What's for Dinner?
Does this question haunt your dreams?
It never used to. Back when I lived in New York and was responsible for feeding me, myself, and I, skipping the dinner routine entirely wasn’t uncommon. I’d opt for the salad bar at Whole Foods or on my laziest of lazy evenings I’d head straight to the Seamless app.
Now, living in Michigan and cooking for a family of 4 (my sister, brother-in-law, nephew and myself), the age old question of ‘what’s for dinner’ weighs more heavily on my mind. The closest Whole Foods is at least a 15 minute drive [not counting the 30+ minutes it takes to get the baby ready to leave the house], and the Seamless options here are next to nothing [unless you like Chinese, Chinese, or Chinese].
Thankfully the number of food blogs on the internet far outweighs the number of meals I could cook in an entire year.
Here are just a few sites I use in heavy rotation when it comes to getting dinner on the table.
CUP OF JO
More of a lifestyle blog than a dedicated food blog, I’ve taken just as much dinner inspiration from her site as I have styling tips or relationship advice. I have my eye on this recipe for my next dinner party [or maybe even a Wednesday night] and this one as well. This chicken dinner goes great with a simple side like arugula salad, and everyone I’ve served these Nutella Blondie Bars has been thoroughly in love with them. They’re kind of a pain in the ass though, so you know I really love you if I’m willing to make them for you.
allrecipes
Another site that’s not quite a food blog, but rather an all inclusive recipe index. Think your grandma’s little recipe rolodex, but on steroids. This site is hands down my go-to when I’m looking for a specific recipe. I also love that so many of the comments/reviews suggest substitutions or recommend additions to the recipe. My favorite Beef Pot Roast recipe comes from here [add a heavy splash of red wine and Worcestershire to make it extra mouth watering].
spoon fork bacon
How can any food blog with ‘bacon’ in the title be bad? You’re right, it can’t. This blog is so good in fact that out of all the recipes I could choose to share with you, I’m picking one for KALE SALAD. Yes, kale. Yes, salad. Yes, it’s delicious. Sign me up for this Ragu recipe as well. Bonus points if someone comes and makes it for me.
bon appetit
I’ve been in love with Bon Appetit for quite some time. Like still get their print magazine in the mail every month kind of love. When I’m in a rush to find a specific recipe, I’ll head over to their website instead of tirelessly flipping through all the issues I have on hand. This simple roast chicken is so good that my friend Nina claims “this is the kind of chicken you cook to get a husband.” [For the record: she’s not the type of woman who thinks you have to cook anything in order to get a husband.] This herbed feta dip was a hit at Thanksgiving, and I ate a simplified version of this salad all. summer. long. Bring back the melon!
[header image from Bon Appetit]