Dinner Recipes

My nephew Leo asked why I couldn’t just wrap the meatballs in strips of dough instead of spending forty minutes carefully shaping little faces. I … Read more

This was supposed to be a whole roasted chicken. I had the lemon, I had the garlic, I had that whole “look at me, I’m … Read more

There used to be a tiny, neon-lit dive bar in my old neighborhood called The Rusty Skillet that made a jalapeño popper that I still … Read more

The town’s annual chili cook-off was in six hours and I’d completely forgotten. I mean, completely. I was scrolling through Instagram, sipping my morning coffee, … Read more

I was standing in the frozen food aisle of our local grocery store last November—the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, to be exact—when a stranger’s shopping cart … Read more

The church potluck was in six hours and I’d completely forgotten. I mean, I’d signed up for it—wrote “main dish” on the sign-up sheet with … Read more

I wasn’t supposed to be staying for dinner. I’d just stopped by my neighbor’s house on a chilly November afternoon to return a casserole dish … Read more

This was supposed to be a simple roasted chicken dinner. I had the bird, the lemons, the thyme—the whole plan mapped out in my head. … Read more

The office potluck was in six hours and I’d completely forgotten. Everyone else would be bringing elaborate casseroles, slow-cooker masterpieces, and those beautifully decorated desserts … Read more

My neighbor, Carol, wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I’d stopped by to borrow a pie plate—mine had mysteriously vanished after Thanksgiving—and the smell hit me … Read more