When the girls were little, my idea of celebrating a birthday was an 8:00 dinner reservation and a babysitter booked by Andy. It didn’t matter what restaurant we were headed to, so long as I didn’t spend half the meal kneeling under the table looking for a Polly Pockets shoe. But in the past few years, as the girls have gotten older and wiser (though somehow no less clumsy in the small-parts dropping department) it’s a different story. I find it’s not nearly as fun to blow out the candles without the two of them inserting their “cha-cha-chas” in the birthday serenade, and begging for the slice with the flower.
My birthday is still a few weeks off, but I’m proud to announce that DALS turned one this week. (Can you believe??) And in the spirit of including the whole family in the celebration, I’m offering gifts to you guys, my faithful DALS readers, who on a daily basis make this space so much more rich and so much more fun. Anyone who leaves a comment below is eligible for his or her choice of various goodies I’ve been collecting from generous vendors, including Laurie David’s cookbook The Family Dinner and a pile of food-related notepads from the always entertaining Knock, Knock. (I’m just going to assume you all have the DALS signature “Make Dinner Not War” bumper sticker already, but if you don’t, you can select that for your prize as well.) As usual, the selection process will be highly scientific — Phoebe and Abby will be picking three winners at random. So keep the comments clean. (That means you 654!)
I’ve also included some fun year-in-review stats, gleaned from the all-powerful Google Analytics and then a few personal faves from Andy and me. Thought they might help as you head into the weekend.
Ten Most Clicked Posts of the Year (in order): Letter of Agreement, The Recipe Door, Instant Dinner Party, Salad Pizza, Lemon-Pepper Chicken, Picky Eater Taxonomy, Dinner: A Love Story, The Book, Time for Dinner The Cookbook, Green French Fries, Vegetable Hater Special.
Most Popular Category (no surprise): Chicken
Most Popular Pep Talk: My Real Food Movement
Most Popular Chicken Recipe: Baked Chicken with Tomatoes and Mascarpone
Most Popular Pasta Recipe: Rigatoni with Back-pocket Bolognese
Most Popular Beef Recipe: Belgian Beef Stew
Most Popular Seafood: Thai-spiced Salmon in Coconut Milk
Most Popular Vegetarian Recipe: Pappardelle with Butternut Squash
Most Popular Soup: White Bean and Tomato
Most Popular Baking Recipe: Rosa’s Mud Cake (below)
Jenny’s Most Favorite Posts by Andy: Pick a Country, Any Country, Have a Baby Win Some Books, Tony’s Steak, Jake, Great Grandma Turano’s Meatballs, The Family Part of Family Dinner, Pork in Milk
Andy’s Most Favorite Posts by Jenny: Absolute Value, Special (pictured below) On Anniversaries, Sorry, I Have to Catch My Train, Table Manners for Grown-Ups, Sunday Minestrone, You Can’t Mess This Up I’ve Tried.
Thanks for a great year — Here’s to many more!
I don’t remember which link I clicked through to find you, but now it feels like we’re (online) neighbours. I suppose it’s just demographic, but it’s nice to find someone who is in the same place as me (and on the same wavelenth too!) Keep up the great work!
Happy Birthday! I don’t remember how I stumbled upon your site but I love it and all the great recipes I tried!!
Happy Birthday – keep ’em comin… You’re my inspiration!
Love, love, love this blog. Thank you for doing it! Happy birthday.
Love your blog–and I feel a little closer to Cookie when I check in. Happy birthday!
Happy Birthday… I didn’t realize the site is so young. I guess I’ve been reading since almost the beginning. Of all the sites on my reader, this is my favorite. We are already dedicated 7 night a week family dinner folks (though I must say we love it when family dinner is with the grand parents and not us), but the motivation, inspiration and humor you send along is lovely. Thanks for putting it all out there!
Happy Birthday, DALS! This site has kept me sane many a nights as I would wonder how in the world I was going to tackle dinner…that is, think of something that doesn’t take over an hour, and was something my SUPER PICKY four year old AND my husband who gets home after bedtime would eat. Dinner is fun again (Ok, most nights it’s fun)! THANKS! Please keep it up!
a one year old that gives me gifts of yummy recipes *before* they are digested – now *that’s* wonderful!!! happy birthday DALS.
Happy Birthday to DALS! I honestly found you a year ago after watching Food, Inc. and told myself I needed to step up my dinnertime fare. Thank the Lord for you and the great Andy (had to throw him props, as well). I love the ideas, encouragement and way you both love making good food. Thanks for keeping me on the straight and narrow as much as possible in doing right by my kids at dinnertime. I’d include my husband but he is a lost cause. 😉 And thanks for reminding me that loving food, cooking, dinner, etc. can be fun and funny.
P.S. Long live Trader Joe’s!
P.P.S. I still miss Cookie Magazine. A lot. 🙂
only one year old? i swear it seems like you’ve been posting long before then, for all the wonderful stuff there is.
this blog is inspiring on a whole bunch of levels. i’m so glad i discovered it!
Happy Birthday! Looking forward to many more fabulous posts filled with wonderful recipes, entertaining anecdotes, incredibly helpful tips, etc. Long live DALS!!
DAL is always a bright spot in my GoogleReader:)
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday, DALS! And I really don’t believe it’s only been a year. I must have been one of the first readers in that case! Love, love, love the blog for being so smart, funny and useful. What else can a reader ask for? May there be many more birthdays!
Happy Birthday! Thanks for inspiring me with all your great ideas. This past year I have made huge strides in planning out our meals for the week and putting (mostly) healthy and homeade dinner on the table (almost) every night. Keep inspiring others!
Happy Birthday! I so enjoy reading your blog!
Happy Birthday to you, DALS! I love the recipes and ideas you provide, but even more than that I love the little, ever hilarious glimpses you offer of married life, parenting life. I’m frequently left giggling at my computer screen. Kudos and long live DALS!
May the next years treat you as well as the last year. Congrats & Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday and congratulations! You make dinner at our house a lot tastier.
Happy Birthday! Your blog is simply wonderful 🙂
I recently asked friends to suggest some food/crafty/lifestyle blogs that they love that I need to read. DALS has been my favorite of that group. So glad to know ya!
happy birthday, dasl!
my question is when did polly pockets get shoes?!? when i was a kid polly pocket was a finger nail sized doll whose shoes were painted on. is she no longer pocket sized? 🙂
Love your blog. Congrats to turning 1!
Happy Birthday DALS! It is hard to believe that you have packed so much yumminess (sp?) into just one year. Thank you (and my family thanks you too!)
I have never commented before, but I love your blog, have made many of your recipes with great success, and desperately want a bumper sticker. Happy birthday DALS!
Wow! A year! Congratulations. I’ve received so much inspiration over the year and am so thankful for you!