Maybe it’s the wide-open windows, or that bright sun shining a spotlight on every bit of clutter in the house, but summertime makes me want to purge, purge, purge my kitchen! Plus, I use the space totally differently in warm-weather months than I do in the colder ones. “Summer means more frequent and casual get-togethers, friends and kids running through the house, and a desire to keep entertaining easy,” says Tanya Whitford of Organizing Wonders.

So to clear my head — and my space — for a season of carefree entertaining, here are five things I’m throwing away this summer. Consider doing the same!

READ MORE »

There’s so much to love about summer. The extra hours of daylight! The warm temps! The ice cream! The official Amazon holiday! We especially love this last one and, after waiting all year, we finally have some special details about the fourth annual Amazon Prime Day.

READ MORE »

These turkey burgers look beef burgers straight in the face and make them quiver a bit. These are far from the wimpy, dry-as-sandpaper turkey burgers you’ve had before. Instead, they are juicy, spicy from chili powder and cayenne, and fragrant from cumin and chopped shallots. Topped with melted Monterey Jack and lime-scented avocado mash, this is how you make a turkey burger that people will actually want to eat.

READ MORE »

When you smother chopped chicken breast, crispy potatoes, and tender broccoli in a sweet and tangy honey-mustard sauce, you know you’ve got something good on your hands. This one-pan dinner perfection is a dream for busy weeknights, or nights when you just don’t want to cause much of a stir in the kitchen.

Here’s how it comes together: Toss everything on a sheet pan, roast until the vegetables are caramelized and the chicken is tender, then pile the mix into shallow bowls to catch the sauce. There’s no need for a side dish — this is a complete meal as-is. Just gather everyone around the table, grab forks and napkins, and dig in.

READ MORE »

Remember those sun-dried tomatoes lurking in the back of your pantry? Isn’t there a hunk of goat cheese somewhere in the fridge? Now’s the time to grab both of those ingredients because together they make this creamy, dreamy weeknight pasta that’s proudly all frills and no fuss.

READ MORE »

When faced with grossness in the kitchen (read: the whole house has the flu, or you found a cockroach infestation under the sink, or the dog trashed the room after eating who-knows-what), it’s tempting to bring out all of the big guns and throw every cleaning product you’ve got at the problem. But don’t!

First of all, most cleaning products are plenty effective on their own. Plus, combining them could be toxic — and in some cases lethal.

READ MORE »

If your goal is to work more vegetables into breakfast, you can certainly blend up a smoothie or toss together a breakfast salad. But if you ask me, there is no better choice than a warm, smoky stovetop hash made with a rainbow of ingredients from the crisper and topped with poached eggs.

READ MORE »

This year, July 4th falls squarely in the middle of a week that is bookended by summer camp for the kids and work for the adults, so this week’s meal plan is equal parts fun and practical. Here’s what I’m cooking and eating this week, including a menu for our July 4th cookout.

READ MORE »

I stockpile Bed Bath & Beyond coupons like some people mine for bitcoin. I’m sitting on a pretty impressive cache of 20-percent-off coupons. At least, I was … until my local Bed Bath & Beyond got an overhaul. The exterior is now noticeably updated, the registry section is — dare I say — chic (and not impossible to find), and there’s a massive pantry section with lots of free samples!

All it took was a first look at the wall of LaCroix and I realized it was okay to part with some of my coupons in the name of stocking my pantry with goodies I can actually use.

Here’s what I’ve been buying.

READ MORE »

Mushrooms are one of the most under-appreciated foods. A lot of people say they don’t like them, but I often wonder how many people have never had really good mushrooms, because mushrooms are very easy to mess up. If you store them the wrong way, don’t wash all the dirt off, crowd them in the pan, or use too much liquid, you can wind up with a gritty, bland, slimy mess that could put a person off mushrooms forever.

READ MORE »