Menu Plan Monday - December 10, 2018

Last week, I said everyone had a hand in meal planning this month. This week, I chose spaghetti and copycat Popeye's. Matthew chose fajitas. Nick chose burgers and fancy mac 'n' cheese. And all of us wanted Skyline. We're also going to be doing a lot of holiday baking/cooking this weekend and preparing chex mix, bacon cheese spread (a family tradition) and cookies.

Monday - Roasted Garlic and Cheese Baked Spaghetti
Tuesday - Chicken Fajitas
Wednesday - Cinnamon Roll Donuts // Skyline Chili
Thursday - Copycat Popeye's Spicy Chicken with mac and cheese, collards, and Best Homemade Biscuits
Friday - Grilled Butter Burgers
Saturday - Slow Cooker Chex Mix, Bacon Cheese Spread, White Chocolate Dipped Ginger Cookies, Spiced Snickerdoodles
Sunday - Cake Mix Coffee Cake // Fancy Mac & Cheese

What are you having for dinner this week?
Feel free to leave a link to the recipe in the comments!

------------------------------
don't miss a thing. follow fantastical on:
facebook | pinterest | bloglovin | instagram

Prosecco Infused Moist Vanilla Cupcakes

Celebrate any holiday with a little bubbly in your cupcakes!

I am so happy that I'm finally getting around to posting these amazing vanilla cupcakes. I had the idea last year to make wine-infused cupcakes for my mother-in-law's birthday. I didn't really find a recipe to make, so I went to one of my favorite dessert blogs to get a solid vanilla cupcake recipe. The cupcakes and frosting alone are fabulous. The frosting in particular is one of my all-time favorites. It's so creamy and just the right amount of sweetness (for me).

The wine part wasn't hard to figure out from there. My mother-in-law prefers dry wine and she likes white wine, so I bought some cutesy heart pipettes from Amazon and filled them up with this Cupcake Prosecco. Cupcake for the cupcakes :) They turned out so well and the prosecco was a perfect compliment to the cupcakes. I will definitely have to do these again.

Skillet Beef Broccoli Ramen

Steamed broccoli and marinated beef is the perfect way to upgrade instant ramen!

We have definitely been on a ramen kick lately. We eat it at least twice a month, which for us IS eating something often. I make a lot of pork ramen, so it's nice to switch it up and go with a classic combo of beef and broccoli. This is definitely a wonderful way to class up packets of ramen and really stretch it into a full family meal. The beef marinates for a few hours and is packed with flavor. I would easily eat it alone, but the ramen with steamed broccoli and more sauce really go together so well. I didn't use fresh ginger for so many years but I honestly prefer it to ground ginger. So I definitely recommend going with fresh ginger for this recipe!

Cranberry Cheesecake Crumb Pie

Take that can of cranberries and make something magnificent with it!

As a child, the only experience I had with cranberries was the canned jellied kind. Now plenty of people enjoy that, but I am not one of those folks. I thought that I just didn't like cranberries, period. End of story. Then as an adult, I decided to try them again, but not in jelly form. I think my first brush with cranberries as an adult was fresh cranberries and I loved them. Fresh cranberries are so perfectly tart. So I am making up for lost time and eating all the cranberry things.

This pie was a good compromise for me because I also don't really care for pie (because of the crust) but Nick does. But it's also partly cheesecake, so that works for me. This is like the perfect mixture of so many delicious things. The cranberries are tart and are lovely paired with the creamy cheesecake and buttery crumble. I can't even with how wonderful this dessert is. Perfect substitute for jellied cranberries, if you don't like it :)

Chicken Mozzarella Pasta

Who needs beef with red sauce when you can have this melty mozzarella sauce with chicken?!

I have found yet another wonderful pasta dish with red sauce that makes me a happy camper. Honestly, it isn't that hard when it comes to red sauce pasta dishes, but every once in a while I get surprised by them. This recipe in particular was surprising because it was chicken for the protein instead of beef. I also adored the pieces of melty mozzarella throughout the sauce. I ended up having to use lightly dried basil instead of fresh, but it still was fantastic.

Menu Plan Monday - December 3, 2018

This month, everyone wanted to be involved in meal planning, so I have selections from everyone in the family :) This week is largely a Nick-suggest week. He wanted alfredo of some sort, tacos, kale soup, and Copycat Chick-fil-A. I wanted pickle pizza. I saw a picture of it floating around on Facebook, so I'm making a copycat version.

Monday - Roasted Broccoli Chicken Alfredo
Tuesday - Tacos
Wednesday - Snickerdoodle Crumble Donuts // Kale Soup
Thursday - Copycat Chick-fil-A Sandwiches
Friday - Pickle Pizza [I'm making a copycat]
Saturday - Chocolate Mousse Brownies
Sunday  - Easy Cinnamon Twists // Broccoli Stuffed Chicken

What are you having for dinner this week?
Feel free to leave a link to the recipe in the comments!

------------------------------
don't miss a thing. follow fantastical on:
facebook | pinterest | bloglovin | instagram

Italian Sausage Frittata

This savory breakfast has everything you need for the perfect morning including sausage, veggies, and feta cheese crumbles.

My newest favorite thing is feta cheese. I discovered it a few years ago, but I've really taken a liking to it in 2018 and have tried to convince the others in the family of the same thing. Cami likes it. I think Matthew is indifferent. But Nick hates it. So I don't think I'm going to win that battle. However, that means more food with feta for me, like this frittata! It's got so many elements going for it that just make me so happy - feta, kale, sausage, and red bell pepper - plus a few dashes of hot sauce for a little kick. It's a great and easy breakfast. My big kids really enjoy cooking and I know this is one they could definitely do mostly on their own with a little assistance with chopping the vegetables.

Throwback Thursday No. 74

Today's recipes are not necessarily the most relevant to this season, but who cares! Who says you can only have certain foods in certain seasons. For example, CARROT CAKE DONUTS are fantastic all year round and it's not like carrots are only available in spring! I love the cream cheese glaze/frosting on these. Dessert for breakfast is always my favorite.

Another recipe that isn't really terribly relevant is HAWAIIAN PIZZA GRILLED CHEESE. You could use fresh pineapple and make these in the summer, but canned pineapple works too and they are definitely a fun sandwich to make and eat.

------------------------------
don't miss a thing. follow fantastical on:
facebook | pinterest | bloglovin | instagram

One Pot White Chicken Lasagna Soup

Classic comfort food with a twist - you will want to have more than one bowl of this chicken lasagna soup!

I have never been a huge fan of lasagna. In fact, I haven't really been a little bit of a fan of it either. I do have a few non-ricotta recipes for lasagna that I like every once in a while, but for the most part, lasagna is a no-go for me. Nick and the big kids feel the same way I do. However, all of a sudden, we've been discovering all these new recipes that are more of an alfredo sauce base for lasagna and that has made all the difference. Honestly, this soup only really has lasagna noodles, and, therefore, is basically a favorite for the whole family. It is rich and savory and it is so hard to have just one bowl. It's definitely a food I can't get enough of. I love all the different veggies in it too!

Chipotle Ground Beef Enchiladas

The smoky heat of chipotles really take these enchiladas to the next level!

I do not make a lot of enchiladas that are red sauce based because I honestly don't care for red enchilada sauce all that much. I couldn't pass this recipe for chipotle beef enchiladas up though because the pictures on Nutmeg Nanny looked so dang good. I looked over the ingredients and decided that I had to try it because you make the sauce from scratch and it has cocoa powder in it. I knew that this would be the perfect touch with the smoky chipotles and paprika and add a good amount of depth to the flavors. The sauce is called a chili here - most likely due to the fact that it has meat in it, but regardless, it is simmered for 90 minutes and that makes all the difference in the world. The flavors meld together beautifully as it simmers.

Menu Plan Monday - November 26, 2018

It's crazy to me that we are already going into the last month of 2018. Doesn't it seem like 2018 has been so long? I saw a meme last night that said something about do you know how long 2018 has been? We've had an Olympics this year and we barely remember that. I had to stop and think...wait, did we have an Olympics this year??

Monday - Sausage with Parmesan & Garlic Linguine
Tuesday - Chicken Fajita Pasta (with leftover turkey)
Wednesday - PB&J Overnight Oats // Beef Stroganoff Soup
Thursday - Fried Pork Chops with Pickle Juice Gravy
Friday - Sourdough Banana Bread // Junk Food Night
Saturday - Butterbeer Cupcakes
Sunday - Blueberry Pancake Muffins // Steak Hash with Pepperjack Sauce

What are you having for dinner this week?
Feel free to leave a link to the recipe in the comments!

------------------------------
don't miss a thing. follow fantastical on:
facebook | pinterest | bloglovin | instagram

Countdown to 2019 [All the Details]

It's almost time! The end of the year is upon us and that means my blogging friends and I will be doing the Countdown to 2019. It's my fifth year hosting - it's so much fun. If you are a food blogger, keep reading :)

From December 26 until January 1, food bloggers will share their best recipes posted in 2018 to bring in the new year. Each day has a different category but bloggers are not required to join in for all the days, if they don't want to. Each day a blog hop will open at 12:00am EST and close 36 hours later. The first day of January is the Wild Card category, which means you get to choose what category you want to share. It can be YOUR favorite recipes posted in 2018, underrated gems from 2018, recipes you want to try in 2019, best beverages of 2018, etc. It's totally up to you!

If you have any questions, please email me at fantasticalsharing1 at gmail dot com. I'll see you back on the 26th for the first Countdown to 2019 post all about the best appetizers and snacks recipes of 2018! Sign up for the mailing list is below the image at the end of the post.

Please feel free to post on your blog about the Countdown or share the button on your sidebar or one on your social media. To save, right-click and upload from your computer, tablet, or phone. Do not copy/paste.

Sign up for the mailing list: here.

------------------------------
don't miss a thing. follow fantastical on:
facebook | pinterest | bloglovin | instagram

Chocolate Gingerbread Toffee Cake #FantasticalFoodFight

Welcome to another Food Fight! Fantastical Food Fight is a group of food bloggers who will get a theme or ingredient each month and make some sort of variation for it. It could be traditional or nontraditional and can be found in a cookbook, on a blog, or be a blogger's own creation! For more details, check out this page.

This month's Fantastical Food Fight theme is GINGERBREAD. I looked ahead in the calendar and our December event will occur on the 19th and I thought that may be pushing it for doing a Gingerbread Food Fight and what better way to say goodbye to all the pumpkin things this week (just kidding, I don't say goodbye to pumpkin things). I had no earthly idea what I was going to make when I decided on our November theme, so I took to my holiday food Pinterest board, as one does when they need to pick a holiday themed recipe and found this gorgeous cake.

I'll be honest and say that at first glance I thought it would be a poke cake and I was absolutely down to make a poke cake. They are fabulous. Then upon reading the recipe discovered that this is a from scratch cake recipe AND it contains molasses. I don't make near enough things with molasses but it reminds me of my grandma and that makes me happy. The cake itself was fairly easy to make. I have gotten into the (good) habit of setting a timer 5 minutes earlier than the lowest time the recipe says to cook the food for and then check on my food in 5 minute increments. It definitely helps lower the amount of near-failure moments. The gingerbread spices shined and were complemented beautifully by rich chocolate! My favorite part of this cake was the topping though. It's gingered Cool Whip with toffee bits and chocolate chips. That alone would be a perfect dessert, in my opinion.

Slow Cooker Pork Roast

It doesn't get better than a slow cooked pork roast with fresh herbs, veggies, and wine!

Pork roast is one of my favorite Sunday dinner meals. I'm not sure why we have pork roast on Sundays only, but that's just kind of the way it turns out. I typically don't make just a regular pork roast - it's usually covered in some kind of glaze or wrapped in bacon. I thought it would be nice to make a more traditional recipe with no frills, so to speak. This one utilizes fresh herbs and white wine, which I just adore. There is so much flavor to be added by these two ingredients. I also loved that I could add veggies and slow cook them with the roast. This pork roast turned out unbelievably moist and flavorful. I will absolutely be making it over and over again.

Menu Plan Monday - November 19, 2018

I am SO ready for Thanksgiving. This is year is the first year in a while that will be a smaller Thanksgiving and the first one I'm hosting at my house. It may look like A LOT of food, but I think it's going to be the perfect amount - plus we have to have a little leftover to "Tray It Up" Thanksgiving evening.

Monday - 20-Minute Skillet Chicken & Spinach Parmesan
Tuesday - Slow Cooker Steakhouse Stuffed Peppers
Wednesday - Cinnamon Roll Donuts // Chicken Alfredo Soup
Thursday  - THANKSGIVING - Turkey, Spiral Ham, Cheddar Jalapeno Mashed Potatoes, Asparagus Casserole, Amazing Pecan Cobbler, Completely From Scratch Pumpkin Pie, Green Beans, Dinner Rolls, BLT Deviled Eggs
Friday - n/a
Saturday - Reindeer Food // Pesto Prosciutto Pizza
Sunday - Miss Stephanie's Biscuits and Gravy // Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Bars

What are you having for dinner this week?
Feel free to leave a link to the recipe in the comments!

------------------------------
don't miss a thing. follow fantastical on:
facebook | pinterest | bloglovin | instagram

Middle of the Cinnamon Roll Muffins

The best part of the best breakfast in muffin form...you're welcome!

I have made these muffins a few times and still cannot get over how good they are. The first time, I completely forgot to do the glaze and by the time I remembered, the muffins were gone. The second time, I did remember the glaze, but the pictures I took were in that batch that I lost due to hard drive failure back in the summer. Third times a charm, right? These muffins are pretty standard in recipe, but the way you layer the batter really makes all the difference. Plus the glaze is the perfect touch to really make these muffins taste like the center of a cinnamon roll.

Throwback Thursday No. 73

I love that today's two recipes came up in the archives together because they absolutely need to be served together! They are a perfect pair. First up is this recipe for GREEN BEAN BACON BUNDLES and let me tell you something...you'll definitely need at least a double batch. One batch is simply not enough. They are my favorite side dish ever.

This FAMILY FAVORITE SLOW COOKER ROAST recipe was my first time using Cajun seasoning in anything. And also my first time using coffee in pot roast. I found out precisely why it was named Family Favorite. It's easily one of my favorite pot roast recipes!

------------------------------
don't miss a thing. follow fantastical on:
facebook | pinterest | bloglovin | instagram

Bean with Bacon Soup

Classic bean soup with lots of veggies and bacon, of course!

I have posted tons of bean soups on my blog over the years because they are honestly just one of my favorite types of soup. I do adore soup with pasta, but I don't think anything will top bean and bacon soup. I grew up eating bean and bacon soup frequently and love trying new recipes of my childhood favorite. This soup is more tomato-y than the recipes I've tried before and it was awesome to try something new. The original recipe called for soaking beans, but that is not my strong suit, so I just used canned beans. Because there are precooked beans, you don't have to cook the soup for a long time, but I did simmer mine for a while to help that bay leaf meld with the soup. It's even better the day after!

Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake

Layers of cinnamon roll and cheesecake topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting, I won't judge you if it's dessert for breakfast!

Each year, I love to choose my birthday cake out and make it for myself. I know that's weird to someone, but I find it fun because I get what I want and also I love to bake, so it's not a chore to me. For my 29th birthday in 2017, I decided upon a cinnamon roll cheesecake for my birthday cake. During my pregnancy with Matthew, I became obsessed with Cinnabon. There are a great number of times where I have an insatiable craving for cinnamon rolls (homemade, large and in charge cinnamon rolls) but I don't really want to make the effort to actually make them. No matter how much I love them.

This cheesecake was the perfect cake to sate my cravings and also be an absolutely wonderful birthday cake. It has cinnamon roll crust topped with cheesecake swirled with cinnamon roll filling. Then topped with more cinnamon roll and then the pièce de résistance- the CREAM CHEESE FROSTING. Man, I forget how much I love and adore cream cheese frosting until I have it again. So if you have some time on your hands and want to treat yourself...treat yourself to a piece of this incredible breakfast-dessert hybrid. :)

Menu Plan Monday - November 12, 2018

I am SO ready for this week of food. I can't think of one dinner that I'm more excited for than the rest because they are all favorites and I'm anticipating Friday (the new recipe) to be amazing and a new favorite.

Monday - Pasta Carbonara
Tuesday - Taco Bell Chicken Quesadillas Copycat
Wednesday - S'mores Baked Donuts // Philly Cheesesteak Soup
Thursday - 15-Minute Garlic Butter Ramen with Pork
Friday - Carrot Coconut Bread // Garlic Burgers
Saturday - Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Tenders
Sunday - Easy Cinnamon Twists // Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

What are you having for dinner this week?
Feel free to leave a link to the recipe in the comments!

  ------------------------------
don't miss a thing. follow fantastical on:
facebook | pinterest | bloglovin | instagram

Steak Hash with Pepperjack Sauce

You'll definitely start your morning off right with this hearty steak hash with a creamy, spicy cheese sauce!

Is there anything better than a savory breakfast? I think hashes are good for lunch or dinner too, but what a wonderful way to start the day. A hearty, filling hash with steak, eggs, potatoes, and a creamy Pepperjack sauce - there really is no beating that! I wanted seconds and thirds of it and I was so happy to have some leftover Pepperjack sauce because it is good on a myriad of things - especially a burger.

Sausage & Pecan Cranberry Stuffing

Dress up (pun intended) that premade stuffing mix with spicy sausage, tart cranberries, and pecans and be a Holiday Hero!

I still haven't quite figured out the difference between stuffing and dressing when it comes to holiday food, but I do know that I have always loved Stove Top stuffing. But it seemed like most times when it came to stuffing/dressing on the holiday spread, I wasn't a fan. One of my food aversions is wet bread/crackers. I don't dip breads in anything that will make it soggy. No crackers in my soup. No way.

When I moved to Tennessee, my aunt had made cornbread stuffing for Thanksgiving and I fell in love. It was the perfect texture and tasted amazing. I decided to try my hand at a stuffing recipe for Thanksgiving and could not have been more happy. It has spicy sausage, a sour green apple, pecans, and tart dried cranberries. You can choose what type of stuffing you want to use, but I reached for the cornbread stuffing because it's my favorite and honestly, why wouldn't you pick cornbread stuffing?! I am happy to report that everyone who tried it enjoyed it immensely and it will definitely be a go-to side dish recipe for the holidays.

One Serving Chocolate Chip Cookie

This recipe is perfect for a late-night snack and takes less than 5 minutes to make!

I was craving chocolate chip cookies one night and I really wanted to avoid making a huge mess really late at night, so I took to trying to find a small batch of cookies, possibly one bowl recipes, if I could find it. I was so pleased to find this one serving cookie recipe - that indeed is a one-bowl recipe. It's not the most perfect cookie I have ever had and I will always prefer a batch of homemade cookies to this. However, this definitely was perfect in a pinch when I had a craving.

Slow Cooker Italian Beef Sandwiches

These Italian beef sandwiches are like Philly cheesesteaks with pepperoncinis - so delish!

I was immediately drawn to this recipe because it was like a mix between Mississippi pot roast and Philly cheesesteak. There is no way a recipe could be bad if it was that combination! As expected, this was a wonderful recipe. I keep an eye out for sales on pot roast and pork loins and tend to always have one or the other (or both!) in my freezer at any given time. I definitely recommend doing that because it's awesome to save money AND have one of them in the freezer to make a great recipe like this when you want it!

Menu Plan Monday - November 5, 2018

I'm excited for some comfort food meals this week. And I'm really hoping since the chaos of October is over, I can finally get back into making breakfast and dessert recipes. I had finally started making two to three breakfast recipes each week, but then eesh, October happened. :)

Monday - One Pot Chicken Spinach Skillet Pasta
Tuesday - Taco Bell Mexican Pizza Copycat
Wednesday - Snickerdoodle Crumble Donuts // Ham & Corn Chowder with Potato
Thursday - Southern Slow Steaks
Friday - Jalapeno Popper Pizza
Saturday - Bacon Cheeseburger Tatortot Hotdish
Sunday - Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins // Chocolate Gingerbread Toffee Cake

What are you having for dinner this week?
Feel free to leave a link to the recipe in the comments!

------------------------------
don't miss a thing. follow fantastical on:
facebook | pinterest | bloglovin | instagram

Roasted Broccoli Alfredo

Roasted broccoli elevates this rich alfredo dish - it's easy and fast to make!

I sort of feel a little guilty that I have been sharing tons of meatless recipes that I added meat to, but I am married to someone who would eat steak and only steak for every meal for the rest of his life if he could. He, of course, loves a lot of other food, but he is not a fan of meatless meals...not in the least bit. This recipe would be great meatless or served up with roasted chicken breast, but I thought it would be fantastic to cook up some Italian-seasoned chicken and slice it to serve on top of the pasta. We love broccoli alfredo, but this roasted broccoli alfredo was a whole other level of awesomeness.

Throwback Thursday No. 72

I still have yet to go to the Cheesecake Factory but that hasn't stopped me from enjoying this CHEESECAKE FACTORY PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE recipe. It's one of my all-time favorite cheesecake recipes.

Although grilling time is almost over, these MEXI STEAK KABOBS are definitely something you'll want to have on your meal plan for the summer!

------------------------------
don't miss a thing. follow fantastical on:
facebook | pinterest | bloglovin | instagram

15-Minute Garlic Butter Ramen

Amp up packs of ramen with this easy, quick garlic butter ramen recipe - served meatless or with your choice of meat and hard-boiled eggs!

My entire family is obsessed with anime and manga. We watch anything and everything - and read it too! We particularly love Naruto and ramen is featured a lot in the original series (I have yet to watch Shippuden). So this means we have been trying a ton of ramen recipes lately. I think this one is not only the tastiest, but it's the easiest and I think it is everyone's favorite. I absolutely love it because it's buttery and garlicky with fresh ginger and zucchini. That's just plain heavenly if you ask me. Plus it has basil too! I mean this recipe was made for me, I tell you what! The original recipe does not have any meat, but when I first made this (I've made it a few times now and it's already on the meal plan for November), I decided to saute up some pork cut into strips in a little skillet while making the ramen. Yes, I did end up with another dirty pan, but it didn't take any longer to make the recipe and it was such a wonderful addition to it. I know we will eat this recipe often :)

Sheet Pan Crispy Cheddar Pork Chops

One whole meal baked on one sheet pan - crispy cheesy pork with roasted baby red potatoes and brussels sprouts!

I have desperately trying to convince my family that brussels are actually delicious because I love them. So far, I think the only attempt that was mildly successful was when I made carbonara with shredded brussels. I will take them any way I can get them, but especially love roasted brussels sprouts, like in this sheet pan recipe! Not only do you get yummy brussels, but you get red potatoes and crispy cheddar pork chops too. So I mean, no complaints from me.

It's an easy recipe with a little bit of prep time, but I still ended up spending more time waiting for it to bake in the oven than preparing it or actively cooking anything. Again, no complains from me. I was happy to have a well-rounded, balanced meal (in my opinion, not a nutritionist or anything) that was simple to make and dirtied fewer dishes than it would have if I made this in a skillet.

Menu Plan Monday - October 29, 2018

I can't believe we're days away from November. I am scrambling to get my November meal plan together last minute (which is unlike me), but here we are! This is the meal plan for this week. I'm looking forward to Thursday in particular. I've been loving tomato, cucumber, and feta together lately. The kids wanted fried chicken with mac and cheese, so that's what we'll be enjoying this weekend :)

Monday - Ragu Stuffed Peppers [Food Network magazine]
Tuesday - Tex Mex Pork Chops
Wednesday - Coffee Cake Donuts // Cheeseburger Soup
Thursday - Greek Style Chicken Quinoa Bowls
Friday - Pumpkin Poppers // Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes
Saturday - Baked Fried Chicken, Macaroni and Cheese, Green Beans
Sunday - Italian Baked Eggs // Butterbeer Cupcakes

What are you having for dinner this week?
Feel free to leave a link to the recipe in the comments!

------------------------------
don't miss a thing. follow fantastical on:
facebook | pinterest | bloglovin | instagram

Easy Homemade Pickled Jalapenos

If you ever find yourself in a pickle (of having too many jalapenos), these homemade jalapenos are as easy as can be and delicious too! Perfect for burgers, tacos, soup, and more!

I was incredibly excited to grow my own jalapenos once again last summer. I had an incident the first summer after we purchased our home, where a gang of chipmunks ate my jalapeno plant, peppers, leaves, and all. They left just the center stalk for me. Mind you, I also was growing habaneros right next to them to maximize spiciness. After the devastation of the chipmunks eating all my peppers and herbs, Nick gifted me an Aerogarden for our anniversary. I did a round of mixed Italian herbs first, then I purchased a salsa kit with two cherry tomato plants and two jalapeno plants. Unfortunately, my tomatoes were bad eggs and didn't grow at all. My jalapenos were bountiful. They were also literally the hottest jalapenos I have ever eaten. They WERE habanero level hot. And that isn't just me. Nick agreed that they were the spiciest jalapenos he had ever had too and he has such a high heat tolerance. This recipe for pickled jalapenos allowed me to use up all the jalapenos from my Aerogarden before they went bad!