Saying Ciao to 2014 + This Year's Top Recipes

Hi Friends,

Now that we've all had our fill of glazed ham, creamy potatoes, and all the pies and cookies we could stomach…it’s time for me to reflect on the past year and look forward to the beginning of another (in between shopping trips to spend the gift cards that are no doubt burning a hole in our pockets). 2014 has been a roller-coaster that I will not soon forget.

I've learned a lot about myself this year that I wouldn't have been able to if it weren't for the struggles that came along with a year spent living in limbo followed by a challenging stint spent living in a foreign country. Many days we asked ourselves if we were living some sort of “opposite day” themed prank. It felt like it. Now we have the luxury of being able to step back, put on some rose-colored glasses, and appreciate the highlights of a year filled with unlikely events.

A Few of My Favorite Moments from 2014

Paris. Michael and I had the most amazing whirlwind weekend in the City of Lights with two of our friends who live in Belgium. We happened to meet them a couple of years ago while visiting Alaska of all places. Not only was it wonderful to see them again, but we were thrilled and bursting with excitement to have friends to speak English with! They also both speak French, so we really got lucky when it came to maneuvering Paris like a local. I miss them, and Paris. Till we meet again…

My Parents’ Visit to Italy. After we had been in Italy for a couple of months and got “settled in” or something like that, my parents hopped a plane to spend a couple of weeks with us. Prior to their visit, it rained every. single. day. During their two-week visit, I think we experienced about 45 minutes of sprinkling rain. They quite literally brought sunshine to our life when it was needed the most. We visited Florence, Venice, Rome, Treviso, and the Dolomites together. We had a great time, and TONS of gelato. (Are they cute or what?)

Coming home. There were a lot of things about our time in Italy that could have and should have gone more smoothly. In the end, however, I am glad that our time there didn't turn out to be the time of my life. I am glad that I had our little home and our life to look forward to returning to. It would be so disappointing if we fell in love with living in Italy to the point that we didn't want to come back to the life that we have worked so hard to build. Michigan is home, and I'm more convinced than ever that it is the greatest place filled with the greatest people on the planet.

This blog. It seems so strange that such a project could bring so much joy to my life. It is absolutely my passion to learn and share as much as possible about food. I have loved hearing from you all this year! There’s something about food that can bridge the gap between cultures, and can instantly transport you to another place or another time. I love that. I am so happy that Kitchen Joy has grown so much this year, and I look forward to seeing where it takes me in the years to come. If you ever have anything that you think would be a fun or interesting idea for me to share, just let me know! I would love your thoughts. Thank you all so much for visiting my site. If you're a longtime reader or brand new, I am deeply grateful that you choose to spend some of your time here. Come back soon!

Ciao, 2014. It's been real.