So, you wanna win your company’s chili cook-off? Ok, is “award winning” a strong adjective for a chili? Yes. Is it technically true though? Also, yes. Recently I won my company’s chili cook-off utilizing this recipe. These people were not ready for this no frills, no cute puny name, no secret ingredient, sleeper chili. Even though this is a very basic, classic style chili, it’s packed with great flavor and can be customized to make it as hot or mild as your taste buds’ desire. So, when you’re ready to win that company chili cook-off, give this recipe a try, and then send me a picture of your w ..read more

Cozy up to a bowl of this homemade soup. Today’s recipe is a tiny [test] kitchen recipe today ladies + gentlemen. This recipe was initially brought to my attention by a former boss who found out I had a food blog. She insisted that I give this recipe a try, but warned me about the tartness of the soup. I was skeptical, but I’m a sucker for a good homemade soup. I guess it’s probably the northerner in me. So I gave it a shot and it was amazing! The recipe uses lemons, which give the soup its tart flavor. I don’t mind lemons, but I’m not a huge fan of things that are overly tart. When I first ma ..read more

When you’re ready to take a break from meat, but not the flavor. Ahh, Trader Joe’s…what can I say? I love Trader Joe’s because they always have something new and interesting in their aisles. If you like to experiment in the kitchen like I do, TJ’s is the spot to gain some inspiration. You can eat like the creative queen [or king] that you are without having to take a personal loan out like you would at other organic, whole foods type ::insert any catchy marketing buzzword for “healthy”/you should buy from here:: market. The challenge with Trader Joe’s sometimes is what to make with these uniq ..read more

Let’s get roasted! I love potatoes. They are so versatile, you can bake em, fry em, roast em, sautéed em, or mash em. My favorite style is to roast them (close second is mashed), but if you ever had to roast potatoes you know you have a solid 45 minutes to an hour of cook time.  ::Enter in the InstantPot:: [or pressure cooker, whatever you got in the cabinet], it takes an hour cook time and  gets you the same results in a fraction of that. No longer do you need to plan ahead for this simple side dish, now it can be a quick snack to whip up in the middle of the week!  Try out thi ..read more

I pass the sticks this week, and had my friend teach me a little bit about Filipino food. I met Julie ten years ago in middle school…is what Julie would want me to say, but in actuality I met Julie at my first restaurant job in Florida. She was one of my first Florida friends and we have been sharing advice, secrets, and stories ever since. It only makes sense that after a decade of friendship, it was time for her to share a recipe for a staple Filipino dish, Adobo Chicken. One problem. This is a dish her mother makes from muscle memory, there was no recipe written down for her to share with m ..read more

I attempted Chef Chris Cho’s TikTok recipe. Let’s see how this goes… Aren’t social media recipes so much fun? I love a good social media recipe, especially if it’s unique or some type of “kitchen hack”. Chef Chris Cho’s TikTok/YouTube recipe, Korean Ramen Fried Chicken, is definitely both. Just in case you missed it, here’s the original full recipe video to bring you up to speed. Ok, first off, this recipe is FIRE! It was so good, fun to make, and very juicy and tender. I made a Japanese white sauce to go with the chicken, and it was a match made in tiny kitchen heaven. There is a little bit o ..read more

Brunch. The most important meal of the day. Ahhh...brunch. It's my favorite version of breakfast. Did you know the difference between breakfast and brunch is the alcohol? I don't know if that's actually true, I think I read that in a meme or in chalk on an A-frame sign out front of a restaurant. But anyway, I love making brunch at home and I'm a sucker for a good skillet. They're so easy, and you can dress them however you feel in the moment. You really can't go wrong or mess up a skillet. When I try to keep it light [because you know, mimosas, not the healthiest beverage choice] I like to mak ..read more

86 Raisins, Sub Chocolate Chips I’m that weirdo who loves oatmeal cookies in all its glory…homemade, crunchy iced ones, even the mass-produced ones but I’ve never been a fan of oatmeal RAISIN cookies. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind raisins in general, but I’ve never thought they went well in a cookie. I don't know when or where it happened, but when I finally stumbled upon oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, it changed the game for oatmeal cookies for me. Unfortunately, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are not a popular cookie style to find in a bakery, grocery store, or restaurant. So, if I'm eve ..read more

If you’re ready to elevate your wings, you’ve come to the right recipe. If you know me, you know I LOVE Buffalo wings. I feel it is only appropriate for my very first food blog post to be a buffalo wing recipe! I’m not quite ready to reveal my personal recipe for Buffalo sauce [it’s like my baby, it’s the first recipe I put together on my own without a recipe.] but I will give you my recipe for an elevated wing, the Truffalo wing. Made with Truff Black Truffle Infused hot sauce, these wings will elevate your next game night, barbecue, or if you just want to treat yo self. Combined these wings ..read more

So, you wanna win your company’s chili cook-off? Ok, is “award winning” a strong adjective for a chili? Yes. Is it technically true though? Also, yes. Recently I won my company’s chili cook-off utilizing this recipe. These people were not ready for this no frills, no cute puny name, no secret ingredient, sleeper chili. Even though this is a very basic, classic style chili, it’s packed with great flavor and can be customized to make it as hot or mild as your taste buds’ desire. So, when you’re ready to win that company chili cook-off, give this recipe a try, and then send me a picture of your w ..read more