Well, Here's the Story Behind My Crock Pot Pepper Steak You ever have those days where the idea of standing in front of a stovetop feels like climbing a mountain in flip-flops? (Spoiler: It's not a good idea.) That's usually when I dust off my trusty crock pot and make this pepper steak. Actually, I …
Let's Get Cozy: Why I Can't Stop Making These Meatballs Okay, so full disclosure: I'm a sucker for anything that smells like Sunday dinner the minute you open the door. This Comfort Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak Meatballs recipe? Absolute nostalgia bomb. I first made it by accident during a snowstorm (long story, too many cans …
A Hearty Hello (and a Little Story) Alright, so here's the thing: Wholesome crockpot beef stew is seriously the culinary equivalent of a warm hug. I remember making a clumsy first attempt years ago because my old roommate (shout out to Amanda, wherever you are!) swore her slow cooker was magic. Well, first time around, …
Catching Up Over Lemon Feta Orzo Roasted Shrimp Hey, pull up a chair—I've just made this Lemon Feta Orzo Roasted Shrimp again, and honestly, the kitchen still smells like late spring (a good thing, in my books). I first threw this together on a rainy Wednesday when I was feeling just a bit blah and …
Alright, Let’s Talk Crispy Garlic Butter Potatoes I have a metaphysical connection to carbs. No shame in it. There’s just something about biting into a crispy, golden potato smothered in garlic butter that feels like catching up with an old friend; warm, salty, maybe a little too indulgent but totally worth it. My sister claims …
The Story Behind My Bacon Cheddar Gnocchi Soup I admit it, soup has sort of become my thing—especially on those weeks when the laundry never seems to finish and everyone in the house keeps asking what’s for dinner before I’ve finished lunch. A while back, I found myself staring mournfully at a bag of gnocchi, …
Alright, Settle In: The Maple Pumpkin Cookie Tale You know those days where you just need something that tastes like a hug and a fireplace at the same time? Yep, that’s usually when I make these maple pumpkin cookies. First time I baked them, it was a total disaster—left the pumpkin puree on the counter, …
The Story (Or, Why I Keep Coming Back to These Potatoes) I still remember the first time I made these Baked Potatoes with Spinach Cheese and Mushrooms—it was some random Tuesday when I was too tired to think and just tossed stuff I found in my fridge. Honestly, I was half-expecting a mess (did not …
I made this crispy orange chicken for the first time after a long day when I should have just ordered takeout, but you know that stubborn feeling when you want something hot and glossy and yours. I had a couple oranges loitering in the fruit bowl, some chicken thighs, and a mood. Fifteen minutes later …
If you were standing in my kitchen right now, I would hand you a warm slice of this garlic Parmesan chicken meatloaf and say, just trust me. The first time I made it, I was half distracted, chatting with my neighbor about her tomato plants that mysteriously thrive while mine look like they need a …
If we were hanging out in my kitchen right now, I’d hand you a slice and say, okay, listen, this Cast Iron Skillet Pizza saved my Tuesday more than once. The first time I made it was in a tiny apartment with a smoke alarm that thought it was a DJ. I blasted the oven, …
If we were hanging out in my kitchen right now, I would hand you a spoon and say here, taste this sauce before we tuck it under that golden lid. Chicken Pot Pie Bake is my go to when the weather is being moody or when I promised dinner and then remembered I have exactly …
If we are being honest, Pepperoni Pizzadillas are what I make when dinner has to happen now and everyone is hovering near the fridge like seagulls at the beach. The first time I made these was during a game night when the sauce bubbled over, the smoke alarm chirped once in protest, and my neighbor …
If we were neighbors, I’d probably hand you a warm bowl of this before you even said hello. Crockpot Garlic Butter Beef Tips and Potatoes is one of those set it and forget it dinners I make when the day runs away and we’re all a bit peckish and cranky. I tossed it together once …
If you came over on a Tuesday and asked what I make when everyone is a little hangry and I want applause without drama, I’d slide a skillet of chicken scampi onto the table with a big bowl of garlic parmesan rice. I learned this one the hard way, after a rainy grocery run where …
I started making these little peanut butter balls on a rainy Tuesday when the snack gremlins came calling and the dishwasher was already full. It’s the kind of recipe you can make with a podcast mumbling in the background, one sock on, and a spoon you probably should have measured with but absolutely did not. …
If you popped by my kitchen on a drizzly Tuesday, you would probably catch me in slippers tossing things into the slow cooker while trying to remember where I left my tea. This Crockpot Creamy Potato & Hamburger Soup Recipe started as one of those make it work dinners and now it is our stick …
If you popped by my kitchen at 6:32 on a Tuesday, there’s a good chance you’d find me flipping these salmon patties with a tea towel over my shoulder and the radio mumbling in the background. I started making them when my neighbor dropped off a mountain of canned salmon after a Costco run gone …
If you popped by my kitchen on a breezy Saturday, you would probably catch me humming to a lopsided playlist and stirring batter like I mean business. This Pumpkin Coffee Cake is the one I bake when the house feels a little too quiet, or when the neighbors text that they are “just passing by” …
If we were neighbors, I would absolutely show up with a warm plate of these Blueberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies and a goofy grin. The first time I baked them, my niece stole one off the tray and said, this tastes like summer and dessert got married. She is seven, and not wrong. These cookies …
I made this Spaghetti Squash Carbonara on a Tuesday when the smoke alarm kept chirping and the dog gave me that why are you like this stare. Anyway. It turned out so good I had to write it down before I forgot. The whole thing has that creamy carbonara vibe, but lighter and a little …
I started making Pumpkin Cheesecake Thumbprints one chilly Sunday when the house smelled like wet leaves and my favorite sweater was still a little damp from the line. You know that muddle of a day. I baked a batch for a neighbor and accidentally kept half, because I tasted one and thought oh no these …
If you popped into my kitchen early on a Saturday, you would probably catch me in slippers, coffee in one hand, whisk in the other, making this AMISH BREAKFAST CASSEROLE like I have a tiny brunch crowd to feed. The first time I made it, I was trying to impress my cousin who claims she …
If we were hanging out in my kitchen right now, I would hand you a warm cookie and say, careful, it is still a little soft in the middle. These Peanut Butter Cookies are the ones I make when I need something sweet that feels like a hug in edible form. The first time I …
If you came over on a Tuesday when I am in comfy socks and the Spotify is doing its thing, there is a good chance you would find this bubbling in the oven. I first learned a rough version of this form my neighbor who swears by extra garlic, and honestly, she is not wrong. …
If we were neighbors, I would 100 percent show up with a slightly warm slice of German Chocolate Cake and whisper that you should eat it now, fork in hand, because the frosting is still glossy and a little melty. My first memory of this cake is from my aunt's birthday, when I tried to …
If you pop by my place in December, there is a good chance I will hand you a plate of Snowball Cookies and say careful, they shed. I learned these from my aunt who always wore a red sweater that ended up powdered like fresh snow, and honestly I think that is half the fun. …
So, this zucchini side I keep making on repeat Picture this: it’s Tuesday, I’m wearing mismatched socks, and the fridge is looking a wee bit sad except for two glossy zucchinis and half a lemon rolling around like it owns the place. That’s usually when I make low-carb Sautéed Zucchini. I started doing this back …
If we were chatting in my kitchen right now, I would hand you a fork and a slice of this Banana Pudding Cheesecake before I even turned on the kettle. The first time I made it, I swore I would never bother with a water bath again. Then I did, of course I did, because …
So here’s the snack mix I bring when folks show up hungry I started making this Praline Crunch Snack Mix after a noisy fall football game when everyone raided my pantry and we somehow ended up with three half boxes of cereal, a bag of pecans, and questionable raisins. I melted a little butter, went …
If we were hanging out in my kitchen right now, I’d hand you a slice of this Steak Stuffed French Bread and say, careful, it’s hot, then probably tell you about the time I first made it for game night and absolutely overfilled the loaf so it looked like a bubbly canoe of cheese and …
If we were neighbors, I’d probably show up on your porch with this pie and two forks. Big Boy’s Fresh Strawberry Pie is the one I pull out when berries are glowing at the market and the sun makes the kitchen feel like a little greenhouse. First time I made it, I forgot to read …
If you were here right now, I’d press a square of these Key Lime Pie Bars with Coconut Crust into your hand before you could even set down your keys. They’re the recipe I make when I need something bright and beachy without, you know, locating an actual beach. First time I baked them, I …
If you came over right now, I would push a plate at you before you could hang up your jacket and say, please try this Coconut Cake with Pineapple Filling, because it tastes like a beach party snuck into a bakery. The first time I baked it, my neighbor popped in to return a measuring …
A quick hello and why I made this again You know those recipes you make once for a potluck and then suddenly every aunt and neighbor asks for it like you are running a tiny pasta cartel from your kitchen. That was me with this Mexican street corn pasta salad. The first time I took …
The cozy cookie that tastes like a campfire Okay, here’s the thing. I set out to make a proper batch of s'mores cookies for a backyard movie night and accidentally ate two right off the sheet while they were still lava hot. Oops. They tasted like summer and a cabin weekend and that one time …
If you and I were neighbors, I would absolutely drop a pan of these creamy seafood stuffed shells on your doorstep with a goofy grin and say, just pop it in at 375 and call it a day. I started making this when I had a jumble of leftover shrimp and a little crab hanging …
If you popped by my kitchen on a Tuesday, you would probably catch me stirring a skillet of these creamy paprika steak shells with a wooden spoon in one hand and a curious kid poking a noodle with the other. The first time I made it, I was trying to impress my cousin who swears …
If you know, you know. That rectangular, corner cheesy, tray baked school pizza we all traded snacks for in the lunch line. I tried to recreate it once during a snow day and accidentally used bread flour for everything, which was a choice, but the family still devoured it while arguing about which corner piece …
If you ever needed a sign to make a messy, melty, slightly ridiculous dinner that people demolish with grins and napkins tucked like tiny capes, this is it. I made these Philly cheesesteak sloppy joes after a long day when I was this close to cereal for dinner. I flipped on a playlist, chopped an …