Here is a quick recipe that works for one or more! Bright lemon mixes with dill and whole wheat pasta for a great weeknight dish. Adjust the recipe for the number of servings you would like.

whole wheat pasta
salt and pepper
1 lemon
olive oil
fresh snipped dill, or dried dill
parmesan cheese

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Measure the number of pasta servings and cook to package directions. Drain pasta and seperate into bowls.

Into each bowl, add 1 tsp olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, 1 tsp fresh dill or 1/4 tsp dried dill, 1 tbsp parmensan cheese, and fresh ground black pepper. Grate a little lemon zest on top of each bowl. Toss well and serve!

Shown below, with whole wheat angel hair pasta:

Based on my Myers-Briggs Personality Type, cooking is an ideal hobby. The main reason for this is that I naturally gravitate towards structure, order, and directions (recipes!). I enjoy outlining step-by-step procedures, as well as the concrete sensory experience of organizing and measuring each item (ingredient). My personality type of ESTJ also suggests that I am drawn to things with a practical purpose (and what’s more practical than food?) and a defined framework. I seek balance and proportion, with a mathematical or chemical logic (such as sugar + flour + eggs + chocolate = cake).

Other personality types enjoy cooking as well, but for different reasons. For those who like to create or compose (and not follow directions), cooking can be a creative release by putting together new and different ingredients and “inventing” a new dish. This becomes an outlet for energy and the need or want to experiment, which is why some people cook without using a recipe or cookbook. This also explains why I sometimes have difficulty creating things “off-the-cuff,” as I would rather have a specific plan.

Don’t know your MBTI Personality Type? Try this test at HumanMetrics.com and see what type you are. There are no right or wrong answers, just what is right for you.

I won’t take credit for all of these insightful conclusions. My good friend Leah is what I will call an MBTI guru and expert on reading people. She is also great at creating meals without a recipe.

This simple and delicious recipe is a Jenn Original! Use pre-sliced mushrooms or buy whole and slice your own.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large pkg (8 oz) mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 cup water or white wine

Over medium heat, warm oil in a large skillet. Trim fat off of chicken and pound chicken to an even thickness. Season with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper.

Add chicken to warmed skillet and brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove chicken and set aside on a plate.

Add butter and sliced mushrooms to skillet, scraping the bottom of the pan. Saute for 5 minutes and add tarragon and water (or wine, if using).

Return chicken to pan, along with any accumulated juices on the plate. Cook until chicken is done and no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes.

Serve chicken with mushrooms and sauce on top.

 Shown below, with brown rice and vegetables:

Another tasty treat from Cake Mix Cookies, these mini-cookies “capture the unique flavor of chai”  and will fill the house with their distinctive fragrance as they bake.” Instead of buying pumpkin pie spice, which costs about $4 for a very small container, I made my own using spices I already had and the Pumpkin Pie Mix from Herb Mixtures & Spicy Blends.

1 box (18.5 oz) Spice cake mix
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp cardamom
slivered almonds, for garnish, about 1/2 cup

Preheat oven to 350F and coat cookie sheets with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine half of the cake mix, melted butter, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, and cardamom. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes until all ingredients are combined. Stir in remaining cake mix using a spoon until moist.

Using a teaspoon, roll dough into balls. Press slivered almonds on top. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until set at edges and just barely set at center when lightly touched. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute, then transfer to a cooling rack with a spatula to cool completely.

Here is an Autumn spice mixture that can be used in pies, cookies, cake, and other desserts. The recipe comes from the book Herb Mixtures & Spicy Blends, which is a compilation of herb and spice mixtures from around the country. This mixture was provided by Cricket Hill Herb Farm.

5 tbsp ground cinnamon
4 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground allspice
2 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix. Store in an air-tight jar in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Mix will last at least 6 months and up to a year if properly sealed and stored.