Have you ever looked at the back of a hot pocket box? SIXTY Ingredients including BHA/BHT, modified food starch, artificial flavors, partially hydrogenated palm oils, L-Cysteine hydrochloride, Maltodextrin, and more. . . But here's the thing: I totally get the appeal. They're quick, the kids love them, and when everyone needs to eat right now , grabbing something from the freezer is a lifesaver. So instead of just saying no, I decided to figure out how to make them at home.

Can you believe we're already in the first week of December? It feels like we just cleared the Thanksgiving dishes, and now we're diving headfirst into the busiest month of the year! Between homeschooling, holiday prep, and all the extra activities this season brings, we need a solid dinner plan to keep us on track. This week's menu is full of comforting, no-fuss meals that won't add stress to our already-packed days. Every recipe uses real, wholesome ingredients and delivers

There's something magical about homemade holiday treats that store-bought versions just can't capture. These Homemade Reese's Peanut Butter Trees are the perfect example—they're everything you love about the classic candy, but better. Creamier peanut butter filling, richer chocolate coating, and no mysterious ingredients you can't pronounce!

The weeknight dinner that makes you look like you spent way more time in the kitchen than you actually did. Can we talk about those nights when you want to serve your family something that feels special, but you also want to, you know, sit down at some point? That's exactly why I love this sheet pan steak dinner. When I first made the switch from convenience foods to cooking from scratch, I'll be honest - I thought "real" dinners meant multiple pots, complicated steps, and wa

Let me be honest with you – mayo was one of those things when I first started I never  thought I'd make from scratch. Store-bought was convenient, it lasted forever in the fridge, and making it seemed complicated and fancy. But then I actually read the ingredient label.

You know those iconic black and white cookies we all grew up with? The ones we'd twist apart to get to the cream filling first? Today, we're taking back that childhood memory—and making it so much better. Because here's the thing: those store-bought cookies? They're loaded with artificial dyes, high fructose corn syrup, and ingredients you can't even pronounce. But these? These homemade Oreos are made with real cocoa powder, pure vanilla, and absolutely zero artificial anythi

Can I be real with you for a second? Sunday afternoons used to fill me with dread. I'd look at the week ahead—five kids to feed, homeschool to manage, a business to run—and feel completely overwhelmed before Monday even started. But then I discovered the power of meal prep. And I'm not talking about spending eight hours in the kitchen making Pinterest-perfect meals. I'm talking about simple, practical prep that makes weekday mornings actually manageable. Today, I'm sharing ex

Thanksgiving grocery orders are officially underway over here! With a family of seven who hosts every year, I've learned that the key to a stress-free holiday is sticking to what I know works—real ingredients, simple techniques, and recipes that can handle a little chaos in the kitchen (because let's be real, there's always chaos). Here's what's hitting our table this year!

Hey friend, welcome to your very first Kitchen Collective recipe! If you're ready to ditch the store-bought bread with its laundry list of unpronounceable ingredients, you're in exactly the right place. Let's start with the basics: Homemade Sandwich Bread. I chose this recipe as my very first step by step because this bread represents everything we're doing here in the Kitchen Collective. It's simple. It's accessible. It works for real families in real kitchens. And most impo