It’s that time again — 2021 has come to a close, and I’m looking back at the year on the blog. Read on for a behind-the-scenes recap and a preview of what’s coming next. New recipes are on the way!
If you’d like to compare notes, take a look at last year’s recap or the 2019 year in review.
Some 2021 highlights:
- More than 19 million people visited the site in 2021, generating over 30 million pageviews. After the surge in home cooking in 2020, it was wonderful to continue sharing recipes with so many readers.
- The most-visited recipe published in 2021 was my easy and comforting Creamy Tomato Pasta.
- Instagram growth continued — the account reached 426K followers. In late November a photo of my Creamy Tuscan Orzo went viral, earning over 80,000 likes and bringing thousands of new followers in just a few days.
- Salt & Lavender passed the milestone of 1,000 published posts — the blog began back in 2015 and has steadily grown since.
- This year I finally published a full Thanksgiving suite: a roast turkey, classic stuffing, and rich turkey gravy.
- I collaborated with long-term partners Tony Chachere’s and DeLallo Foods, and welcomed a new 2021 partnership with Reynolds Brands to develop a batch of fresh recipes for the blog.
- My personal favorite recipe of the year was the Mississippi Pot Roast — comforting, simple, and satisfying.
- In February I spoke on the She Heals the World podcast about the moment when pursuing a passion full-time becomes the right choice.
On a personal note…
After very limited travel in 2020, it felt great to visit Arizona and catch up with my friend Isabel. It’s always inspiring to connect with other food creators and friends in person.
I also enjoyed some travel closer to home. A stay at the “Castle in the Rockies” — the Banff Springs Hotel — is always a lovely escape for food, scenery, and a little rest.
Looking ahead to 2022:
- My sister will join the team full-time in January. She’s been helping behind the scenes part-time for a few years, and expanding her role means I’ll have more time to develop recipes and focus on photography. Expect even more delicious content and better visuals.
- We’ll revisit older recipes, re-test them, update photos, and add practical tips so readers can recreate those dishes with confidence.
- I launched a TikTok account for Salt & Lavender in late 2021. I haven’t fully committed to it yet — consider this a promise to try harder in 2022.
Thank you for following along — whether you read the blog, subscribe to emails, or follow on social media. It means so much to know these recipes are making weeknight dinners easier and tastier.
Your comments, reviews, and shares with friends and family help the site grow and allow me to keep creating. I appreciate every bit of support.
-Natasha XOXO