HVK friends and family, passers-by, and everything in between,

Well, no one’s “2020 in review” is going to start with anything but a groan, is it?

But let’s be fair. My family have been healthy, we have financial stability, so I’m not gonna complain. The loss of preschool, cancelled fun, scarcity of toilet paper and green lentils, and delays to our relocation plans were all a bit inconvenient, but we’re fine.

My biggest hope is that my recipes here helped some of you to pass the time in lockdown and bring some happiness and joy in these mundane times. I heard from one reader that a recipe I shared here brought some excitement back to their family dinners after they could no longer afford their usual, more expensive, ingredients. This has stayed with me, and I intend to be much more mindful of everyone who will need to be cooking on tighter budgets next year (myself included).

All in all, 2020 was a record breaking year for Happy Veggie Kitchen with 45% more readers than 2019 and a fair bit more revenue. Ad revenue took a significant downturn for all online publishers back in March when economies worldwide were put on hold and ad campaigns were being pulled left, right, and center. But the industry has adapted and away we go.

That makes us the lucky ones, and I’m grateful to all of you readers, both old and new. No one loves ads, but they pay me fairly for the work I do here. So just by being here, you keep food on our table as well as your own. And you never even complain about them! Thank you a hundred times over.

Most Popular New Recipes

These are the 2020 recipes that have been the most popular…

Green Lentil Dal. This went nuts from Day 1 and was the most popular recipe ever amongst my newsletter subscribers. So you all love dal then? Noted! I also shared my fave easy dal recipe and a dal for babies. There’s more to come.

Cheesy Nutmeg Scrambled Eggs for Babies. One of the few meals my kids can agree on, and it turns out the internet was full of parents and caregivers looking for great egg recipes for their tots too. (Grownups, take note: these aren’t just for babies. Please go and put some nutmeg and cheese in your scrambled eggs. It’s delicious.)

Air Fryer Halloumi. Turns out the internet is also full of people who wanted to know how to air fry halloumi. Well, step into my office and let me be of service.

My Personal, but somewhat neglected, Faves

These are the recipes I was extra excited about this year, but they didn’t get a whole lotta love. That’s just how it goes sometimes! Give them a second look though – you won’t regret it!

Black Bean & Kale Tacos. I love how kale works as a warm, citrusy topping on these tacos as an alternative to slaw. Such an easy and healthy dinner and we all need more of those.

Mediterranean Pasta with White Beans. There is so much that is good in this pasta! Beans! Cheese! Wine! Herbs! Cherry tomatoes! Come onnn, give it a chance.

Roasted Chickpea & Mushroom Bolognese. OK, I am super proud of this one because I dreamed up my very own approach to making faux meat and those folks who did try it loved it. It’s collected 10 x five star reviews and one reader whose partner didn’t even realize it wasn’t meat. Whaaaat. The pictures aren’t great (it was my first photoshoot in several months after my son was born so I was a little rusty!) but sometimes bad photos contain the best food.

What’s Next

So those on my newsletter list already know that we relocated to Scotland in the last few weeks, currently living in an Airbnb while our house is being built. Yes, this huge move coincided with Covid’s new strain emerging and a Tier 4 lockdown. The less said about that the better! Basically, things will be a little quieter at the start of this year while we find our feet.

Looking ahead, the hope is that at some point in 2021 I’ll have my own home office and some childcare for both of my kids! Leaving me more time than I have ever had to put into building this online space.

I want far more of my recipes to be vegan this year, and I intend to bulk out my collection of side dishes, curries and dals, soups and stews (why do I make so few of these?) I may publish some instant pot recipes for those who are interested as well as more air fryer recipes. I’ve also had a few requests for more breakfast recipes, which I am giving some thought to. As ever, please let me know if you have any ideas or requests!

So that’s where we are at.

Happy New Year everyone, I hope 2021 will be kinder to us all.

Christine