Pull up a Chair: My Gingerbread Tiramisu Adventure So last year, at the tail end of December (with the tree somehow still half-decorated and my cat thinking tinsel was his lunch), I decided to mash together two of my favorite holiday treats—gingerbread and tiramisu. Why? Honestly, mostly to use up a shockingly large box of …
This Dessert is More Than a Christmas Tradition in My House Okay, look—my Black Forest Trifle isn’t what you’d call a classic Christmas recipe in the usual sense, but I swear by it every year. There was this one Christmas Eve (snow everywhere, the neighbours playing Slade a bit too loudly) and I was wrestling …
Let Me Tell You About My Chimichurri Flank Steak Christmas Tradition Okay, so, every December, after my third round of gingerbread and the plastic Santa inflatable gives up and keels over in the yard (not kidding), I start thinking, what’s actually good to eat for Christmas that won’t make me want to take a nap …
Let me tell you, if there was ever a cookie that could save a holiday gathering (or just your sanity mid-December), it's the so-called kitchen sink Christmas cookie. I can't even count how many times I've whipped up a batch at the last minute, timer beeping, the kitchen a whirlwind of flour, kids arguing over …
Oh, The Time I Turned My Kitchen Into Who-ville Years ago, I decided on a random Thursday that I’d make Grinch Christmas Cookies, and let me tell you, my kitchen has never quite recovered. There’s just something about bright green cookies, complete with a single red heart, that makes even my grumpy Uncle Pete (he …
Hey there! So, let me tell you about these Pistachio Brie Bites I've been making basically every December since my neighbor (shoutout to Carol!) ambushed me with a plate and a big wink one snowy evening. Honestly, I didn't even like brie until I got my mitts on these—and now I genuinely look forward to …
Let's Talk About Balsamic Dijon Glazed Ham (And How It Saved Christmas, Kind Of) Okay, picture this: it’s Christmas Eve, the house smells like pine and someone (probably me) is frantically shoving wrapping paper under the couch. My mom is loudly reminiscing about the year she tried to glaze a ham with grape jelly (it …
So, Here's My Big Family Secret (Not Really a Secret): If you've ever wondered if stuffed beef tenderloin is as good as it looks in those glossy food magazines—well, friend, you are in the right place. This is my go-to Christmas dinner: stuffed beef tenderloin. I don't usually brag, but the first time I made …
Alright, so picture this: it’s Christmas Eve, everyone’s hungry (again), the tree lights are blinking, and I’m frantically trying to get something crowd-pleasing on the table before my dad eats all the nuts. Enter the Holiday Pigs in a Blanket Wreath—honestly, this wreath has saved me more than once. The first time I made it, …
The Story Behind These Little Cheese & Cracker Pumpkin Pies Alright, I'm just going to say it: I basically stumbled into making Cheese & Cracker Pumpkin Pies the first time because we had a wild surplus of Ritz (don't ask, some sort of discount warehouse bungle) and way too much pumpkin puree after a failed …
Cake and Coffee? Yes, Please! You ever crave something just sweet enough to make your morning feel like a little party? That’s me most weekends—and honestly, sometimes Tuesday lunch too. I first stumbled onto this cherry coffee cake thing in a whirlwind when my aunt showed up (randomly!) with bags of fresh cherries. She said, …
So, Why Am I Telling You About This Wreath? Okay, story time—last December, I was elbow-deep in Christmas cookies, peppermint bark, and whatnot, and my daughter suddenly pipes up, "Can we make those green Rice Krispies things Gran used to do?" Well, little did she know, I had nearly forgotten those sweet, sticky, marshmallowy wreaths …
The Warmest Welcome (and a Little Sticky Story) Okay, let me paint you a picture—imagine it's Sunday morning and, after hearing a crow shriek outside (why are crows so loud, anyway?), I wander into the kitchen in dramatic pajamas. This is pretty much how my pumpkin sticky buns tradition started. I got hooked on the …
If you ever walked into my kitchen on a breezy October afternoon, there's honestly a 70 percent chance (I'm just guessing, I don't track this sort of thing!) that you'd find me tossing a big ol' batch of Fall Snack Mix together. My kids claim I make it just so I can have an excuse …
So, picture this: it's three days before Christmas, there's icing sugar basically everywhere (even the cat had a light dusting), and my niece is eyeing the candy canes like they're treasure. That was the scene the first time I pulled together a Santa Sweets Board for our family shindig. I'd seen a version online (I'll …
If you’ve ever stumbled into my kitchen during December, there’s a pretty good chance you’d find me wrestling with a mountain of citrus peels and singing along (a bit off-key, sorry not sorry) to vintage Christmas tunes. Somewhere in the middle of that chaos, the best holiday mocktail always comes together, almost like magic. This …
Let Me Tell You About This Cozy Fall Mocktail Okay, picture this: leaves crunching outside, chilly nose pressed (not actually, but almost) to the frosty window, and your hands are wrapped around a steaming mug of something not tea for once. That's this Warm Cinnamon Orange Delight Mocktail. I first whipped it up on a …
It Sorta Smells Like Autumn in My Kitchen: Here’s Why Alright, confession time: the first cold breeze of the season and I’m knee-deep in cans of pumpkin. One year, I made these Pumpkin Pie Cookies for a potluck, and my cousin tried to hide three of them in her purse (she’s not subtle; she’s got …
So, You Want to Make Eggnog Without Booze? Alright, let me be totally honest—when I first tried making non-alcoholic homemade eggnog, it was mostly because my little niece begged me. She's six, so... eggnog with rum is not going to fly. (Honestly, I like it better this way now. Don’t tell my uncle Dave.) The …
Let Me Tell You About This Pumpkin Spice Gooey Cake (Trust Me, You Want This One) Okay, so the first time I made this cake, it was one of those chilly, cloudy Sundays that just begged for something warm and spicy from the oven. My little kitchen light barely cut through the grey, and I'd …
Let Me Tell You About This Bisque, Y’all You know, the first time I made New Orleans Shrimp and Corn Bisque, I totally botched it—I used canned shrimp (don’t do that unless you must!) and burned the roux a little ’cause my neighbor distracted me knocking on the door with a pie… which I admit …
So, About These Almond Sweet Rolls... Can I admit something? I started making these almond sweet rolls by accident. (Literally. I thought I was making cinnamon rolls one sleepy Saturday, realized halfway through I'd run out of cinnamon, and grabbed the almond extract instead. Oops? Turns out, my whole family prefers these now. 🙃 Now, …
Let Me Tell You About My Love Affair With Peppermint Cheesecake So here's the thing—cheesecake and I go way back, but peppermint cheesecake? Oh, that's a tale to tell. The first time I tried a slice was at my Aunt Margie's infamous December get-together (the one where her dog ate the yule log, remember?). Anyway, …
The Time I Fell in Love with Thai Fried Chicken Sandwiches If I had a dollar for every time I’ve stood in my kitchen, crumb-covered and mid-chicken flip, daydreaming about a vacation in Bangkok—I’d probably still be making my own sandwiches at home. My introduction to this glorious mashup came from a street vendor in …
Oh, This Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Salad...Let Me Tell You! Alright, I’ll be straight with you—this Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Salad came to the rescue one Tuesday when I was staring at way too many half-used jars of sundried tomatoes and leftover rotisserie chicken. You ever have one of those weeks where the fridge feels like a …
Let Me Tell You About My BBQ Chicken Pizza Obsession Alright, so picture this: it's a Thursday night, I desperately want something that feels indulgent but I can't face greasy takeout—again. The answer, at least in my kitchen, is always BBQ Chicken Pizza. Honestly, it started as a slightly disastrous experiment (someone forgot to buy …
The Story Behind My No Bake Christmas Peppermint Pie So, here's the deal—Christmas Eve is always a little bananas at my house. One year, I was panic-searching for a dessert because my oven was full (ham, casserole; you know the drill). My cousin Jill showed up with this ridiculously pink pie, and everyone, including my …
Honestly, Fries Are My Love Language (And Here’s Why) You know that craving you get at 9 PM on a random Tuesday where nothing but fries will do? That’s me basically every week. I remember the first time I tried making homemade fries—let’s just say, if fries could talk, those ones would have shouted for …
C'mere, I Gotta Tell You About These Pork Chops Alright, so let me paint you a picture: it's a chilly night, I'm elbow-deep in my mismatched spice jars, trying to remember if 2016 oregano is still legal to use (jury's out). Meanwhile, my kids are fighting over who gets to stir, and I’m desperately hunting …
Let’s Talk Soup: My Slightly Chaotic Tortellini Tradition Alright, so this is the soup I pull out of my hat (well, it’s more of a drawer) every time the leaves start doing their thing and the wind tries to steal my mail. Fall Cozy Tortellini Soup with Sausage isn’t just a mouthful to say. It’s …
Let Me Tell You About This Cranberry Orange Glazed Turkey If you’ve ever found yourself pacing between the fridge and the pantry, biting your lip while friends and family hover expectantly (hunger in their eyes), then you know big holiday meals can be, well, a whole thing. My first run-in with this recipe was one …
How Chicken Alfredo Monkey Bread Became My Potluck Party Trick So here's the thing—I'm not some TV chef. I burn toast sometimes. But ever since my cousin dragged this crazy-delicious Chicken Alfredo Monkey Bread to our family reunion (yes, in her old dented Bundt pan), life has never been the same. I mean, who looks …
Let Me Tell You About This Cozy Kitchen Classic Alright, friend, I'll be straight with you: Rosemary Apple Cider Chicken has rescued more than a handful of blah autumn evenings at my house. Picture this — it's cold, maybe your socks are still wet from stepping in a puddle outside, and you just want something …
If you love strawberry crunch ice cream bars and cheesecake and, for some odd but delightful reason, tacos, you are in for a treat, my friend. I still remember the first time I cobbled these Strawberry Crunch Cheesecake Tacos together for a sleepover, mostly because I got powdered sugar all over my socks and the …
Let’s Talk About My Slight Obsession With Autumn Wild Rice Soup Okay, so you know that point in fall where the air finally gets crisp, and your neighbor starts putting pumpkins everywhere? That's exactly when my brain yells: It’s wild rice soup time. One year it rained for two weeks straight and I just kept …
This Isn’t Your Grandma’s Turkey—But She’d Probably Approve Alright, so listen: I’ve been the self-appointed "Turkey Wrangler" in my family for the past seven Thanksgivings (if you count the year I forgot the giblets and still got compliments, which, sure, let’s count it). I used to think Thanksgiving turkey had to be some sacred, untouched …
Have You Ever Made Gnocchi Like This? If you’d told college-me I'd be craving crispy gnocchi with spinach and feta as an adult, I’d have probably given you a funny look. But here we are! This dish honestly started as one of those throw-together “what’s left in the fridge” experiments on a rainy Thursday evening …
So Here's the Story On Spicy Shrimp Cucumber Sushi Boats If I'm being totally honest, the first time I tried making something sushi-adjacent at home, it was purely because I was craving sushi but my wallet was, let's just say, not in favor. Rolling real sushi? Not happening—I never quite got the hang of that. …
If You’ve Never Tried Parmesan Chicken Meatloaf—Let Me Tell You a Story I’ll level with you—I used to think meatloaf was one of those stodgy 1950s relics best left in dusty recipe books (no offense to any history buffs!). But one snowy weekend, when my fridge offered little more than chicken mince, Parmesan, and two …
Let Me Tell You 'Bout These Pumpkin Bars Alright, so—true story—I only started making these pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting because a friend at work (hi, Jackie!) brought them in ages ago and I totally underestimated how dangerous they were. Next thing you know, I'm eating more bars than I care to admit and …