We're wrapping up one of our biggest years yet with a look back at our fondest memories and biggest successes. We're sharing our most popular recipes and three life changing events that took place in 2018, as well as a giveaway. Thank you all for sharing this journey with us and supporting our efforts to bring peace, love, and kindness to the world, one recipe at a time.ย
Let's start this off with what we do best, cooking! Here are our most searched posts in Google in 2018. Do you notice a theme?
THE TOP 10 VEGAN RECIPES OF 2018
1. THE NUMBER ONE SEARCHED RECIPE ON VEGANOSITY
SMOKY SOUTHERN-STYLE MEATLESS MEATLOAF
There's a reason this vegan meatloaf recipe is number one. It's delicious! Hundreds of thousands of people found our BBQ bean loaf recipe on the internet and 99.9% of the people who took the time to let us know what they thought about it, loved it. You can't please everyone. ๐
This vegan BBQ loaf is so full of flavor and it sticks together, what more could you ask for?
2. THE SECOND MOST POPULAR RECIPE POST ON VEGANOSITY
10 QUICK AND EASY VEGAN APPETIZERS
Who doesn't like appetizers, especially when they're quick and easy? We rounded up our best appetizers from 2017 and earlier and put them in one place for your viewing and dining pleasure.
You'll find everything from oven-fried zucchini to "crab" cakes and everything in-between.
3. THE THIRD MOST POPULAR VEGAN POST ON VEGANOSITY
HEALTHY VEGAN WEEKNIGHT MEAL PLAN
Just because something is healthy doesn't mean that it can't be good. We rounded up a week's worth of delicious and colorful vegan dinner recipes and included a shopping list to make your weeknight dinners easy and satisfying.
4. THE FOURTH MOST POPULAR RECIPE ON VEGANOSITY IN 2018
VEGAN MUSHROOM BOURGUIGNON
This doesn't surprise us at all. Our readers LOVE this recipe and rave about it all over social media. It takes a little time to make, but most really good food does. Try it and you'll understand what we're talking about.
5. THE FIFTH MOST POPULAR VEGAN RECIPE ON VEGANOSITY
PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM BACON
What makes bacon such a popular food? The salt, fat, and smoky flavor. We sliced Portobello mushrooms really thin, marinated them in liquid smoke, salt and pepper, and a bit of maple syrup, then pan fried them for the best bacon substitute you'll ever eat.
6. THE SIXTH MOST POPULAR RECIPE ON VEGANOSITY IN 2018
PULLED BBQ CARROTS
This is the recipe that helped us get our first book deal. It's not only freaking amazing, it's so dear to our hearts. The texture of thinly sliced carrots and onions, roasted until they're slightly caramelized, then simmered in homemade BBQ sauce is remarkably similar to pulled meat.
As a matter of fact, our meat loving friends adore this, and my (Linda's) mother-in-law has requested it often at family gatherings.
7. THE SEVENTH MOST POPULAR RECIPE ON VEGANOSITY
SUGAR-FREE STUFFED BAKED APPLES
You won't find any added sugar in this mouthwatering baked apple recipe. It doesn't need it, because the apple is sweet enough on its own. We stuff it with oats, nuts, and raisins to create the most healthy and delicious dessert.
8. THE EIGHTH MOST SEARCHED FOR RECIPE ON VEGANOSITY
VEGGIE LOADED BLACK BEANS AND RICE
This is so easy, so healthy, and SO GOOD! It's a well rounded meal in a bowl that the whole family will love. Not only is this popular on the web, it's also one of the most searched recipes on Pinterest.
9. THE NINTH MOST POPULAR RECIPE ON VEGANOSITY
VEGAN PENNE PASTA CASSEROLE
My neighbor loves this, our readers love this, we love this, and we know that you're going to love this easy and tasty pasta casserole, too. Made with our cashew cream sauce, fire roasted tomatoes, and all of the spices you'd expect to find in Italian food. Try it, you'll like it!
10. THE TENTH MOST POPULAR RECIPE ON VEGANOSITY
HOMEMADE APPLE CINNAMON PIE WITH A FLAKY VEGAN PIE CRUST
This couldn't make us happier. We adore our vegan apple pie recipe and we think that our homemade vegan pie crust is the best. We couldn't be happier to see this classic American dessert recipe on the list.
Now that you've seen the top ten recipes on our blog, do you see the theme?
VEGAN COMFORT FOOD!
We're known for creating delicious vegan comfort food from recipes that we made before we gave up eating animal products. We'd say that we've more than succeeded, and we're just getting started!
Stay tuned for some exciting things that we're working on for 2019!!
Speaking of exciting things, 2018 was quite a year for us. We published two cookbooks with Page Street Publishing and Alex got married!
We feel incredibly blessed and can't thank you enough for all of your support.
Here we are at the WGN News studio before our live cooking segment!
WE PUBLISHED TWO COOKBOOKS IN 2018!!!
In December 2016 we opened an email from an editor at Page Street Publishing, a division of Macmillan. At first we thought it was a prank.
After reading the email numerous times and then doing a bit of research, we realized that it was for real. The rest is history.
In March 2018, our first book, Great Vegan BBQ Without A Grill was released for sale to the public. We had book signings, a television appearance, and a few lectures that helped us get the word out about how vegan food can be delicious and satisfying. It's not all rabbit food. ๐
Just before our first book was about to be published, another editor at Page Street asked us to collaborate with five other vegan authors to write, The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook.
Although we were exhausted from all of the work it took to write the first one, we couldn't say no to the opportunity to work with so many great food bloggers/authors, so we jumped in head first.
GREAT VEGAN BBQ WITHOUT A GRILL
This book was so much fun to write. It was also one of the biggest challenges of our lives.
Our editor discovered us because of our Southern inspired recipes, such as our Pulled BBQ Carrots and Smoky Southern-Style Meatloaf (featured above).ย She asked us to create 80 new BBQ recipes for the book. We couldn't use one recipe from the blog, they all had to be unique.
Some of the recipes came naturally to us, and we perfected them after a few tries. However, the seitan recipes took us weeks to develop.
We tried so many seitan "meat" recipes that we found on the web, and none of them impressed us. The textures were off, the flavor of vital wheat gluten was too strong, and we weren't about to give our readers anything but delicious, so we got to work.
Our Honey BBQ Ribz recipe is one of several seitan recipes that we created for the book. Yes, there is a long list of ingredients, but most are spices and condiments you most likely have in your kitchen.
Why are there so many ingredients? Because FLAVOR! Vital wheat gluten has a funky taste, and we wanted our ribz to taste as close to the real thing as possible. We think they do, and so do so many of our readers.
We also wanted the texture to be less like sponge andย more like meat. Now, we know that these aren't exactly like real ribz, but if you're craving that flavor and a meaty bite, they're as good as you're going to get from homemade.
If you haven't bought this vegan BBQ cookbook, you really should. You'll find entrees, sides, dips, and sauces that are perfect for parties, game day, and summer barbecues. The best part, you can make every recipe in your kitchen, no grill required.
THE ULTIMATE VEGAN COOKBOOK
This vegan cookbook has over 600 recipes created by 6 different food bloggers.
You'll find everything from raw to decadent, soy-free, gluten-free, and oil-free, and every recipe has a key to let you know exactly what you're getting, or not getting.
We contributed 100 recipes to this book. Some are from the blog, and many are unique to the cookbook. One of our favorites is our Lemon Meringue Pie. It's exactly like the one my mom used to make, only better.
ALEX GOT MARRIED!ย 
As if writing two cookbooks and growing our blog wasn't enough, we also planned a wedding!
Alex married her high school sweetheart (Linda married her high school sweetheart, too) on October 6, 2018. The wedding was all vegan and absolutely beautiful.
Alex is working on a vegan wedding guide that will hopefully be ready to post before the spring wedding season begins. Stay tuned!
WHAT KIND OF CONTENT DO YOU WANT TO SEE FROM US IN 2019?ย
Tell us in the comments below.
VEGAN COOKBOOK GIVEAWAY!!!!
To celebrate our incredible year, we're giving away both of our cookbooks (signed) to FIVE lucky winners!! You can enter the giveaway by following the prompts below. We'll draw the winners in 10 days. Good luck!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The above links are affiliate links. Any Amazon purchases made through these links help support Veganosity.com at no additional cost to you.
Make our top ten recipes and let us know what you think. We love to hear from you! And, donโt forget to take a picture of your gorgeous creation and tag us @veganosity on Instagram.
Letโs connect! Hop on over to our Facebook page and give it a like, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter, and follow us and share this and other Veganosity recipes on Pinterest. We'd be so grateful if you did. If you like this recipe and can't wait to see what we're going to share next, subscribe to Veganosity. Just fill in the subscription box above our picture in the top right corner of the page. And, Alex and I love hearing from you, please leave a comment and let us know what you think of our recipes.
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Mary says
The best thing that happened to me was that at the end of the year I was hired at another company for a much higher salary by people that are very nice and friendly. Later I learned how hard it was to get the job, but I had breezed through so easily that I thought they were hiring everybody. Then my boss at the job where I gave notice told me just how important I was considered to be at my job. Nice to be appreciated but when you have a houseful of people to support, nminimum wage is not appreciation!
Linda Meyer says
That's great, Mary! We're so happy for you and your success, and you're right, it's so nice to be appreciated and we're happy that your boss let you know how valuable you are. Have a wonderful 2019!
Marianne says
One of the best things that happened to me was finding your blog! No lie! You inspire me and show me the way to vegan cooking when I falter or stumble. I love your recipes. Fresh, easily available ingredients, easy to follow instruction and great flavors! Thank you for your devotion to thisblog!
Alex Meyer, MA says
Marianne, Thank you so so much! You've sincerely made our year by posting this. It's readers like you who truly keep us going and give us inspiration to keep creating every single day. We hope that you have an amazing 2019 : )
Shirley says
I am so fortunate because my second grandchild was born in November of this year. My daughter lives in San Francisco and I live in rural Minnesota, so I havenโt met my new granddaughter in person yet, but I have been able to visit in FaceTime. I am also looking for new vegan foods to serve when we do get to meet. I am not vegan but my daughter has been vegan for about 10 years now so we when visit in person once or twice a year, I always try to provide her with great vegan meals.
Alex Meyer, MA says
Hey Shirley, Congratulations! What an amazing thing to happen this year. And, I have to say that your daughter is so lucky to have a Mom who wants to make vegan dishes for her. That's so awesome that you're supportive of her vegan lifestyle : )
Shirley says
Not only do I try to prepare vegan food for my daughterโs visits, but when we pick her up from MSP, we stop byWhole Foods and Trader Joeโs in Minneapolis so she can choose her familiar brands and organic fruits and vegetables. It is amazing how limited the grocery offerings in rural Minnesota can be. But it is always entertaining to prepare meals with her.
Linda Meyer says
We love this, Shirley! You're a great mom!
Krista Bowers says
A dear friend ended up in the hospital with pneumonia and kidney and liver failure. She was in a coma, and her doctors gave her 0% chance o leaving the hospital alive. Her family got permission to give her IV mega doses of Vitamin C, and natural liver and kidney enzymes. Within 3 days, she had come out of the coma, was taken off life support and moved to a regular room. Her pneumonia is gone, her kidney enzymes are back to normal, and her ammonia levels have decreased significantly. Her brother is giving her part of his liver, and she has now been given a good strong chance of making a full recovery! DEFINITELY one of the best things to happen for me this year!
Alex Meyer, MA says
Hey Krista, What an incredible story! I'm so glad that your friend is doing ok and we hope that she only continues to improve in the New Year : )
Honey says
A great collection of recipes! Just keep doing what you are doing. Thanks for the giveaway!
Alex Meyer, MA says
Hey Honey, Thank you so much!
Lauren says
You all have had a big year!! The best thing that happened to me this year was finally being able to buy myself a brand new camera! I have loved photography since high school and had been using an old hand me down DSLR that broke a couple of years back. Having a new camera to use has been so nice, I didnโt realize how much I missed it until I had one again!
Alex Meyer, MA says
Hey Lauren, That's fantastic! We totally know the feeling of opening up that new camera box. It seriously feels like being a kid on Christmas morning! Hope 2019 brings you wonderful things : )
Tina says
Being there for my nieces wedding was fantastic (almost didn't make it due to some health problems with my Dad but luckily things worked out)
Alex Meyer, MA says
Hey Tina! That's so awesome! I'm sure she was so happy to have you there. We hope your Dad is feeling better : )
Debbie says
I am married to a meat eater, but this year I tried more and more vegan recipes and slowly my partner is starting to like the variety. I may never be able to totally stop serving animal products, but at least now he eats veggies and every once in a while we eat a vegan meal. I look forward to cooking just one meal a night. Hopefully it will happen soon. Your recipes definitely help. Thanks
Linda Meyer says
That's great, Debbie! Thank you so much! My (Linda) husband wasn't vegan for the first two years after Alex and I went vegan, but he is now. Baby steps..... ๐
Denise says
I am grateful that our family has been healthy this year.
Linda Meyer says
The greatest gift. ๐
Karen D says
Seeing members of my far-flung family. Unfortunately it was at a memorial service for my brother.
Linda Meyer says
On no, we're so sorry, Karen. Our deepest condolences.
Christine @ Run Plant Based says
Such a great list of recipes and wonderful year, so exciting! Thank you for the giveaway opportunity! It was an interesting year for me, I guess traveling and growing into a more mature adult was the best for me in 2018. ๐
Linda Meyer says
Happy New Year, Christine! Thank you so much, it's been quite a year. Wishing you the best for 2019!
Melissa says
The best thing that happened to me in 2018? I survived, LOL.Enjoyed every minute with my partner. Love is what sustains me.
Linda Meyer says
That's one way to think of it. LOL! Happy New Year!
Melissa says
The best thing that happened to me in 2018? My continuing love for my fiancee.AND LIVING AS A VEGAN!
Linda Meyer says
Those are two pretty amazing things! Congratulations!!
Melissa K. says
Have enjoyed all your recipes. Thank you for helping make this year a little better!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you for your support! xoxo
Cynthia Morgan says
Thank you for all you do. Having delicious recipes certainly makes it easier to stay vegan.
Linda Meyer says
Thank you so much, Cynthia! That means a lot. We love sharing our recipes and making it easier, and fun, to be vegan. ๐
Denise says
The best thing that happened in 2018 was our third grandchild(girl) was born!! And just continuing to learn and grow more in my vegan lifestyle.
Linda Meyer says
Congratulations!! I can't wait for a grandchild (cough, cough, ALEX). LOL! We're here to help, please don't hesitate to ask us questions or request a recipe.
Hilary says
The best thing that happened to me this year was getting a promotion at work! I really like my new responsibilities.
Iโm trying to go vegan. Iโve been vegetarian for about 8 years but my big stumbling block is cheese. Iโm going to keep working on going vegan this year.
A big problem I have overall is that I live in Alaska, and my produce options are limited, and often what we have can be bad (I hated tomatoes until I had actual gold ones in Italy...the ones I grew up with were terrible). I often have to adapt recipes based on what I can get and what I like. Thanks for your great website!
Linda Meyer says
Hi Hilary! Congratulations on your promotion, that's so great!! Cheese is probably the most difficult thing for people to give up. It certainly was for Alex. Let us know if we can help. ๐
Linda McGuire says
The pictures of your recipes have me drooling! Thank you for such great recipes!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you so much, Linda! That makes us so happy. ๐
Jones says
In 2018 I studied abroad in Denmark for four months. It was an amazing experience, I love Copenhagen and I got to know my awesome Danish host family. There were lots of vegan dishes and restaurants to try. I actually just returned from a trip to visit Denmark and my host family again!
Linda Meyer says
That sounds like such a wonderful place to study. Alex studied in London for a semester her junior year of undergrad and loved it! She and her husband just went to Scotland and London for their honeymoon and found so many great vegan restaurants. Denmark is definitely on both of our lists of places to travel to. ๐