When the holiday season rolls around, I’m always looking for something festive to make in outrageous quantities—without a lot of fuss. Cookie swaps are the name of the game in this regard, with seemingly endless recipes from which to borrow inspiration, bake, and share, but I personally struggle with not […]
Kitchen Tips
The Beloved Midwestern Dessert That Belongs on Your Holiday Table
What’s chocolatey and beloved for its creamy lumps? That’s Bumpy Cake—the Michigan‑born dessert that looks like a giant Hostess Ho Ho but tastes 100 times better. This iconic treat features a rich chocolate devil’s food cake topped with buttercream “bumps” and cloaked in glossy fudge icing, giving it a signature […]
The 3-Ingredient Skillet Dinner I Make Once a Week
During our busiest months, I slice and sauté kielbasa sausage, green cabbage, and white onion in a cast iron skillet at least once a week. Super fast and easy to prepare after a long workday or shuttling our kid to and from evening hockey practice, this dish is a classic […]
The Kitschy Vintage Appetizer My Mom Makes Every Holiday Season
As the holidays start to roll around, I start to crave dishes from my childhood. The recipes I ate for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years as a child are the same foods I eat—and make—today. There’s such a strong nostalgic tie to the holidays, and in my opinion, there’s no […]
The Super Cheesy Pasta Our Test Kitchen Calls a ‘Cheater Recipe’
Olive Garden diners enjoy that moment when their hot dish is put in front of them, and the server lets them know it can be topped with as much cheese as they want. Just say “when.” It’s not just Parmesan that the restaurant’s diners enjoy, though. They love all the […]
The Cookie Recipe That Made a 98-Year-Old Grandma An Iowa Legend
Mildred Ricke is best known for her perfect attendance at her ball games and recitals, affinity for pink nail polish—and famous cookies. In fact, the 98-year-old’s cookies are so legendary that they made their way from Iowa to Colorado—thanks to Kelli Chiri, one of her nine grandchildren. For five years, […]
The 10 Budget-Friendly Pantry Staples You Should Always Have on Hand
Grocery shopping can be expensive. Who among us doesn’t know the feeling of coming home, looking at your bill, emptying the bags, and immediately thinking, “Did I even buy something to make for dinner?” A simple way to cut down on your grocery bill is to keep your pantry stocked […]
The Easiest Way To Clean the Appliance Everyone Hates Cleaning
When it comes to dirty dishes, there are a few types of “food cement” I get a little crazy about. One of them is blender cement. This always happens whenever I make a smoothie and don’t clean the blender immediately. Some foods, especially smoothies, can leave a tough-to-clean cemented mess […]
Our Most-Saved Holiday Cookie Is ‘Hands Down the Tastiest, Softest, and Best’
Cookies take center stage during the holidays, and our most-saved holiday cookie of all time is a true classic: Best Rolled Sugar Cookies. With more than 8,000 five-star ratings and nearly 9,000 reviews, it’s dependable, delicious, and always a crowd-pleaser. “This is the best sugar cookie recipe and the only one […]
The Internet Taught Me the Best Tip for Using Tomato Paste
Wasting food, even just a tablespoon or two of something, doesn’t sit well with me. I keep small amounts of leftover vegetables in a freezer container to use for chicken pot pie. I make breadcrumbs from stale bread. I freeze overripe fruit to use in smoothies or cocktails. Of course, […]