It's Not About Nutrition

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 …

A Bowl of Love for Chilly Nights There’s something about the smell of stew bubbling away that makes a house feel like a home, isn’t there? Especially in the Midwest, when the sky gets a little gray and the breeze has that autumn nip — this kind of meal just feels right. It reminds me of Sunday afternoons growing up: the clatter of a spoon in a Dutch oven, Dad sneaking a taste when Mom wasn’t looking, and the whole house smelling like dinner was giving you a hug. This slow cooker beef and potato stew is one of those …

You know those recipes that don’t look like much at first glance, but then you try them—and suddenly, you’re texting your sister for the recipe and wondering how you ever lived without it? Yeah. This is one of those. The first time I had this Swedish Nut Cake, it was at a church potluck back in the early ‘90s—served in a disposable foil pan with a plastic knife and no name card. Someone’s grandma made it (they always know what they’re doing), and I swear, people were lined up for seconds before I’d finished my first bite. Soft, sweet, nutty, …

Alright, so let me paint you a picture. It’s a gray, chilly afternoon — not freezing, but that kind of damp cold that gets into your bones. The kind where all you want is something warm, hearty, and honest. And there you are, standing in front of your pantry, wondering what on earth to cook. That’s when this chili comes in — Chili Parlor Chili, the kind that makes your kitchen smell like a memory. It’s not fancy. There’s no artisan beans or twenty-dollar spices. But boy, is it good. It’s got that old-school chili parlor taste — a little …

A slice of sweet, buttery nostalgia (with cherries on top) I can still hear the rustle of wax paper and Bing Crosby crooning from the radio when I make these cookies. Every December, like clockwork, my mom would pull out her old recipe tin—you know the kind, metal, dented, with a rainbow of handwritten cards inside—and out would come this gem: Ann Roger’s Christmas Cookies. I don’t know who Ann Roger was, not exactly. Maybe a neighbor. Maybe someone from church. But her name was on that little card in my mom’s writing, and year after year, her cookies showed …

You ever cook something by accident and then wonder why it took you so long to try it? That’s exactly how I stumbled into fried cabbage with bacon. One night, I had half a head of cabbage staring at me from the fridge (the kind of ingredient you buy with good intentions and then forget about). I also had a pack of bacon—because honestly, who doesn’t? I threw them together, not expecting much, and oh my word… it was love at first bite. It’s not fancy. It doesn’t need to be. It’s the sort of food that makes the kitchen …

Every year around late September — just as the air gets that crisp edge and I start eyeing my flannel shirts again — my soup cravings kick in full force. There’s something so nostalgic about standing in a warm kitchen while the scent of simmering soup slowly fills the whole house. This 5-Ingredient Lentil Soup? It’s been a quiet hero in my fall and winter dinner rotation for years. I’ve made it on snow days, on back-to-school nights, and on more Sundays than I can count. It’s simple, it’s soulful, and best of all — it practically cooks itself. And …

You know, some nights just call for comfort food. Not fancy, not fussy—just something warm, creamy, and filling that reminds you things are okay. For me, that dish is this Easy Chicken Stroganoff. I’ve made it more times than I can count—especially on those evenings when the house is quiet, the dog’s curled up by the heater, and I just want something to simmer away while I decompress. It’s chicken, it’s mushrooms, it’s noodles—it’s nostalgic without being old-fashioned, if that makes sense. I used to think stroganoff had to be beef. But one night I only had chicken in the …

When the wind starts howling off the fields here in the Midwest, there are only a handful of things that can make me feel better about scraping frost off my windshield again. Amish potato soup is right up there at the top of that list — alongside warm socks straight from the dryer and an old quilt that’s been patched more times than I can count. This is the soup my mother made when my brother and I would come in from sledding — cheeks numb, noses red, boots caked in snow. She’d ladle it out into big bowls, and …