The first time I made this…

My husband loves coconut cream pie. It’s one of those nostalgic, diner-style desserts that reminds him of childhood birthdays. But the traditional version? Loaded with sugar, heavy cream, and store-bought crust.

So I challenged myself to recreate it — but lighter, clean...

It was early summer, and I spotted rhubarb at the farmer’s market. Bright red, tart, and totally nostalgic. I hadn’t had it since I was a kid, when my grandma used to make strawberry rhubarb pie every June.

So I grabbed a bundle and paired it with juicy strawberries at home. I skipped the usual whi...

The first time I made this…

We’d just come home from the farmer’s market with a big bag of fresh cherries — the kind that are so good you end up eating half of them on the drive home. 😅
But I saved enough to try something I’d been wanting to do for a while: a cleaned-up cherry pie.

I didn’t want a...

The first time I made this…

I was craving something cold and tart — not creamy, not heavy — just fruity and bright and full of flavor.
We had a giant bag of frozen raspberries in the freezer, and I thought… what if I just blended them into sorbet?

I added a little honey and lemon juice, and blende...

The first time I made this…

It was so hot outside. Like “don’t even talk to me until I’ve had something cold” kind of hot. The kids were whining for ice cream, but I didn’t want the sugar crash — and I had a tub of Greek yogurt sitting in the fridge.

So I spread it out on a tray, scattered on some...

The first time I made this…

We had friends over for a casual summer dinner — burgers, corn on the cob, and a big salad. And I completely forgot about dessert. 😬
But I had a fresh pineapple on the counter and the grill still hot…

So I sliced it up, tossed it on the grates, and drizzled it with a li...

The first time I made this…

It was one of those summer nights when we didn’t have a campfire but still craved something s’mores-y. The kids were asking for marshmallows, and I had a bar of dark chocolate staring at me from the pantry.

So I melted it in the oven, tossed some marshmallows on top, an...

When I first made this…

It was one of those late summer days that felt like fall was creeping in. The mornings were crisp, the kids were back in school, and I had a bowl of Granny Smith apples that needed using up.

I wasn’t in the mood for anything fussy — just something cozy, simple, and naturall...

It was one of those humid Southern evenings where dinner was light and dessert needed to be cold.
Banana pudding was my childhood favorite — that creamy custard, the soft cookies, the slices of ripe banana… total comfort. But traditional recipes are full of sugar, boxed mixes, and mystery ingredient...

The first time I made this…

Honestly? I was intimidated. Pavlova always looked so fancy and delicate, like something only pastry chefs made. But I had a fridge full of egg whites, a basket of summer berries, and a craving for something sweet — without the heaviness of flour or butter.

So I tried i...

It was a hot summer Sunday, and we had friends coming over for a backyard dinner. I wanted to make pecan pie (my husband’s favorite!) — but the usual version? Way too heavy for summer, and loaded with corn syrup and sugar.

So I experimented with a lighter, cleaner take: a nutty almond flour crust, ...

The first time I made this…

It was right after a trip to the farmers market — I had a giant basket of fresh blueberries, and the kids were begging for pie. But honestly? I didn’t want the sugar crash or store-bought crust.

So I tried a version that used clean ingredients: less sugar, a homemade cr...