All Posts By Jennifer

If there’s one smell that can send me straight back to my childhood kitchen faster than you can say “supper’s ready!” — it’s cabbage gently simmering away with butter and garlic. Growing up smack dab in the Midwest, cabbage wasn’t just another veggie in the crisper — it was the veggie. Cheap, sturdy, filling. I swear, half my memories are of watching my grandma stand at the stove with a wooden spoon, humming to Patsy Cline while something hearty bubbled away. This garlic parmesan whole cabbage is my little love letter to those days — but with a modern twist, …

When I was little, Saturday nights at my grandma’s house almost always smelled like onions slowly turning gold in a big cast-iron skillet. She didn’t fuss with fancy recipes — just good, hearty food that made your belly warm and your shoulders drop a few inches. These days, whenever I braise brats in the oven — tucked into a bed of soft onions and sweet apples, bubbling away in good beer — I swear I hear her humming along with the radio in the next room. This dish is nothing complicated, but goodness, does it taste like home. A Midwest …

You know, when I was raising my kids out here in the Midwest, there were plenty of days when I felt like the only time we all sat in one spot together was dinner time. Soccer cleats kicked off by the door, someone’s backpack half-zipped with papers sticking out — and me in the kitchen trying to figure out how to feed everybody without losing my mind. That’s where this Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese comes in. It’s one of those meals that asks so little but gives so much. You brown a bit of meat, toss in a few pantry …

you know, some nights just call for something that feels like you’ve fussed all day — but you haven’t. This pork tenderloin is exactly that kind of supper. I can’t tell you how many chilly evenings I’ve come home, arms full of groceries or maybe just cranky from Midwest traffic, only to remember oh right, dinner’s been making itself all day. That’s a small miracle if you ask me. And the smell? Let’s just say it’ll have your family wandering into the kitchen asking “Is it ready yet?” — more than once. Why You’ll Love This One Sweet maple syrup …

You know those dinners that make you feel like you’ve got your life together — even when the laundry’s still in the dryer and the dog’s barking at the mail truck again? This is that dinner for me. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve leaned on this French dip recipe when I know the day’s going to run long — or when I just want to feel like I’m treating my family to something a little extra, without actually doing anything extra. Back when my kids were teenagers, I swear they could sniff this cooking from the driveway. …

I still remember the first time I made this Slow Cooker 4-Ingredient Beef Stew — it was one of those gray, drizzly Thursdays when the kids had soccer practice, I had a to-do list longer than my arm, and the pantry was looking… well, let’s say uninspired. I threw what I had in the slow cooker, crossed my fingers, and hoped for the best. By dinnertime, the whole house smelled like Sunday supper at Grandma’s — rich, savory, and comforting enough to chase the chill away. Now, years later, it’s a standby whenever life’s busy but our bellies crave something …