Five Friday Favorites 12/30/16: Year in Review

Happy Friday! It’s the ultimate Friday of 2016, the penultimate day of 2016, and the antepenultimate day of my time at home.

And, yes, I was looking for an excuse to use the word “antepenultimate” on the blog. #wordnerd

I didn’t really mean to go a full week between the last post and this one, but I’ve been busy, it happened, and I feel nice and refreshed heading into next year. As it should be. It also works because while I have plenty of memories, I don’t have many pictures from Christmas. 

Except of cookies. Typical.

Do you have exciting New Year’s Eve plans? Our tradition is to watch football, play games, and make a bunch of appetizers to snack on for dinner. And then we go to bed pretty much right after midnight. After that, we’re heading back to Chicago in good time on January 1, and winter quarter starts on Tuesday.

Before we kick off the new year, let’s look back at some of our favorites from the past one. Sound good? Let’s do it.

5 most popular blog recipes

• Honey Garlic Hasselback Sweet Potatoes

I love everything about these – and apparently, you do, too! They’re soft on the inside, crispy on the outside, and delicious all throughout. If you’re not into sweet potatoes or just want to switch things up, the flavors would be great with regular potatoes, too.

• Cheesy Cauliflower Pizza Poppers

This is the only non-Paleo recipe that cracked the top 5, and it’s definitely a good one. I mean, vegetables that are flavored like pizza. Vegetables don’t get better than that.

• (Paleo) Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Paleo baking can be a pain. I’ve had lots of fails and lots of, “Eh, that’s fine, but not as good as traditional baking.” These are not that. They’re just really damn good, chocolatey cookies.

• Paleo Trail Mix Bars

This is one of the first Paleo creations I made, and it proved to me that I can still have fun creating in the kitchen, even if I’m loving a Paleo diet. These bars are soft, chocolatey, nutty, and satisfying. Oh, and customizable. 

• Paleo Peach Berry Crisp

I’ve made this for everyone, and everyone loves it – I’m glad you guys do, too! Looking for a wintry version? Sub the fruit for diced apples and pears and add a little cinnamon.

5 most popular non-recipe posts

• Ehlers-Danlos Awareness: What I Didn’t Know
• Give Yourself Permission
• A Lot of Words on Body Image
• How I Eat More (Even When It’s Hard)
• 4 Valuable Lessons from My Favorite Teacher

5 good things about this year

People keep saying that 2016 was the worst. And, yes, some of it was rough.It’s been a year when I’ve recognized my own anxiety/depression issues, continued to cope with the fact that pain is a constant part of my life, gotten injured, and just really struggled with everything at times. But, truly, every year has its bad moments – and it’s good ones. Let’s focus on those.

• I’ve spent all kinds of time with the people I love most.
• I determined I can graduate from UChicago two quarters early.
• I did yoga teacher training for my 200-hour certification.
• I secured my internship for next summer.
• The Blue Jackets are actually good this year. And the Buckeyes are, too.

5 things I’m looking forward to next year

• Being done with my undergraduate career.
• Completing yoga teacher training extensions.
• Having a real internship with the possibility of a job to follow.
• Going to Disney… and hopefully running there.
• Growing the blog and continuing to make connections through it.

5 goals I have for next year

• Hold handstand and/or headstand. 
• Work as a (part-time) yoga teacher.
• Run a half marathon. Maybe it’s Disney, maybe it’s not.
• Study abroad! Rome, London, and Paris are at the top of my list.
• Work toward being okay with the uncertainty of the future. (I figured it was good to have a super ambitious goal in there.)

Check out the best of 2016 for @EllenSlater and what's to come in 2017. #FitFluential #SweatPink Share on X

Your turn:

What did you love about this year?

What are your goals for next year?

Linking up with Heather