It wouldn’t be the holidays without using a staggering amount of butter, sugar, and coffee to bring joy to those around me. Coffee toffee has become a bit of a signature dish of mine around the holidays. Like The Boney Ball, it has its own cult following of salty-sweet...

Behold! The Boney Ball has arrived on this fair blog. The myth. The legend. The icon. The… cheese ball? These nostalgic treasures have enjoyed a bit of a renaissance in the last few years, but cheese balls have always held a special place in my heart. No, not because...

“911, what’s your emergency?”“Justine! WHAT DO I MAKE FOR FRIENDSGIVING?!” I love cooking around the holidays, despite my previous diatribe about my lack of affection for the Turkey Day meal. Cooking for others is the best way I know how to show I care, and this season allows me...

I’ll always be a savory girl at heart, but cinnamon rolls are my preferred sweet breakfast treat. Growing up, my favorite weekend tradition was making Pillsbury cinnamon rolls from the can with my grandma. I still love those damn things, but I opt to make homemade cinnamon rolls these...

If you’re a monster like me, you basically hate all standard Thanksgiving dishes. Don’t get me wrong; I realize I am a weirdo. In theory, it all sounds so delicious! In reality, this holiday is when my claim of being a reformed picky eater rings hollow. Turkey? More like...

Get yer stretchy britches. We’re hostin’ brunch! Hosting brunch at home is an introvert’s dream. (Or, at least, this introvert’s dream.) I loathe waiting for tables. LOATHE. Life is entirely too short and Chicago entirely too chockfull of amazing places to eat to ever wait any amount of time...

I don’t like pizza. Well, I don’t like pizza with red sauce. Do you know what it’s like growing up loathing the one thing that is always served to children, often to celebrate some kind of milestone or achievement? I was a voracious reader who absolutely made Pizza Hut’s...

You’re probably here because you somehow know me or you have spent some sliver of your life looking at food I have cooked, eaten, or photographed over the years. (I’m, like, legit honored.) So yeah, I’m starting a food blog. Nothing formal, just your run-of-the-mill mid-30s “DO I EVEN...