All Posts By Jennifer

A warm hug in a pie dish — straight from the Midwest to your dinner table You ever have one of those days where the house smells a little too quiet? You know what I mean — when it’s been gray for hours and you just feel like the walls could use a little something bubbling in the oven? That was me last Thursday. I’d been cleaning out the fridge, half-listening to the radio, and suddenly thought, “You know what I haven’t made in a while?” This cheesy Monterey sausage pie. This pie? It’s not fancy. It doesn’t wear heels …

Okay, real talk—how many bottles of half-used dressing are currently chilling in the back of your fridge, all with, like, one weird crusty ring around the cap? If you’re anything like me, there’s at least three. And if you’re really like me, you’ve stood there, fridge door open, thinking, “Why do these all taste kinda…off?” Here’s the truth nobody tells you: vinaigrette is stupid easy to make at home. And better. Like, way better. Honestly, once you start making your own, the bottled stuff starts tasting like sadness and corn syrup. Let me walk you through it—no fancy tools, no …

Alright, let’s be honest—who actually reads the dishwasher manual? I sure didn’t. I figured you just shoved the dishes in, poured in some soap, and hit start. Boom. Clean dishes, right? Except… not always. Sometimes things come out still dirty. Or cloudy. Or smelling like a damp dishrag. And it drove me nuts until my mama (bless her heart) showed me a few tricks she’s been using since the ‘80s—and I’ve picked up a few of my own along the way, mostly through trial, error, and frustration. So if your dishwasher’s not doing its job lately, don’t panic. These little …

You ever stand in the middle of your yard after mowing and think, “Well, that looks…meh”? You’re not alone. A lot of us chase that crisp, clean-cut look—like the kind you see on the 7th hole at a local golf course—but end up with frayed grass tips and patchy brown spots instead. And you know what? It’s probably not your mower. It’s your blades. Now, I used to think mower maintenance was just changing the oil, checking the spark plug, and topping off the gas. You know, the usual suspects. But years ago, my grandpa pulled me aside and shared …

Because tossing those tiny scraps? Kinda feels like throwing away the last bite of pie. I don’t know about you, but I’ve got a little dish on the bathroom sink where old soap bits go to die. You know the ones—too thin to hold onto, too awkward to use, but just too much to throw away without feeling guilty about it. They pile up like forgotten buttons in the junk drawer. And let me tell you, for the longest time, I had no clue what to do with them. They’d sit there until I eventually tossed them, muttering something about …

You know how it goes—you’re standing in the kitchen, holding an egg carton like it’s a ticking time bomb, squinting at that faint “sell-by” date and wondering if you’re about to poison the whole family… or just waste perfectly good breakfast. Maybe your partner is saying, “They’re fine, it’s just a date!”Meanwhile, you’re Googling things like “how long after expiration can you eat eggs without dying.” Sound familiar? Let’s crack this wide open (pun fully intended) and finally settle the score on expired eggs. Let’s Talk About Those Confusing Egg Carton Dates Here’s the thing: that little date stamped on …

You know that feeling when you’ve been using something forever—like, forever ever—and then one day you realize you’ve been missing half the point? That was me and my box grater. There I was, grating cheddar for tacos like I had a clue, when my cousin leans over and says, “You ever use this side?” She pointed to the one with the teeny-tiny holes—the side I usually just scraped my knuckles on by accident. I told her, “That? I thought that was there to make me feel bad about myself.” But guess what? That little mystery panel on the grater isn’t …

You know, I still remember the day I stood in the middle of my living room, staring at the pile of shoes by the front door, mail stacked on every flat surface, and a tangle of cords that seemed to multiply overnight. It wasn’t just a mess — it felt like my house had exhaled all over the place. And honestly? It was wearing me out. So, I made a cup of tea, pulled out a notepad, and gave myself a challenge: declutter the whole house in one week. Just one hour each day. That’s it. And guess what? It …