Hi Reader, Folks, I don't know where you're reading this from, but if you're anything like me, you're probably melting. I'm visiting my mom in central Illinois this week and man, is it HOT! Before it gets too warm, Maya (my pup!) and I have been sneaking out for early morning walks down this quiet farm road... The corn is taller than I am, the cicadas are deafening, and by 10 a.m. I'm already looking for shade. The road along my Mom's house where Maya and I take our morning stroll. See her...
12 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Looking for the easiest, no-fuss potluck dish? This is it! I've made this 4-Ingredient Pasta Salad more times than I can count this summer for BBQs and neighborhood hangs, and it's made quite a regular appearance on our dinner table too, alongside a rotisserie chicken, when nights are hectic. It's fast, easy, holds up for several days in the fridge, and tastes best cold. And it can be yours, too, with just a packet of pasta, some small mozzarella balls, cherry tomatoes, and a jar...
22 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, If you already have your 4th of July menu planned, prepped, and labeled in the fridge... this email isn't for you. (Also, teach me your ways.) For the rest of us: it's Friday, the cookout is tomorrow, and the good news is that "easy" and "crowd-pleasing" can be one and the same thing. Everything below comes together fast, and most of it happens in the air fryer or Instant Pot — so your kitchen stays cool while summer does its 95-and-sunny thing. Hot Honey Fried Chicken Sandwiches...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, When I was a teenager in Illinois, I spent about a month detasseling corn. If you didn't grow up around cornfields, that's the job where you walk the rows in the July heat and pull the tassel off the top of every stalk. It is hot, buggy, and pretty miserable, and by the end of that summer, I was convinced I never wanted to look at corn again. Luckily, that did not last. These days, fresh summer sweet corn is one of my favorite things to cook with, and right now my obsession is...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
, Hi friends, We’ve been on a big taco kick this summer, which is not exactly unusual for our house. But lately I’ve been making the case for skirt steak tacos over our usual chicken or ground beef situation, and I think I’ve officially converted everyone at the table. Skirt steak is a bit of a splurge, which means when I make it, I want it to feel worth it. These tacos do. The steak gets a quick citrus-and-spice marinade with lime, Worcestershire, cumin, coriander, chili powder and a few...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Six years ago today, my father passed away from brain cancer. It rocked our family, and it was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever gone through. For a few years, I didn’t really know what to do with this day. I would mostly relive those last few days: my family all racing across Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois to get there in time once we knew it was the end. My siblings doing the same from Portland, San Francisco, and Chicago. Spending the last few days holding his (and...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, I love chicken piccata as much as the next person, but sometimes I just do not feel like dealing with chicken breasts. The pounding, the dredging, the hoping they don’t turn dry before dinner hits the table. So I turned it into meatballs instead. And let me tell you - I may like this version even better. Pin this for later! You can grab the full Chicken Piccata Meatballs recipe here, but let me tell you why I’m obsessed. These Chicken Piccata Meatballs have all the good stuff:...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, So summer is well on its way (how is it April already??) and if you're like me, you might be starting to crave meals that feel a little lighter, a little fresher, and a little more protein-packed. Over the past few weeks, I've been really trying to increase my protein, cut back a bit on carbs, and find easy dinners that check three boxes: They have a solid protein count without being too heavy. They're something I can feed my family without complaints. They don't take forever, but...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, So here's something I did not plan: we now make meatloaf in this house specifically so we can have the sandwiches the next day. Not the meatloaf itself. The sandwiches. My family has gamed the system and I am fully on board. It started the way most good recipes do. I had leftover meatloaf, it was dinnertime again, and reheating a plate of it for the third night in a row wasn't happening. So I sliced it cold, seared it in butter until the edges got a little crispy, melted cheddar...
4 months ago • 1 min read