Throughout the summer, we discovered that, for some reason, pork butts were on fantastic sales. Because Joey loves to fire up his smoker in the backyard, we bought quite a few of them and have lots of delicious, smoked pork in our freezer. We mostly use it to make tacos, combining the pork in a skillet with fresh green salsa […]

My parents recently gifted me with bananas—a lot of bananas. So, looking at the bunches lining my countertop, I decided it was time to try every banana recipe on my Pinterest board. As I perused the large number of recipes I’d set aside, one popped out at me for banana cinnamon rolls. Not only did they look amazing, but there […]

About the time Joey and I got married 10 years ago, I learned what “egg in the basket” was—a simple breakfast dish where an egg is cooked in a hole cut in the center of a piece of bread. I’ve tried to make egg in the basket many times over the years, completely enamored with the idea, but while I […]

As a general rule, when I see the words “no-bake” in the title of a recipe, I assume I’m about to have a really easy time in the kitchen. Those are the types of recipes I save for when I need a quick dessert to bring at the last second. Well, this week’s recipe completely defies its no-bake moniker, my […]

Until I began this column, I had no idea how many variations of pasta there are. I used to think I was pretty knowledgeable until I continued to discover new types that often were tough to find in small-town Kansas grocery stores. My recipe this week called for ziti, a tube-shaped pasta I’m definitely familiar with, but my local store […]

I have a ton of amazing memories about my paternal grandma, who passed away in 2012. She was such an awesome person and a crazy good cook. Near the end of her life, she invited me over to her small apartment for dinner—just the two of us. She made a chicken and biscuits meal with some mixed veggies in it […]

  Years ago, when Jimmy Fallon was on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream came out with a flavor called “Late Night Snack,” which was inspired by the show. The combination was “vanilla bean ice cream with a salty caramel swirl and fudge-covered potato chip clusters.” Being slightly ice cream obsessed, I tried it out, despite […]

A few weeks ago, I was a bridesmaid in a good friend’s socially distanced wedding, and in preparation for the big day, I did something I have never done before: get a manicure. I opted for French tips—a layer of very light pink on the bottom and white for the ends of each nail. It ended up being a pretty […]

I have had this block of leftover almond paste just sitting in the back of my refrigerator for weeks. Every time I would open the fridge, I would just stare at the container, knowing I needed to use it up but not being 100-percent sure how. But then there were beautiful, fresh blueberries sitting in the produce department at the […]

My folks recently invited all of us over for hot dogs and hamburgers on a Saturday afternoon. We hadn’t all been in the same room since the stay-at-home orders began, and with things opening up and gathering sizes expanded, it seemed like a good time for the seven of us to socialize just a bit. As I have been doing […]