For Jamie :)

This recipe is honor of Jamie Hart - the lovely sister of my lovely best friend, Deb. Being as she currently resides in England with her wonderful wife Tanya- it has been FAR too long since I've seen her! My scone recipe (being decidedly English!) brought her to mind.

Jamie & Tanya's Simple Scones

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, SERIOUSLY cold
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 large egg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to mix it thoroughly. Next, take your butter and cut it into small cubes and drop into flour. Work it into the mixture with a fork or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add in raisins and toss to combine.

In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and the egg until smooth. Then, using a fork stir the egg mixture into the flour until a large ball of dough forms. You may need to get your hands in there and press it around the bowl. Trust me, it's enough liquid.

Turn out the dough onto a floured board and pat into an 8 inch circle. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar and use a super sharp knife to cut the dough into 8 triangles. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and let rest for at least 7 minutes before eating. It'll be difficult but at least you won't burn your tastebuds off!

Taco Time!

Tacos. I love them. We make them a lot at our place, and I got tired of buying taco seasoning when I was sure I could make it. One day, I was forced into trying it when I was mid-taco making and realized - no taco seasoning. Doh! I stumbled on this recipe and it's divine! Make extra and keep it around for your own taco emergencies ;)

Taco Seasoning

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1.5 teaspoons ground cumin

Optional: for added heat, add in 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes

Mix together. Voila! Taco seasoning!

Cool Drink in the Hot Summer

Who doesn't love a little Sangria? Like a boozy adult-version of fruit punch, it's the perfect party drink for the summer time. A hot grill and a cool Sangria - and you're well on your way to the perfect gathering.

Classic Sangria

• 1 lemon
• 1 lime
• 1 orange
• 1.5 cups white rum
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 bottle dry red wine (like Blackberry Merlot)
• 1 cup pulp-free orange juice

Cut the lemon, lime and orange into thin rounds and place into a medium sized bowl or shallow baking dish. In a small bowl, mix together the rum and the sugar and pour over the fruit. Let it "marinate" for two hours in the fridge before pouring into a glass pitcher. Mash the fruit up a bit with a wooden spoon, then pour the orange juice and the wine over the top of the fruit and stir.

Back to the Pork!

Every recipe seems to mention my husband, but he's my target market on cooking. :) In all likelihood, Mr. Travis might end up with the pork bone, provided it's large enough and I've washed the sauce off :) A meal for both my guys!

Pork Chops in Mustard Sauce

• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon ground mustard
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 4 (1" thick) pork chops
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 tablespoons orange marmalade
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (i use low sodium!)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons ground mustard

Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the vegetable oil.

In a medium bowl, combine the kosher salt, 1 tablespoon ground mustard, pepper and flour. Whisk together. Dredge the pork chops in the flour mixture. Brown the chops for 4 minutes on each side. Combine the rest of the ingredients in another bowl and pour over the chops and cook for about 15 minutes, lowering the heat to medium-low.

Shellfish alert!

Even though I am allergic to (and a hater of) shellfish, I find myself constantly making it for my husband and our friends, because they love it! Though, I was once intimidated by them and afraid of overcooking them - I'm quite in my element now. Here's an easy little appetizer for you and your friends.





Grilled Shrimp

• 1 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons, hot sauce
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 pounds large shrimp, deveined & peeled with tails on

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together olive oil, parsley, lemon juice, hot sauce, garlic, tomato paste, oregano, salt, and pepper. Pour about 3/4th of the marinade into a large Ziploc bag with the shrimp. Toss the bag around to coat the shrimp and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (2 is better!)

Preheat your grill on medium-low heat. Remove the shrimp from the bag and skewer the shrimp long-ways (through the tail and head, so they're "laying" on the grill). Make sure to throw away the marinade from the bag and only use the "clean" marinade. Oil the grates on the grill (I use olive oil on a paper towel) and cook the shrimp for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until cooked and baste it with the reserve marinade while grilling.

Madeleines, how do I love thee...

For some reason, these cookies remind me of Sharon Chen. Maybe it's just anything French? I learned the recipe when my old roommate professed a love for these cookies. I have to admit - she was right. They're delicious and the perfect afternoon snack with a good cup of coffee.

Madeleine Cookies

• 2 eggs
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup white granulated sugar (plus more for decoration)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees, and butter and flour your madeleine molds (if you have them) and set aside. In a microwave, melt the butter for 20 seconds and set aside to cool. In a small mixing bowl, beat eggs, vanila, and salt until light and fluffy. With your beaters on medium, add in the sugar, and beat constantly for 5 minutes. You want it to be light and fluffy.

Gently add the flour into the mixture, 1/4 cup at a time and fold into mixture - keeping the air in. Add the lemon zest and butter in by folding with a spatula. Immediately spoon the batter into your buttered molds (you can also use a cupcake tin though, they won't be true madeleines!). The batter will be a little bit over the top of the molds - this is okay!

Bake for 13-15 minutes. They should be lightly browned and springy. Wait 5 minutes, then turn the cookies out onto a rack and sprinkle with some additional sugar.

Spicy Corn Salad

Summertime was my favorite time growing up, as I'm sure it is for any kid. Living in Texas, well - not so much my favorite anymore. But summertime in California, is amazing. It reminds me of beach bonfires, kabobs on the grill and the smell of the ocean in the air. Since we are a bbq family, I spend a lot of time experimenting with sides. Here's one of our favorites.

Spicy Corn Salad

• 8 ears of corn, husked
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons sliced green onions
• 2 chipotle peppers, minced
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1.5 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

Preheat your grill to medium. Lay the corn on the grill and cook for 12 minutes, turning frequently to avoid burning. Remove the corn from the grill and set aside to let cool. Once cool, take a knife and remove all the kernels into a large bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients to the corn and toss to combine.