It's Not About Nutrition

Creamy. Cheesy. Full of love and not a lick of effort. Feeds a crowd, fixes a mood, and always gets scraped clean. Okay. I’m gonna be honest with you. This ain’t a glamorous dish. You won’t see it on a cooking show with someone zesting a lemon while saying “elevated comfort food.” What it is… is dang good. Like, second-helping, scrape-the-bowl, everyone-asks-who-brought-it good. And the best part? You basically dump everything in the slow cooker and walk away. No peeling. No chopping. No complicated steps or weird ingredients. You toss it all in, give it a stir, and a few …

Let me tell you something that might make you smile — this recipe isn’t fancy. It’s not trending on TikTok. It doesn’t call for smoked paprika or artisan broth. What it is, though? Reliable. Sweet. Savory. And, bless it, it basically cooks itself. I first tasted Catalina Chicken sometime around 1998, at my neighbor Judy’s house during one of those chilly fall evenings when the windows fog up and the dog refuses to leave his blanket. Judy served it over Minute Rice (remember that stuff?) with buttered peas on the side. I don’t know if it was the sauce or …

It was one of those mornings — cloudy, kids already up, coffee barely brewed — and I opened the fridge just starin’ like it was gonna talk back to me. We had folks comin’ over for brunch, and I hadn’t planned a darn thing. But sitting there? A leftover hunk of cornbread, a pound of breakfast sausage, and a half-used jar of salsa verde that had been hangin’ out on the fridge door longer than it probably should’ve. You ever just throw a bunch of things together and cross your fingers? Well, darlin’, that little moment of desperation turned into …

I didn’t plan this recipe. Honestly, I was standing in my kitchen one Tuesday night—still in my work pants, hair in a messy bun, staring at a chicken breast like it had all the answers. I had bell peppers getting wrinkly in the crisper drawer, leftover rice from who-knows-when, and a jar of salsa I bought on a whim. Out of sheer “I just can’t order takeout again” desperation, I threw it all in a baking dish, made a quick queso sauce (because we’re not savages), and crossed my fingers. Forty-five minutes later? Magic. The house smelled like one of …

You know how sometimes you just need dinner to feel like a warm blanket — nothing fancy, just something that fills your belly and calms your nerves? That’s exactly what this casserole is for me. I first made it on one of those evenings where the fridge was looking half-empty, the day had run long, and I honestly didn’t have the energy for “real cooking.” I had some cooked rice, mushrooms that were hangin’ on for dear life in the crisper drawer, and a block of white cheddar begging to be used. Thirty minutes later, I had a bubbly, golden-topped …

You know that point in the week—usually the night before payday—when you’re staring into the pantry, fridge door wide open, doing that mental math of, “What can I actually make with this?” That’s how this casserole came into my life. More than once. One time, I had half a stick of butter, a can of tomato something, and a box of instant mashed potatoes I forgot I even bought. Ground beef was thawed because I hadn’t figured out what to do with it, and—well, you get the picture. Desperation met creativity, and somehow it worked. It more than worked. It …

You ever throw something together on a whim and it turns out so good, you kinda shock yourself? That was me, standing in my kitchen last winter with some steak that needed to be cooked, a leftover tub of queso from a game night, and two bell peppers about a day away from going soft. I wasn’t trying to be fancy — just feeding the crew. But honey, what came out of that skillet? It was rich, cheesy, full of smoky flavor and tender steak… and it went from “what do I even cook tonight” to why aren’t we making …

Growing your own veggies? It’s kinda magical, isn’t it? There’s just something about watching a little green sprout turn into something hearty and edible that you actually grew with your own two hands. And cauliflower? Oh, she’s a fussy little diva — but when you get her right, goodness, she’s impressive. Now, don’t go thinking you need a big ol’ garden to grow cauliflower. Nope. You can totally raise one right on your porch, patio, or even that sunny patch by the back door — in a pot. You just need to know a few tricks to get it going, …

Savory, buttery, garlicky goodness on a stick. Simple enough for weeknights, fancy enough for company. Alright, real talk. I made these on a whim one night because I had chicken in the fridge and nothing else planned. It was one of those “what can I do with this that feels new, but doesn’t make me want to cry into a cutting board?” nights. You know the ones. Well. These skewers came out of the oven and my husband — who usually eats and mumbles something polite — actually stopped mid-bite and said, “Wow.” Just… wow. That’s when you know. These …