It's Not About Nutrition

It’s a Tuesday afternoon. You’ve got a can of pie filling, a craving, and absolutely no interest in making pie dough. You could go buy a crust, but somehow that feels like cheating. You want homemade—but fast, and with zero flour on your shirt. That’s when you reach for this gem from the back of the old metal recipe tin. Crazy Crust Apple Pie. No chilling. No rolling. No fuss. Just mix, pour, and bake. And somehow, like kitchen magic, this chaotic little batter bakes up into a golden, buttery crust that wraps around your filling like it meant to …

You know, when I was raising my kids out here in the Midwest, there were plenty of days when I felt like the only time we all sat in one spot together was dinner time. Soccer cleats kicked off by the door, someone’s backpack half-zipped with papers sticking out — and me in the kitchen trying to figure out how to feed everybody without losing my mind. That’s where this Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese comes in. It’s one of those meals that asks so little but gives so much. You brown a bit of meat, toss in a few pantry …

The kind of dish that makes people ask for seconds — and maybe the recipe, too. Now listen. This isn’t one of those fussy, four-page recipes with ten kinds of stock and French wine you’ve never heard of. This is the kind of rice dish your mama would’ve made when company was coming over — or when it was just too chilly out and you needed something warm, buttery, and soul-soothing to go with dinner. It’s a little French, a little Southern, and a whole lotta comfort. We’re talking caramelized onions, buttery rice, a touch of thyme, and a sprinkle …

Rich, savory, and ridiculously tender — this is the kind of meal that makes you want to lick the spoon and call it a day. You know how some recipes just feel like a big ol’ hug from someone who loves you? This is one of those meals. I’ve been making a version of these beef tips for years—usually on Sundays when the house is quiet, something’s bubbling away on the stove, and I’ve got time to slow down just a little. But here’s the kicker: with an Instant Pot, you don’t need all day. This recipe takes all the …

Let me tell you something—if you’ve never had an onion fritter, the kind that crackles when it hits the hot oil and smells like Saturday night at Grandma’s house—well, you’re in for a treat. These aren’t your average onion rings or anything you’d find in a drive-thru. No ma’am. These are rustic, golden, Amish-style onion fritters, made with love, pantry staples, and a good cast-iron skillet. I first stumbled across this little gem of a recipe while flipping through an old church cookbook I found at a yard sale. You know the ones—plastic spiral binding, faded photos, lots of Jell-O …

This is what comfort food looks like in my house—messy, hearty, and made with love. The Kind of Dinner That Feels Like a Hug I’ll tell you something—there’s just something about the smell of beef and tomatoes slow-cooking all day that takes me straight back to my childhood kitchen. You know the one. A little linoleum on the floor, a ticking clock on the wall, and a pot of something bubbling away while the weather outside did its Midwestern thing (snow, sleet, maybe both). My mom didn’t fuss with complicated meals—she fed five of us on a budget and with …

There are certain recipes that don’t really belong to anyone, though we all like to pretend otherwise. This Shoepeg Salad (or “shoe peg”—I’ve written it both ways, not sure which is proper) is one of those dishes that just floated through my life without much explanation. I can’t say who made it first. My mother swore it came from her neighbor back in Tulsa, but then my sister insists she saw it on a church potluck table in Mississippi in the late seventies. And me? I just know it showed up one afternoon in a Tupperware bowl on my back …

There’s something about the smell of lemon and butter mingling in the air that instantly brings me back to Grandma’s kitchen on a chilly Sunday afternoon. She wasn’t the type to fuss over food. Everything had a rhythm. The potatoes were always peeled before church, the bread was warming in the oven by four, and the fish? Well, the fish practically cooked itself—tucked into the slow cooker while she caught up on her stories and hollered at Grandpa to set the table. That’s the kind of cooking I grew up with—easygoing, full of flavor, and built on the backbone of …

You know, some recipes just feel like a hug — and this Amish Hamburger Steak Bake is one of those dishes that brings me right back to my mother’s cozy kitchen. Growing up in the Midwest, we didn’t call it fancy names — we just called it “hamburger steak with gravy,” and every bite felt like love after a long day. I can still picture my dad leaning back in his chair, wiping gravy off his chin with the back of his hand (my mom fussed about that every time). It’s the kind of meal that fills your belly and …