Happy birthday Daughter of Seitan! It is so crazy that it has been a year since my first blog post. I am celebrating with vegan funfetti cupcakes 🎂 I wanted to reflect on the past year of food blogging, give y’all a life update, and to share my most popular recipes from the past year.
How I started food blogging
In June 2018 I moved to Barcelona with my boyfriend at the time, where I worked remotely as a UX designer for my company back in the US. After we were settled into our apartment and finalized our residence cards, we began building a life in our new country. I started going to the gym, taking Spanish classes, training for a half marathon, and traveling more frequently.
Even though I was pretty busy, I was itching to start a project. When I went vegan a couple of years ago, I developed a passion for cooking, recipe development, and teaching others about plant-based eating. I already was documenting my recipes in Google Keep, and one day I felt the pull to start a food blog to share my recipes with others. But there were always excuses not to start – my kitchen was too small, I didn’t have a camera, I didn’t have anything valuable to say, etc.
Several months later, I finally got the motivation to create a blog when I thought of a blog name. Daughter of Seitan was so funny, so me, and sooo available as a domain name. Once I bought the domain name, everything moved quickly and before I knew it, my first post was live.
I had no idea what I was doing most of this past year, and that was the best part! There was so much room for me to learn and grow in the food blogging space. It’s been a fun journey.
Life changes over the past year
Living in Spain was wonderful and beautiful, but some things aren’t meant to last forever. Early fall of last year, my time abroad came to an end when I decided to move back to the US. Bye Barcelona!
I ended up taking a break from my blog for a few months as I focused on moving back to Rochester, New York. I went to college in Rochester, it is where my company is based, and it felt like the place I needed to be. Yes, it’s cold and snowy, but it felt more like home than anywhere else.
Between buying a car, finding an apartment, furnishing the apartment (I had literally nothing), and the series of fall / winter holidays, I was super busy! But several months later, I am pleased to announce that I am so happy to be living alone with my precious kitty Mike in beautiful Upstate New York. It’s me and Mike against the world.
I have a lot more space and time to focus on my blog now that I’m settled into my new place. Cooking has been very meditative for me and keeps me grounded, and food blogging has been a fun and productive way to fill up my free time – especially now that everyone is in coronavirus quarantine and free time is plentiful.
The future of Daughter of Seitan
I am still figuring out my audience and where I want to take this blog. But one thing is for sure – this blog will always be 100% vegan. And as of right now I plan on focusing on the following:
- Quick and easy recipes with minimal ingredients
- Recipes that are accessible and affordable
- High-protein vegan recipes
I am so grateful for each and every one of you and I hope that you find value in my content and that I make your lives easier. It you have suggestions for anything you want to see on the blog, please contact me or message me on instagram! Connecting with you guys is my favorite.
Your top 3 favorite recipes on the blog
Here are the most popular recipes on my blog from the last year! These recipes got the highest page views.
Tahini Pad Thai
This is my most popular post, and I can understand why! Who doesn’t love a big bowl of noodles? Around the time when I published this recipe, I was making it at least 2x a week. It is truly a delicious meal and it is very adaptable to whatever ingredients you have on hand.
Vegan White Bean Mac & Cheese
Another amazing staple meal in my kitchen, this white bean mac & cheese is my second most popular recipe. Most mac & cheese recipes call for potatoes or cashews to make a creamy sauce, but I like to use canellini beans! It makes the cheese sauce much higher in protein and it tastes great.
Perfect Homemade Potato Gnocchi
My third most popular recipe is my potato gnocchi! I was obsessed with making gnocchi and was determined to create a perfect recipe! I did a lot of research figuring out tips and tricks to get the lightest, fluffiest gnocchi possible and I think I succeeded!
My top 3 favorite recipes on the blog
This was really hard to choose! My top favorite recipes would probably change every day based on what I am craving, but these are my favorites as of right now.
Everyday Vegan Pancakes for One
I think my 4-ingredient pancakes are probably my favorite recipe on the blog due to their mere simplicity. These pancakes take only 15 minutes to make and are made with wholesome pantry staples I always have on hand. Plus, they are super healthy but taste like a treat. You can’t beat it.
The Best Vegan Orange Tofu
Sweet baby jesus, this orange tofu is truly everything I’ve ever wanted in life. I am a huge fan of crispy tofu, and smothered in a delicious sticky sweet and salty orange sauce? Come. On. It’s so good it should be illegal.
Easy Vegan Peanut Noodles
I used to not be able to buy peanut butter because I would eat the whole jar in a couple of days. But I’m pleased to announce that my self control has improved, and I am now able to keep peanut butter on hand to make these delicious peanut noodles.
Throwback to my first post
Easy Falafel (Gluten-Free)
My first recipe! I had so much fun making these little falafels. We enjoyed them with salad, pita bread, and some tahini lemon sauce. My food photography style has changed a lot, but I am proud of year-ago-Mimi and her sick iPhone photography skillz.
