Here’s the easiest way to de-stem strawberries
If you’re a strawberry lover like I am, you might be used to chopping off the stem of the strawberry before making it into your oatmeal topping, smoothie ingredient, or shortcake deliciousness. But with that technique, you’re sending a lot of the yummy fruit into the garbage or compost. Here’s a trick I learned to save as much strawberry guts as possible…
Delicious ways to use Trader Joe’s umami seasoning at every meal
If you’re unfamiliar with the savory glory that is “umami,” you’re not alone. It’s one of the basic five tastes (like sweet, sour, bitter, and salty) but definitely the least known. Trader Joe’s rolled out a version of the flavor in a handy sprinkly seasoning. I think a lot of us went out, bought it, and then didn’t have a clue how to use it. So I did some digging and came up with some ideas on how to cook using Trader Joe’s umami seasoning.
11 unusual pumpkin recipes that go WAY beyond pie
Tired of pumpkin yet? Pumpkin isn’t tired of YOU. It never tires of you. It loves you. And when you see these unusual pumpkin recipes, you may change your tune and return that love. OR maybe you’re still totally ready for pumpkin to find its place in your menu, in which case, scroll for the goods. We’ve got savory pumpkin dishes, pumpkin sweets that totally aren’t your usual pumpkin pie, and even a little treat for the pooch in your life. Because y’all KNOW puppies love pumpkin. So grab a can of pumpkin puree or a whole pumpkin if you’re feeling Martha Stewart-ish today, and tell us how the cooking goes…
19 super easy meal ideas from readers’ go-to recipe files
Back in the summer, we featured a call-out to readers for their favorite super-easy lunches and dinners and you delivered. You gave us a ton of awesome lunch and dinner ideas! Let’s face it, we’re also tired after work, amirite? I’ve divided them into categories: grains and stuff, easy pastas, salads and greens, and sandwiches and toasts.
There are a lot of super easy meal ideas to be had here…
Let’s get spicy: reader-favorite cooking spices & flavor staples
Way back in the day we called upon our Offbeat Homies to pony up their favorite garlic and onion alternatives for those of us who can’t eat them. Sad, I know, but there ARE a ton of delish cooking spices that slay when it comes to amping up flavor in recipes. I decided to cull a bunch of those helpful reader comments into a roundup of reader favorite spices that will take your cooking game up a few notches.
A Blue Apron review from someone who already cooks a ton
Yep, you may have already seen a previous Blue Apron review on this site before, by our illustrious developer, Kellbot. Her review wasn’t glowing (irritating, things took forever to make, etc.), but my pals sent me over some of those freebie vouchers and I was like, ehhhh why not, it’s free food. I’ll give it a go, knowing that it may be a bust. I already spend a good chunk of time cooking from scratch, so taking some of the meal planning away seems like it might actually save me some time. Here’s how it went…
14 go-to easy breakfast ideas from our readers (for really easy mornings)
Back in the summer, we featured a call-out to readers for their favorite easy breakfast ideas and you delivered. Y’all delivered so hard that I had to pull out the ideas into a post to share. The recipes are solid, easy, and sound guh-mazing. I’ve divided them into categories: oats and grains, stuff on toast, and yogurt and smoothies.
Prepare to be inundated with genius easy breakfast ideas straight from your fellow readers that will have you throwing yummies into bowls at break-neck pace.
What cooking taught me about life
I didn’t begin cooking from scratch until I hit my 30s. Prior to that it was a lot of arranging food or eating pre-made stuff. Turns out, I really enjoyed it, started a food blog, and now cook super often. It’s fun, but it’s been a little revealing when it comes to living life in general.
Cooking can actually be an analogy for life. That’s no revelation to most people, but it has been for me. Here are some cooking life lessons: what cooking taught me about life and happiness…