Celebrating One Year of Blogging!

It’s officially been a year since I launched The Vegan Harvest!

I honestly cannot believe I stuck it out and made it to the one year mark. I tried starting a blog a few times and never followed through, but this time I did and it feels really good.

It’s been so much fun sharing recipes and stories about my life. But it’s been more than fun, it’s really turned into a self care routine. I was always a creative person, but I lost my creativity for a while. Cooking has certainly become that creative release for me, as has playing with a camera and trying my hand at food photography. I know I am far from a professional, but I really think that my photographs have improved during the year!

Not only has blogging added some creativity back into my life, it’s also been really healthy for me. Sometimes, especially when I am depressed, I tend to not eat properly. That’s not good for anyone, but as a celiac and vegan, I really have to watch my nutrient levels. Having a blog forces me to create proper meals for myself, instead of eating a typical depressed dinner of popcorn and wine.

Finally, writing about my life has been cathartic. It’s not always the easiest to write, and I’m sure it’s not always the easiest to read. I hope that sharing pieces of my life have helped others realize they’re not alone. We need to de-stigmatize mental illness. I hope sharing my experiences so openly contributes even just a small bit to that effort.

I’m not the greatest writer, I am not the greatest food blogger, and I am not the greatest food photographer. But I didn’t allow that to stop me from doing something that made me happy, and I have only improved. I can’t wait to see what the next year will bring!

Thank you to my wonderful followers, to anyone who shared my recipes, and to my friends who taste tested the food (the bad and the good!) Your support means the world. In celebration of my one year, here are the blog’s top 5 most popular recipes!

Grab my Top 5 Recipes:

1. Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge Oat Bars

   These oat bars got really popular after Finding Vegan featured them on their Facebook page! I was inspired by a treat from a local bakery, and went home and created these. They’re not exactly the same, but they’re just as delicious!

 

2. Chickpea Peanut Stew w/ Aprictos and Raisins

   I think this was the first recipe that I photographed and thought to myself, maybe I can do this whole food photography thing! It still didn’t get accepted to foodgawker, but it was a significant moment for me. My mom made this for me all the time growing up, so it’s also half her recipe!

 

3. My Favourite Tofu Strips w/ Maple Dill Sauce

   These photos did get accepted to foodgawker! These tofu strips are the definition of my comfort food. I surprisingly don’t make them that often, but when I do, they’re perfect every time. This recipe also marked the first time someone I didn’t know made one of my recipes and shared the picture on social media!

4. Peanut Butter Cookies

   I honestly have no idea why these peanut butter cookies became as popular as they did. They’re really great, but they don’t mark any special milestone for me. Nonetheless, they’re certainly worth trying! Gluten free and vegan cookies are sometimes hard to make, but these are pretty fool-proof.

5. Cauliflower Wings

   This recipe has two milestones! The first being that I did an “action” shot, all by myself (yes, that is my hand and I took the photo!) AND this recipe was the first recipe of mine to go up on the One Green Planet website! Over on their site, the recipe has been shared over 1900 times!

   

Thanks again for reading, making, and allowing me to find share.