited about cool evenings, pumpkins and golden-hued trees? Now it's time to fold up 2014, put it in a box and move on; pulling it out, only in those rare moments when we take the luxury of reminiscing.
With just a bit of time left to reflect on the old year before it's time to jump into 2015, we spent some time going over Café posts, month by month; enjoying as we revisited each one, and picking out the most popular, most pinned recipes of the year. We thought you might have fun seeing them too, so - away we go!
January - the year started with lots of fun culinary endeavors, but this Best Caramel Cake Recipe really seemed to be the one to go crazy. I called it Almost Rose's Caramel Cake - you see, it wasn't quite Rose's famous cake (a classic from Saveur magazine). I wrote dear Rose a letter explaining why I couldn't make the cake exactly like she did.
February - oh my! I had no idea when I started messing around with fudge and food coloring that this Winter White Red Velvet Fudge recipe would evoke such a response. It was really popular when I posted it just before Valentine's Day, but when the holiday season rolled around in November it went viral on Pinterest and Facebook. It was one of the major contributors to The Café's first 1 million pageview month in November!
March - The Café got a whole new look this month and switched from Blogger to WordPress. It was a huge learning curve, and a quite a few tears were shed in the process. But nine months later, I'll have to say that you really can "teach an old dog new tricks". We're still learning, but we love WordPress and all the blood, sweat and tears have been worth it - our average readership has increased tenfold since then!
It was St. Patty's Day, along with a special family celebration, that inspired these Irish Chocolate Cheesecake jars. One of our guests said it was the best thing he'd ever eaten - in his life! Of course almost everyone loves chocolate, and this dessert has been hugely popular on all our social media sites as well as the blog.
April - these Bakery-Style Blueberry Muffins were gobbled up as soon as they came out of the oven. I had some special little helpers with these crumb-topped, blueberry-studded muffins. Maybe that's why they were such a special hit with all of you!
May - the minute this super fresh, super healthy Mexican Chopped Salad was posted, it started getting pinned like crazy. And it still's going strong at 352,000 pins! I've gotten lots of emails from readers who are totally smitten with this vibrant, delicious salad with a little South of the Border flair.
June - We're quite crazy about avocados here at The Café, and we actually toured an avocado ranch on a fun road trip up the California Coast. Since we live in the Eastern United States, we had no idea how avocados grow, and learned all kinds of fascinating things about this delicious fruit (yes it's a fruit!) One of the most interesting facts we gleaned, is that avocados can be stored on the trees for a long time. They don't actually ripen until they're picked! How cool is that; nature's own storehouse!
When we returned home, I really had avocados on the brain, along with the Mexican cuisine we enjoyed everywhere we went in California. The carnitas (slow roasted pork) especially captured my imagination. Once I got back home, I came up with my own version, and this Avocado Crema to go with it.
We use this delicious sauce for so many other things too. I served a small bowl of it with a fried egg and a slice of whole grain toast; yum! It also makes a delicious, creamy sandwich spread, is wonderful spooned on burgers or grilled chicken and is simply fabulous for dipping with chips. I’ve even used it as a base for a salad dressing (recipe here).
July - For years, I've been on a quest for the perfect vanilla cupcake. I wanted it to be moist with a super tender crumb and, at the same time, be simple to put together. Finally, I found it and it's definitely my go-to, never-fail cupcake recipe now. I've received lots of emails from readers who love it as much as we do, especially when you combine it with this delicious Best Ever Buttercream Icing.
August - I've been making 5-Minute Artisan Bread for many years, and have shared a number of these recipes on the blog. This time I decided to do a step-by-step picture tutorial and it just seems to grow more and more popular every month. If you haven't tried this amazingly simple technique, you won't believe how easy it is. No, the bread does not take 5 minutes to make, but you can stir together the dough in that amount of time - there's no yeast expertise and ... NO KNEADING needed!
September - There were quite a few contenders for top spot this month. Between our Italian Meatballs and Marinara, the Best Ever Hot Fudge Sauce and the Best Ever, Super Easy Salsa recipes, I wasn't sure which one was going to take top honors. When I check the stats, these Pumpkin Crumb Muffins were a sure winner. Can you tell how much fun Scott and I had with the photo shoot?
October - This pretty Arugula, Pom and Pear Salad was the show stealer this month. With seasonal ingredients and a delicious Poppyseed Cider Dressing, it was a wonderful go-to salad for the fall and holiday season.
November - it seemed like every time I turned around, someone (actually, lots of someones!) was pinning these Red Velvet Kiss Cookies. Our granddaughters in London made them on their own, with just a bit of supervision from me. They had a blast; although there was a little Red Velvet bandit who showed up later in the story!
December - We shared lots of festive recipes this month, along with ideas on how to make preparations for the holidays a bit easier using make-ahead recipes. This Pomegranate, Parsely and Pecan Cheeseball was a clear favorite though, and was thoroughly enjoyed at some of our pre-Christmas gatherings.
~~~~~~~~
So that takes us up to today, New Years Eve. Scott and I want to thank you for following The Café this year. We so appreciate our long-time, faithful readers, along with a plethora of new followers in 2014. We've loved getting to know you through emails, comments and even meeting some of you in person. It's our joy to surprise you each week with fun, fresh new recipes you can serve to family and friends.
We're also thrilled about lots of new ideas and inspiration for 2015, and wish each one of you a blessed and Happy New Year!
Stacy | Wicked Good Kitchen says
A stunningly beautiful year in food at The Cafe, Chris! Oh yes...I remember your Caramel Cake and all of your creative and gorgeous fresh salads and homemade dressings. Your cheese ball is a work of art. Amazing! Scott is truly a master at shooting food. I'm drooling! Thank you both for sharing. Wishing you both a very happy New Year filled with many blessings! xo
lenia says
IIt has been a creative and delicius year for you, dear Chris!
Happy new year!
Monique says
Happy New Year you two..
And toute la famille.
Thank you for EVERYTHING!
Sam @ My Carolina Kitchen says
A very delicious year at the Cafe. I've promised myself I am going to try your bread recipe, now that you've broken it down into manageable loaves from the original recipe, which scared me off so much that I gave away the book.
Wishing you and Scott a very happy and healthy new year.
Sam
Melissa says
Great work, Chris & Scott! You've got another fan in NYC. 🙂 And thanks for the sample of peppermint fudge. You were right! Even non-mint-fans can appreciate it. Mmm. Cheers!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Melissa, love hearing from you and catching up with you through Cait. 🙂
Ginny Hartzler says
A gorgeous array of your gastronomic history. I now am wondering why you have never written a book, these all deserve to be recorded of others. Happy New Year!
Debra says
So happy to revisit these (and to finally catch up on my reading and commenting today). Happy, happy new year, Chris!
jack beasley says
Chris you simply can't get anymore fantastic. Absolutely my favorite blog EVER! And I have been cooking forever. I'll be 84 this March! Have a really Happy New Year. Be looking forward to all your surprises in 2015. Jack
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Jack, I love hearing from people like you! 84 and still cooking, WOW!
jack beasley says
Chris you simply can't get anymore fantastic. Absolutely my favorite blog EVER! And I have been cooking forever. I'll be 84 this March! Have a really Happy Ne Year. Be looking forward to all your surprises in 2015. Jack
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Jack! I love hearing from people like you! 84 and still cooking? Wow, that is so cool. You’re an inspiration for me 🙂
gloria says
Happy New year Chris to you and yours!
All look amazing like all you make!
spoon-stories says
Happy New Year my Dear^^
Lynn says
My favorite pic -hands down- is the slow motion powdered sugar one! That's just too fun! Wishing you both a wonderful 2015:@)
Melanie | Melanie Makes says
So glad that this was the year I met you - a definite highlight of my trip to NC this summer. Wishing you both the best in 2015!
sue|theviewfromgreatisland says
There are some incredibly memorable posts in this list...that red swirled fudge was amazing, but it's the pumpkin muffins that get my vote for best of 2014 --- Happy New Year to you both!
Cathy at Wives with Knives says
What a wonderful list of recipes, Chris. I can see why they are so popular. I want to try every single one. Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2015.
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
They are all my favourites, Chris. I wish I could taste that caramel cake!
Happy New Year!
Angie
Betsy says
Yum! Everything looks fabulous!
Vicki Bensinger says
Chris all these look wonderful and I'm glad you posted this because I missed a few of them. That said your Pumpkin Crumb Muffins photo was the most memorable photo for me in 2014 - it's stunning!
All the best to you, Scott and your beautiful family in the year ahead.
Happy New Year!!!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much Sophia, I really appreciate your kindness!
Sophia @ NYfoodgasm says
Damn Chris, I can see why these are all so popular, they are sooooo stunning! I love them! Also congrats on the spike in page views!! That is AMAZING! I am working on that myself. I have noticed though the more I just have fun with things and not look at page views they go up.