It's Not About Nutrition

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 …

I still remember the first time I had strawberry butter. It was at a little bed-and-breakfast in the Blue Ridge Mountains. You know the kind—homemade quilts, tiny soaps that smell like lavender, and coffee served in mismatched mugs. Breakfast came with the fluffiest biscuits I’ve ever had, and right next to them was this little ramekin of soft, pink butter. I wasn’t expecting much. But oh, honey… one bite and I had to put my fork down. I actually closed my eyes. It was sweet, creamy, and just a little tangy from the fresh strawberries. Like sunshine and comfort and …

Let me tell you a little something about summer desserts — they don’t need to be fancy to be unforgettable. And this one? It’s been in my back pocket for decades. I still remember the first time I had Peach Pretzel Salad. It was at a Fourth of July potluck, and my friend Darlene (who never shows up without a showstopper) plopped down this chilled beauty with a wink and a stack of paper plates. One bite in, and I was hooked — crunchy, creamy, fruity, sweet, salty… it checks every single box. I spent the whole drive home asking …

So here’s the thing. I had a chuck roast in the fridge, a kind of vague dinner plan, and a day ahead of me that felt like a lot. You know that feeling, right? Like, dinner still needs to happen… but so does everything else. So I pulled out the slow cooker — bless that thing — and just started tossing in what felt right. A mess of warm spices, a little citrus, some broth, onions (because onions always go in), and by dinner? Oh my word. The house smelled like I’d been working some serious kitchen magic all day, …

It was 91 degrees outside, the air was thick enough to spoon, and I was hosting bunco night. I had zero interest in baking—but I still wanted to put something sweet on the table. Something cool, creamy, just a little fancy, but not fussy. And then it came to me, like a lightbulb flickering on inside the fridge: Lemon Refrigerator Cake. Y’all, this one’s been in my back pocket for years. My mom used to bring it to church potlucks, and someone always asked for the recipe. It’s one of those desserts that looks like you tried… when you absolutely …

You know those recipes that aren’t showy or complicated, but people always ask for the recipe after one bite? This is one of those. I first made this lemon butter cake on a random Tuesday when the weather couldn’t decide if it was spring or still dragging its winter boots around. I had a couple of lemons on the edge of “use me now” territory, and a box of cake mix that had been loitering in the pantry for… let’s just say, a while. What came out of the oven was this buttery, tangy, creamy thing that somehow tasted like …

You know how some desserts just feel like a hug? That’s this cake. Italian Love Cake has been floating around for decades — I first had it at my neighbor Teresa’s kitchen table back in the early ’90s. She served it with coffee after Sunday dinner, and I swear, nobody talked for a good minute. Just forks clinking and little sighs of joy. It’s got this magical thing going on where the layers flip as it bakes. You pour the chocolate cake batter in, then the ricotta cheese mixture — and somehow, mid-oven, they trade places. Like a little love …

The first time I made this sopapilla pie, I didn’t tell anyone what it was. I just set it on the counter, didn’t label it, didn’t say a word. And you know what happened? That dish was half gone before dinner even hit the table. I heard forks clinking and little murmurs like “What is this?” and “Did she buy this somewhere?” My husband took one bite, raised his eyebrows, and said, “Where’d you get this?” Like I had some secret bakery hookup or something. Nope. Just me, two tubes of crescent rolls, a block of cream cheese, and a …

There’s something about strawberries that takes me back to summers with my grandma, barefoot in her backyard, eating fresh berries out of a chipped enamel bowl. We’d sit on a creaky old porch swing while she told stories and I giggled at the juice running down my chin. So when I say this Easy Strawberry Slab Pie is special, I mean it tugs at the warmest corners of my heart. But here’s the kicker—it’s easy. Like, really easy. We’re talking pantry staples, store-bought pie crust, and no fussy techniques. This is the kind of recipe that shows up for potlucks, …