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!
Happy birthday DALS! I’m in love with your website and cookbook. I share all of the goodness with my friends. Keep it rolling!
Happy Birthday, DALS! I feel as though I’ve received more than a year’s worth of valuable advice here, so thanks for all the recipes, inspiration, and encouragement!
Hello! Wow, a year already? I recently tried out your chicken “pizza” recipe, and it was excellent!
Pick me please!
only a year…seems like you’ve been inspiring me and my dinner table forever.
Happy Birthday! thank you for being such sane, realistic parents that demonstrate there is a place for dinner even if it isn’t always perfect.
I’ve only been reading for a couple months and this is my first comment, but I’m in love with your site. I didn’t grow up having family dinners and it was something that I was determined to do when I had a family. I had to teach myself to cook, but five years in, we’re still doing it. It’s probably up there in the top five of most important things that define our family’s decision making. So, all that to say, I really appreciate what you’re doing here, I love your writing, and I love your recipes.
Thank you and happy birthday!
Hope the new year brings you joy! Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday! You are one of the few blogs I check regularly for a smile and a great food idea. Yes, I’d also have to agree that Letter of Agreement is probably my favorite post, too! I’m looking forward to the day your Dinner, A Love Story book comes out (always prefer to read a “real” book over my computer screen!)
Happy happy birthday!
I don’t have kids yet, but I’m in the I-want-a-baby-so-bad-but-I’m-in-grad-school phase of life. I use your website as training/future idea generating/my weekly fix of kid centered glee. And the writing on your blog is just so fabulous! Hunting for a Polly Pocket shoe–I die!
Also, your pork ragu is a revelation. 😀 Thanks Abby, Phoebe, Andy (and Jenny too :)) for sharing your life and food with me!
Happy b’day to one of my favorite blogs … I’ve enjoyed you all year long and at least two new family faves come from these posts (butternut squash pasta and pork ragu). Cheers to you all!
Happy birthday, DALS! You are my newest, most favorite cooking blog!
I LOVE the birthday pancakes! What a lovely idea.
do i really use coarse language too often in my comments? Hmmph. Noted.
And, since Abby and Phoebe are voting:
Delicious
Insightful
Newsy
Never boring
Excellent
Riveting
And…
Light-hearted
Outstanding
Very…
…Entertaining
Simple Suppers
Thought-provoking
One year old
Ralphie (RIP) [is this called playing to the judges?]
Yea!
Seriously, thank you.
You’ve really made me feel as though I’m not alone in this whole working mom who still likes to cook real meals experiment. As my kids are still a bit young (2 and 3) I cam’t wait until they become a bit more adventurous – though already they’ve grown leaps and bounds!
Happy Birthday!
I am a very new reader but have quickly enjoyed reading your posts and the posts I missed all this time…..Happy Birthday! I am glad you are a part of the world wide web!!
Happy birthday! And many more. I love the blog.
Congratulations on your one year anniversary! i love your blog and have your bumper sticker on my fridge. Keep up the good work– I have an 8 yr. old and a 4 yr. old and will need your help for many years to come!!
Happy birthday! I can’t believe how much I love your blog. We were committed to family dinner well before I discovered Cookie, much less DALS. But your clever writing and delicious recipes really fill a niche.
There are days I look at my friends who put their kids to bed before adult dinner and I think “Couldn’t I? Shouldn’t I?” But now that my 6 yr old is game to at least try anything on her plate that isn’t stew, and we all make conversation about our day (in between asking her to use her napkin, sit up straight, take a break from talking to eat, etc.) and I know that family dinner is the best idea ever. Thank you for making it so much easier, *and* for acknowledging how hard it is.
Okay, so I LOVE your website – it’s so great to hear such an authentic voice. You have created a great place for me to check in for my ‘what am I going to make..arghhh’ moments. Congratulations!
New to your blog but LOVE it!
happy birthday.
I had mine last week and we had the 8pm dinner reservation as my co-worker made sure my little man didn’t wake up!
Thanks for the inspiration – hope to be getting dinner on the table for the whole family soon.
Happy Birthday DALS!
I have read regularly for >6 months and can’t wait for the next posts. We don’t have kids yet but I’m working on getting our dinner routine down now and I use some of your ideas on my dear hubbie.
Keep up the good work!
happy birthday! i don’t remember how i stumbled upon your site, but i am ever so glad i did! i cook about 3-4 meals a week now, and most of them are DALS recipes. i haven’t come across a recipe of yours that isn’t a keeper. love love love you guys.
Congrats on DALS turning 1! Plus Happy Bday to you too 🙂
just found your website today and I. AM. LOVING. IT! Looking forward to reading new posts to come and perusing all the ones I’ve missed 😀
i’m so in love with your blog!!! keep doing what you’re doing 🙂 xoxo joanna