In January of each year, you can count on 3 things.

1. If you belong to a Gym or Health Club you can kiss goodbye the availability of an easy locker find, your favorite parking space and any apparatus you care to use…at least, until March…
2. Endless lists of 2016’s most popular this, favorite that & most significant something or other.
3. New Year’s resolutions that don’t make it past day 3.

I’m a realist, I don’t expect my gym to be empty in January and I don’t make it a habit of making New Year’s resolutions so there are none to break.

I do however insist on sharing with you MY Top 10 Blogs of 2016 as voted on my you, my readers with your “likes” and “clicks”.

Each year that we’ve “run the numbers”, I’m inevitably surprised by a few of your most popular choices. I’m also pleased that one Blog, that I re-publish each year, has never failed to make the Top 10 list.

So, having said that, here are my Top 10 most popular Blogs for 2016 in reverse order, starting at number 10.

The tenth most popular Blog of 2016 was not only from a theme that showed no less than 3 times throughout the year but amazingly, each Blog made this past year’s Top 10 list!

NUMBER 10  My last Blog of 2016 published in late December entitled Crock Pot Potpourri Recipes hit home for all of you who enjoy the enticing aromas of the holidays.

NUMBER 9  I love sweets and apparently many of my readers do too because the ninth most popular Blog of 2016 gave you lots of ideas for Last Minute Summer Desserts.

Checking in at NUMBER 8  While there’s no doubt a traditional Sage Stuffing is the go-to stuffing for your Thanksgiving bird, Alternative Stuffing Recipes is a Blog many of you “clicked on” to discover some new recipes for your Turkey’s best friend.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, my yearly Blog Turkey Timeline Thanksgiving Dinner Planner once again made this past year’s Top 10 list at NUMBER 7. Even I print this Blog off in late October to be sure I don’t forget some of the essentials as I plan for my own Thanksgiving Day feast.

One of the Blogs I most enjoy writing are my (nearly) monthly restaurant reviews and they always rank as some of the most popular and well-read Blogs of the year. At NUMBER 6, my Grey Ghost Restaurant Review was no exception. Located in the Brush Park neighborhood, very close to the new “District” in downtown Detroit, Grey Ghost is another one of this area’s best bets for a great meal and fun dining experience.

What started out as a fun piece for those of you who enjoy just having fun in the kitchen when “gourmet” isn’t on the menu, NUMBER 5’s  Muffin Tin Meals, was SO popular it was requested by WDIV Channel 4 to be a feature segment on In The D!

Another seasonal Blog, Amazing Roasting Tips, followed at NUMBER 4. This Blog has many of the answers to the questions I get asked throughout the year about roasting but particularly around the holidays. When you’re spending a good deal of money on a roast, a few minutes of reading can turn your meat investment into dividends that really pay off!

NUMBER 3  Apparently people still DO believe in miracles? My third most popular Blog of 2016 must has peaked everyone’s curiosity. What Are These Miracle Noodles?  They’re shirataki! What’s shirataki??…Well, you’re going to have to read the Blog, published in September 17^th to find out!

What checked in at NUMBER 2, it was my FIRST article about Crock Pot cooking of 2016 entitled New Uses for That Old Crock Pot. I must confess that I didn’t see this one coming. I wasn’t even sure how many of my readers even OWNED a Crock Pot let alone used one. Well, guess what, you do, and…you do.

So, what was my MOST read Blog of 2016? The story behind this one is to the credit of our Marketing Staff here at Nino’s. When the saw how popular my New Uses for That Old Crock Pot was, they asked me to write a “sequel” for the holidays. Now not all holiday sequels do well during the holidays…just as the creators of A Christmas Story, Part 2, where in later life, Ralphie’s want for a BB Gun is replaced for a want of a car to impress his date… ouch.

THIS sequel however, titled Crock Pot Holiday Appetizers, came in NUMBER 1 and was a HIT!

It was my most viewed Blog of 2016.

Thank you ALL for reading and enjoying my Blogs. I hope you’ve found them interesting and informative. Along the way, if you’ve used my advice and tips, tried a recipe or two or made a reservation at one of my reviewed restaurants you’ve made it all worthwhile.

From the staff and your friends here at Nino’s, we wish you ALL a Very Joyous and Happy New Year and look forward to seeing you throughout 2017.