It's Not About Nutrition

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 …

Okay—let me just start by saying: I know the name “garbage bread” doesn’t sound like something you’d serve with pride. But hear me out. It’s one of those recipes that sneaks up on you. One minute you’re tossing leftovers into pizza dough because, well, the fridge is giving you attitude. Next thing you know, your whole family is hovering by the oven asking, “Is it ready yet?” This version is my go-to when I want comfort food that still feels a little special. We’re talking warm dough, melted cheese, a hearty filling of beef, herbs, and sweet pops of sun-dried …

Every time I make gołąbki, I feel like I’ve stepped back into my grandmother’s kitchen. Not the Pinterest-perfect kind, mind you—her kitchen was warm, cluttered, and always smelled like onions, garlic, and love. She wore an apron even if she was just boiling water, and somehow always had dough rising under a dish towel somewhere. Gołąbki (pronounced gaw-WUMP-kee) were a Sunday thing. Sometimes a holiday thing. Always a family thing. My brothers used to grumble about the cabbage smell, but you better believe they came back for seconds. They’re humble, hearty, and worth every minute—because once they’re in the oven, …

You ever have one of those days where the house is chilly, your feet are sore, and you’re just craving something warm, cheesy, and a little bit nostalgic? That’s what these sweet potatoes are for. I don’t know about you, but around here in the Midwest, we don’t need fancy to feel fed. We need something that smells like home, tastes like comfort, and doesn’t make a big fuss. This recipe? It checks all the boxes. The first time I made these, I just wanted something simple — I threw some sweet potatoes in the slow cooker before heading out …

You ever have one of those lazy weekend mornings where you’re still in your robe at 10:30, sipping coffee that’s gone lukewarm, and suddenly think: “I could go for something sweet… but not too sweet… and definitely not something I have to fry or fuss with”? That’s how this Cinnamon Donut Bread came into my life. It tastes like one of those classic sugar-dusted cake donuts you’d get from the little bakery your grandma used to take you to—but here’s the kicker—you bake it in a loaf pan, slice it up like banana bread, and it takes way less effort …

The crunchy, creamy slaw your summer plate’s been missin’ You know what? Coleslaw gets a bad rap sometimes. And I get it—nobody’s rushing to the buffet line for the “soggy white stuff,” bless its heart. But listen, this version? This one’s different. It’s not limp, it’s not sad, and it sure as heck isn’t flavorless. I started making this creamy peppery coleslaw with cucumbers and celery one summer when we were knee-deep in cookouts and I needed something bright and crunchy to cut through all that grilled meat and sticky barbecue sauce. I threw it together with what I had …

So… I Accidentally Became a Celery Grower If you’d told me five years ago I’d be writing passionately about celery—yes, celery—I would’ve laughed and poured us both a glass of wine. But here we are. It all started when I noticed my store-bought celery was, well… sad. Either it was limp straight out of the bag or it had that slightly bitter, chemical-y aftertaste. I’d use a couple stalks, forget the rest in the fridge, and toss the whole soggy mess a week later. Then one day, on a whim, I stuck the bottom of a celery bunch in a …

Who Knew Buckets Could Grow Dinner? You ever look at one of those big ol’ 5-gallon buckets and think, “Well, that’s just for paint or mop water”? I sure did—until I stumbled across a few scrappy gardeners turning those humble buckets into mini veggie farms. And let me tell you, once I started, I never looked back. Container gardening with 5-gallon buckets is perfect if you’ve got a teeny backyard, a little balcony, or heck, even just a sunny stoop. These buckets are cheap (or free if you sweet-talk your local deli), easy to move around, and surprisingly roomy for …

Pull up a chair, hon—let’s have a little heart-to-heart about something that’s probably sitting in your sink or tucked into your “miscellaneous” drawer: those plastic food containers. You know the ones. They come home with leftover lo mein or last night’s meatloaf, and before you know it, you’ve got a whole army of mismatched lids and bottoms taking over your cabinets. Now, I’ll admit it: I’ve grumbled about them, cursed them when they didn’t stack quite right, and yes—tossed a few more than I care to admit. But these humble little containers? They’ve got more life in them than we …