Let Me Tell You About This Crispy Irish Chicken (And Why You’ll Want To Try It) Okay, so, every St. Paddy’s Day for the last—oh, a bunch of years—I've made these extra crispy Irish oven-fried chicken thighs. Except the one year I got distracted by a rerun of The Great British Bake Off and wound …

Let Me Tell You About These Little Beauties… Alright, friend, settle in for a wild (okay, not that wild) ride through my kitchen. I first tried making these chocolate chip cookie dough cups after a particularly disastrous attempt at regular cookies, and honestly? I haven't looked back. I mean, why bake when you can eat …

Hey, Pull Up a Chair: Chicken Shawarma Stories You know that vibe when friends just show up out of nowhere? That was honestly the first time I ever made this shawarma chicken: two mates, a last-minute dinner, and zero desire to do dishes. Fast-forward: now, it’s my ace-in-the-hole for lazy weekends (or impromptu, why-not-grilled Tuesday …

Kicking Things Off: Why These Zucchini Fritters Are on Repeat in My Kitchen Okay, so picture this: it was one of those days where my toddler decided throwing food was more fun than eating it (again). Out came the mop. My last nerve hanging by a thread! That was, until I stumbled onto what I …

Hey, Friend – Let's Talk Mini Turkey Meatballs! So, here’s the thing about kids and food. Sometimes they’ll eat anything you put in front of them… and other times, they act like broccoli is a medieval torture device. Mini Turkey Meatballs—this very recipe—turned things around for us during one wild week when my toddler (let's …

Bake These Brownies When You Just Can't Stomach Another Box Mix So, brownies. I swear, I've tried more boxed mixes than I'd care to admit (Betty Crocker, I'm looking at you), usually while fending off small children who want to help (e.g. leave floury handprints everywhere). But these—these are the brownies my family basically arm-wrestles …

Let's Dish: My Wobbly Love Affair with French Onion Meatloaf Okay, so here's the scene: it's raining, it's cold, and all I want is to eat something that feels like a hug from the inside out. Enter this French onion Meatloaf—my unsung hero of dreary Tuesdays. The first time I slapped this together, I nearly …

The Story: Chicken That's Fancier Than It Lets On Alright, so here's the scoop: I first started making this parmesan crusted chicken with creamy garlic sauce back when my old housemates and I wanted something sort of special — but not snooty, you know? It's one of those dishes that trick people into thinking you …

The Sweetest Kind of Kitchen Chaos Alright, let me set the scene for you. It’s Christmas Eve (or maybe it was the day before... time loses all meaning during the holidays, right?), and I’m knee-deep in flour and cocoa powder, trying to stop my cat from licking powdered sugar off the table. That's what making …

Why These Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies Are My December Lifeline Listen, friend: if Christmas had a smell, in my kitchen it'd be that weirdly intoxicating combo of vanilla, butter, and powdered sugar floating in the air (plus sometimes a hint of burnt toast, honestly, if the breakfast isn't quite right). These cookies—they're like, well, the …

So… Let's Talk About These Christmas Grinch Sugar Cookies You know, every December when the house starts to smell like peppermint candles and maybe a bit of last week's baking mishap, I can't help but crave something ridiculously cheerful. That's where these Christmas Grinch Sugar Cookies waltz in, green as envy and way easier to …

Let Me Tell You About These Cookies… You ever bake something new, and suddenly you’re everyone’s favorite person at the Christmas party? Yeah, that happened to me with these Eggnog Snickerdoodle Thumbprint Cookies. There was a time (not too long ago, mind you) when the only thumbprint I cared about was the one I left …

The Cookie I Can’t Stop Making at Christmas (Even When I Swear I Will!) Alright, friend, let me just admit something up front: I have tried (and failed—spectacularly, mind you) to make these Chocolate Peppermint Blossoms only once or twice during December. But every year someone in my house—looking at you, Mum—drops hints as soon …

Baking Linzers: My Slightly Messy, Joyful Christmas Ritual Oh! These Raspberry Linzer Christmas Cookies. Okay, story time—every year, when the temps finally decide to stop yo-yoing, I get the itch (literally and figuratively) to bake. These cookies? Total classics. My aunt started making them before I was tall enough to reach the counter (good thing …

So, picture this: it's December, the house is half chaos, I'm already covered in flour for a reason I can't quite remember, and I've got a handful of half-used bags of everything from M&Ms to dried cranberries rattling around my pantry. That's when—almost every year—I decide it's officially "Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookie" time. I mean, …

Catching Up Over These Peppermint Chocolate Chip Christmas Cookies Okay, so imagine it’s a blustery December evening, and you’ve got those twinkle lights flickering (mine are barely hanging on, honestly) and suddenly there’s this craving—for something nostalgic, minty, and chocolatey, all at once. That’s pretty much how these Peppermint Chocolate Chip Christmas Cookies entered my …

Hey, Let Me Tell You About These Cookies You know those holiday recipes you've made so many times you could honestly do them blindfolded? (Don’t try that at home, though.) These Chocolate Thumbprint Christmas Cookies are the ones for me. I started making them when my daughter was just tall enough to reach the counter …

If You Love Spiced Holiday Bakes, This One's for You Alright, settle in, because I’ve been meaning to share my gingerbread crinkle cookie obsession for ages. There’s something about these little gems—soft, crackly, full of spice and cozy vibes—that just makes a dreary winter afternoon feel brighter. My first batch nearly glued itself to the …

Let's Chat: Why These Cranberry Orange Cookies Are a Holiday Must Alright, picture this: It's two days before Christmas, my kitchen's a bit of a disaster (we're talking flour in my hair and a suspicious sticky patch on the counter), and I'm knee-deep in cookie dough. But honestly, making these cranberry orange cookies is one …

Pull Up a Chair: Here Comes My Sweet and Tangy Apple Coleslaw Right then, let me just get this out there: I only started making this sweet and tangy apple coleslaw after a family BBQ where we ran clean out of regular coleslaw and, well, I panicked a bit and started tossing apples into things …

Okay, so you know those recipes that you try out once for a party and then everyone keeps asking for them again and again? This Vanilla Cranberry Crush Mocktail is 100% one of those. I stumbled across a version in a battered old food magazine (from, like, 2008?) when I was desperate for something festive …

The Smell of Fall (Or Tuesday): Why This Apple Pie Is My Go-To So, let me tell you — there’s something about the smell of apples and cinnamon floating out of the oven that makes my dog sit by the stove. He’s not even supposed to like pie, but that pie-baking smell? Irresistible. I remember …

Let Me Tell You About the Pork Chop Dinner That Saved My Tuesday So, there was this one Tuesday. The kind where you wake up late, the dog vomits on the carpet (again), and you open the fridge to stare into the icy void, hoping dinner ideas just jump out at you. Well, that was …

Let Me Tell You About These Cinnamon Roll Muffins… Okay, so picture it: rainy Saturday, my hair’s a mess (truly epic), and I’m rummaging through the pantry for anything vaguely sweet. Regular cinnamon rolls felt like too much faff, but I didn’t want plain muffins either. Enter: my glorious invention slash happy accident—cinnamon roll muffins! …

Let's Make Gingerbread Cheesecake—Holiday Vibes Guaranteed You know that feeling when you walk into a house and it just smells like December? Well, that's what this gingerbread Cheesecake does—turns your kitchen into a slice of holiday heaven. I remember the first time I made it was on a freezing afternoon while my neighbor's dog would …

That Time I Made Sherbet Punch for the Whole Block Okay, story time: The very first time I made sherbet punch was for my neighbor's summer potluck (the one where Sue brought her infamous potato salad—don't get me started). I wasn't sure if anyone even liked punch anymore, but I was in a hurry and, …

So, Gingerbread Brownies—What's Not to Love? Let me tell you: the first time I made Gingerbread brownies, I was probably 10, and I thought it was pure wizardry to mash my two favorite winter treats together. Actually, on second thought, maybe it was just my boredom with regular old brownies (delicious, obviously, but sometimes you …

So Here’s the Story: My Cheesy Garlic Parmesan Spinach Spaghetti Squash Journey Let me paint you a quick picture: it’s one of those chilly nights when you’re wrapped in a baggy sweater that’s probably seen better days, the kids are circling like hungry jackals, and I’m standing in my kitchen, holding a Spaghetti Squash and …

Okay, Story Time: Why I Started Making These Stuffing Balls You know how everyone claims they have that one dish their family asks for every single year? Well, for me, it's these Cranberry Turkey Stuffing Balls. The first time I tried making 'em was because I royally flubbed cutting the Thanksgiving turkey (totally hacked it …

The Story Behind My Messy, Delicious Boursin Salmon Alright, so let me spill: this Baked Boursin Salmon first happened on a random Tuesday night when I’d run out of dinner ideas and most of my patience (can anyone else relate?). I’d just come home form work, juggling bags and that tiny internal voice whispering, “you …

Let's Talk Pineapple Chicken Rice (It’s More Fun Than It Sounds) Okay, so, have you ever had one of those weeks—where your brain's basically made of mashed potatoes and you just want dinner to taste like a tropical holiday? This Pineapple Chicken Rice is my husband's low-key obsession, and honestly, mine too. I remember the …

Oh, the Cozy Chaos of This Fall Pasta Salad You know those afternoons when the wind smells like cinnamon and woodsmoke (or, let's be honest, someone burning leaves down the block), and you just want something that feels like a hug but isn’t another soup? That’s when I make this Fall Pasta Salad with Butternut …

The Cookie That Feels Like a Warm Hug (Yes, Italian Ricotta!) Alright, let me set the scene—imagine a Sunday afternoon, snow dancing outside or maybe just the neighbor's leaf blower in the distance, and the house smelling like a bakery thanks to a big ol’ batch of Italian Ricotta Cookies. The first time I tried …

If You Haven't Tried These, Buckle Up! Alright, picture this: it was a chilly December evening, the kind where you can't quite get warm no matter how many sweaters you pile on, and I was frantically trying to bring a little magic into our kitchen (or at least distract everyone from the fact that our …

The Story (and Mishaps) Behind My Peppermint Eggnog Cheesecake Listen, I never set out to be someone who brings a Peppermint Eggnog Cheesecake to the family party. I swear. But one year (don’t ask me which, all those holiday seasons blur after a while), I had half a carton of eggnog and a bag of …

Let's Talk About White Chocolate Raspberry Cake (and the Time I Made a Huge Mess) Okay, so you know that feeling when you decide to bake something fancy, and suddenly your kitchen looks like a flour explosion met a jam tornado? Yeah, that was me the first time I made this White Chocolate Raspberry Cake. …

Let Me Tell You How Eggnog Crepes Became My Holiday Ace So, picture this: it’s that weird stretch between Christmas and New Year’s—nobody knows what day it is, leftovers everywhere, and my kids start clamoring for something “that’s not ham, please!” Enter Eggnog Crepes. My not-so-secret weapon for getting rid of the last of the …

Let's Get This Dough Rolling – My Cinnamon Roll Story Okay, you know that recipe that just kind of... takes over your weekend in the best way? Cinnamon rolls are absolutely that for me. I truly think I was born to eat (and apparently, make) cinnamon rolls, though my early attempts looked more like lumpy …

Let's Talk About These Apple Butter Pinwheels (And Maybe My Craving for Cozy Treats...) I’ll tell you right up front—apple butter pinwheels are my kitchen comfort blanket. I remember the first time I made them: it was a cold, rainy afternoon, my plan was just to make something warm; but things spiraled and before I …

So, Here's the Story on These Cranberry Meatballs I always think of this recipe as the thing that saved my bacon at last year's work Christmas party. Picture the scene: I'm juggling a tray of slightly suspect mince pies, my phone's blowing up with relatives RSVPing last minute, and then my neighbor walks in gripping …