The things we got wrong
This is not an About page in the usual sense. It’s a log of corrections—proof that we don’t just publish recipes, we test them, and when they fail, we fix them. Most sites list what they do well.
Here, you’ll see what we got wrong, how we found out, and what we changed.
A site that never corrects anything is either too new to have made mistakes or too proud to admit them. Either way, you can’t trust it. This log is how we prove we’re still learning—and that we listen when readers do, too.
Three we had to fix
These are the three biggest mistakes we caught before they became habits. Each one cost us time, trust, or both. But fixing them made the site better—and showed us how to spot the next one before it spreads.
The mistakes we fixed—most serious first
- 1The garlic scape mismeasure
We published a recipe for spring garlic scapes that called for ‘a handful’—no weight, no count. It sat online for three months before a reader sent photos of their burned scapes. Turns out, ‘handful’ varies by palm size. We replaced it with ‘8–10 scapes, trimmed’ and added a note: *‘If yours are thick, halve them.’* Marisol Northrup fixed it after the third complaint.
- 2The oven temp that lied
A roasted beet recipe said ‘400°F (200°C) for 45 minutes.’ Two readers in Australia swore their beets came out raw. The issue? Their ovens ran hotter than ours. We tested with a thermometer, adjusted to ‘375°F (190°C) for 50 minutes,’ and added a warning: *‘Oven accuracy varies—check with a probe.’* Marisol Northrup caught this after a reader emailed screenshots of their undercooked beets.
- 3The ‘5-minute’ salad that took 20
A ‘quick kale salad’ promised ‘ready in 5 minutes’ but required soaking kale for 10 and dressing assembly that took another 10. A reader timed it and called us out. We rewrote the intro to say ‘15 minutes, mostly hands-off’ and moved the soaking step to a separate ‘make-ahead’ section. Marisol Northrup spotted this when she retimed the recipe herself—after ignoring the reader’s first message.
What those three changed
These fixes didn’t just patch holes—they rewrote our rules. No more vague measurements, no more untested assumptions, and no more pretending a recipe is faster than it is. The log isn’t just a list of errors; it’s how we train ourselves to catch the next one.
Rules that came from mistakes
- ✅ Measure everything by weight or count (from the garlic scape mismeasure).
- ✅ Test recipes in at least two kitchens (from the oven temp that lied).
- ✅ Time every step—including prep you ‘know by heart’ (from the ‘5-minute’ salad).
The people behind this
Marisol Northrup is the Founder & Editor of *My Salad Recipes*, and the person who signs the corrections. You’ve just met her through the mistakes she fixed—proof that even the best recipes start with a failure.
She’s the one who still tastes every sauce twice, the one who rewrites a recipe after a reader’s third complaint, and the one who keeps this log because admitting a mistake is the only way to earn trust back.
Keeping a log like this isn’t easy. It means owning up to errors in public, even when they’re embarrassing. It means looking at your own work and saying, *‘This was wrong.’* It’s uncomfortable, but it’s how you build something real.
Marisol started this site because she wanted recipes that worked—not just in her kitchen, but in yours. That’s why the log exists: so you can see the real person behind the recipes.
There’s a smaller mistake she’ll never admit to publicly. Early on, she swore she could tell when eggs were fresh just by cracking them open—until she served a batch of old eggs to a friend who gagged.
She still doesn’t talk about it, but now she buys eggs in bulk and dates every carton. That’s the kind of detail that matters here.
If you find something wrong on this site, don’t just tell us—show us. Send photos, timings, or your own fixes. The contact page is where to start.
There will be a next one
This list isn’t finished. We’ll add to it every time we catch a mistake—whether it’s ours or a reader’s. If you spot something that doesn’t add up, let us know. The contact page is how to reach us. And if we don’t fix it fast enough?
That’s another entry for the log.
The recipes are grouped by category: Appetizers, Beverages, Breakfast & Brunch, Desserts, Main Courses and Reviews.