Twice as Tasty grew mightily this past year, online and off. As 2018 winds down, indulge me in looking back at a third year of Twice as Tasty—or skip down the page to read about the year to come.

The blog grew by one new post every week this year. The Recipe Index now lists more than 200 recipes, and I’ve created 30 pages related to techniques for preparing, storing, and eating well year-round. The number of email subscribers, WordPress and Facebook followers, and companion Facebook group members continues to grow, with every day bringing in more people to learn about good food.

It’s hard to believe Twice as Tasty workshops have been running for just shy of 2 years: There are now 25 topics to choose from, and I’m always creating new ones as people say, “I’ve always wanted to learn how to make….” Even more people have brought me into their kitchen to create homemade appetizers and dinners through Twice as Tasty Live.

2018 Highlights

Twice as Tasty continues to grow and evolve every year. What I envisioned as a way to share some of my favorite recipes has expanded until I’ve added blogger, teacher, and private chef to my resume. Here are a few of 2018’s most popular and successful projects:

• Sourdough giveaway. The Sourdough Giveaway Experiment exceeded all expectations: Every person who received a free packet of starter was baking sourdough treats within a few days. I’m upgrading the experiment to an annual event; look for the 2019 giveaway starting next week.
• Fermented veg. I branched into a new area of food preservation on the blog: vegetable fermentation. Since last fall, readers and workshops participants who were new to fermentation, and those who were already following Twice as Tasty sourdough and fermented dairy recipes, have been discovering how easy it is to preserve produce with salt.
• Twice as Tasty Live. What started as a little idea—how to connect people through good food and music—has exploded into a series of house concerts and dinners. As a fan and supporter of live music, I’m thrilled to share these evenings with talented performers and an attentive audience. I’m just as excited to share my talents from the kitchen. Every morsel at these events is made on site, from scratch, using locally sourced ingredients. There’s no better way to spend an evening.

2019 Plans

“More” will be Twice as Tasty theme for 2019: more live events, more workshops, and many more recipes. As I make it easier for you to learn about what’s happening with Twice as Tasty, you can expect a few changes in the coming weeks:

• Website revamp. I’m working on some tweaks to the website that will put workshops and live events front and center. I traveled to teach my first international workshop last spring, and I would love to visit even more people in far-flung kitchens. With these changes, 2019 will be your year to book a workshop or plan a dinner or party featuring Twice as Tasty food! But if I don’t make to your kitchen this year, you don’t need to worry: I’ll still be sharing plenty of recipes and techniques on the blog.
• Recipe revamp. While most of you love the detailed instructions and tips that define Twice as Tasty recipes, some readers tell me they don’t try to make the “hard” ones. I’m the first to admit that some recipes, like Black Bean Veggie Burgers and Grilled Tomato Chipotle Salsa, require a lot of ingredients, work, time, or all three. But many of my recipes can be distilled down to a few simple instructions once you know the techniques involved. I’m aiming to make that clearer with each post in 2019.
• Affiliate revamp. You all seem to love the recently added Tried & True section, where I share links to some of my favorite tools and supplies for making that week’s recipes. Unfortunately, I haven’t grown to love Amazon’s affiliate program, so I’m looking for new ways to help you find useful items for your kitchen. Perhaps the best way is to simply encourage you to do as I do: Buy local when you can.

Twice as Tasty

You won’t want to miss anything I have in store for 2019. As the new year approaches, be sure you’re fully connected to Twice as Tasty:

• Go-getter. Want to get in on all the Twice as Tasty action? Like and follow the Facebook page, and then follow, subscribe, and join me via other social media to make sure you don’t miss a thing.
• Follower. Want to see each week’s recipe post when it goes live? Click the Follow button at the bottom right corner of this page or join the Facebook group.
• Subscriber. Only want to hear from me monthly? Sign up for emailed newsletters.
• Photo lover. All about the pretty food pictures? Join me on Instagram.
• Collector. Building recipe collections you can pull from later? Find me on Pinterest.
• Social butterfly. A fan of other social media? You can also find Twice as Tasty on Tumblr and Bloglovin’.

Thanks again for a fabulous 2018—I couldn’t do this without you. I’m looking forward sharing even more tasty treats with you in the new year.

Thanks for reading!
Julie

All photographs in this post are by Brenda Ahearn Photography.