Jalepeno Cheddar Scones

I have to admit... I don't really like scones. They're dry, crumbly- blegh. I'd rather have a cookie or a crumpet! This was the first savory scone I've had and .... it's still not that good (unless you slather butter or jam on it). I got the recipe from Smitten Kitchen, who takes amazing photos and recipes.


This was also one of the first times I've had to handle raw jalapenos. I've heard a few horror stories here and there about jalapenos so I made sure to wash my hands thoroughly and avoid touching my eyes. I picked out most of the seeds and white flesh so it wouldn't be too spicy.


Conclusion? I still don't like scones... but at least I know I like savory scones a bit better than sweet scones.

Spanish tortilla

I had my first spanish tortilla last summer in Barcelona and I didn't know what to expect- a flour tortilla? Nope- it's basically a giant potato and onion omelet and it is delicious. This recipe is really basic, you can make small tweaks here and there to make it your own.


I stuck closely to the recipe because I was very skeptical. Almost every time I've tried to pan fry potatoes, they've stuck to the pan or never fully cooked through, so I was expecting a disaster. Par-cooking them in water helps and so does the copious amount of oil. If you have a mandolin (jealous!) then this would be a good recipe to use it with. If you don't, just work slowly and try to get even slices.


I even flipped the tortilla onto a plate and then back into the pan to cook the other side. I must've been lucky that day because it didnt fall apart. This was good warm from the pan and room-temperature the next with a salad. This made a LOT and was enough for 5 meals.

Chicken Parmesan

I stumbled onto the Pioneer Women Cook's blog and found this great recipe for Chicken Parmesan. Her website is MASSIVE. It's not just recipes, there are also homeschooling tips and a self-written romance novel about how she met her husband, Marlboro Man. She was a former city girl and now she's a pioneer woman. She even has her own cookbook!


She posts TONS of pictures- probably one for every step, so it's really helpful for ingredients or techniques that you're not familiar with. I identify with the group of people who are terrified of raw chicken and all it's potentially hazardous bacteria so pounding it in a plastic bag was a great idea. I served mine over a bed of fettuccine. And even though you're making everything from scratch- it comes together very quickly.

Soft Pretzels

One of my favorite Food Network shows is Good Eats, starring Alton Brown. He shows the science behind food through cute visual effects. This is so far, the best recipe for pretzels I've tried (I've tried 3). Boiling the pretzel in the baking soda + water mixture helps the dough brown a lot better than just an egg wash. I don't know why (haven't seen that episode yet).


These turned out exactly like the pretzels you would get from Auntie Anne's- doughy, chewy goodness. I used sea salt instead of pretzel salt and I sprinkled some cheese on a few of them. Be careful storing them, condensation will make the salt dissolve.

Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana

This is one of my favorite soups and I was craving it recently with all the cold weather, luckily I found a copycat of the recipe online here. I had no idea it was KALE in there- who knew I liked kale? I've seen recipes for kale chips, but I'm not sure I love kale that much...

It was a fast and easy recipe, brown the sausage and the onions. Then add cream, broth and the kale last, and then you have zuppa toscana. I served mine with some garlic bread (toasted slices of an old baguette and rubbed with a clove of garlic).

even more french fries!

I had a lot of leftover oil from deep frying the piroshkis a few recipes ago. Here are the sweet ones, I put strawberry jam on the inside and dusted them with confectioner's sugar afterwards.

My set up.

I also had a bunch of leftover potatoes so I made french fries. I experimented with two frying techniques, just frying once and doing a double-fry (aka once at 325 and again at 375). I didn't use a thermometer, although that would've helped. I put small pieces of potato in the oil to test if it was hot enough- if the oil isn't hot enough you get soggy, greasy fries- not good.

One fry.

Double fry.

I seasoned mine with cajun seasoning and smoked salt. Next time I'll try soaking the potatoes in water for a few hours before frying- I read that this make them crispier.

Garlic Fries

One of my favorite things to eat is french fries, but it's hard to find a recipe for oven-baked fries that are good. They usually turn out soggy and greasy, but these are GARLIC FRIES. I found the recipe here. And it's easy to make because you pre-cook the potatoes in the microwave (or par-boil them if you don't like using the microwave).


I also added some of Trader Joe's chicken seasoning. I paired mine with sriracha mixed with ketchup. These have the same outer crunchy layer because of the corn starch- good trick.