Two weeks ago, I shared a link to a reader survey and I spent a lot of time with your answers. I responded in part with this post, but wanted to share a bit about what I learned from what you all had to say about my blog. It felt odd to gather your input and then not share what I was doing with it, so in the spirit of transparency and in an effort to do better, I'm writing this now.

First of all, I want to thank every one of you who took the time to answer and give me your feedback. My readers are so important to me and I really care about your thoughts and opinions. In general, the survey results reflected mostly sweet, reassuring, and positive responses about my writing, recipes, and personality; but there were definitely some negative reviews--mostly about the number of sponsored posts I've taken on in the past months.

I'm not someone who seeks out constructive criticism and then gets their feelings hurt about it, so I found a ton of value in the negative comments. My plans and goals for the next year have been strongly influenced by the things you didn't like in 2014. So here's where I am now: I hear you. But I feel like I'm at a crossroads. Blogging is fun, I think I'm good at it, it makes me happy, and I'm finally at the point where I'm earning enough money that I feel self-employed.

I want you to know that even though I take on a lot at times, I often do say no to things--there are plenty of brands out there that wouldn't be a great fit for Freckled Italian and I turn those down. But I will admit that this year, as my earnings grew, I got more and more ambitious about what was next. Ambition can be good and bad, of course, and now I'm ready to take a step back and do some reevaluating.

I will continue to work with brands because it's part of what I do, but in 2015, I will absolutely be taking on less sponsors and focusing on getting back to writing--getting back to the things you used to love about Freckled Italian. People also said they miss the once more frequent personal posts, and would like to see more things about marriage, friendship, and family. I would like to see that too, and sharing more from the heart is my main goal for 2015.

So what can you expect from Freckled Italian in the new year? Openness and much more writing. More photos, food, and entertaining. Exciting brand collaborations. More recipes and personal style posts. A YouTube channel. Hopefully some fun trips. And maybe a dog!

Thank you so much for reading this blog. It truly means the world to me and I have nothing but love for all of you.

After a jam-packed first day exploring Boston, we spent a more laid-back Saturday drinking coffee and shooting photos for The Eighty Twenty Magazine at my friend Jenna's house with Katie, Anna, Lindsay, and Julie. Volume one is coming out in January and I'm so, so excited about it (but more on that later). Other than Jenna and her husband, I was meeting everyone there for the first time that day.

Even after years of blogging, it still gets me all emotional to think about the connections we make with people we have so much in common with; who we otherwise would have gone through life just not knowing. It was crazy and awesome to finally cross paths with these women in the flesh and work on something together.

On Sunday, we had a few hours to kill before it was time to head to the airport, so we went to Sinatra Brunch at Lucky's Lounge before walking to North End to explore a bit. There was even a Christmas parade that we watched for a while! North End has so much personality and so much of it reminded me of the Italian side of my family. Rob picked up a chocolate chip cannoli (of which I said I would take a bite, but then ended up eating half) at Mike's Pastry and then we sat down for coffee at Thinking Cup.

Rob and I had such a great time exploring a new city together. Hoping to do a lot more of it in 2015! What are some of your favorite Boston spots? I'm already compiling a list for our next visit!

I'm a big fan of one-pot meals that have meat and veggies in them. They're easy, they're quicker, they mean less clean-up, and I can make them when I have free time in the afternoon and reheat them when Rob gets home and we're ready for dinner. This super simple Paleo chili is one of my favorites--I make it almost once a week!

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, chopped
• About a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• 1-2 green or red peppers (or one of each), chopped
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• About 2 pounds grass-fed beef
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• One large can (about 28 ounces) of crushed tomatoes
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Toppings (included but not limited to): green onion, bacon, jalapenos, sliced radishes 

Instructions:

1. Place a large pot over medium heat. Drizzle olive oil and add garlic and onion. Season with salt and pepper and let everything cook until it starts to brown.
2. Add the ground beef, chili powder, and cumin. Combine well and add crushed tomatoes once the meat begins to brown.
3. Add the green/red peppers, give it a stir, and reduce heat to low. Let it simmer for fifteen to twenty minutes or until you're ready to serve. If you're making it ahead of time, simply refrigerate until ready and throw it back on the stove later.
4. Serve with toppings! I like green onions and pickled jalapenos but this time I added radishes and some thick-cut bacon. You could also do full-fat shredded cheddar and/or sour cream if you eat dairy. Enjoy!