It's Not About Nutrition

Now, I love a good old-fashioned pecan pie as much as the next Southerner, but I’ll be honest with you… sometimes that sticky-sweet syrup filling can be a little much after a big meal. That’s why the first time I tasted a Pecan Cream Pie, I just about fell in love on the spot. It was at a church potluck — the kind where the dessert table groans under the weight of every pie, cake, and cookie recipe known to man. Somebody had brought this beauty: golden crust, piled high with a creamy, custard-like filling, and crowned with a generous …

If you’ve never had smothered pork chops the right way, I’m sorry to say you’ve been missing out on one of life’s greatest comforts. I’m talking about thick, bone-in chops, seasoned just right, fried up golden, then tucked back into a skillet full of slow-simmered onion gravy until they’re so tender you could eat ’em with a spoon. This is the kind of food that made Sundays in our house feel special. My mama would come home from church, kick off her shoes, and head straight to the kitchen. She didn’t measure a thing — just a pinch of this, …

There are mornings when you just know coffee isn’t going to be enough. You need something warm, buttery, and a little special — the sort of thing that makes the whole kitchen smell like comfort. That’s when I pull out my lemon cream scone recipe. It’s not fancy. You don’t need a stand mixer or any exotic ingredients. But what it does have is that bright, sunny hit of lemon that somehow makes even the grayest morning feel lighter. My grandma used to make plain cream scones, and I remember watching her cut the butter into the flour with two …

There are some recipes that aren’t fancy, but they just stick. You make them once, everyone eats them without saying much (except maybe “pass me another one”), and then they’re in your regular rotation forever. These chicken fritters are like that. They remind me of the kind of cooking my grandma did — practical, not fussy, but still somehow perfect. In the Midwest, canned chicken isn’t just “a shortcut,” it’s a pantry hero. It’s what you use when you want something quick, filling, and warm without starting from scratch. And that’s exactly what these fritters are — warm little golden …

There’s just something about a pot of chili. You smell it before you even walk into the kitchen, and the smell kind of wraps around you like an old sweater. This isn’t fussy food. It’s the “come on in, grab a bowl, sit down” kind of food. This Chili Con Carne is big on flavor — a little smoky, a little spicy, rich enough that it feels special but still something you could make on a Tuesday night. It’s got Texas in its bones, but I’ll be honest, it’s traveled well. Once you’ve got the base recipe down, you can …

Some recipes just feel like they’ve been in the family forever, even if you only learned them last week. This Amish sour cream cornbread is one of those. It’s not fluffy like cake, and it’s not overly sweet either — this is the kind of cornbread that feels solid in your hands but still melts in your mouth. The Amish are great at keeping things simple — no fuss, no strange ingredients you’ve got to hunt down. Just honest, everyday pantry items that somehow make something you’ll want to eat warm from the pan. The sour cream is what makes …

You know how every summer barbecue has that table — the one with the cold salads, big bowls of pasta, and a plate of deviled eggs disappearing faster than the burgers? That’s basically my childhood. There was always somebody’s “famous” pasta salad and someone else’s “you have to try them” deviled eggs. And one day, I thought… why not just put them together? That’s how this “Eggcellent Pasta Delight” happened. Honestly, it’s just deviled egg flavors and pasta hanging out in the same bowl, and somehow it tastes like it’s always been a thing. Creamy, tangy, a little nostalgic. Why …

Potatoes and I go way back. Growing up in the Midwest, they weren’t just a side dish — they were the backbone of most dinners. Mashed, fried, roasted… you name it, my mom made it. And she had that uncanny ability to make a 10-pound bag disappear in just a few days. These mustard potato poppers are my little love letter to those Midwest roots, with a modern kick. They’ve got the cozy familiarity of roasted potatoes, but the mustard coating gives them this tangy, zippy personality that makes you want to eat them straight off the pan. And honestly? …

When I was a kid, summer meant two things: long afternoons where the air felt heavy and sweet, and more zucchini than anyone knew what to do with. My mom used to say if you left your car door unlocked in July, you’d come back to find the back seat full of squash from some well-meaning neighbor. And honestly? She wasn’t wrong. That’s why this zucchini cornbread casserole is such a gem. It takes that humble box of corn muffin mix you probably have in your pantry, folds in fresh zucchini from the garden (or the grocery store—no judgment here), …

You ever make something for dinner that surprises you? Like, you throw it together because you’ve got a pound of beef sitting in the fridge, maybe a bell pepper that’s looking a little too soft, and you think, Eh, I’ll just make rice and mix it all together. And then suddenly you’re sitting at the table, eyes wide, wondering why you haven’t been making this your whole life. That was me the first time I made dirty rice. I’d heard of it — Louisiana thing, right? — but never really paid attention. Then one night, I tried it. Thirty minutes …