It's Not About Nutrition

If you’ve never had smothered pork chops the right way, I’m sorry to say you’ve been missing out on one of life’s greatest comforts. I’m talking about thick, bone-in chops, seasoned just right, fried up golden, then tucked back into a skillet full of slow-simmered onion gravy until they’re so tender you could eat ’em with a spoon. This is the kind of food that made Sundays in our house feel special. My mama would come home from church, kick off her shoes, and head straight to the kitchen. She didn’t measure a thing — just a pinch of this, …

There’s something about September that always knocks me a little off balance. The mornings suddenly carry that faint bite in the air, even when the afternoons are still sweltering. The cicadas sound different, like they’re starting to fade out, and then, of course, there’s the business of school schedules again. I don’t have school-aged kids anymore—my youngest is nearly thirty, which I can hardly believe—but even now I can feel that familiar gear shift, the clatter of lunchboxes on the counter, backpacks dropped in the hallway, and me standing at the stove with something sweet baking away, trying to make …

  If there’s one rice dish that whisks me straight back to my childhood (with all the cozy, “everything’s right with the world” vibes), it’s beef consommé rice. Oh goodness, I can still remember the excitement when Mom would announce we were having it—slow-cooked, aromatic, and just a little bit fancy for our small-town table. It’s the kind of comfort food that makes an ordinary Tuesday feel like you’re at a hidden little bistro in France…while wearing your comfiest slippers, naturally. Why You’ll Love This Deep, rich flavor—the beef consommé gives the rice a luxurious, almost gourmet meal vibe! Stupidly …

Now, I love a good old-fashioned pecan pie as much as the next Southerner, but I’ll be honest with you… sometimes that sticky-sweet syrup filling can be a little much after a big meal. That’s why the first time I tasted a Pecan Cream Pie, I just about fell in love on the spot. It was at a church potluck — the kind where the dessert table groans under the weight of every pie, cake, and cookie recipe known to man. Somebody had brought this beauty: golden crust, piled high with a creamy, custard-like filling, and crowned with a generous …

There are mornings when you just know coffee isn’t going to be enough. You need something warm, buttery, and a little special — the sort of thing that makes the whole kitchen smell like comfort. That’s when I pull out my lemon cream scone recipe. It’s not fancy. You don’t need a stand mixer or any exotic ingredients. But what it does have is that bright, sunny hit of lemon that somehow makes even the grayest morning feel lighter. My grandma used to make plain cream scones, and I remember watching her cut the butter into the flour with two …

Some treats are born out of nostalgia, and others — well, they just steal the spotlight without even trying. This Buckeye Dip falls right into that second category. One bite in, and you’re in peanut butter-chocolate heaven, no oven required. If you’re from the Midwest, you already know about Buckeye Balls — those iconic little peanut butter candies dipped in chocolate, named after the nut that falls from the Buckeye tree. Well, imagine all the goodness of those classic treats, but whipped into a creamy, scoopable dip that’s perfect for parties, potlucks, or just an evening when you want something …

In our little Midwestern town, summer has its own soundtrack — cicadas buzzing, kids chasing each other barefoot, and the clink of spoons in bowls of homemade dessert. For me, nothing says “summer” quite like the smell of peaches bubbling away in the oven. This 3-Ingredient Peach Dump Cake has been in my family’s rotation for as long as I can remember. It’s the kind of recipe my mom could throw together while chatting with a neighbor on the phone, or the one I pull out when I get a last-minute text that company’s coming over. It’s fuss-free, it’s cozy, …

So the other day, I was standing in my kitchen in my favorite pajama pants (you know the ones, with the mystery stain and the loose waistband), staring into the fridge like it owed me answers. It had been one of those days — nothing dramatic, just the usual chaos that somehow feels louder when it’s cold outside and you’re two hours past your ideal dinner time. All I knew was: I needed something warm. Something hearty. Something that didn’t require a trip to the store or a culinary degree. This soup? It checked every single box. And now I …