114 posts, 75 recipes, and 8 countries later, it’s my little blog’s first birthday!

This time last year I was up to my eyeballs in chemistry notes and ecology theories and distractedly jotting down little ideas for a blog.  The internet certainly didn’t need another food blog, I figured — there’s an overwhelming amount of big, beautiful sites that can satisfy any hungry reader. But here I am! I didn’t know what I wanted to blog about, only that I wanted a little space for a creative outlet.  As time has gone on, I guess I’d call Kate’s Plate a generalist/travel/food blog…as indecisive as ever, but having fun along the way.
Having just participated in a wonderful blogger cookie swap, I can’t get over how nice the blogosphere is, and I’ve been lucky to meet some really interesting and lovely people online and off because of my little blog.  I’ve learned so much this year, and now I see how the people who run the blogs I admire most are full time bloggers — they have to put in a lot work!

I’m so grateful for the positive feedback I’ve received this year — thank you to everyone who has commented, sent recipe suggestions, book recommendations, interesting links, travel tips, constructive criticism and lovely encouragement.  Thank you for stopping by my little blog and I hope you’ll come back often.  I enjoy having you here!  (Special thanks to all my taste testers, and family and friends for waiting for me to photograph my food before you get to eat…even though some of you make fun of me! And mama, thank you for being my number one after-the-fact-mistake-finder, recipe helper and kitchen consultant, just to name a few.)

And now, to celebrate a first year of happy blogging, here are the top five recipes from the first year on Kate’s Plate!
5. Baked Polenta Fries

Crispy and crunchy on the outside with a softer cheesy center, these are winners.  I’ve made these several times now, and have even cut them up in tiny cubes to be little croutons for my salads and soups.  However you choose to cut yours, I’m sure you’ll love them.  And, if you have a minute, the video linked in the post may give you some food for thought.

4. Dark Chocolate Earl Grey Tart

I might have waxed poetic about my love for Earl Grey in this post…but seriously, this dessert was lovely.  And yes, Earl Grey and I are still an item.

3. Cheesy Quinoa, Cauliflower and Broccoli Bake

This easy dish falls into one of my favourite food groups: healthy comfort food.  Warm, cheesy, and loaded with tasty veggies– this is something I love to throw together for a quick tasty dinner, and the leftovers (if you have any) rock.

2. Guinness Chocolate Cake

This Guinness chocolate cake was a hit last Saint-Patrick’s day.  Just like the beer that’s featured, the cake was dark and smooth.  Intensely chocolatey the recipe also worked super well for the Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes with Bailey’s Icing that silly Dunlop is trying to taste….
You can use any other stout beer in this recipe, and definitely don’t need to wait until next Saint-Patrick’s day to make it.

1. Cheesy Quinoa Cakes with Healthy Aioli

These little quinoa cakes were an instant hit.  I remember the night I made them I had had a bit of a rough day and really didn’t feel like cooking, but I’d already made the quinoa mixture and just had to plop these in the skillet so I plowed on.  I was rewarded with crispy, cheesy, nuggets of goodness and it was the perfect dinner on a cold January night.

So, there it is folks.  Time flies when you’re having fun, right?  It’s been a challenge, it’s been tasty, it’s been a ton of fun, and I’m grateful for it all.  Muchas gracias — hasta pronto!