It's Not About Nutrition

I’ve got a bone to pick with most Sriracha chicken recipes. You know the ones — those overly sweet, sticky dishes that promise “a perfect balance of spicy and sweet” but end up tasting like someone dunked chicken in hot candy? Yeah. I’ve tried honey. I’ve tried maple syrup. I even (regrettably) tried brown sugar. And every single time, the sweet just bulldozed over everything else. I wanted heat. I wanted flavor. I did not want dessert. So I messed with the formula. And accidentally came up with something… kinda perfect? Here’s the deal: I swapped out the sugar bomb …

There’s something about a Midwestern kitchen that just gets comfort food. Maybe it’s the way the house feels warmer when the slow cooker’s humming in the corner. Or how the smell of marinara and browned beef can pull people out of their bedrooms like a dinner bell. I swear, growing up, you could tell what kind of day it was based on what was simmering—busy school nights called for something hearty, low-effort, and basically guaranteed to make everyone stop complaining for five minutes. This Slow Cooker 5-Ingredient Beef and Cheese Pasta is exactly that kind of meal. It’s not trying …

You know those days where everything feels like a lot and the idea of cooking dinner makes you want to crawl into a blanket fort and order takeout? Yeah — this soup is for that day. When I was a kid growing up in the Midwest, lentil soup was one of those cozy, cold-weather staples my mom made without even thinking. She didn’t have a recipe printed out. No Pinterest. Just a few pantry ingredients and a slow cooker that seemed to run from October through March. This version? It’s ridiculously easy. Like, five ingredients and a slow cooker easy. …

I don’t know about you, but once the leaves start turning (or honestly, the second the temperature drops below 70), I’m busting out the slow cooker like it’s a family heirloom. And pepper steak? That’s one of those recipes I’ve come back to again and again — especially on weeks where I barely have time to sit down, let alone make a full dinner. There’s something comforting about the way the beef gets impossibly tender after hours of simmering, soaking up all that garlicky, soy-sauce goodness. Add some colorful peppers, a warm bowl of rice, maybe a sprinkle of sesame …

Potato soup has a way of making a day feel less sharp around the edges. Like, you can come in from the cold—literal cold or “why is everything due today” cold—and a warm bowl just fixes the vibe a little. It’s not dramatic. It’s not fancy. It’s just… steady. The kind of dinner that says, “You’re home now.” This version is for those nights when you want homemade comfort but you do not want to stand over a stove stirring for an hour like you’re in a cooking montage. We’re leaning on frozen hash browns (no shame, zero shame), broth, …

There’s a certain smell that instantly makes a house feel “settled.” For me, it’s garlic warming up in oil—like the kitchen is clocking in for its shift. Add parmesan to that and suddenly everyone’s wandering in asking, “What are you making?” even if they just ate a snack ten minutes ago. These slow cooker garlic parmesan potatoes are my go-to when I want something warm and hearty but I’m not trying to babysit a pan. Midwest life taught me two things: potatoes are basically their own food group, and the best side dishes are the ones you can throw together …

There are desserts that feel like an event—layers, torches, chilled bowls, the whole production. And then there are desserts like this, the kind that quietly makes your kitchen smell like you’ve got your life together. Banana Foster Pudding takes me straight back to Sunday afternoons at my grandma’s. Not the “Pinterest Sunday.” The real one. Baseball on in the background, somebody opening the screen door a hundred times, and her cooking in that calm way that made it seem like nothing ever stressed her out (which… I now realize was a lie). She didn’t measure with precision; she measured with …

Okay, so… I wasn’t planning to share this. Not because it’s a secret or anything — I mean, it’s literally three ingredients. But because it’s so stupidly simple that I figured no one would care. Except last week, I posted a picture of my dinner on Instagram (with zero intention of bragging, mind you — I was just proud I made something that didn’t involve a microwave), and my DMs blew up. “What IS that?”“Wait, did you cook this?”“You made this?! Like, with real food?” Yes. Yes, I did. And now I’m sharing it, because I want all of us …

ok so listen.i’m not here to sell you on cauliflower. if you’re already like “ehh i don’t know…” — same. i’ve felt that way. cauliflower’s kind of the beige sweatpants of vegetables. it shows up everywhere, tries to be everything (rice? wings? crust?) and honestly… it’s kinda exhausted. but then one day, i just dropped a whole one in the slow cooker. no chopping. no roasting. no making it into something it’s not. just her. in all her weird brain-shaped glory.and. it. slapped. i didn’t expect it. i wasn’t even trying to be creative. i was tired. i had laundry …

There’s something about Midwestern kitchens — the kind with slightly outdated wallpaper, the hum of an old slow cooker on the counter, and the smell of something amazing that’s been simmering all day — that just feels right. This 5-ingredient salsa chicken? It’s straight from that world. I first made it on one of those days where you’re staring blankly into the fridge at 3 p.m. wondering what you’re doing with your life. I was tired. We had chicken. I had zero motivation to cook. But I also didn’t want to hear anyone say “what’s for dinner?” one more time. …