It's Not About Nutrition

A Cozy Bowl of Amish Comfort I don’t know about you, but when the leaves start tumbling down and that first chilly snap hits my old bones, I want something simple and soul-soothing bubbling away on my counter. This Amish Corn Chowder does just that. Funny enough, I first scribbled this recipe on a sticky note stuck to my fridge after a little road trip through Pennsylvania years ago. We’d stopped at this tiny Amish diner — you know the kind, mismatched chairs, homemade pies cooling on the counter — and they served me a steaming bowl of corn chowder …

I swear, if my family had a motto, it’d be “Is there any more?” — and nine times out of ten, they’re talking about this Amish Chicken and Noodles. This is the kind of meal you make on a day when your to-do list is longer than your patience. You know those days — work emails pinging, the dog tracking mud through the kitchen, and you still have to figure out what’s for supper. This is it, friend. This is what’s for supper. Why You’ll Love This Recipe No babysitting the stove. Throw it in the slow cooker and walk …

Dinner that basically makes itself — while you do literally anything else. There’s a good chance I owe my sanity to this recipe. Some folks swear by yoga or those fancy weighted blankets — me? I trust a pound of shrimp, half a stick of butter, and my old slow cooker humming along while I catch up on life. Years ago, I threw this together on a whim — the fridge was bare except for a bag of shrimp I’d meant to use for a “special dinner” (ha!), and a stick of butter that I always, always have on hand. …

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, …

I don’t know about you, but I’ve lost count of the times mac and cheese has come to my rescue. Sick kid? Mac and cheese. Nothing in the fridge? Mac and cheese. Too tired to fuss with pots and pans? Well… you get the idea. Years ago, when my kids were little tornadoes tearing through the house, I figured out how to make it even easier: let the slow cooker do the work. I promise, this is the laziest, coziest way to get that cheesy goodness on the table with almost no effort — just three simple ingredients, stir it …

Look, I don’t know about you, but by the time the afternoon rolls around, I’m running on coffee and vibes — and dinner? Oh, dinner feels like a pop quiz I forgot to study for. That’s why I love this honey garlic beef like an old friend. It’s got four ingredients, no fancy prep, and it tastes like something you worked really hard on (even though you absolutely did not). This is the kind of meal I throw in the slow cooker at 9:00 a.m. and then promptly forget about while life happens. By the time evening rolls around, the …