Steamed Artichokes – .001 stars

Page 185 Originally posted 3/28/2019 With Garlic Butter – .1 stars What a waste of time. Maybe it was the lack of “meat” on the leaves but these were just plain inedible. I steamed them for almost an hour and they never got to the point where you could strip anything off the leaves that […]

Beef Tenderloin – 4.8 stars

Page 250 Originally posted 3/24/2019 A tenderloin is an incredible, albeit expensive, cut of meat. I cook one for Christmas dinner every so often and this is the recipe I will use from now on. The marinade is what makes this so delicious. I forgot to get a picture until I had already cut it […]

Guacamole – 4.5 stars

Page 145 Originally posted 3/24/2019 Served with Fresh Tomato Salsa Both of these are great recipes for any level of expertise. Since the chips you eat it with will likely add salt, I recommenced taste testing both with the chips as you are adjusting the added salt when combing the ingredients. I like lime so […]

Tortilla Soup – 3.8 stars

Page 101 Originally posted 3/24/2019 This is slightly better than “meh” but the dish is, alas, a bit underwhelming. The avocados are wasted as a topping and the mozzarella makes it really messy to eat. I am going to spice it up when I reheat it to see if I can find the sweet spot […]

Egg Salad Sandwiches – 4.7 stars

Page 93 Originally posted 3/24/2019 The last one in the “Lunch” section is complete! This is crazy good. My egg salad is really bland compared to this so I can never go back. Recommend making a double batch so you have enough for a couple of lunches. Bonus – I finally cracked the code for […]

Party Queso – 3.5 stars

Page 135 Originally posted 3/18/2019 It is hard to go wrong with melted cheese as your main ingredient so this gets a 3.5 for content but needs some help to break 4. It isn’t nearly spicy enough for me and it is too runny. Keep in mind that my momma’s Mexico Chaquito knock-off cheese dip […]

Shepherds’ Pie – 4.5 stars

Page 246 Originally 3/17/2019 We have this every St Patrick’s Day and watch “The Quiet Man” on DVD. John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, shepherds’ pie … doesn’t get much better than that. This is a bit spicier than what I make and doesn’t have that gooey cheese on top, BUT, it has a lot of good […]

Syrian Donuts – 3.5 stars

Page 45 Originally posted 3/17/2019 For the amount of work involved these are a bit disappointing. The Anise flavor is not overpowering at all, which was a concern, so, Yay on that. But grinding the seeds was a major pain, so if you cannot find ground Anise in the store (I couldn’t) you might want […]

Curry Chicken Salad – 4.3 stars

Page 79 Originally posted 3/16/2019 If you know me, you know I only eat curry when celebrating Diwali with Darpan Gokharu and she directs me to the less spicy stuff at the Bollywood Grill buffet. So for me to give this a score over 4 is saying something. The flavor is not too much spice, […]

Vanilla Cake Donuts – 4.5 stars

Page 39 Originally posted 3/16/2019 With Maple Glaze You forget how good homemade cake donuts are until you have one. Crispy outer edge, moist cake inside, vanilla bean flavor throughout, and topped with sweet maple glaze. These are best with coffee, and since it’s St Paddy’s day this weekend, make it an Irish coffee!

Chicken Pot Pie – 4.0

Page 197 Originally posted 3/15/2019 Served with With Mashed Potatoes Really good flavor. This is a much “soupier” version than I am used to (and like), so you might grade it higher. Her recommendation is to put it on her potatoes so who am I to ignore good advice???

Baked Bruschetta with Tomato, Basil, and Fontina – 5 stars

Page 143 Originally posted 3/15/2019 I don’t give perfect scores because there is always room for improvement. Until now… I love Bruschetta (pronounced “broo-sket-ta”) and I am a tough critic. Just ask the waiter at the Italian Restaurant in Raleigh that I made cry. JK, he didn’t cry. The Maitre D did, though. This is […]

Cinnamon Squares – 4.3 stars

Page 65 Originally posted 3/9/2019 I may have to give these another go because the yeast did not activate as well as it usually does. However, for flavor these are pretty darn good. They are easy to eat as nice, neat squares. I had some leftover cream cheese icing in the fridge that I melted […]

Quick Orange-Walnut Sweet Rolls – 4.8 stars

Page 57 Originally posted 3/7/2019 Wow! These are super easy and a fantastic change from your standard cinnamon sweet roll – not that there is anything wrong with a good old-fashion cinnamon sweet roll. In fact, I have yeast dough rising right now to make some. The orange and walnut variation is delicious all on […]

Brussels Sprouts w/Bacon, toasted Pecans, & Balsamic Reduction – 4.8 stars

Page 165 Originally posted 1/10/2019 Do-over posted 4/22/2019 Made with Balsamic Reduction First try: Nailed it! OMG – got distracted by the dishes and dogs … and did not stir it while it roasted. Burned the sprouts pretty badly (last picture), but… Brussels Sprouts with Crispy Bacon, Toasted Pecans, & Balsamic Reduction – at least […]

Gaines Brother Burgers – 4.4 stars

Page 81 Originally posted 3/21/2019 With Drip Jam – 4.9 stars Full disclosure – I thought I had the arugula lettuce but didn’t and needed to do this tonight so went without it. I doubt having greens would change my opinion much on the score of the standalone burger. The garlic toasted bun and Gruyere […]

Month 2 Summary

Originally posted 3/5/2019 What I have learned during the second month of this personal challenge… It is possible to have more cheese than will fit in the big fridge drawer and still not have all the different kinds of cheese you need. This may be my favorite part of this challenge – learning to love […]

King Ranch Chicken – 4.2 stars

Page 207 Originally posted 3/2/2019 This is the most labor intensive one so far with the most ingredients. Non-stop work for 2 hours and you end up with something that looks awful after you dip into it. It certainly tastes better than it looks and is one you may want to eat blindfolded. 🙂 The […]