I Swear These White Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies Saved My Christmas Right—so, let me tell you about the year my nephew ‘helped’ break up 20 candy canes just to eat half of them, and we still managed to pull off these White Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies anyway. Actually, I think they turned out better for …

These pinwheels? Honestly, they’re my secret weapon for holiday chaos You know that moment just before guests arrive—you’ve vacuumed like a tornado, but then realize there’s nothing snacky on the table? That’s basically how I landed on these cranberry cream cheese pinwheels with feta and herbs. I made them for the first time right before …

Here’s the (Loosely Organized) Backstory Alright, so picture this: It’s late November, my fridge is a graveyard of abandoned holiday ingredients, and I spy half a bag of cranberries lurking behind some very sketchy lettuce. Instead of admitting defeat and tossing them like I sometimes do (don’t judge!), I thought, “Why not make something fancy-sounding, …

That One Time I Fell in Love With Eggnog Poke Cake… You know how some recipes kinda sneak up on you and steal the show? That was Eggnog Poke Cake for me. I tried it one December (no idea how I survived so many winters without it), basically on a whim, mostly because eggnog was …

Let Me Tell You Why I Love This Cranberry Chai Mocktail Alright, so this might sound odd but I stumbled onto this cranberry chai mocktail during a particularly dreary November, just before the holidays hit full tilt. I wanted something festive but honestly—you ever get just one more mulled whatever, and think, no more cloves …

Let Me Tell You About This Skillet (A Friend-to-Friend Chat) So, here's the deal—I whip up this Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet when I want to pretend I have my life together on a weeknight, you know? Actually, I stumbled into making it for the first time when the only protein I had left was …

If you've never had your kitchen smell like a holiday market in Bavaria, buddy, you owe it to yourself to make these Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies. I think I first tried baking these on a whim one snowy afternoon when the internet kept telling me to make banana bread (as if!). Instead, I managed to dust …

Let Me Tell You About This Pie—And My Aversion To Holiday Predictability So, first things first—I love pie. I mean, who doesn't, right? But traditional holiday bakes? Meh. Been there, ate that. One fall, I stumbled onto the combo of pears and cranberries at a roadside farm stand (you know those tables with the hand-painted …

This Feta & Cranberry Penne Salad Has a Quirk or Two So, story time. The first time I tried this Feta & Cranberry Penne Salad with Orange Vinaigrette, I accidentally used grapefruit juice instead of orange (don't ask, I was in a rush and the labels were tiny), and my husband made that face he …

How This Cheddar Cauliflower Soup Found a Spot in My Recipe Book So, you know those days when the weather outside is just rude? (Looking at you, that sideways rain we get here every November.) Well, that’s pretty much how I stumbled across this Creamy Cheddar Cauliflower & Roasted Garlic Soup. I was cold, the …

So, Let’s Talk About These Cranberry Brie Bites Okay, here’s the truth: I didn’t even know what brie was until I was like, 23 and a half. Now, these cranberry brie bites show up at nearly every holiday gathering, sometimes in totally different shapes (once, I did triangles; disaster). One year, my uncle asked, “Did …

Let Me Tell You About These Meatballs… So, I've got this ritual. Any time I host friends (which, let’s be real, isn’t as often as I’d like because life) someone always requests those sticky, sweet-and-spicy meatballs. And yes—these honey buffalo crockpot meatballs are the very ones. I started making them after an accidental Pinterest spiral …

First things first: if you’re looking for a fuss-free snack that comes together almost magically (and makes you look a bit fancier than you actually feel), these Fresh Vegetable Tortilla Roll Ups are absolutely the ticket. Years ago, my sister and I made about four dozen of these for a block party—we were convinced we’d …

Let's Talk Turkey Crescent Ring—Real Life, Real Crowds So, I'll be straight with you—this Turkey Cranberry Crescent Ring has saved me from awkward family silences after Thanksgiving more than once. I first made it after staring at a mountain of leftover turkey and not a clue what to do. Fast forward to now, and it …

So About These Ridiculously Festive Cookies... Alright, gather 'round—I've got a baking story for ya. A couple years back (during a legendary late-night Christmas movie marathon) I got this wild urge to, well, throw everything into a cookie dough. When I say everything, I’m talking half-opened bags of Christmas M&Ms, some pretzels going stale, and …

Here's Why I Always Make This Apple Cider Bundt Cake Okay, confession time—most of my best baking happens when fall rolls around and, honestly, there's something about the smell of apples and cinnamon that just makes my old (slightly unreliable) oven seem inviting. Last Thanksgiving, I wanted something kinda nostalgic that wasn’t the usual pumpkin …

So this sour cream baked salmon… You know those dinner ideas that save your bacon (or, well, your salmon) on a busy Wednesday when the fridge looks like it's auditioning for an empty fridge meme? That’s when this easy sour cream baked salmon steps in. I first tried making this while frantically looking for my …

Let's Chat About This Soup for a Minute Okay, so, picture this: it's raining cats and dogs (well, not literally—though wouldn't that be something?) and I'm standing in my kitchen, fridge door open, trying to figure out how to cobble dinner together from the bits and bobs left after a busy week. That's actually how …

Okay, Let’s Talk Crumbl Churro Cookies (And Why I’m Obsessed) Hey friend! Have you ever bitten into a Crumbl Churro Cookie and thought—“Yup, this is basically a cinnamon-sugar hug”? Me too. (Too many times, honestly.) I still remember the first time I tried to replicate it at home—let’s just say, my kitchen looked like a …

The Story: When a Cookie Isn’t Just a Cookie If you’ve ever stumbled onto the Jacques Torres chocolate chip cookie hype train and wondered if those cookies really are as life-changing as folks say&mash;let me tell you, *something* magical happens between the brown sugar, giant chocolate wafers, and that irresistible, slightly salty finish. First time …

Oh These Crave Rockstar Cookies... Why I Come Back to Them (and What My Kids Say) Honestly, there are cookies, and then there are these. The first time I made Crave Rockstar Cookies, I thought they sounded a bit dramatic, but, mate, these kids live up to their name. My son called them "the best …

Okay, so this Crumbl birthday cake cookie copycat is an absolute celebration-in-a-cookie, and not just because of the sprinkles. The first time I tried making these, I roped my neighbor into taste-testing and—true story—she took a bite and said it was better than the real deal (which might be blasphemy, but I’ll take the win). …

Let’s Just Jump Into It: Christmas Lofthouse Cookies So, Christmas Lofthouse Cookies. Gosh, these have been a running joke at our house for years—someone (usually me) always hides a couple for later because they basically evaporate once people sniff 'em out. I remember the first time I tried making them—thought, ‘How hard can those pillowy …

If You’ve Scrolled TikTok, You’ve Probably Seen This Ok, pause—don’t tell my grandma, but I really think TikTok outdid her with this cinnamon roll hack. Last Sunday, while doomscrolling with my tea (you ever do that?) I landed on what seemed like the millionth viral cinnamon roll clip. But for once, instead of just thinking …

Let Me Tell You About the Time I Botched These Cookies (and Got Them Even Better) You ever have a cookie so good you think about it days later? That’s what happened when my cousin brought me a Crumbl Sugar Cookie after I’d tripped (again!) in the garden and was feeling blue. The cookie was …

Alright, grab a mug and settle in—here’s my Crumbl chocolate chip cookies copycat recipe, for when you want those hulking bakery-style cookies without putting on pants (or shoes, in my case). The first time I tried making these, my kitchen looked like the aftermath of a toddler’s art project; there was flour in places flour …

You know those days when you just need a ridiculously big, chocolatey cookie—preferably one stuffed with Oreos? Well, this Chocolate Oreo Crumbl Cookie recipe is what I make when the sweet tooth hits like a sledgehammer. First time I baked these, it was supposed to be "just one batch," but, right, who was I kidding? …

Baking Cookies While Trying Not To Eat All the Dough Alright, imagine this: it's a chilly December, the sort where your breath fogs up the window and your toes never quite get warm (unless you're lucky enough to have heated floors—I'm not). Anyway, years back, I made a batch of Christmas Hazelnut Sea Salt Cookies …

Holiday Gatherings & Punch: My Slight Obsession with Festive Drinks Alright, so every year my family practically arm-wrestles over who brings what to our big winter get-together, but somehow the punch bowl gig keeps landing in my lap (I’ve stopped questioning fate). I once tried to get creative with a green punch (yikes—don’t ask!), but …

If you’ve ever had that last-minute panic late on December 23rd, where you realize you promised cookies for the class party or neighborhood cookie swap—welcome to my life. There are legends in my family about the year I made 100 Christmas sugar cookies in one night, powered by way too much coffee and (oddly) a …

Let's Chat About These Bars First Okay, so you know those afternoons when it’s cold outside and you just want to make something sweet, but not the kind of thing that turns your kitchen into a disaster zone? Yup, that’s when I reach for my Peppermint Crunch Chocolate Bars recipe. Honestly, my first go at …

Okay, so I have to tell you—every year without fail, someone in my family (usually my cousin Abby, but who's keeping count?) insists I bring my peppermint bark to the Christmas party. Not the store-bought stuff. Nope. The homemade batch. It’s actually one of those recipes that makes you look way fancier than you are …

So, Cookie Cutter Sprinkle Chocolate Bars, Eh? Alright, friend, let me tell you about the time I tried making these Cookie Cutter Sprinkle Chocolate Bars on a rainy Sunday because, honestly, we were out of biscuits and buying anything just seemed—a bit much? My nephew was over, so I figured, why not make something together …

So, Eggnog Fudge—Let Me Tell You About It You know how some recipes just scream holidays? For me, that's eggnog fudge. Every December, the kitchen gets foggy with powdered sugar, and there's always at least one pan of this sweet stuff magically appearing on the counter (my husband swears it’s elves—personally, I blame midnight cravings). …

Let’s Talk Gingerbread Cookies (or, That Time I Burned a Batch…) I feel like gingerbread Cookies come with a hug baked right in. Every December, without fail, I make a batch—or three. The kitchen smells amazing, a little like a Christmas candle exploded (in the best possible way). Seriously, is there any other cookie that …

The Sauce My Family Can't Stop Arguing Over (In a Good Way) Okay, so you know that one dish you make every holiday because people would complain if it went missing? For me, it's this cooked cranberry sauce. I've been making it since my first Thanksgiving away from home—mainly because I forgot the store-bought stuff, …

So...This Is How I Make Peppermint Pie (Yes, Every Winter) Alright, pull up a chair! If you want the kind of Peppermint Pie that shows up in your dreams—probably next to a mug of hot chocolate—then let me tell you how I do it. First time I made this, I was maybe 22, and honestly, …

Let's Chat About Sugar Cookie Rice Krispie Treats (and Why They're My Go-To) I don't know about you, but there is just something about the combo of marshmallow-y Rice Krispie treats and that unmistakable buttery sugar cookie flavor. The first time I made these, I was honestly just hunting for a way to use up …

Catching Up Over a Cheesy Bake (Yes, I’m That Friend) Right, so you know how some evenings fall into that weird hungry-but-not-fast-food mood? That’s usually when I end up making this high-protein veggie bake with cottage cheese. To be honest, I didn’t even like cottage cheese when I was a kid—I thought it looked like …

Let Me Tell You About The Pumpkin Pie Spice Squares Okay, so picture this—it's a crummy November afternoon, rain pattering on the kitchen window, and my kids have lost all interest in their homework (as usual). I'm tempted to just make that boxed brownie mix I stashed in the back of the cupboard, but the …