It's Not About Nutrition

Zesty, herby, juicy goodness that makes your whole kitchen smell like a vacation in the Mediterranean. So here’s the thing: I love a meal that feels like you put in more effort than you actually did. And this chicken? This is that meal. I’ve been making some version of this since the early 2000s when I went through what I lovingly call my “lemon everything” phase. Lemon cake, lemon pasta, lemon in my iced tea (still love that, by the way). But this dish stuck around the longest. It’s the one I come back to when I want something bright …

The cold side dish that disappears first at every potluck. Always has. Always will. This one takes me back. There’s something about pea salad that just lives in my memory — right next to paper plates on picnic tables, pastel Tupperware bowls, and plastic serving spoons that somehow never made it back home. You know what I mean? My mama used to make this every summer. No matter what else was on the table — fried chicken, deviled eggs, seven-layer dip — the pea salad bowl was the first to be scraped clean. It didn’t matter how much she made. …

Bright, buttery, and exactly what you want when you need a little something sweet — without overcomplicating things. I’m not gonna lie — some days, I bake just so the house smells like something good is happening. I don’t always have a plan. But when I’ve got a lemon sitting on the counter looking at me like, “you gonna use me or what?” — that’s when I pull this recipe out. These lemon cream scones? They’re soft, a little crumbly on the edges, sweet but not too sweet, with a glaze that tastes like sunshine and good moods. They’re the …

I first made this pie on a Tuesday. I remember because Tuesdays were always our chaotic, “what’s for dinner?” days — you know the kind. The fridge was holding on for dear life with bits of ham from Sunday’s roast, some questionable cheese, and half an onion wrapped in cling film. I was one spill away from declaring it cereal night. But then I remembered this old recipe a neighbor gave me years ago—something about an “impossible” pie that practically made itself. I didn’t believe her. A pie with no crust? Just throw it in the oven and hope for …

Now look, I love a good sausage on the grill. But sometimes the weather doesn’t cooperate. Or I’m feeding a crowd and I need something easy, something cheap, and — most importantly — something that makes folks ask for seconds before they even finish the first round. That’s where these hot dog burnt ends come in. I first made these for a tailgate when I didn’t have the time (or frankly, the budget) to smoke pork belly burnt ends. And I figured… well, let’s see what we can do with a few packs of hot dogs, some BBQ sauce, and …

It all started during the holidays, years ago. You know how it goes — flour running low, the good cookies already gone, and me stubbornly refusing to go to the store. I was elbow-deep in the pantry when I spotted a lonely box of panko breadcrumbs hiding behind the rice. And because I can’t resist experimenting when sugar’s involved, I thought… What if? Turns out, panko — yes, the crunchy stuff we usually coat chicken with — gives cookies this airy, crisp-tender texture that’s almost shortbread-like, but with just a little more snap. And when you roll ’em in powdered …

So here’s the thing — I didn’t grow up eating anything remotely called a “Vienna Bar.” We were more of a dump cake and Jell-O salad family. But years ago, I clipped a recipe from an old magazine because it had “Nancy Reagan” in the title, and well… I was curious. I figured if it was good enough for the First Lady, it might be worth trying. Turns out, these bars are everything I didn’t know I needed. They’re buttery and tender on the bottom, sweet and tart in the middle, and topped with this light, chewy meringue that bakes …

Okay, so this started as a “what do I even have in the fridge” situation. You know the kind—where you open the door three times hoping dinner materializes but all that’s in there is some milk, a block of butter, and a frozen lump of spinach you forgot about. And somehow… it worked. This dish? It’s not fancy. It doesn’t have seven cheeses or artisan pancetta or whatever. But it’s solid. Cozy. Creamy but not heavy. A little nostalgic, honestly—like creamed spinach met a pasta bake and said, “Let’s keep this casual.” It’s perfect when you want something warm and …

I’m gonna be honest with you — this salad wasn’t born out of careful planning or some deep love of Vietnamese cuisine (though I do love it). It came from a half-used package of ground pork, a drawer full of cabbage that was hanging on by a thread, and one of those evenings where I stood in the kitchen, hands on hips, muttering, “What on earth is for dinner?” We’ve all been there, right? Well. What started as a bit of a fridge clean-out turned into something I now crave. This Vietnamese Meatball Salad is one of those magical meals …

A cozy, creamy bowl of home — all the flavors you love, now in spoonable form. You know those days when the sky’s a little too gray and your to-do list has more coffee rings than check marks? That’s when I find myself wandering into the kitchen, looking for something that feels like a hug. Not the dainty kind — a full-on, flannel-blanket, “I’ve got you” kind of hug. That’s exactly what this Shepherd’s Pie Soup is. The first time I made it, I didn’t really plan on reinventing anything. I had ground beef in the fridge, some carrots that …