arroz con pollo

when jason and i went to florida back in february for our last trip before the baby came, i asked around for the best places to eat in tampa. multiple people recommended columbia restaurant in ybor city, both for the food and the flamenco show they put on during dinner. we made our reservation and arrived shortly before the show started. to those who recommended it, you were completely right. the show was entertaining and relaxing and the food was amazing!

we started with their famous 1905 salad and lobster croquettes and jason had pork tenderloin. while the croquettes were really delicious, as was the tenderloin, the star of the meal was my arroz con pollo. the waiter lifted the lid off the huge pot of rice and chicken table side and i couldn't believe how unbelievably simple and delicious it was. needless to say, i've had dreams about that meal ever since.

toffee chocolate chip cookies

any time i see another blog declare a chocolate chip cookie "the best", i add it to the list, hoping one day to try all of the best chocolate chip cookies and declare a winner myself. since i typically make chocolate chip cookies once a year - ok, twice - it's going to take a while for me to get through them all.

this recipe caught my eye not only because it's deemed "the best" but also because his kids make them all the time, they're both crispy and chewy, and it was deemed "the best" after trying dozens of chocolate chip cookie recipes. i was intrigued enough to give them a spin. with a hearty dose of toffee bits, they were mine in no time. 

parker house rolls [12in2012]

i typically eat dinner rolls on only one day each year, thanksgiving. ever since i can remember, we have had brown 'n serve dinner rolls at thanksgiving. found in the frozen foods section of the grocery story, they're small rolls that need a quick pop in the oven to bake them off. we go through a couple bags of them each thanksgiving and they're always completely devoured by the end of the meal. each year, someone tries to change it up with homemade rolls or bread, which results in groans and complaints from all of us grandkids. which was fine, 20 years ago when we were kids. but now, as adults, we can't quite break away from the brown 'n serves. some things never change.

think of these rolls as a homemade version of brown 'n serves. only these have flavor, are lighter and fluffier, and are about twice the size. 

hot pepper jelly

my mother turned my sister on to hot pepper jelly a couple years ago at one of the major holidays. she decided to change things up and introduced us to a new appetizer - hot pepper jelly mixed with cream cheese on crackers. personally, i don't care much for it - i don't particularly care for peppers - but the two of them and other friends and family go crazy for this stuff. so last summer, in the height of pepper season, i made two batches for them for christmas.

orzo with artichoke pesto and grilled corn

i spent my last childless saturday morning being as lazy as possible. i watched a couple hours of food network, caught up on a couple magazines, and did whatever else i felt like. that morning, i watched giada make this orzo pasta salad as part of a simple beach picnic and decided to invite some friends over for one last pre-baby dinner - and a reason to make the salad.

one of our good friends - who will remain nameless - hates artichokes. i mean, hates them with all his might. and of course, he just happened to be coming over for dinner. i was careful not to mention the artichokes and was pleasantly surprised to see him go back for seconds! while i haven't been able to totally convert him, it's a start.