It's Not About Nutrition

You ever walk into the kitchen first thing in the morning—eyes half-closed, just looking for the coffee—and BOOM. Ants. A whole line of ‘em. Marching across your counter like they own the place. Yep. I’ve been there too. Years ago, during one particularly bad summer, the ants in our kitchen got so bold they were showing up in the dishwasher. I kid you not. I was ready to throw in the towel and call pest control, but my dad—Mr. “I’ll fix it myself, thank you very much”—told me to hold off. He had a trick. And doggone it, it actually …

Real kitchen wisdom from someone who’s ruined a few tomatoes and lived to tell about it Alright, let’s be honest.We’ve all had that moment—standing in front of the fridge, holding a perfectly good avocado in one hand and a half-used onion in the other, thinking, “Wait… should you be in here?” And next thing you know, the tomatoes are mealy, the garlic’s sprouting, and the bread tastes like… fridge. (You know the taste.) So here’s what I’ve learned after years of trial, error, and a few embarrassing food fails. This isn’t fancy science talk. It’s the stuff you figure out …

Sticky, sweet, garlicky goodness — and the oven does all the work. So here’s the deal. Some nights, I just can’t. You know what I mean? I want something delicious, something warm and filling — but also something that doesn’t require me hovering over the stove like I’m filming an episode of MasterChef. That’s where these oven baked honey garlic sausages come in. They’ve saved my sanity more than once. I threw this together one night when I had sausages sitting in the fridge and no plan. I whisked up a little honey, soy sauce, and garlic, popped everything in …

The kind of meal that makes you want to light a candle and stay in for the night. There are certain dishes that just feel like home, you know? For me, beef stroganoff is one of those meals that’s tied up in all kinds of memories — snowy days when school was called off, big Sunday suppers after church, and the smell of onions and mushrooms sautéing that could make even the pickiest eater wander into the kitchen asking, “Is it ready yet?” Here in the Midwest, we love our comfort food — the kind that warms your bones and …

All the cozy, none of the crust. You ever get hit with a craving so strong, it practically calls your name from the pantry? For me, that’s pizza. Always has been. Something about melted cheese and bubbling sauce — it just takes me back. When I was growing up in the Midwest, Friday nights meant two things: someone would inevitably forget to thaw the chicken, and we were probably having pizza. And honestly? Nobody complained. We’d gather around the kitchen table with paper plates and a 2-liter of pop, arguing over who got the last slice. Good times. These days, …