I was this close to writing that I was starting the new year with writer’s block. I realized, just in the nick of time, that this would be a lie. I’ve been writing for the past two weeks, just not here.  Or anywhere else you can easily read it.

Instead, while I have been on “vacation” with my kids for the holiday break, I’ve been sneaking away, almost daily, for a few hours each day, to work on two separate manuscripts. I would so love to tell you that at least one of these manuscripts is the novel I’ve been dreaming of writing. Or that one is the memoir I feel I have stashed away in my head. But no. One is a book chapter for a textbook used by medical students. The other is an article about teaching professionalism in oncology.

The good news is that, yesterday, I finished the book chapter. And, as of 3:19 this afternoon, the professionalism article is finished.

Of course, finished is relative. As my good friend Olga – and any of you other published authors – knows too well, edits and revisions will soon follow.

But there has been writing.  Even though it’s not the creative version I crave, any writing is good. And I’m happy that 2014 started with writing. I don’t make resolutions, but if I did, tops on my list would be to write more: to write more words, and to write more often. And to write better, of course.

The Meyer lemon cheesecake and the pumpkin pie are cooling. The chess pie is baking now, and this time, I remembered to add the stick of butter.  The fruit cake cookies were made at 7:30 this morning, and I’ve lost track of how many have been devoured already. We’ve decorated oodles of sugar cookies, and two special ones have been set aside for Santa’s plate. Oliver wanted to give Santa an assortment of cookies, but I reminded him that Santa will have been eating sweets all night and might like only a nibble by the time he gets to our house.

I still have some things on my Christmas Eve to-do list. I need to prepare tomorrow’s cloverleaf rolls (the dough is rising now), prep the ingredients for the cornbread dressing (should have done this earlier), help Sam brine the turkey (we use Alton Brown’s honey brine), and wrap some final presents.

And, of course, Sam and I will be busy again once the kids go to bed. Maddie and Oliver have been tracking Santa on the NORAD Santa Tracker, and the excitement around here has been building all day. Periodically, Madeline jumps up and down and squeals, out of nowhere, “I’m so excited!”

While I have a few minutes of quiet – the kids are off riding bikes with their dad – I wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas. Whether you celebrate this holiday or another, I wish for you a beautiful day tomorrow, a day filled with joy, love, and an abundance of hope.

When I hit the “publish” button to send a post out into the world, I never quite know how the post will be received. I’m always optimistic that what I’ve written will resound with someone, and hopefully lots of someones. On your end, you see my words on the screen, a photo or two or three, and, more often than not, a recipe. On my end, if I’m lucky, I get to read your comments and emails. This is my favorite part.

Let me clarify: having written the post is my favorite part. Your feedback — emails, comments, tweets, Facebook messages — is my reward, a virtual pat on the back or a comforting hug.

But also on my end, I see statistics. These, my friends, are fascinating. I try not to pay too much attention to them, as statistics can be disheartening. A post that I feel represented some of my better writing may completely bomb in terms of page views. On the other hand, a post that I didn’t put as much effort into may win out as the most viewed post since I started this site. It’s a bit mind boggling.

I thought it would be fun to share with you my ten most popular recipes of 2013. These are the posts that have the most reader views according to my blog statistics, from January 1st, 2013, to now. I was a little surprised, but pleasantly so.

On to the list…

 * * * My Ten Most Popular Recipes of 2013 * * *

10. Buttermilk Muffins