what jen does

Life, home, and a little travel

Year: 2016

  • hoisin turkey burger with ginger-garlic green beans
    recipes

    hoisin turkey burger with ginger-garlic green beans

    I’ll admit that this doesn’t perhaps look like the most appetizing meal. But that’s my poor work-night, too hungry to care, just feed me now…. photography. I’m not alone in this sentiment. I know it. But unless the meal is an absolute g-d trainwreck, I’m going to write about it… so that I can make…

  • coconut dream scones
    recipes

    coconut dream scones

    I get a lot of magazines at my house – like more than 10, maybe more than 15… and to be honest, it used to be almost 20. But one of my favorite things in the world is just to sit and read in the sun. Since I rarely pay more than $10-$15 for a…

  • honey cinammon blueberry scones
    recipes

    honey cinammon blueberry scones

    I whipped up these scones for a casual morning breakfast with some married friends. I’m not sure how many varieties of scones I’ve made at this point but this was a new one. I had stumbled across some Instagram post  from Terrain about honey scones and they just looked amazing. The scones of your dreams.…

  • 5 month check-in

    5 month check-in

    Over the course of the years here, the balance of the posts have been on personal / daily / life updates … versus cooking. In the last two years or so, the swing has been much more towards documenting cooking adventures… and travel. It felt like the right time to chime in with an update…

  • famous blueberry muffins
    recipes

    famous blueberry muffins

    Muffins aren’t exactly one of my favorite breakfast items – but they are pretty great. They are perfectly utilitarian for  multiple flavor combinations, travel eating, and can skew from “healthy” to “not at all healthy” in a hot second. I’ll admit that I tend to lean towards bagels (or even cinnamon buns) before I grab…

  • chocolate hot cross buns
    recipes

    chocolate hot cross buns

    I’m not sure what prompted me to make hot cross buns honestly – but I’m glad I did.  Sometimes I shy away from recipes that require elements of precision or refinement. Hot cross buns are not exactly a refined baked good… but the element of individual little buns and the crosses… and the yeast. It…

  • White fish in lemon caper chili sauce
    recipes

    White fish in lemon caper chili sauce

    I made this dinner so long ago that I barely remember what happened. All I remember is that I had some brussel sprouts and mushrooms … and while I really wanted to eat this meal again… I felt like I had to try something new. While new isn’t always better, it does mean that you’ve…

  • greek lemon soup with chicken and orzo
    recipes

    greek lemon soup with chicken and orzo

    I tend to skew towards very hearty soups. I want something that feels like a meal – not something that requires a part two. Unless that part two is a grilled cheese or anything with cheese for that matter. All that being said, there is a season fast approaching that requests I not cover myself…

  • veal cakes over silky eggplant
    recipes

    veal cakes over silky eggplant

    Oh Sunday. You tricky little beast. It was such a beautiful day out. It was one of those days where everyone is thinking about how few layers they need to wear and lusting after gardening items at the hardware store. Maybe those are both just me actually. But seriously, it was almost actually warm out.…

  • Seared cod with pancetta roasted leeks and mushrooms
    recipes

    Seared cod with pancetta roasted leeks and mushrooms

    Man oh man. This was an amazing dinner. So many surprising and delicious elements – and so fast. I pulled this one (literally) from the pages of Real Simple during my winter plague. I never really believe the “30 minute meals” call out – especially for the first time you make something. So, it was…