A few of my own recipes

Recipes that are easy to remember, nourish your family, and make room for what you grow.

Easy recipes to learn, manage, and keep in your regular rotation—a simple way to support healthier living one meal at a time.

As a family, we choose to learn how to cook as much as we can—especially proteins—so we can invest in our children’s health and our own. When we make it ourselves, we have more control over what goes into it and can make the best choices we can. This isn’t about perfection; it’s about intention, knowing what we can and can’t control, and remembering that these are choices.

Eggs are another everyday favorite in our home—we’re known for starting the day with them at least seven days out of the week, and we very rarely veer from it. I’m pretty sure that will be true for our family forever. We chose to keep chickens because we believe in the nourishment of fresh eggs, the joy of knowing where they come from, and the simple rhythm of gathering something wholesome for our table.

For us, starting the day with eggs is one of the smartest, most intentional choices we can make. It sets a steady tone for the rest of the day and gives our family protein and real nourishment to begin with. Pancakes, waffles, bread, and bagels can all be fun foods, but eggs are the breakfast we reach for when we want something that truly fuels us. We’re not perfect—we’re simply choosing what works for our family and learning more ways to enjoy eggs, from salsa and sour cream to baking them into fun family dishes.

Family dinner · serves 6

Dylan’s Hawaiian-Style Pineapple Chicken

Sweet, savory, and slightly spicy, this easy chicken-thigh recipe features a homemade pineapple marinade and beautifully caramelized edges. Prepare it in the morning, let the chicken marinate throughout the day, and broil it when you’re ready for dinner.

A family-favorite dinner

When I was working full-time and driving our kids to sports and activities, my husband, Dylan, handled most of our family’s cooking. He supported our family by making sure we had nourishing meals on the table, even during our busiest seasons.

Now, I’m learning some of his best recipes so I can take the lead on more of our dinners while he focuses on other projects. For us, marriage isn’t about dividing everything into permanent “his” and “hers” responsibilities. It’s about working as a team and asking, What can we do together to give our family the best possible options?

Nutrition is a big part of that mindset in our home. We want to give our girls a strong nutritional foundation as they grow and develop. As parents, we also want to nourish ourselves in a way that supports our energy, well-being, and longevity through every season and decade of life.

This Hawaiian-style pineapple chicken is one of Dylan’s family favorites. The homemade marinade starts with equal parts pineapple juice, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Fresh ginger, garlic, sriracha, and a splash of rice vinegar round everything out with warmth, spice, and acidity.

The chicken can be prepared in the morning and left to marinate throughout the day. At dinnertime, simply arrange it on a rack and broil it until juicy, caramelized, and cooked through. It’s especially delicious served over rice, although we also love slicing it and adding it to a fresh salad.

Prep time: 15 minutes · Marinating time: 2–8 hours · Cooking time: 20–25 minutes

Ingredients

2–3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 can pineapple juice, about 1 cup
1 cup soy sauce or tamari
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger, or to taste
3–4 garlic cloves, minced
Sriracha, to taste
Sliced green onions, optional
Sesame seeds, optional

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk together the pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, and sriracha until well combined.
Before adding the raw chicken, transfer approximately ¾ cup of the marinade to a separate covered container. Refrigerate this portion to use for basting.
Place the chicken thighs in a resealable bag or covered container. Pour the remaining marinade over the chicken, making sure each piece is thoroughly coated.
Refrigerate the chicken for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours. Avoid leaving it in the pineapple marinade overnight, as the pineapple can eventually make the chicken overly soft.
When you’re ready to cook, remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Position an oven rack approximately 6 inches below the broiler, then preheat the broiler on high.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place an oven-safe wire rack on the baking sheet and lightly grease it.
Remove the chicken from the used marinade and arrange the thighs in a single layer on the rack. Discard the marinade that touched the raw chicken.
Broil the chicken for 8–10 minutes. Turn each piece over, brush it with some of the clean reserved marinade, and broil for another 6–10 minutes.
Continue cooking as needed until the edges are caramelized and the thickest part of each chicken thigh reaches an internal temperature of at least 165°F.
Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.

Serving ideas

Over steamed white or brown rice
With cauliflower rice for a lighter option
Alongside roasted or mashed potatoes
Sliced over a crisp green salad
In a rice bowl with cucumber, carrots, avocado, edamame, or steamed vegetables
As an island-inspired plate with rice and the optional macaroni salad below

Optional Hawaii-Style Macaroni Salad

For an island-inspired plate, serve the pineapple chicken with steamed rice and a scoop of this creamy macaroni salad. It can be prepared earlier in the day or the night before, making it an easy optional addition rather than another dinnertime task.

Prep time: 15 minutes · Cooking time: 10–12 minutes · Chilling time: At least 1 hour

Macaroni salad ingredients

8 ounces elbow macaroni
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup avocado oil-based mayonnaise, preferably homemade or made with simple ingredients
¼ cup whole milk
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely grated
2 tablespoons finely grated sweet onion
½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Macaroni salad instructions

Cook the macaroni slightly past al dente, until completely tender and soft.
Drain the macaroni well without rinsing. Transfer it to a mixing bowl while it is still warm.
Toss the warm macaroni with the apple cider vinegar, then let it cool for approximately 10 minutes.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the avocado oil mayonnaise, milk, sugar, salt, and pepper.
Add the grated carrot, grated onion, and approximately half of the dressing to the macaroni. Stir until evenly combined.
Once the macaroni has cooled completely, fold in the remaining dressing.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
Stir the salad before serving. If it has thickened more than you prefer, add a small splash of milk until it reaches your desired consistency.

Recipe notes

Keep the marinade equal: The foundation of the chicken marinade is equal parts pineapple juice, soy sauce, and brown sugar. To resize the batch, maintain that basic ratio.
Adjust the heat: Add a small amount of sriracha for a mild, family-friendly version, or increase it for a spicier finish.
Use unseasoned rice vinegar: Seasoned rice vinegar contains additional sugar and salt, so unseasoned vinegar works best in the chicken marinade.
Reserve before marinating: Always separate the basting sauce before the marinade comes into contact with raw chicken.
Watch the broiler: Broilers vary considerably. Keep a close eye on the chicken as the sugary marinade begins to caramelize.
Don’t over-marinate: Pineapple juice tenderizes meat, but leaving the chicken in it for too long can affect its texture.
Choose your mayonnaise: We prefer an avocado oil-based mayonnaise or homemade mayonnaise prepared with avocado oil.
Cook the macaroni until soft: Hawaii-style macaroni salad traditionally uses tender macaroni rather than firm, al dente pasta.
Make it ahead: The macaroni salad tastes even better after it has chilled and the flavors have had time to come together.

Photo coming soon.

Homemade ranch dressing in a jar beside carrots, lemon, garlic, and a pepper mill

Family favorite

Fresh Garden Ranch

Equal parts mayonnaise, sour cream, and buttermilk
1 whole lemon, squeezed
A few cloves of garlic, grated
A handful of fresh dill, minced
Black pepper
Onion powder

Stir everything together in a jar. That’s it—fresh, simple ranch for salads, carrot sticks, cucumbers, and other vegetables.

I like taking photos as I learn to make things. I’m a visual, hands-on learner, and the pictures help me remember the process.

Worth the wait

Homemade Sandwich Bread

Good flour, simple wholesome ingredients, and a little time are all you need. Making bread at home means knowing exactly what goes into it—and enjoying the process as much as the first slice.

85 g active sourdough starter
205 g warm whole milk
25 g sugar or honey
345 g unbleached bread flour
35 g softened butter
8 g fine sea salt

Get started: Set out your scale, loaf pan, and ingredients.
Mix: Combine the starter, warm milk, sugar or honey, and flour until a shaggy dough forms.
Add salt and butter: Work them into the dough until evenly incorporated.
Mix with your hands: Knead for 6–8 minutes, until the dough feels smooth and elastic.
First rise: Cover and let the dough rise at about 72–80°F until doubled.
Shape and second rise: Shape the dough and place it in a greased 8½ × 4½-inch loaf pan. Cover and let it rise 1½–2 hours, until it reaches just above the rim.
Bake: Bake uncovered at 350°F for 15 minutes. Tent with foil and bake 20 minutes more.
Finish: Remove from the pan, brush the top with melted butter if you like, and cool completely before slicing.

Bread takes time, but that’s the point: simple steps, real ingredients, and something wholesome for your family.

When the loaf starts to get a little older, it is perfect for homemade French toast. I add extra egg to my batter for more protein—another way to use everything and waste nothing.

Pieces of leftover sourdough bread ready to be dried for homemade breadcrumbs

Use what you have

Homemade Sourdough Breadcrumbs

Old sourdough becomes something useful instead of going to waste. These simple homemade breadcrumbs take one ingredient and a little patience—and I know exactly what’s in them.

Leftover sourdough bread—that’s it

Cut: Cut or tear the bread into roughly 1-inch pieces.
Arrange: Spread the pieces in a single layer on your dehydrator trays.
Dehydrate: Dry at 135°F for approximately 4–6 hours, or until the bread is completely dry, hard, and brittle with no softness left in the center.
Cool: Let the dried bread cool completely.
Process: Pulse in a food processor until the breadcrumbs reach your preferred texture.
Store: Transfer to an airtight jar only after the breadcrumbs are completely cool and free of moisture.

Use them in meatloaf, meatballs, breaded chicken, casseroles, pasta toppings, or anywhere you would normally reach for store-bought breadcrumbs.

One less thing to buy, one less thing to waste, and a simple way to make the most of a crusty leftover loaf.

Homemade banana muffins on a white platter beside a vase of colorful flowers

Don’t waste those bananas · one loaf or 12 muffins

Going Bananas! Banana Bread & Muffins

We buy a lot of bananas around here. They’re an easy snack for the kids and a staple on our kitchen counter. But there always seems to be a banana or two that everyone suddenly decides is too spotty to eat. That’s my cue to pull out the mixing bowl.

I love turning those extra-ripe bananas into a warm loaf of banana bread or a batch of muffins. It’s a simple way to use what we already have and make something the whole family looks forward to. A few brown spots just mean the bananas have another job to do.

The muffins are great to tuck into the kids’ lunchboxes or have ready for an easy after-school snack. A slice of banana bread works just as well. I love knowing exactly what goes into each batch—a simple, homemade treat I feel good about sharing with my family.

2–3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 large egg
6 tablespoons soft butter
¾ cup white sugar or cane sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
A pinch of salt

Prepare: Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8½ × 4½-inch loaf pan or line a 12-cup muffin pan.
Mix the wet ingredients: Mash the bananas, then mix in the egg, soft butter, white sugar or cane sugar, and vanilla.
Mix the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and a pinch of salt.
Combine: Fold the dry ingredients into the banana mixture just until combined. Don’t overmix.
Bake a loaf: Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake covered at 350°F. It typically takes just over an hour. Be sure to uncover it for the last 10 minutes to give the top that golden touch.
Or bake muffins: Divide the batter among 12 muffin cups and bake for 18–24 minutes.
Cool: A toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter. Let the loaf rest in the pan for 10–15 minutes before turning it out.

Don’t waste those bananas. Mash them, bake them, and give them a second chance at being everyone’s favorite snack.

Family dinner · serves 4

Simple Family Meatloaf

Ground beef is a dependable protein for our family, and this meatloaf keeps the seasoning simple enough for younger eaters. Pair it with three easy sides—purple potatoes, sweet potatoes, or a baked potato, plus a fresh salad or seasonal vegetable—and dinner is easy.

I like to make this meal when we know we’ll be running our kids to and from sports, or when we need extra time to get other things done. Sometimes I batch-cook more potatoes than we need and save them in the fridge for another meal. Then all we’re cooking that day is the meatloaf—easy peasy, with less stress and less thinking about what healthy meal we’ll eat.

When it’s in season and we can find organic corn, it pairs wonderfully with meatloaf. I can’t wait to grow our own corn next summer.

2 pounds ground beef
2 eggs
About 3 tablespoons ketchup
Worcestershire sauce, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
A dash of paprika and onion powder
⅓ cup milk
About ¾ cup breadcrumbs

Simple topping

Mix ketchup, brown sugar, white vinegar, salt, pepper, and a little more onion powder to taste.

Mix: Combine the ground beef, eggs, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, seasonings, milk, and breadcrumbs until well blended.
Shape: Mold the mixture into a simple glass baking dish about the same size as a bread pan.
Chill: Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake.
Bake: Add the topping and bake at 350°F for just over an hour, or until the center reaches 160°F.
Serve: Choose three simple pairings and enjoy an easy family dinner.

Some might call it boring; I call it simple, flavorful, and just seasoned enough for everyone. Don’t overthink it—plan, prepare, have fun, and make it your own.

A family recipe, made our way

Gerry’s Oatmeal Cookies

My father-in-law Gerry graciously made these cookies on our trips to Mexico, and I loved them so much I wanted to make them for my own family. I simplified the recipe and made it ours—warm, chewy, and easy to keep on hand.

1 cup butter (Kerrygold when we have it)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup organic white sugar (we like Trader Joe’s)
2 large eggs, preferably fresh from our chickens
1 teaspoon vanilla
1½ cups wholesome flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2½ cups quick-cooking oats
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 cup shredded coconut

Cream: Beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla.
Combine: Stir in the flour, salt, baking soda, oats, cinnamon, and coconut until a dough forms.
Shape: Roll the dough into medium-sized balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake: Bake at 350°F for 10–13 minutes, until lightly browned and set. Cool on a rack.
Save some for later: Refrigerate or freeze extra dough balls so you can bake fresh cookies whenever the kids (or you) want them.

A fun cookie to bake, share, and keep ready—simple, homemade, and never more than a few minutes away.