It's Not About Nutrition

You ever have one of those days where you mean to make something fancy, but real life says, “Not today, honey”? That’s how this soup was born in my house. Years ago, I had every intention of making my mom’s cabbage rolls for Sunday supper — the kind she’d spend all afternoon rolling up just so. But the dog got sick, my youngest had a science fair disaster, and next thing I knew, it was 5 o’clock and I hadn’t even boiled the cabbage. So I did what any slightly frazzled home cook would do: I threw everything — meat, …

I don’t remember the first time I made this soup. I just remember it being there — in a big pot on the stove, bubbling away while the wind rattled the windows and the kids ran through the house in sock feet and muddy jeans. It’s the kind of meal that shows up when life’s a little chaotic and dinner needs to be hot, hearty, and easy. No fluff, no tiny portions. Just real food, good cheese, and enough flavor to make you forget about whatever mess is waiting in the laundry room. We call it Cowboy Soup, but honestly, …

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 …

You know, every family has that dish. The one you pull out when the weather turns cold and you’re craving something that feels like a warm hug. For me, it’s this Slow Cooker Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin — with that creamy Dijon sauce that makes you want to lick the spoon when no one’s looking (and sometimes when they are looking — no shame here). I first made this when my youngest had the flu and nobody really wanted to eat. I thought maybe if the house smelled good enough, she’d nibble something. I threw this in the slow cooker before …

In the heart of the Midwest, there’s an unspoken rule: when the wind howls and the chores are done, you need something bubbling away to make it all feel right. Growing up, that something was always Mom’s chicken pot pie — flaky crust, steamy filling, the whole works. It took forever, though, and truth be told, some nights I just don’t have that kind of time. So here’s what I do instead: Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie Pasta. All the cozy goodness, none of the fuss. You toss it together, go about your day — check the garden, feed the …

Picture this: you come home after work, drop your bags, and before you even kick your shoes off, you catch that smell — warm, savory, familiar. That’s this stew. It’s the Midwest wrapped up in a bowl, the kind of thing that makes you say, “You know what? I think I’ll have seconds.” If you’ve ever had your grandma tell you “Just throw what you’ve got in a pot and let it cook,” this is exactly what she meant. Meet Your New Weeknight Hero Let’s not pretend we’re all standing over the stove after a long day. Some nights you …