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This year was big, wonderful, and completely life-changing. We fast-forwarded through some major life events, which was trying at times but always worthwhile.

Twenty-nineteen in summary: My boyfriend asked me to marry him in January, and my answer was a resounding yes. We got married on the first of June, spent a few days in Santa Fe immediately thereafter, celebrated my brother’s wedding at the end of the month, drank wine across France and Spain for two weeks in July, transformed his perfectly respectable bachelor pad into a cozy home that suits the both of us, finally mailed out our thank you notes, met my newest little nephew, and split our holidays between his family and mine. I’m excited to see what the next decade will bring.

I truly love every recipe I publish here, so it’s impossible to pick “favorites.” Please indulge me as I highlight some recipes that deserve more attention and tell you the stories behind them. Ready?

For our first date, my husband asked me to meet him at a nearby Thai restaurant for spring rolls and beer. These spring rolls are my variation of the ones we enjoyed over two years ago.

I’ve wanted to create a decadent, layered, naturally sweetened carrot cake for a long time—here it is. Choose between classic cream cheese frosting and naturally sweetened cream cheese frosting (made with dates!).

These tacos are just really fun, fresh and delicious. This recipe combines fresh pineapple salsa, Peruvian herb sauce and seared, golden halloumi cheese.

You may have enjoyed this recipe from my cookbook—this is the only tomato soup recipe you’ll ever need! Even better with a grilled cheese sandwich (below).

This grilled cheese sandwich features a layer of golden, crusted cheese on the outside. Someday, I hope to become neighborhood-famous as the mom with the best grilled cheese sandwiches.

This salad is my homemade version of one of our favorite local salads at The French Market. My mother-in-law makes it nearly every week!

These chilaquiles are so good, if I may say so, and I’m afraid they didn’t get as much attention as they deserve. Maybe the photos don’t do them justice?

My grandmother Mimi made the best pimento cheese. I couldn’t find her recipe anywhere, so I came up with my own.

My husband makes the best breakfast tacos, and I’ve attempted to recreate them for you. His hack—he goes to the grocery store’s salad bar for pre-cut fresh ingredients, which is a brilliant time-saver and waste-minimizer, if you think about it.

This recipe is a great example of how I throw meals together at home—hardy greens can become a quick and truly delicious side dish, if you know how to cook them properly.

More resources you might appreciate: 23 make-ahead breakfast recipes and 20 simple weeknight dinners. Don’t forget to follow us on Pinterest for a steady stream of recipe inspiration!