Cheeseburger Lava Cake
One rainy weekday evening, I came home from the office with my shoes squeaking and my hair sticking to my face from the drizzle. The...
Salted Toffee Oatmeal Cookies
One chilly autumn afternoon, I came home from the office earlier than usual to find my youngest, Caleb, sitting at the kitchen table with a...
Turtle Pudding Cookies
It was the first chilly day of fall, the kind that made our little town look like it was wrapped in a soft, gray blanket....
Reese’s Pieces Peanut Butter Brownies
A few autumns ago, I was hurrying home after work under a light drizzle, holding a grocery bag that had ripped at the corner because...
One-Pan Butter Parmesan Pasta
I was standing in line at the train station café last winter, waiting for my coffee, when I struck up a conversation with a college...
Cinnamon Sugar Cream Cheese Rolls
One chilly evening after work, I stopped by a little roadside stand run by a cheerful woman named Nora, who sells homemade sweet rolls out...
Broccoli, Rice, Cheese, And Chicken Casserole
I first decided to make this casserole after a conversation with a neighbor’s teenage son who often mows our lawn for a little extra pocket...
Homemade Sweet Potato Cornbread
One chilly autumn afternoon, I stopped by the community garden after work to help a group of volunteers pull up the last rows of summer...
Smoky Maple Beef Jerky
I met a retired truck driver named Hank while waiting in line at the small-town butcher shop last winter. We both reached for the last...
Pumpkin Spice Gooey Cake
A few evenings ago, while I was waiting in line at our town’s small grocery store, I struck up a conversation with the young cashier....