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Citrus Cooked Scallops with Smoky IPA Parsnip Puree and Beer Pickled Jalapenos

Citrus Cooked Scallops with IPA Parsnip Puree and Beer Pickled Jalapenos2

I’ve finally found some clarity when it comes to this struggle that’s been twisting around inside me over the past few weeks.

I told you about that feeling of creative stagnation, and the realization that I’ve been pandering to the masses rather than cooking what I love.

Both of these feelings, that I figured were separate, came into sharp focus this past weekend as originating from the same issue.

Citrus Cooked Scallops with IPA Parsnip Puree and Beer Pickled Jalapenos3

A very dynamic woman, a catalyst of inspiration, stood in front of me saying, "But what do you want? But what do YOU want?"

What do I want? Looking around at people who inspire me, who make incredible, insightful, layered and important food, thoughts began to form. I want to write things that matter. I want to make food that feels compelling and substantial. And in the midst of this realization, someone mentioned my Cheesecake Fudgesicles, and I cringed.

Citrus Cooked Scallops with IPA Parsnip Puree and Beer Pickled Jalapenos

I want to stop making stupid food.

The issue is that stupid food gets shared, pinned, and trafficked. Smart food is scary, intimidating and gets ignored.

But what do I want? I want to be taken seriously, I want to be respected and I want to grow as a cook.

I have to stop making stupid food.

The conflict is that I need to pay my bills, and stupid gets noticed. This is just how the world works, in almost every area. InBev makes billions more than Russian River, Carly Rae Jepsen sells more records than Delta Spirit and Oreo Funfeti Cake Batter Fudge will get more traffic than homemade Duck Confit Raviolis with Stout Cherry Sauce.

Although I can eat nachos like a champ, and I’ll never pass up a good brownie, when it comes to building a food resume I need to ask myself: what do I want?

Beer Pickled Jalapenos

I want to make smart food, I want write things that matter.

Taking a step back from the trenches of Google Analytics and the Traffic Trap of caring more about numbers than content, I thought about what I love when it comes to writing and food.

Writing: The piece I wrote on Homeboy Industries for Honest Cooking iPad magazine is the best thing I’ve ever written and possibly the only thing I’ve ever written that is truly important.

Food: Even though a food blog may never really matter in any real way, I used to cook food that a friend once described as “with food.” He said I could never just make a cake, it had to be a Chocolate Stout Cake with Orange Mascarpone Filling and Smoky Chocolate Ganache, everything I made had a “with” somewhere in the middle of the tittle. Layers, flavors, thought, and time spent on the food I really love somehow got replaced with Chocolate Bacon Cupcakes and Green Beer Cheese Soup.

Beer Pickled Jalapenos2

Everything I’ve made for the blog is delicious; the issue isn’t really with the recipes, but with me. Cupcakes are fine, so are Beer Cheese Nachos and Oreo Funfetti Slutty Nutella Red Velvet Brownie Cake Pops, especially if that is what you want to make, then do that. It’s not about “right” food and “wrong” food, it’s about finding what I want, and figuring out how to get there.

There is a magnetism to the S’mOreo Cake Pop posts, because it brings in readers, and seems to make people happy, things that I care more about than I should when it comes to what do I want?.

I’ll lose traffic, I can guarantee that. I can promise that my numbers will go down.

But I can also promise that nothing that I post will be difficult. Maybe you want to come on this journey with me and make layered “with” food, even if it doesn’t sounds as sparkly as those Red Velvet M&M S’mores Krispy Treats.

I just need to have faith in what I want, faith that the Universe will conspire in my favor, faith that this will lead to path in which traffic won’t matter, faith that seeking the answer to what do I want? will lead me down the right rabbit hole.

 

Beer Pickled Jalapenos

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbs sugar
  • 1 tbs salt
  • ½ cup vinegar
  • 2 tbs water
  • 1 cup beer I used an IPA
  • 6 large jalapenos thinly sliced

Instructions
 

  • In a saucepan over medium high heat, add the sugar, salt, vinegar and water. Stir just until the salt and sugar have dissolved, remove from heat. Stir in the beer, pour into a jar.
  • Refrigerate until cold, about 20 minutes.
  • Add the jalapenos to the jar, replace the lid and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.
  • Jalapenos will last for several weeks.

 

Beer Pickled Jalapenos

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbs sugar
  • 1 tbs salt
  • ½ cup vinegar
  • 2 tbs water
  • 1 cup beer I used an IPA
  • 6 large jalapenos thinly sliced

Instructions
 

  • In a saucepan over medium high heat, add the sugar, salt, vinegar and water. Stir just until the salt and sugar have dissolved, remove from heat. Stir in the beer, pour into a jar.
  • Refrigerate until cold, about 20 minutes.
  • Add the jalapenos to the jar, replace the lid and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.
  • Jalapenos will last for several weeks.

Citrus Cooked Scallops with IPA Parsnip Puree and Beer Pickled Jalapenos-1

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Comments


Averie @ Averie Cooks May 2, 2013 um 2:06 am

"I have to stop making stupid food."

I remember our chat about the Cheesecake Fudgesicles last Friday at BPL and I happen to think they look great. I think they’re pretty genius.

I have recipes that I wish I would have never posted…crazy things I posted because I thought people would want them, or they’d have Pinterest value, or just b/c I was too tired to think of something more inspired. But I stopped doing that about a year ago (for the most part) and am so much happier with things.

Of course the occasional pan of Rice Krispies still happens but I try harder now and some posts I know are going to tank before I even post it b/c Funfetti Cake Batter stuff will always win; but just do your thing and find your balance and happy place!

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Jackie May 2, 2013 um 9:58 am

I really just got too wrapped up in pinterest value and lost clarity. I’d eat the hell out of batch of Krispies, but it’s not something I want to add to my food resume.

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Tieghan May 2, 2013 um 5:24 am

Such and inspiring post to read! As a new blogger I have struggled with the thought " This is delicious, but it is not going to get any hits/attention". I have told myself I need to post what I love and not what I think people will love. It is hard because I want to see my site grow, but in the long run I want to be proud of the things I have posted. I already have post that I regret posting and I do not want any more of those!
Thanks for being so honest!

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Jackie May 2, 2013 um 10:03 am

Tieghan, it’s so hard to ignore that feeling of "will this get pinned?!" when you see a huge spike in traffic from those silly posts. I think you should just try and keep your head down and stay true to what you do.

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Ali | Gimme Some Oven May 2, 2013 um 5:51 am

Love this. And I loved seeing you talk about what you really love to do this past weekend. Be true to that, and I really believe people will follow!

If more great recipes like these scallops are to come, I’m definitely on board!

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Jackie May 2, 2013 um 10:04 am

Thank you Ali! It was great to see you too!

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Cassie | Bake Your Day May 2, 2013 um 5:51 am

I love these scallops but the parsnip puree…wish I had a bowl for breakfast. It sounds amazing, my friend!

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Laura May 2, 2013 um 10:19 am

I make my own pickled jalapenos – but, to add beer to the brine? Love this idea! And, I also love you – even if you’re not serving me up Slutty Nutella cake pops. Ain’t nobody got time for that!

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Jackie May 2, 2013 um 10:45 am

Ha! I definitely don’t have time for that 😉

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Rachel Cooks May 2, 2013 um 10:29 am

Great post, Jackie–definitely a good reminder to stay true to what is in our heart. This line "Oreo Funfetti Slutty Nutella Red Velvet Brownie Cake Pops" made me giggle. I think there is a place for anything and everything on the web but it does get frustrating when something you are so proud of pretty much falls on deaf ears. However, I think food "trends" change so who knows what will be the next Oreo Funfetti Slutty Nutella Red Velvet Brownie Cake Pop. Could be these scallops.

On a different note, I’ve never had scallops. I think I’m going to stupid food prison. I could take a swim in that parsnip puree though. LOVE parsnips.

PS: I think with this site, there has never ever been a possibility for stupid food. The whole concept of using beer in different dishes is SMART. Your recipes surprise me every time and are so innovative. Cheesecake fudgesicles included.

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Jackie May 2, 2013 um 10:44 am

Thank you so much Rachel! Scallops are easy, I usually brine them for 30 minutes and then dry them really well and then sear them in butter in a really really hot pan. You should totally make them. And why don’t parsnips get more play? They are delicious. Also, your comment made my day.

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Tieman May 2, 2013 um 10:38 am

"I’ll lose traffic, I can guarantee that. I can promise that my numbers will go down."

I’m random visitor #581,556, but I hit your site at least once a week and I promise that’s not going to change just because you post recipes that really challenge my abilities in the kitchen. I find it exciting!

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Jackie May 2, 2013 um 11:55 am

Thank you. Honestly, that means a lot to me.

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Coreen May 2, 2013 um 11:18 am

Ok, now you HAVE to post a recipe for Oreo Funfetti Slutty Nutella Red Velvet Brownie Cake Pops. Although I think a lot of folks would miss the irony.

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Jackie May 2, 2013 um 11:56 am

Ha! I was totally wondering if I was going to get a, "So where can I get that recipe?" message from someone. Or if someone actually HAD made that on their blog, if they would think that I was picking on them.

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BigFatBaker May 2, 2013 um 1:05 pm

I love your blogs, the food you make, and you. I have been struggling to find my true self and what I want, but this made me want to sit down and actually think about it – not be scared of it. Thank you thank you thank you for writing this and PLEASE don’t stop being who you are!

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Jackie May 2, 2013 um 4:27 pm

Thank you so much Erin! and I think it’s so easy to lose ourselves in this because it’s so easy to get reinforced by the wrong things.

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Cassie | Bake Your Day May 2, 2013 um 1:12 pm

I just re-read this again today because I’m still caught in this trap – today – even after the inspiring weekend and your words are so true. I’m on the journey with you, for sure!

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claire @ the realistic nutritionist May 2, 2013 um 1:21 pm

Girl, I’m with you 1000%. I know we talked about this a bit over drinks in LA! I’LL LOVE YOU and always love you 🙂 You are so talented!

And these. I want them.

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Meagan @ Scarletta Bakes May 2, 2013 um 2:46 pm

TOTALLY agree with this, Jackie! It’s very, very easy to get sucked into the perfection of Pinterest and, frankly, all of social media. To want to look as lovely as the firehose spray of loveliness with which we are constantly inundated. And when I feel that way, I can feel my compass shifting toward making things that aren’t really me, they’re just what I think everyone else wants me to be. It’s important to be true. So thank you for writing about this. Thank you for drawing people’s attention to this. And rest assured that you are way more Mozart than Carly Rae.

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Jackie May 2, 2013 um 4:42 pm

Thank you so much! I think it’s hard to pull yourself out of the undertow of it, and stay true to who you are and what you love. I’m sure it’s like this in most creative fields.

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Kiersten @ Oh My Veggies May 2, 2013 um 3:50 pm

I just had this conversation with another blogger today. About her, not me. I think it’s all about finding a good balance. You can tell when a blogger is completely pandering and it’s not a good look, but I think completely disregarding readers isn’t exactly the best idea either (how many bloggers get to the point where they post almost nothing but sponsored content because they stop caring about their audience?!). It’s hard to find that sweet spot, but it sounds like you have some clarity now about where that is for you. And just because there isn’t a MASSIVE audience for scallops, that doesn’t mean there isn’t one.

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Kathryn May 2, 2013 um 4:28 pm

I’m pretty excited to see the food you want to blog about. The fudgesicles were cute, but I’d never make them. Today’s recipe, on the other hand, looks fantastic, easy to make, and is now on my "to do next week" list.

Bring it on!

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Jackie May 2, 2013 um 4:46 pm

Thank you! The fudgecicles were great, but really not something I would ever make if traffic didn’t matter at all. If I wasn’t a blogger, it never would have occurred to me to make that.

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Samantha May 2, 2013 um 6:55 pm

I’d much rather read about and ponder Duck Confit Raviolis with Stout Cherry Sauce over funfetti whatcha call its any day. Between your blog and a recent visit and beer dinner with Sean Paxton, my head is absolutely spinning. I can’t focus at work. Layers of flavors and textures dance in my head. These are the recipes that inspire me. These are the ones that push me to be a better cook. Please do continue to cook what YOU want to cook. I’ll certainly continue come by your blog.

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Gerry @ Foodness Gracious May 2, 2013 um 7:52 pm

Your TOTALLY right! I feel the same way and stupid does unfortunately get noticed. It kinda says a lot about the type of person trolling Pinterest or Foodgawker. Sometimes I tend to think that some of my recipes sound like a lot of work but I think the odd "stupid" is okay. One blogger who I respect for never falling to the masses is Greg (Sippity Sup) I’ve noticed his food is always classic, clean and looks fantastic. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him post a crazy bacon-maple-walnut-Tapatio cookie 🙂 I prefer sensible food but I find that before I even attempt a recipe, I picture it in my mind as a shoot. Taking pictures of food fascinates me and I heard Matt mention last weekend about how the big thing right now is food in it’s natural state. I love this idea…maybe the photography is taking over the cooking for me! Sometimes less is more, unlike this comment-sorry.

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Jackie May 2, 2013 um 8:36 pm

I agree with everything you just said! I was just talking about Greg to a mutual friend of ours. and how if there was justice in blogging, and if it was merit based, he would be the biggest blogger in the world. His food, photos and writing are always outstanding. His food is completely inspiring.
And I’m with you about the photos. So many blogger complain about HAVING to take photos, and it’s one of my favorite parts. If I was better at it, I would try to make a living off of just that.

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dishing up the dirt May 2, 2013 um 8:24 pm

holy sh#t. This parsnip puree is calling my name!

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ashley – baker by nature May 3, 2013 um 7:57 am

Ok, this meal looks straight up amazing!!!!

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Denise May 3, 2013 um 9:54 am

Your friend’s comment about "with food" is something that I wouldn’t have been able to summarize so succinctly, but it’s one of the things that I really admire about your posts. I hadn’t really realized the decline that you’re talking about, but when I think about some of the recipes of yours that I truly admire (the beer corned beef with slaw was AMAZING), they’re the "with recipes."

All this to say, I’ll still read. And probably end up cooking more. =)

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Christina May 3, 2013 um 1:33 pm

can NOT wait to make this!!!! it is totally not "stupid food".. but you are right.. stupid food sells.. but to whom? smart, beautiful women sell too.. . stay smart, be beautiful and remain true to who you are..

love love love your website!

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Happy Valley Chow May 3, 2013 um 1:50 pm

Wow both of those look incredible! Definitely going to try the pickled jalapenos since I can eat a jar of those in one sitting 🙂

Happy Blogging!
Happy Valley Chow

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Christina May 4, 2013 um 7:01 am

I’m so glad you are blogging for you. There are plenty of "fluff food" blogs out there- I read yours on a regular basis because I love the idea of cooking and baking with beer. I love the recipe you posted today and I look forward to more like it. I’m not going anywhere!

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Laurie {SimplyScratch} May 4, 2013 um 9:46 am

Jackie… one of the reasons I love your blog is because it’s not filled with "sprinkles and birthday cake" this-or-that. It’s real food with fun flair {and BEER!!}. I feel exactly as you do… I don’t make perfectly frosted cookies or cakes for that matter, but I cook from my heart and make real food I know people are actually making and feeding their families… which feels right to me and more important than google analytic numbers or Alexa score {I don’t even check those places anymore}. So just keep-on-keepin'-on and the rest will follow!

PS… will you make me these scallops when we finally meet because these sound AH-mazing!! Is it true you’re going to be in Austin for BlogHer? I sure hope so!

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Jackie May 4, 2013 um 2:29 pm

Laurie, thank you so much! That means a lot to me. And it’s completely obvious that you cook with love, it shows in what you make and how you write.

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Candida May 4, 2013 um 11:52 am

Maybe you’ll lose traffic, but I have to say that this is the first time I’ve visited your blog, and to me, this recipe sounds absolutely delicious. While some may love those recipes for chocolate bacon cupcakes, I would have chosen this over that in an instant. Your post is inspirational. Food is meant to be enjoyed, not agonized over. You definitely have a new reader here!

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Jackie May 4, 2013 um 2:29 pm

thank you so much!

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Jen @ Savory Simple May 4, 2013 um 2:47 pm

I swear I could have written this but… I’m going to email you, I feel weird talking about it here!

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Scotty May 5, 2013 um 2:29 am

Your writing provides verified personally to me.
I’ve never been to your blog before, but now I’m a follower. I’ll look forward to reading more smart food recipes.

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Julie May 6, 2013 um 9:53 am

I read your blog consistently for the amazingly unique and creative uses of beer. Case and point– beer pickled jalapenos. I love it! I will continue to follow your posts as you blog for yourself (because in that you are blogging for me… and I’m sure so many others).

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Jamie May 7, 2013 um 4:50 am

Someone sent me the link to this post and I wanted to share something I wrote for Huffington Post last year, if you allow me

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jamie-schler/food-bloggers-dilemma_b_1336500.html

I am glad that I got into blogging before it became a game for traffic and money and book deals. I was able to develop what I really loved, what made my blog unique (rather than just more of the same) and build a small but devoted and supportive readership – which includes professional writers and editors. Too many people today are getting caught up in the "blog what sells best" mentality and one can call this a "business plan" but I don’t think feeding (as you so astutely put it) "stupid food" to the masses is smart and it certainly does not show much personal integrity. But whenever I wondered if I was doing it all wrong, my husband would remind me that People magazine will always outsell any intelligent, truly creative magazine. It is just the way the world turns. We need to find our own happiness and meaning.

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Jackie May 7, 2013 um 8:08 am

Thank you for sharing that! I completely agree with it all. It’s sad, but that’s the state of the world, why would it be any different when it comes to food? It’s discouraging, but I still think there is space for good food and enough people that want it (at least this is my hope!)

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Prez May 7, 2013 um 6:06 am

Question for serving: What temp are the scallops dished on the parsnip? Could they be briefly seared after the citrus soak?

Definitely a recipe I’ll try some time!

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Jackie May 7, 2013 um 8:05 am

I served everything chilled as an appetizer. You could absolutely sear the scallops and then serve the puree warm.Just make sure and drain them really well or you won’t get a good sear. Just lay them on a stack of paper towels, top with more paper towels and let them sit for about 10 minutes or until they are completely dry.

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Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet May 7, 2013 um 7:36 am

Gosh, I love this post. I think I started my blog with a mindset to make original, never-seen-before desserts. And then nothing happened… I was very discourage to see that they were just no popular. People want chocolate chip cookies stuffed with candy, it’s what it seemed like… It’s hard to see real food get no recognition and when you turn anything into a cake pop – it’s everywhere. I feel similar about food photography. The post I wrote about the food photographers to follow on Pinterest showed me that the darker style, the photos that show the real settings, are just not popular. White, washed-out, almost sterile is what people want to see… I hope it will change… I am glad that more and more professional photographers (like Matt) are trying to turn people into other direction.

I love your blog and your style. Whenever I come here, I always find inspiration. You show me that I can make scallops or salt-roasted fish. 🙂
xoxo

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aleah May 8, 2013 um 12:14 am

Holy cow, I just found this site and it’s seriously the most excited I’ve been in weeks. Good, complex, interesting recipies MADE WITH BEER – it’s like you polled me about my perfect food blog and then created this for me. (I came from your other site and honestly I’m kind of miffed I didn’t realise this existed sooner.)
Please keep doing what makes you happy, because it makes me happy too.
🙂

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Jackie May 8, 2013 um 9:21 am

Thank you so much! So glad you like what I’m doing 🙂

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Ka Ning May 8, 2013 um 6:36 am

Jackie,

Great post – I’ve been following your blog for close to a year now, and honestly I have just been saving the "must-try" recipes as "starred items" on my Google Reader. I’m not a great pinner nor a retweeter.

I have definitely made many stupid posts in my food blog. What’s worse is that I have taken many crappy photos (mainly from my cell phone) simply because I’m in a hurry and was too lazy to do a proper set up. I used to get annoyed at myself for that, especially since I see others food bloggers taking gorgeous photos every time. I used to also get very discouraged when I see food bloggers posting a recipe daily whereas I could barely fit two a week. That’s probably when stupid posts emerge.

However, through these let-downs I have found my blogging style. While I don’t have a theme for my food blog (I make whatever I see fit/craving for), I wanted to reflect my daily life into it. I spend 9-10 hours a day on my day job, and by the time I get home I try to spend at most 90 minutes on dinner prep and consumption. Sometimes I post dinners that can be made in less than half an hour, may look sloppy and not photogenic, but they are all guaranteed to be delicious.

While everyone blogs for a different reason, I blog because I love food, and I want to share with the world how easy it is to cook. This is also why I love your blog, because you incorporate simple ingredients and turn them into something amazing. Not to mention you love craft beer! That’s a +1 in my book. Keep it up!

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Katie @ Blonde Ambition May 10, 2013 um 5:12 pm

I haven’t been great about following your blog lately, but I had to comment on this to tell you that I appreciate you and I love that you want to contribute good, real, "with" food to the blogosphere. At the risk of sounding cheesy: keep up the good work!

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Jennie M. May 10, 2013 um 7:50 pm

Good for you! There is a lot of value in doing what you truly love and feel is worthy that no analytic can track. Truth be told – I can’t eat any of your food because I have a gluten intolerance. But I still love following because I enjoy your enthusiasm and the creativity you inject in foods is inspiring! Plus, the hubby still loves his malt beverages and I always need birthday party ideas 🙂 Keep it up!

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sippitysup May 13, 2013 um 9:39 am

We all struggle. In the end I figure, some stupid food won’t hurt (as long as it’s delicious that is). GREG

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Carrie @ Bakeaholic Mama May 15, 2013 um 6:01 pm

This post just slapped some stupid out of me. I keep fighting it… but I always get sucked back into "what can I create that will go viral on pinterest?" Worrying about numbers, and trying to do the next big thing sucks all the fun out of blogging for me. I’ve been struggling for months on my blog, I’ve almost thrown in the towel several times because the whole thing frustrates me. I want to scream at my followers some days "Why do you like freaking s’more crack dip?? I Just made you freaking macrons. Pin THAT! " My simple brainless recipes are what gets attention, and those are the recipes that are no fun creating. Anyways, I loved this post, I love this recipe and please don’t dumb down your food ever. Everything I see when I visit both of your blogs looks beautiful and it’s inspiring.

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Jackie May 16, 2013 um 3:14 pm

It’s so hard not to get caught up in it. Traffic is so much more tangible than respect. What it comes down to for me is that I never wanted to be a highly trafficked personality blogger, I just love food and wanted to find a way to make a living at it. And if my dream job of contributing to a food magazine came available, I was not producing posts that made me worthy of that job. It was really more of a "dress for the job you want" sort of thing. I was not taking myself down the road I wanted to be on, and driving myself insane in the process.

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Carole May 23, 2013 um 8:52 pm

Lovely work! Would you be happy to link it in to the current Food on Friday which is all about scallops? This is the link . I do hope to see you there. Cheers

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kate C. June 10, 2013 um 7:15 pm

Okay, so here’s a different perspective to these so-called 'stupid foods’… I know I’m late to this discussion, but that’s because I just discovered this blog tonight. (ok, I admit I had heard rumblings of it on other food blogs or elsewhere on the internet, but I had never actually checked it out. :))

But tonight my brother’s fiance had pinned one of your recipes – the stout truffles. Not sure if you considered that one of your 'stupid foods' or not, but it struck my fancy. Now, I’m actually a pretty picky pinner, and especially when it comes to food, I always visit the original site and see if the recipe and the blogger look like they’ll be good and fit my style before I’ll actually go back and re-pin it too. Looking around a bit on your blog I quickly saw that the food looked amazing (great photography), the recipes are clearly inspired and complex (no boring 'add this to this box mix – so easy!' ugh), but not fussy or way-crazy with complex, never-heard-of ingredients. Sure, there’s beer in every one, so I’m not going to make things from this website everyday, but wow! I love the look of lots of these recipes!

Funny enough, one I did pin for myself before I stumbled on this post was those infamous fudgesicles! But I liked them because I thought your site looked great with the more interesting recipes, and so I basically trusted that they would be good. And who doesn’t need an occasional easy, tasty summer treat?

So, while I’m certainly not going to try to tell you what you want or what you want to do with your blog, I guess my message is to not beat yourself up about posting an occasional recipe meant for pinterest if you want to, or at least don’t feel so regretful for having done it in the past. Because, those sorts of things might help draw new people to your site that actually will stay because of the awesome 'with food' you post most of the time. Like me, for instance, who loves 'with food' and would kill for some of your goat cheese ravioli right about now! (and yes, I pinned that one too)

A new reader who is headed to feedly right now to add you to my feeds

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Jackie June 10, 2013 um 7:44 pm

Thank you so much! I do need to hear that, I beat myself up over everything. And there is nothing wrong with those fudgesicles,they were delicious, but I just want to try and push myself and make things that I feel really proud of. Even though, like my friend Greg said earlier in a comment, there is nothing wrong with posing recipes that are just fun.
But thank you so much for your comment! I do need to give myself a break once in a while 🙂

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Raquel December 10, 2013 um 3:13 am

I know I’m a bit late in the day to be commenting on this, but your recipes are EXACTLY what I’ve been looking for, for a really long time. You pick your flavours really well and I love the way your blog looks and is laid out.

In fact I’m planning a really lovely birthday dinner this weekend and I came straight to you to find a starter and found this amazing recipe which I WILL be trying out. You have to stand out from the other sites and you do that really well!

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Ray Corkran May 1, 2014 um 3:51 am

Hi Jackie! I am a long time fan of your recipes and have tried my hand at many of them. This beer pickled jalapenos is about the simplest one yet and I really love it. I made a jar of these last night and I’m sure they won’t last long. Thanks for all your inspiration and your photography is top notch! 🙂

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Jackie May 1, 2014 um 12:26 pm

Thank you Ray!

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