How to Be a Guest at Your Own Summer Party
There have definitely been times when I've felt more like a distracted, harried chef in my own home than a calm, welcoming hostess with guests over. Of course, there are certain things a host needs to do to put their guests at ease and set the tone for a good time, but it doesn't ...read more
How to Make an Ombré Rainbow Cake
In the days leading up to my friend Rachel's baby shower, I had every intention of baking adorable baby bottle-shaped cookies, and went so far as to buy a shaped cutter. But as the party got closer, I realized the thought of making and decorating cookies was only adding stress, ...read more
How to Build a Cheeseboard for Spring and Summer
In summer, I want entertaining to be as simple and streamlined as possible, since the last thing I want to do is waste a beautiful afternoon slaving over a hot oven. I've found that inviting friends over and serving a huge, impressive cheeseboard, is actually an ideal way to set ...read more
Texas Breakfast Tacos
Emily and I were both in Austin a few weeks ago for SXSW and one thing is certain—we both went to town on the taco scene there! Breakfast tacos are my favorite part of Austin and they do it better than any other city out there! My favorite place is Vera Cruz which is just ...read more
My Favorite Dishes in L.A.
L.A. has turned into one of the very best places to eat and in the 10+ years I've lived here, I've amassed quite a selection of favorite restaurants. I've done several guides of my go-to spots in the past, but I decided to break it down even further, including some of my all-time ...read more
Meals You Can Make From Your Pantry and Freezer (That Don’t Feel Sad)
When G and I don't have dinner planned (and by that I mean, when he doesn't have dinner planned since he generally takes on cooking while I put Sloan down for bed), we generally resort to one of two things: ordering in or "scrounging." Since ordering in is far from the most ...read more
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10 No-Diet Diet Tips to Get Your Week Off On the Right Foot
While I make an effort to eat healthy as often as possible, I have an immediate negative reaction to the term "diet." To me, it implies restriction and sounds like a total joy-kill. Every time I've tried restricting what I eat—you may remember my effort to not have any candy or ...read more
Valentine’s Day Red, White, and Pink "Slutty Brownies"
One of my favorite desserts in the whole wide world are without a doubt Slutty Brownies. They will forever be near and dear to my heart since I made the original 7 years ago! This year I gave them a valentine’s day spin because why not?! So what is a Slutty Brownie? The bottom ...read more
Fighting Recipe Fatigue at Home
G and I aren't big believers in diets, particularly in the form of short-lived New Year's resolutions. That being said, January does serve as a clean start and a good excuse to reexamine what makes us feel our best. Cooking at home is something we love to do, but often get hung ...read more
I Cut Out Sugar for a Week
It's not to say that I eat dessert every single day, but let's be honest—that's usually the case. Sugar's my biggest vice, but when I agreed to go a full week without it, I still didn't realize just how difficult it would be. While I wasn't overly strict (ie I still drank alcohol ...read more
The Prettiest, Not-at-All Boring Winter Salad
Working out is an incredibly important part of staying healthy, but it's just one piece of the puzzle (this article from 2016 still haunts me). Since I so often associate food with rewards, "eating healthy" or swapping something decadent like pasta or pizza for a salad can feel ...read more
The 8 Best Tips I've Learned from Cookbooks
Have you ever sat and read a cookbook cover-to-cover? While I don't do it as often as I'd like to, it's a habit I've maintained from my last job, since they'll often reveal information and tips you wouldn't have caught simply scanning a recipe for instructions. Some of the ...read more
A Guide to Creating Your Own Signature Cocktail
Even as someone who considers herself to be a competent cook, I've always found making cocktails to be fairly intimidating. Beyond taking a while to master (it helps that I'm married to a fantastic cocktail-maker), it was years before I felt confident enough to know which drink ...read more
Mini Apple Rose Tartlets
Have you seen those adorable apple rose moments on Instagram recently? I’m obsessed to say the least. Normally I steer clear from stuff like "avocado roses," but for some reason I got behind the apple trend—they're just too cute. I whipped some up and turned them into little mini ...read more
My Food Diary: Holidays Edition
Breakfast: After I got Sloan out the door for her first day back at school after Thanksgiving break, I had two minutes to grab something to eat before I left for work. Since I knew we were going to be having an indulgent lunch (for our graphic designer's birthday lunch), I opted ...read more
Throwing My First Friendsgiving
The holidays have always been my favorite time of year for the simple reasons that they provide me with an excuse to spend even more time with my family, and because I'm never one to turn down a tradition. Since G and I have hosted two Thanksgivings, we have our own traditions ...read more
White Bean Dip with Winter Crudité for Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is in exactly one week and it’s time to get down to business. I’m all about a big spread to really make a statement at the beginning of the night, and this white bean dip with all the crudité is exactly that. Essentially, it's just a simple bean dip that was inspired ...read more
No-Bake Dessert Board
I'm a fan of a curated food board in any form, whether it's filled with cheese and charcuterie or a rainbow of different fruits. There's something so appealing about an entire spread of bite-sized pieces all arranged neatly for easy access. Since I hadn't dedicated one yet to ...read more
Fall Nachos
I don’t know about you guys but it doesn’t need to be game day and I certainly don’t need to be entertaining in order to whip-up a giant vat of cheesy chips topped with all the good toppings. On the menu for today: Fall Nachos!These are loaded with all sorts of fall veggies I ...read more
3 Simple Tips for the Best At-Home Pizza
I've always considered myself something of an L.A. pizza connoisseur (I've never met a carb I didn't love), so when I heard multiple friends talking about Pizzana, a buzzy new pizzeria in Brentwood, I knew I had to try it. Turns out, the hype was worth it—as soon as I bit into my ...read more
The Things I Buy from the Farmers Market Each Weekend
One of my favorite weekly traditions is our trip to the local farmers' market. It's a quick walk from our house and beyond the high quality products I come home with each week, it's also part of a lovely community within a much larger city. I loving knowing the farmers who grow ...read more
What I Learned from Going Vegan for a Week
In high school, after a scarring all-nighter reading a book called Slaughterhouse (not to be confused with Slaughterhouse Five), I announced over breakfast that I was vegan. My dad, to his credit, entertained my thirteen-year-old declaration by serving me toast—no butter, no ...read more
Halloween Sheet Pan Cupcakes
Growing up my mom would make us Texas Sheet Cake for birthdays year after year and it was easily the best dessert to grace our kitchen. When thinking about the ultimate decadent treat for Halloween, it made perfect sense to turn adapt the baked chocolate dessert into a seasonally ...read more
Breakfast Cookies
Breakfast cookies. Let’s make them a thing. I don’t know about you guys, but breakfast isn't my most favorite meal to make. The thought of destroying my kitchen before 8 a.m. on a daily basis just doesn’t sit well with me, so I often prep breakfast on the weekends. Sometimes it’s ...read more