2018 Starts on February 1st!

Obviously I was not ready for 2018. I thought I was, but I was not, or not completely. So I’ve decided January was just a trial month and my 2018 will start on February 1st. Sometimes you have to set up your own calendar in life.

You might have seen a similar statement on Instagram these past few weeks. When I read it, I felt relieved; it was exactly what I had in mind and it couldn’t be more accurate to me. 2017 has been a wonderful year but also a very busy one. In my Best Of 2017 (Food + Lifestyle), I come back on some of the best events, trips and food projects I have been busy at, and I also announce what to expect on the blog in 2018.

Everything arrived so fast. In just a month I revamped the blog to make it easier for you to use (I’m still working on a few adjustments), I developed, styled, photographed and wrote new recipes, and I got to see that my visits on the blog literally exploded! I feel so grateful for all of this, and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for being more and more everyday to follow me. Despite all these good news, I was not mentally prepared for all those changes that I really wanted for the blog. Now I am, and I’m super excited to share them with you!

Behind the scenes of my Vegan Orange Cranberry Scones recipe (+ VIDEO).

1. Monthly French Baking Recipe!

These last years I developed many American recipes and Swedish recipes, which is the result of my years spent abroad. This year, I want to go back to my roots and explore French pastry. I’m a self-taught chef, very tenacious, focused and stubborn with a strong will to learn. I taught French baguettes and other French pastry classes in Chicago last year. It’s now time to share some techniques with you.

I started in January with a step-by-step guide to make French puff pastry for my French Galette des Rois. It’s been quite a project but I’m happy I did it as puff pastry has now no secret for me anymore (and hopefully for you either). And it was just the beginning. Every month in 2018 I will share with you a new French pastry recipe, with the idea to make it easy for everyone to understand how to make it.

2. More vegan & plant-based recipes

It’s just an ongoing trend. Last year, 97% of the blog’s recipes were plant-based/vegetarian; among them 40% were vegan. As you know I don’t call myself vegetarian or vegan but plant-based recipes are my core diet and I strongly believe in the power of veggies and a mostly plant-based diet.

I know you are more and more to come back on the blog for this exact reason that you can find some fun, colorful and tasty plant-based recipes, and I will be happy to share even more of them in 2018. In January alone, there are 3 of them you absolutely need to try: Balsamic Brussels Sprouts with a Creamy Polenta, Easy Spicy Peanut Butter Noodles, Best Ever Ginger Lime Carrot Soup.

3. New lifestyle posts (the end of “My Life as a Foodie in Chicago”)

I developed the series “My life as a foodie in Chicago” when I first moved to the Windy City in August 2016, sharing  bites of my real life, trips and best places to eat once in a while. You also got to know more about me along the way, as I shared my engagement and wedding adventures, etc.

I feel that this series has come to an end and I’m now up for new lifestyle posts, that will be more food-centered, including my own thoughts or experiences on diverse food trends or controversial topics. In other words, I want to share my love for food with you in many more ways than just recipes. It does not mean I will never share about myself anymore, I will still do it, but in a different way. I will also share a few inspirational quotes from time to time, I hope you’ll like them!

4. Food Series + brand new videos in 2018

The big change in 2018 will be all about food series. From time to time I like to create food series, bundling a few recipes together (ex: 12 Healthy Breakfast Recipes, Top 10 Healthy Smoothies, 12 Back-to-School Recipes, etc.). Now I want to share them on a regular basis and create new enticing content to bring you inspiration to cook some of your ingredients in many different ways. Del’s cooking twist is not just about recipes anymore. Cooking should be fun & challenging at the same time!

There will also be more recipe videos on the blog. If you have any suggestions, recipes you’d like me to see explained in video, please let me know, either in private message or in the comments below. I’m open to most idea!

5. Get my cookbook published (!)

Wow, it scares me to write this. But I believe it’s time for me to leave my comfort zone and tell you that I actually wrote a cookbook (yeah!). It might seem a little audacious but I announced it on my Insta Story a little while ago. Since then, a publisher reached out to me. It’s not a done deal yet, but I would really love to have the opportunity to be published. So wish me luck (or send me all your contacts in the editorial field, hehe)!

In the meantime, you can receive my free e-book “25 Healthy Everyday Recipes” by signing up for the newsletter, if you haven’t done so already. The e-book is available in both English and French.

6. But also…

In between all these foodie projects, I also aim to find balance in everything I do in 2018. I’m a workaholic and I can work from 7am to past midnight several times a week. I love my job but I need to focus on a healthy lifestyle in order to last on the long run. This means exercise regularly (yoga and running for me), and take time to rest and maybe try meditation. I might also need some social media detox (from my Insta Stories) from time to time in order to recenter my priorities and find my inner piece. And there we are, February 1st, and I can hit the “on” button of 2018. Happy New Year again!