Grandma's Easy Onion Boil: Old-School Flavor, Zero Fuss

Let Me Tell You Why I Love This Gelatin Thing Okay, quick story time. The first time I heard about the gelatin weight loss trick, I was knee-deep in a phase of trying every hack on the internet—don't judge, we've all been there! My auntie swore by this, claiming it kept her feeling full and, …

If You’ve Ever Needed a Hug from Your Stove, This is It Oh, ham and bean soup... I can smell it already, bubbling away on the stovetop, making the whole house smell like a giant, savory blanket. This one always reminds me of winters at my auntie's place, where the clatter of spoons and laughter …

Hey there — Let’s Boil Some Eggs (Again!) Alright, so here's the thing. I know boiling eggs seems like, well, the simplest kitchen task ever; but somehow, it can go sideways when you least expect it. The first time I tried, I ended up with eggshells welded to the whites (pretty sure I invented a …

So, Why Am I Always Making This Jam? If you’ve ever gotten a whiff of caramelized onions and roasted garlic swirling together in your kitchen—oh man, you get me. I first stumbled into making Roasted Garlic Onion Jam by accident when I totally overestimated how many onions I’d need for a Sunday roast. My kitchen …

Let Me Tell You About My Smoky Soup Obsession Alright, so—this Smoked Ham Hock and Bean Cabbage Soup is what I make when I feel like curling up under a blanket and pretending the world outside is way colder than it actually is (hey, even in July I crave this stuff). Honestly, my uncle first …

Catching Up Over French Onion Dip and Crunchy Chips I don't know about you, but there’s just something about homemade dips and chips that makes me feel like I’ve got my life together—well, at least until the dishes pile up! This French Onion Dip with Homemade Chips recipe has seen more game days, birthday parties, …

Let Me Tell You About This Soup (Pull Up a Chair) You know those comfort foods that just scratch an itch you didn't even know you had? That's chicken noodle soup for me. Every time I make it, I get this flashback of being six, sitting in my grandmother's tiny kitchen (she had this wild …

Oh Strawberry Gelatin Salad...That One Dish Everyone Sneaks Seconds Of There are foods you make because you have to, and others you make because you can't help yourself (and, honestly, they just disappear when you bring them to BBQs). For me, this Strawberry Gelatin Salad with Whipped Cream sits firmly in that second camp. I …

Let Me Tell You About Candied Orange Slices Alright, so — have you ever had one of those days where you just crave something sweet and a little fancy, but not, you know, bake-a-three-layer-cake fancy? That's precisely when I pull out my big pot and make candied orange slices. The first time I made these, …

So, you want the scoop on Bang Bang Chicken Bowls? I still remember the first time I cobbled together this Bang Bang Chicken Bowl—you know those nights where your fridge is giving you the side-eye and you just want something that feels special? Yeah, it was one of those. Chicken, lurking in the back, the …

Okay, so let me tell you a little secret right off the bat: Pretzel Chicken with Mustard-Cheddar Sauce is basically my mid-week superhero (along with coffee, let's be real). I first made it when I had a bit too much pretzel snack mix leftover from a party. That, and an old block of cheddar hanging …

So, Let Me Tell You About My CrockPot Chicken Tortellini Adventure If you’ve ever wondered what to toss together in your slow cooker when you’re somewhere between too lazy to cook (yep, been there) and hoping for something a little fancier than just the usual chicken and potatoes, that’s pretty much how my whole CrockPot …

Let's Dive Into Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas—My New "Old Reliable" So, here’s the deal: there’s really nothing fancier than making—well, eating—classic enchiladas that aren’t classic at all, but something even creamier and cozier. I only started making these Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas after my sister-in-law brought them over for a football Sunday, and let’s just …

If You've Got a Pan, You Can Make This There's something about Black Pepper Chicken Stir-Fry that just takes me back to being crammed in my first flat, desperately hungry after work, rooting through the fridge for something (anything) with protein. One wild Tuesday I just chucked together what I vaguely remembered from a street …

This Slow Cooker Chicken: My Lazy-Day Superpower Alright, I’ll be honest; I didn’t always respect my slow cooker. It was a hand-me-down, lurking at the back of the cupboard, kind of like that one jumper you got for Christmas ages ago. But then, one totally bonkers Tuesday (kids’ dance classes, work emails coming out my …

You Are Not the Only One Who's Air Fryer-Obsessed (Trust Me) Okay, quick confession: the first time I made these Air Fryer Ranch-Crusted Chicken Bites, I was convinced they were going to be just another "meh" weeknight dinner. But—picture this—my youngest grabbed one before it even hit the dinner table and suddenly the whole kitchen …

How This Orange Chicken Became a Regular at My Table I’ve got a confession: the first time I tried to make gluten-free Orange Chicken at home, I basically created orange-flavored scrambled chicken. Yikes. But hey, every culinary misstep's just a pitstop on the road to something tastier, right? My cousin dared me to make his …

Okay, So Let Me Tell You About This Casserole... I swear, Chicken Bubble Biscuit Bake Casserole is the kind of dish that feels like a hug after a long day—it's been my secret weapon for family dinners ever since that one week I forgot to grocery shop properly, and suddenly all I had were leftovers …

Okay, Here’s the Story (or: How I Ended Up Loving Sweet Chicken) So, you know those days when you open the fridge, and there’s that can of pineapple rings—maybe left from a half-baked plan to make pineapple upside-down cake that never happened? Well, that’s how I sort of stumbled into this Brown Sugar Pineapple Chicken …

Let's Talk About Sweet Potato Casserole (And My Odd Choices) Every time I peel sweet potatoes, I'm reminded of the Thanksgiving when my younger cousin decided it'd be fun to have a "peeling contest"—I think half the peel ended up in her ponytail, somehow. Anyway, that's when I really started loving Sweet Potato Casserole. It's …

How I Fell for the Humble Loaded Roasted Sweet Potato Okay, pause for a second—if you’ve never tried stuffing a roasted sweet potato until it can barely handle it, you’re in for a treat (or possibly a chaotic kitchen counter, depending on your enthusiasm). The first time I made these, I was basically using up …

Scalloped Sweet Potatoes: A Family (and Slightly Disorganized) Staple Okay, so scalloped sweet potatoes always remind me of a winter potluck at my Aunt Jo's place. She lives up north where it's cold enough to make your nose run the second you step outside, but her kitchen’s always warm and smells like brown sugar and …

Let Me Tell You About My Cheesy Ground Beef Pasta Bake Alright, I gotta say—this is one of those recipes that's totally saved my bacon on busy weeknights, or when I've got a herd of hungry teenagers hovering in the kitchen (aka my own kids plus the neighbors' strays). I remember the first time I …

Let's Talk Casserole (and a Leaky Oven Mishap) Alright friend, gather round — I've gotta tell you about this Ground Turkey And Sweet Potato Casserole that's rescued so many of my weeknights. Like, it's one of those recipes where you start with good intentions and end up with dinner and tomorrow's lunch (if nobody sneaks …

Just Between Us: Why This Beef Recipe Is My Secret Weapon Hey there! So, you know those days where you want a meal to magically appear—like, poof, dinner on the table—but you also crave something packed with flavor? That's me at least once a week, and this slow cooker Mexican shredded beef is my not-so-secret …

So Listen, About These Air Fryer Sweet Potato Cubes... I don't know if it's just me, but some days I get this weird craving for something that's crunchy but still, you know, kinda healthy? That happened last Saturday—I'd just come back from a hike (ok, it was just walking my dog but let's pretend), and …

Okay, So Here's My Levain Bakery Cookie Confession Let me get straight to it: I am obsessed (like, hide-them-in-the-pantry obsessed) with those giant Levain Bakery chocolate chip cookies. You know, the thick chunky ones—crispy outside, practically gooey in the middle? Yeah. First time I made these, I overbaked half the batch because I couldn't believe …

So, Here's Why I Can't Stop Making Marry Me Chicken You know those recipes that somehow end up causing random marriage proposals? (Just me?) Well, Marry Me Chicken is basically that dish. I stumbled on it looking for ways to impress my then-boyfriend—now husband, you’ve probably guessed what happened. I’ve probably made it a dozen …

Let's Talk About Love at First Sight Chocolate Cake If you’re reading this, I’m guessing you share the universal truth: there’s always room for chocolate cake. Especially this one. The first time I baked this Love at First Sight Chocolate Cake, it was on a rainy Saturday, and I accidentally doubled the cocoa (totally on …

So, Chicken Enchilada Casserole – Here’s the Deal I can’t remember exactly when I first threw together this Chicken Enchilada Casserole – probably a Tuesday when I realized I’d forgotten to defrost half the ingredients for dinner. You know those days when you’re eyeing the stack of tortillas, a can of something in the pantry, …

Alright, pull up a chair for this one because Easy Marry Me Chicken Soup is my absolute go-to when the weather's grim or when someone's got the sniffles (let's be real, sometimes it's just me needing a soup hug). Honestly, the first time I made this, it was a total improvisation—I'd run out of cream …

Ever Just Want a Cozy Casserole? Here’s Mine! Okay, so picture this: It’s raining outside (again!), you’ve somehow ended up with both leftover chili and a random box of cornbread mix in your pantry, and everyone’s hungry—but not patient. That’s usually when I make this chili cornbread casserole. Actually, the very first time I threw …

Right Then! Let’s Talk About Truffle Pasta Alright, so you know how some meals just sort of wiggle their way into your memory? For me, that’s truffle pasta. There I was, years ago, standing in my tiny flat—window half stuck open, pasta pot bubbling away—when I first tried making this dish after tasting the “real …

So About That Orange Chicken You Keep Hearing About... Alright, let me just say, orange chicken is the dish I end up making when I want something comforting but honestly can't face another round of boring weeknight chicken. There was this one time I tried to impress my date—spoiler alert: I splattered orange sauce everywhere. …

Alright, Let Me Tell You About Turkey and Stuffing Meatballs… So, picture this: it’s a rainy Sunday, and I’m rummaging in my fridge wondering why I bought so much ground turkey again. Suddenly, inspiration (or hunger) strikes—why not make meatballs that taste like Thanksgiving every time? That’s pretty much how these Turkey and Stuffing Meatballs …

Honestly, I Could Eat This Every Week Okay, so let’s get one thing straight—there are fancier dinners out there, but Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake just gets me. Like, on a Tuesday when it’s raining and I’ve lost my patience but I still want something that feels like a hug, I’ll pull out this recipe. …

Oh, Spaghetti Pie – The Quirky Crowd-Pleaser So, let me tell you about the time I first made Spaghetti Pie. Fully thought I’d invented it. Little did I know, the rest of the world had already caught on (typical, right?). This was back when my kids thought ketchup was a food group and my husband …

So, sausage and white bean soup—let me tell you about it I can't even count how many times I've made this sausage and white bean soup recipe. The first time was actually by accident—I'd forgotten to buy chicken (typical, right?), but I had some spicy sausage rolling around in the back of the fridge and …

So, Here's Why Chicken Fajita Pasta Is My Kind of Weeknight Magic Imagine: I stagger through the door, it’s been (one of those) days—you know the type, when your to-do list just grows as the day goes on, and you're not even sure where you left your keys. Well, I dig through the fridge hoping …

If You Like Burgers and Tacos, This One's For You Alright, let me just get this out there—Smash Burger Tacos were my culinary lightbulb moment one rainy Tuesday. Was it born out of creativity or a near-empty fridge? Honestly, a bit of both. My son asked for burgers; my daughter wanted tacos. (Of course they …