Cooking

I have a kid. That means that every recipe I make either comes with a helper (known as the Tiny Kitchen Assistant) or his alter ego, Captain Distracto, who wants me to play baseball or Legos or do anything other than cook as dinnertime approaches.

Most of the meals are kid-friendly and easy enough to make in 30-45 minutes on a weeknight. The rare, time-consuming “weekend recipes” will be noted accordingly. Believe me, if I can make dinner six nights a week, you can, too.

Where do my recipes come from? Many are things that I’ve made for ages. Some are modifications of a single recipe; I link to or reference the original recipe wherever possible. Others are a strange hybrid of recipes that I find online; if I want to find a good stew recipe, for example, I’ll look at half a dozen and pick and choose the elements and techniques that work best for us.

Ready to cook?

Recent Recipes

What Would Betty Do Logo Tasty Oatmeal Muffiny Things, Part 3

Blueberry Coconut Oatmeal Muffins When I thought that my pumpkin baked oatmeal had gone down in flames, I asked The Assistant for ideas for what to make next. His suggestion: blueberry coconut. I used dried blueberries instead of fresh, partly because I was down to my last frozen blueberries, and partly because I didn’t want […] Read More

What Would Betty Do Logo Tasty Oatmeal Muffiny Things, Part 2

Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal As I mentioned last week, The Assistant really liked the Indian spiced baked oatmeal. The problem was that he wanted to take them to school. Sorry, kiddo, no can do. Nuts are verboten on campus. Rather than bake up an identical batch that was nut-free, he convinced me to experiment with other […] Read More

What Would Betty Do Logo Tasty Oatmeal Muffiny Things, Part 1

Indian Spiced Baked Oatmeal The Assistant had been encouraging me to bake something – preferably cookies or brownies – but I was looking for something just a wee bit healthier. That’s when I stumbled upon Superfantastic Lori’s recipe for Indian spiced baked oatmeal. The best part of this recipe: the leftovers freeze nicely. Just defrost […] Read More

What Would Betty Do Logo Quick Cornbread

Quick and Easy Homemade Cornbread It was finally, finally a rainy night in California, and I wanted chili and cornbread. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize until the last possible moment that I didn’t have any buttermilk to make my usual cornbread recipe. I scoured the internet and quickly discovered that there aren’t exactly a ton of […] Read More

What Would Betty Do Logo My Favorite Chili

Sweet and Spicy Quick Chili I like chili, but I don’t always like the full day of cooking that most recipes require. This one can be pulled together in about 30 minutes, perfect for a cold and rainy weeknight that demands comfort food. The sweetness comes from chili sauce, sold in the condiment aisle with […] Read More