• Slow-cooker veggie chili

    veggie chili

    After I graduated from college and moved to South Carolina, my dinners generally came from a can, a box, the freezer, or a restaurant. I baked cookies and cakes and muffins occasionally, but I really didn’t know how to cook “real” (non-sugary) food, particularly meals that could go from stove (or microwave) to my tiny table in about […]

  • Guacamole salad

    guacamole salad

    When I was in elementary school (probably around second grade?), my family went to Kansas to visit some relatives. The first night, we stayed in Witchita, and my dad uttered a sentence none of us have ever forgotten: “When we’re on vacation, you can order whatever you want.” I had a giant bowl of guacamole […]

  • Bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin

    bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin

    Do you guys remember those “Pork: The Other White Meat” commercials from the 80s? Apparently they worked pretty well, because every time I see the word “pork” — even in regard to wasteful spending in Washington — I think of that phrase. But I didn’t really eat a ton of pork as a child, I […]

  • Macaroni and cheese (no béchamel required)

    macaroni and cheese with cheez its

    I think we can all agree that homemade macaroni and cheese is awesome. But it can be a bit of a pain (and a mess) to make. This recipe gives you the deliciousness of homemade mac and cheese, with significantly less work, less mess and less stress than a version that involves making a huge […]

  • Cincinnati Bengals cookies

    tiger stripe football helmet cookies

    Toby grew up a Bengals fan, and when we got married I became a Bengals fan by extension. It helps that several awesome Georgia Bulldogs now play for the Bengals (including Geno Atkins, Robert Geathers and A.J. Green). And that they signed a previously released player to the practice squad to to the practice squad […]

  • Breakfast biscuit bar

    biscuit bar

    The waffles were delicious. They really were. But building a make-your-own waffle bar is a mess and kind of a pain. The timing is a challenge, because you don’t want the waffles sitting on the table for too long, or they’ll get cold and a little soggy. And having to make the waffles separately is […]

  • Maple bacon marshmallows

    maple bacon marshmallows

    Even though we were up to our ears in waffles and peaches on Saturday, you know I couldn’t possibly have people over without making dessert. So what kind of dessert does one make for a breakfast-themed party? How about marshmallows with candied bacon in them? I can’t take credit for the brilliant idea of putting bacon inside […]

  • Brown-butter overnight waffles with bourbon peaches

    brown butter yeasted waffles

    For UGA’s first football game of the season, I wanted to make something breakfast-y that said “Georgia.” And there are few things that invoke both Georgia and breakfast foods more than Waffle House. I had seen and heard of Waffle House before I moved to Athens for college, of course, but I’m pretty sure I had […]

  • Georgia peach tea punch

    georgia peach tea punch

    I have a problem. I love inviting people over and making tons of food for them — way too much food, always — but I never plan it out correctly. What that means is that I’m usually still cooking when the first guests arrive, and there’s always at least one thing that doesn’t get made. […]

  • Spinach and Gruyere frittata

    I’m interrupting my series of posts about our trip to Hawaii for an easy, protein-packed breakfast recipe.   When we went to LA a few weeks ago, we went to FIG in Santa Monica for brunch and I tried ordering their spinach and gruyere quiche. Unfortunately, they had run out, so I ended up getting a […]