Most of us don’t need more meal ideas. We already have them. Not written down, not saved in an app, not carefully curated, but lived, repeated and reached for without thinking. A small rotation of meals that quietly carry us through our days.

Eggs and toast.
Rice and something.
A peanut butter and banana sandwich.
Pasta with whatever is left in the fridge.

The meals we already know don’t feel impressive, which is part of why we overlook them. They’re not new. They’re not optimized. They don’t come with a story or a set of instructions. They just exist. Familiar enough that we can make them half-asleep, reliable enough that we don’t question whether they’ll work. And yet, they do.

Somewhere along the way, we were taught that eating well requires constant variation. New recipes, new ingredients, new systems to follow. As if repeating the same meal is a failure of creativity instead of a form of stability. But what if repetition is the point?

When you already know the meal, a lot of things fall away. There’s no decision to make. No mental negotiation. No pressure for it to be perfect or interesting or worth sharing. You just make it, eat it, and move on. It becomes background in the best possible way.

The meals you already know are efficient, not just in cost, but in attention. They don’t ask much from you, which means they give something back: time, energy, a little bit of quiet. And they tend to be more flexible than we give them credit for.

Eggs can be scrambled, fried, folded into something else. Rice can carry whatever you have—beans, vegetables, leftovers from yesterday. A sandwich can change with the season or stay exactly the same for weeks at a time.

The structure stays. The details adjust, and there’s freedom in that.

When you stop chasing newness for its own sake, you start to notice what already works. You begin to trust your defaults instead of trying to replace them. You realize that the meals you repeat aren’t a rut, they’re a rhythm.

And rhythm is what makes things sustainable.

This doesn’t mean you never try something new. It just means that newness isn’t the foundation. It’s the exception. The base layer of your life is built on meals that are known, practiced, and easy to return to. Meals that don’t require you to be a different version of yourself to make them.

Maybe instead of asking, What should I cook this week?, you might try: What are the meals I already eat without thinking? Then start there.

Not with a grand plan or list of goals, but with what’s already true. What’s already working. What already fits into your life without resistance. Because chances are, you don’t need to reinvent the way you eat.

You just need to recognize the meals you already know.

I offer my food posts freely, because I don’t think cost should be an obstacle to accessing solid information on shopping, preparing, cooking, and preserving good food. If you find this content useful, please consider supporting my work by sharing, subscribing, or leaving a tip.

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Last July, I began rebuilding my canning pantry with an old favorite, bread & butter pickles. After I talked to him about a return to canning for more than a year, my partner Rob set up shelves in a cool, dark corner in the basement that I immediately stocked with canning jars, lids, and equipment. I can’t tell you how centered I have felt since that day.

Needless to say, as I begin canning a few months worth of chicken soup, I can’t help but feel nostalgic. As was the case for much of the canning I learned in those early years, it isn’t a very technical or difficult process. I’m going to bring you along with me as I take it step-by-step.

1. Roasting the Chicken (Day 1)

A few weeks ago I came across as ridiculous deal on whole roasters at my local grocer and grabbed four 5-pound birds for $4.20 each. For this project I am using two of them, for a total of $8.40. To prep them for the oven, I rubbed them down with oil before seasoning them with salt, oregano, and a smoky Applewood seasoning I had on hand. I’ll account for their estimated cost in the final cost breakdown later.

I gave them each their own roasting pan to ensure that I saved as much of the drippings as I could, as they roasted at 425°F / 218°C.

After 45 minutes, the instant read thermometer showed that the breasts had reached 145°F at which time I take the pans out of the oven. For general purposes, you want the breasts to be between 150-155°F. I know what I’m doing, and I know the birds will continue to cook to the proper temperature, but even if they didn’t, the meat will be pressure cooked in the jars for 90 minutes.

Proper technique tells us to let a roasted chicken rest for 15-20 minutes to retain maximum moisture, but most of the time I do a step better by allowing the chicken to cool completely before pulling the meat. That’s what I’m doing in this case.

2. Making the Stock (Day 1)

When the roasters have cooled down, I debone them, reserving the carcass for the next step in the process, making the flavorful stock (in the Instant Pot!) that will complete the soup. I recently learned a game-changing method for stock making from Chris Young and I’ll be honest, I don’t think I’ll ever go back.

I’m not using rotisserie chickens this time, but I generally follow Chris’ recipe because it results in a consistent and flavorful stock with almost no prep work. One final point on the stock itself. After it’s made, I cool it down and chill it in the refrigerator to skim off the fat layer. I will render this into schmaltz later.

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3. Assembling the Soup (Day 2)

This is where I diverge from what many others do, because I don’t make the soup before canning. I assemble exactly the amount of ingredients I want in each jar. I found that when I tried to do it the other way, I wasn’t getting good distribution of chicken and vegetables in each jar.

Into each quart jar, I layer:

• 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar (see how I made it myself)

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 cup pulled or diced chicken

• 1/2 cup diced carrot

• 1/2 cup diced onion

• 1/2 cup diced potato

• 1/2 cup peas

• 1 1/2 cups stock (remainder topped off with water)

AUTHOR’S NOTE: A glance at these ingredients may appear that I don’t know how to season my food, but I promise I know what I’m doing and anyone who has ever eaten anything I have cooked in the last 30 years will attest that I don’t do bland. All the flavor of the salt, oregano, and Applewood seasoning I used as a rub is in the stock and it is a flavor bomb. Trust and believe.

When I work in the kitchen, organization is at the top of my list of priorities. That means before I start, I practice the French culinary term mise en place. In short, it means that before you do something in the kitchen you put everything in place. All of the ingredients are fully prepared and laid out on the counter in containers that make using them quick. This not only ensures that I don’t miss adding something to a jar, but also creates an efficient assembly line.

4. Processing the Jars (Day 2)

My old tried & true stovetop pressure canner doesn’t work with the induction cooktop at Rob’s house, so I used my Nesco 9.5 quart electric pressure canner for this project. The downside to the Nesco is that it can only process 4 quart jars at a time, but that inconvenience is offset by being able to set the digital timer and walk away without the need to constantly monitor pressure manually.

I’m canning this soup in wide mouth quart jars, processing for 90 minutes. Pints would go for 75 minutes if I was using them. When processing is finished, I transfer the jars to the counter to cool completely. Once fully cooled down, the lids should pop! and create a vacuum seal. Any jars that don’t seal go to the refrigerator to be used sooner. If by some change multiple jars don’t seal, I will transfer the soup to freezer-safe containers and store them that way.

5. Cost Breakdown and Yield

After everything was accounted for, here is what I spent on the ingredients to make months worth of chicken soup from scratch:

Breaking down the ingredient cost is something my analytical brain requires as part of projects like these. I don’t generally account for water, time or energy because I’m not terribly concerned about those costs. But in the interest of sharing all available info with you, I did some research:

• WATER
  Water here costs $0.00385/gallon. If I (over)estimate that I used 5 gallons at a cost of $0.19.

• ENERGY
  Energy here costs $0.16/kwh, on average (the rate is lower overnight). Thanks to some analysis by Rob, I was able to get really close to actual use and cost. This project used $1.30 in electricity between the oven (roasting the chickens), two Instant Pots (making the stock), and the canner.

• TIME
  I spent a lot of time on this project, but that time was doing something I really enjoy that ultimately feeds me and my family for months to come. For that reason, I’m not figuring time expenditure.

• TOTAL MISC. COSTS: $16.00

When everything is accounted for, I finished the day with:

• 10 quarts chicken soup

• 3 pints chicken stock

• 1 large 13oz chicken breast left over to eat during the week

• 4 oz rendered chicken fat (schmaltz)

Wrap Up & Final Tally

Because of the pre-planning involved, this was easily one of the smoothest and least labor-intensive canning projects I’ve done from scratch. Even though I started the day with all of the components prepped, it was an all-day affair because the electric canner can only process 4 quarts at a time. On a positive note, the electric canner greatly reduces the heat and humidity buildup in the kitchen compared to the heat and steam emanating from a large metal stovetop canner.

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On Saturday I finally made it back to a local weekly event called FoodCommune (Atlanta, GA) for the first time in months. FoodCommune is run by my friend Pam who works hard to keep viable food (primarily produce) from being wasted. I first worked with FC years ago when I was looking for low cost ways to increase the amount of fresh food I could include in my bulk food prep for people in need, but I quickly recognized how the tremendous rate of food waste in the U.S. could be used to combat both hunger and malnutrition. I also realized that I could lower my own food bill while stopping good food from going to the landfill.

Approximately 30–40% of the food supply in the United States is wasted every year, that’s between 92 and 133 billion pounds of food, or over 300 pounds per person. This waste is valued at over $161 billion - annually! Imagine how many hungry and malnourished people this could feed.

This food isn’t perfect, which is why it leaves supermarket and farmer’s market shelves. Americans want picture-perfect produce that’s waxed and polished and Instagram ready. But I can tell you from my own experience that imperfect pineapples and peppers taste just as delicious, if not more so.

My haul from Saturday included:

• 12 jumbo sweet white onions

• 15 white potatoes

• 15 sweet potatoes

• 3 pounds of mini sweet peppers

• 4 pounds of mixed ‘Southern’ greens

• 6 pounds of carrots

• 4 bags of lettuce

• 2 bags of freshly-made roti (Indian flatbread)

• 4 whole pineapples

• 2 pounds of strawberries

• 2.5 pounds of dried black beans

I paid $40 for all of this food and could have gotten much more had I taken advantage of the multiple free items including mangos and watermelons. I stopped shopping when I did because I knew that processing all of this was going to take a lot of the afternoon and I was already going to be pushing the limits of my storage capacity.

• washed, de-seeded, diced, and froze the peppers in a gallon freezer bag. Pressure cooked the greens with two of the onions in a quart of my homemade chicken stock. Even in my large electric pressure cooker/canner, I had to do two batches.

• peeled, washed, and diced the carrots in a gallon freezer bag. These will be used when I can a few gallons of chicken soup soon.

• chopped four onions that will also go into the chicken soup. Four onions (weighing 4 pounds) filled a gallon freezer bag! Even after chopping these and using two more in the greens, I still have six left, weighing in at 5.5 pounds. The rest will be used as needed.

• some of the white potatoes will be washed and diced for chicken soup, with the rest being used as needed.

• processed the pineapples into chunks and that was another two gallon freezer bags for smoothies and recipes.

• strawberries were pureed and frozen in half cup increments for smoothies.

• lettuce will be salads this week

• the delicious roti will accompany meals all week (like my quick scrambled egg breakfast yesterday).

• the black beans are stored for use as needed.

I did the math this morning and can report that the retail value of my haul was over $150, and cost me just $40. Sure, there were some blemishes and a bit of waste, but I got so much food, and everything that wasn’t useful to me went right into the compost bin instead of the landfill. It will feed me, my family, and my community instead of becoming part of the food waste problem.

When I hauled the Cuisinart bread machine upstairs, I already knew that I was going to test it with what is my oldest bread recipe, a simple white sandwich loaf. I’m not a bread machine devotee in the strictest sense; I want more control over the finished product that making bread in a machine offers. Instead, I will sometimes use a bread machine to mix, knead, and provide the first rise because it is less work, and less to clean up.

Can I mix and knead by hand? You bet your ass I can. But if I have a machine that does all that work in a single container that then transforms into a perfect incubator for that yeasty magic, I’m going to work smarter, not harder.

After the first rise completed its cycle, I removed the dough. This was the first big test; did the dough come together the way it should? It sure did! The dough ball was smooth, pillowy, and elastic. I pulled it out onto my cutting board and pressed it into a rectangle (who needs a rolling pin!)before rolling it into a loaf shape. A quick spritz of oil to lightly coat the pan and it was time to set it aside for the second rise while the oven came to temperature.

I gave the loaf an hour to rise and was greeted with exactly the amount of rise I had hoped for.

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I’m not one to nitpick ingredients lists, but I do like to be aware of what I’m putting into my body. In this case, the thing that stood out to me most was soybean oil being the third ingredient. (Ingredients on food and beverage labels are listed in order by how much of that ingredient the product contains.)

Of course, I have a reputation for being a big DIYer, so it should come as no surprise that I have been attempting to make a copycat version for many years, without the level of success that would allow me to let go of the store bought version in favor of my homemade creation. Until now.

A few weeks ago, I came across the perfect combination of ingredients to make a dupe that made my tastebuds - and my heart - sing. The bonus was that it comes together in minutes, and it’s made entirely from ingredients I keep on hand. No oil, artificial thickeners, or fillers. Let’s go!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk

• 2 cups milk (I use 2%, but any will do)

• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/4 tsp almond extract

Step-by-Step

1. Warm the water (I use an electric kettle, but the microwave works) and stir in the brown sugar until fully dissolved.

2. Add sweetened condensed milk and whisk until thoroughly combined and smooth.

3. Add milk, vanilla, and almond. Stir well.

4. Refrigerate and use as you would any store bought creamer.

The first step was sourcing fresh apples. I live in Atlanta, Georgia, and I like to buy and source locally whenever possible - especially when it comes to food. Thankfully, my spouse made a trip to Blue Ridge, Georgia, home of Mercier Orchards in November, and brought me a 1/2 peck of freshly picked apples as a souvenir.

For this project, I washed and cut up the apples, then extracted the juice using a masticating juicer. The juice and pulp were brought back together in a stockpot and heated to 160°F for a couple of minutes to kill off any pathogens and pasteurize the mixture. It was allowed to cool before I transferred it into a fermenting jar and screwed on the airlock.

NOTE: I did not add yeast or sugar, choosing to rely on the naturally-occurring yeasts and sugars on and inside the apples.

The mixture was kept in a dark area, stirred daily, and checked for signs of mold. When the first phase of fermentation (ethanol) had turned the mixture into alcohol, I strained out the pulp, sanitized the fermenting jar, and returned the now-boozy apple cider to the jar, this time covering it with cheesecloth. I did this because it was time for the second phase of fermentation (acetic acid), which requires oxygen to turn the alcohol into vinegar.

Then the waiting game continued. I checked the jar every few days, lifting the cheesecloth cover and looking for signs of mold on the surface. I trusted my nose, having done this process many times in my younger years. When I felt it was ready, I strained the vinegar through cheesecloth to remove most of the remaining sediment, then I bottled it up. In the end, I had 3 quarts of apple cider vinegar plus a really healthy mother.

A pH test showed the mixture solidly between 4 and 5, which was my target. While vinegars used for cooking tend to be in the 2-3% range, 5% is the gold standard for pickling and preserving foods.

Now that the first vinegar is complete and the mother reserved for future batches, I look forward to exploring new vinegars, starting with the fig vinegar I started in early January 2026.

I’m happy to report that both batches are slowly doing their thing, and the scent of vinegar is starting to permeate the fermenting room.

As you can see in the images above, both are in the vinegar stage of the process where the airlock is removed and the vessels are covered with cheesecloth to encourage the airflow necessary to encourage the growth of Acetobacter, the acetic acid bacteria that converts alcohol into vinegar. In the inset photo, you can also see the beginnings of the ‘mother’ in the apple cider vinegar.

The mother is a naturally occurring biofilm containing cellulose, yeast, and bacteria. It’s a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (‘SCOBY’) similar to what forms in the production of kombucha, and it is a useful byproduct that makes it easy to inoculate future batches of vinegar for faster and more reliable fermenting.

I set aside expectations about how long the process will take in favor of taking my cues from the ferments themselves. I check in on them weekly, trusting the process and practicing patience.

Kale is one of the most commonly maligned veggies of the bunch (heh heh), but I’m going to show you a simple and foolproof way to prepare a kale salad that you’ll actually enjoy. This recipe was inspired by the OG spicy kale salad created by Atlanta’s own Tassili Maat of Tassili’s Raw Reality.

The Ingredients

• 2 5oz bags chopped kale

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

• 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, finely chopped

• 1/4 cup imitation bacon bits

• juice of half a lemon

• salt to taste

• cayenne pepper to taste (optional)

The Method

NOTE: I am using pre-chopped kale to save time, so the first thing I do is poor it all out into a large bowl and pick out any discolored pieces and large bits of stem. I add water and some baking soda (1 tsp baking soda per quart of water) and swirl the greens around a few times before letting them soak for a few minutes. After, I give them a quick rinse and shake out as much water as possible.

1. Add clean and mostly dry kale to a large stainless steel bowl and add olive oil and a good pinch of salt. Use your hands to squeeze handfuls of kale, coating everything with oil and salt as you go. Keep squeezing and working the kale until the whole batch is coated and glistening, and the overall volume has shrunk to about half.

2. Add remaining ingredients and toss to combine well. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

That’s really all it takes. It’s that easy to make a salad that will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days, if it lasts that long.

Too basic for you? Feel free to add whatever makes you happy. Sliced almonds, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, they’re all delicious additions.

Since receiving lab results last month that indicated issues of concern with my cholesterol numbers, I’ve been proactive about making changes to my diet. Before I continue, I want to talk about that word - diet.

‘Diet’ has come to mean restriction; it’s often got a negative connotation. People whose bodies don’t fit the traditional standards of beauty, and fitness influencers alike blame food for a myriad of problems, and that bugs the shit out of me. Food is not to blame, it doesn’t do anything on its own. It’s what we do with food (and what we allow to be considered food, for that matter) that can become problematic.

So when I say that I have made changes to my diet, I want to make clear that I am not dieting, I am changing what I eat, how I eat it, and why. That makes all the difference to me because I don’t do this because of any outside peer pressure or influence to look better or meet some arbitrary standard. I started this because I have not been present in my own body for a while, and my body needs some time and attention.

Okay, now I can move on.

Monitoring Change

At the start of the month, I began tracking two things daily: my blood pressure and my weight. I take my blood pressure reading early in the morning (0600) while I am sitting quietly before the world awakens. I chose that time of day because it is reliably quiet and relaxed for me, and for tracking and research purposes, I wanted to take readings at the same time of day every day.

As I mentioned above, this isn’t about “going on a diet” for me, it’s about taking better care of the only body I’ve got. I weigh myself in the morning when I am getting ready for the day because I want to have data to look back on to see how the changes I am making are affecting my body overall.

The Results

Since I started monitoring daily, both my blood pressure and weight have slowly and steadily dropped. It’s important to note that I have made no changes other than to what (and when) I eat, and I have made no changes to the amount of exercise I get on a daily basis.

The last time I had a high blood pressure read was on January 2nd, and it has progressively dropped to the point that I am now consistently in a healthy bp range.

Without adding exercise to my routine (yet), my weight has gone from 183.4 at the start of the month to 173.6 yesterday.

Food and Nutrition

I’m eating less because I’m eating more mindfully. That means I’m being intentional about having breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day, and having those meals at roughly the same time of day to the extent that I’m able.

Because there are days when I am pressed for time, I started making some oatmeal muffins as a grab-and-go option. Because of what I had on hand, the first batch were orange cranberry, and they were delicious. On the lunch side of things, I made an old favorite recipe of mine, spicy kale salad. I can enjoy it on its own if I’m not really hungry, or add some chicken or tuna to bulk up my meal and add some protein.

In an effort to ensure that I’m getting closer to the recommended 30 grams of fiber I should have every day, I check macros on the foods that are regular players in my diet. I’ve also started to take additional psyllium husk capsules to make up for some of the shortfall. Worth noting: fiber is not just about making you poop, it’s about regulating intestinal flora for optimal gut health.

I have also started taking two supplements daily: Trimethylglycine (Glycine), and N-Acetyl L-Cysteine (NAC). I implemented these two after reading extensive research that

Glycine is an amino acid that supports protein synthesis, improves sleep quality, and may enhance mood and cognitive function. It also plays a role in heart health, liver protection, and reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. NAC replenishes glutathione, which boosts antioxidant levels. It also supports respiratory and brain health.

The Results

• As mentioned above, I am incrementally losing weight which is not my focus, but it is also not a bad thing.

• My energy is more consistent throughout the day without the peaks and valleys that can accompany some foods and snacks.

• Since the addition of the Glycine and NAC to my daily regimen, I have noted a marked improvement in my overall sleep hygiene. Notably, I am sleeping slightly less than I was at this time last month, but feel more rested.

• Since the addition of fiber supplementation, my energy has seemed to increase, and my bowels seem to be even better at doing what it is that they do.

Takeaways

I’m quite happy with how things have progressed thus far. My body is reacting favorably to all of the changes, which tells me that I’m on the right track. In a few days I’ll be testing my cholesterol numbers again as a progress report, but given the way I feel and the data I’ve been monitoring, I’m confident that those results are going to show marked improvements.

On a personal level, this process has become an exercise in mindfulness. My body is reacting favorably to being given the attention it needs, and that feels good.

Last weekend I had a little downtime during a holiday break from work, so I gave myself an hour to do something that had been out of my routine for far too long. I made granola.

Every time I make the stuff I get annoyed for not doing it more often because it is so easy to make, and I often have all the ingredients in the pantry. That was the case last Sunday when I pulled a few things out and made a batch of basic granola using only what was on hand.

Here’s the recipe I used for this batch:

• 3 cups oats (I used quick because it’s what I had)

• 1/4 cup chopped nuts (I had pecans)

• 1/8 cup chia seeds

• 1/8 cup quinoa

• 1/2 cup coconut oil

• 1/2 cup sweetener (I had honey)

• a dash of cinnamon

• a few pinches of salt

• 1/3 cup dried fruit (I had cranberries)

Mix and bake at 300F in 15 minute intervals until done.

Cool, add dried fruit, and store.

Yeah, it’s really that easy and flexible. If I have shredded coconut or puffed rice cereal, I’ll add it. Out of chia seed? Nixed. Maple syrup instead of honey? It’s on.

The point is, I have no excuse not to make my own granola, and now that I am making an effort to get back to my culinary roots, a bowl of plain yogurt with some granola, berries, and a drizzle of honey has deliciously reentered my breakfast repertoire.

What are your favorite things to add to granola?

Lentils are rich in protein, fiber, and essential nutrients like iron and folate. They are low in fat, gluten-free, and can be cooked quickly. I think they also happen to be really tasty. As part of the ongoing dietary changes I am making to improve my cholesterol numbers in 2026, I’m essentially going back to basics; re-incorporating foods and behaviors I know are as beneficial as they are easy to prepare. This is a no-frills way I often prepare lentils in the Instant Pot for quick lunches throughout a busy week.

The Ingredients

• 1 cup dried lentils

• 1 carrot (sliced into 1/4” coins)

• 1 celery rib (sliced in 1/4” pieces)

• 1/4 onion (chopped)

• 2 garlic cloves (minced)

• 2 medium tomatoes (coarsely chopped)

• 1 Tablespoon Mrs Dash Garlic & Herb seasoning blend

The Process

1. Soak lentils in a bowl covered with 2 cups of boiling water for 15 minutes.

2. While lentils are soaking saute onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in a tablespoon or two of water, stirring constantly until onions are translucent, about 3-4 minutes. You could use oil, but it’s unnecessary and only adds fat.

3. Stir in tomatoes and seasoning blend. Continue to cook for 1 minute.

4. Drain the lentils and transfer to the pot, along with 4 cups of water, broth, or stock, and stir to combine.

5. Allow to come to a low boil and change Instant Pot settings. Slow cook for 2 hours.

A (very) Brief History

The history of butter would make a great movie. It has been traced all the way back to Neolithic era Africa c. 8000 BC, and it’s said to have happened accidentally. A shepherd traveling with his flock grabbed his sheepskin for a drink of milk only to find that the agitation and time had separated it into a mixture of butter and buttermilk.

In 3500 BC, the Sumerians were making butter by shaking cream in a vertical churn. By 2500 BC, they had invented a butter churning tool called a dash. Cuneiform tablets from 2200-2100 BC show them making offerings of butter for the god Suen.

In the Mediterranean climate, butter would not have been stable for long, so the boutyrn offerings of the ancient Greeks in this period was most certainly ghee, a form of clarified butter.

DID YOU KNOW?

In the U.S., butter manufacturers are not required to declare flavorless natural coloring agents like annatto? All other foods are required to have all coloring agents listed in their ingredients.

I could keep going - there’s quite a bit of history connected to butter across the world. But for now, let’s get hands on.

Making Cultured Butter

Phase 1: When I tell you that making butter couldn’t be easier, I mean it. It’s a super beginner friendly gateway into kitchen witchery that will have you hooked from the first bite. I start by stirring 3 tablespoons of plain yogurt with active cultures into a quart of heavy cream. Then I poured the mixture into a wide mouth jar, covered it with a paper towel, and left it on the counter to culture for 48 hours.

The aroma will change and become more rich and buttery, and the texture will thicken into a pudding-like consistency. That’s a sure sign that you’re ready for the next stage. Depending on the temperature and conditions, this first step can take anywhere from 24-48 hours; I like to go with the longer culture for a deeper flavor.

Phase 2: After I pour the cultured cream into the bowl of my stand mixer, I use the whisk attachment and mix. The first stage of mixing will take it to the whipped cream phase, but we want to continue on. In a few more seconds, the cream will separate. A bit longer and that separation will be more pronounced, and the butter will begin to form in a homogenized mass. That’s when it’s time to stop mixing.

Phase 3: It’s wash day! In this case, we’re washing the butter to remove anything that’s not butter. The two components in your mixing bowl are butter and buttermilk, and we are going to keep and use both.

To wash the butter, I first strain off the buttermilk into a bowl and set that aside. The solid butter is then transferred to a second bowl with cold water. I then use my hands to squeeze the butter together and remove any remaining buttermilk. This phase can take 2-3 water changes, but it’s important to the integrity of the final product.

Once I’ve rinsed and squeezed out all of the remaining buttermilk and water, I add a good pinch of a high quality salt and quickly massage it through. Then I form the butter into an oblong shape and roll it into a tight log using plastic wrap and toss it into the fridge for a few hours to firm up.

And there you have it - delicious, simple to make cultured butter that rivals anything you will find at the grocery. The cost turns out to be comparable to what you might pay for a higher end cultured butter, plus I have bonus buttermilk that can then be used for cooking or baking. I used the buttermilk from this batch to make sourdough waffles!

Until next time, have a delicious day!

Why do I think my numbers are so far off?

I could make all kind of excuses, but it comes down to choices. Over the past year, my work has been more stressful. As a result, I have eaten more for comfort than for fuel, and I have neglected the intentionality of regular physical exercise.

What have I done so far?

As my numbers have historically been well within range, I talked with my provider and explained that I would like to see how much improvement I can attain through dietary and physical exercise changes. It’s a fact that for some, diet and exercise cannot adequately control cholesterol, making medical interventions like statins necessary. I will be testing my cholesterol every 30 days to make sure the numbers are moving in the right direction. If they aren’t, I will have the statin conversation with my provider.

Some of the changes I implemented immediately include:

Cut out soft drinks.

Research reveals that daily soft drink consumption can lower HDL (good) cholesterol and raise triglycerides.

Cut out fried foods.

Fried foods are delicious, but they are way too good at raising LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Eating more simply.

It’s funny to me how easy it is to fall out of the habit of eating well, or even being conscious of what I’m eating. I’m notorious for skipping breakfast, or grabbing something on the run. At least 5 days a week, I am now having a bowl of oats for breakfast.

For the first few days, I made my oats with water and without any berries. It was alright, but not something I was looking forward to in the morning. This morning I leveled up by shifting from water to unsweetened almond milk, and adding some berries. I’m using strawberries at the moment because I had them in the freezer.

For lunch, I might have some brown lentils with vegetables, canned tuna with some hot sauce, or homemade tabbouleh. Yesterday I made tabbouleh with quinoa using this recipe, because I had quinoa on hand and would rather use it up before buying something new.

When it comes to dinner, some of my favorite options are baked salmon, salads with shredded chicken breast, soups, and chili with ground turkey or chicken.

I plan to check in periodically and to share some of my journey because I think it might be beneficial to someone reading this to see my real life experience in dealing with high cholesterol and improving my health along the way. If you have any questions, please leave a comment and I’ll do my best to respond.

Truth be told, I love an origin story, especially when it comes to food and drink. I love being in the kitchen and I love being a maker. For me, it’s not enough to make a vinaigrette, I want to make that vinaigrette from scratch. Yes, I could buy a bottle of vinegar and use it to dress my salad, and yes, that is technically from scratch. But the way my brain works, I want to have the working knowledge to be able to make the most from scratch version possible. And for me, that means I needed to learn to make my own vinegars.

“The apple trees does not need the fruit that it produces. Yet, it gives the entirety of its life over to producing it for those who do. And I often wonder what would happen if we were more like a tree.”
Craig D. Lounsbrough

A (very) Brief History

The first documented vinegar was made by the ancient Babylonians around 3000 BCE, the hub from which it spread to neighboring lands including ancient Egypt. China’s Zhou dynasty (c. 1046 BC - 256 BC) was the first recorded people to transform vinegar making into a professional endeavor. The royals and nobles of the era were known to have vinegar makers in their employ.

The Greeks and the Romans made it. Before the end of the Middle Ages, the process was becoming more and more formalized; the French invented the Orléans process and the English invented malt vinegar. I could go on and on, but I’d rather get to the point and not risk losing readers due to my food geekery.

Making Apple Cider Vinegar

In order to make vinegar from fruit, two chemical processes are necessary. The first process turns the fruit into ethanol. In the second, oxygen is introduced to the ethanol to form acetic acid, resulting in vinegar.

12/05/25: I started making a batch of apple cider vinegar. As a process, vinegar making isn’t difficult but it also isn’t quick. One of the reasons I love working with ferments is because they require me to be mindful and present. To get the best results, I have to let go of distractions and pay attention to what’s right in front of me.

I started this batch with a 1/2 peck of fresh apples from a North Georgia orchard. After a quick rinse, I set about chopping and juicing the apples. Then I brought the juice and pulp back together in a large stockpot and boiled it for several minutes to pasteurize it.

After letting it cool for several hours on the stove, I poured it into a large fermenting jar (1.5 gallons), covered the must with a zipper bag, and added water to create an oxygen barrier to keep mold at bay. Then I added the airlock lid to allow carbon dioxide to escape without allowing anything back in.

12/12/25: After seven days, the contents had completed the first of the two fermenting stages; the apple juice became what we Americans know as hard cider, with an ABV of roughly 6%. That was the signal I needed to tell me it was time for phase two. I lined a strainer with cheesecloth and poured the apple must through it to filter out the solids.

After filtering and cleaning the fermentation jar, I poured the liquid back into the jar and covered it with a clean cheesecloth. This will be left alone in a dark place for 2 months, when I will taste it for progress. In my experience, it usually takes 2-3 months for the vinegar to reach the acidity I’m looking for, at least 4%.

In The Fermentation Stories series, I’ll be taking you along my journey as I share my love for fermented foods of all kinds. You’ll learn a little history (told you, I’m a geek) and you’ll see what I’m doing while I tell you how I’m doing it.

Until then, have a delicious day!

Dedicating attention to creating and maintaining a work/life balance is necessary for those of us who have a tendency of diving headlong into helping others without considering our own needs. Over the past year I have been quietly recommitting myself to what is most important to me. One of the things that came into focus was my love for canning and preserving food. Though it may be a popular thing these days, the origin of home food preservation was never about being au courant; it was about surviving. A full canning pantry meant full bellies through cold and dormant winter months.

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In an age where even our refrigerators are connected to Wi-Fi, scaling back is an act of rebellion. Technology may offer speed, but what’s important to me is quieting and slowing my life in the ways I’m able to do so. To live more intentionally and consciously is to better appreciate things that are easily taken for granted. Those aren’t goals that can be met with a new digital device, at least not by me.

I spent the Thanksgiving holiday with my partner D. Wednesday was a flurry of kitchen activity for the two of us, and that conscious intentionality allowed me to bask in our shared love of food and showing that love through the act of preparing and sharing it with others. On a day that might have otherwise been a frenetic mess, I was energized by sharing space with my loved one and lessening a small bit of his stress and workload. And let me say without reservation that the work was worth it.

On the previous Sunday, D baked a sourdough loaf to be broken down and used for stuffing. As I cut away the crust and cubed the tender-yet-sturdy bread, I couldn’t help but sneak a bite. A store-bought loaf would have certainly worked, but it would have robbed all of us of something important. D’s Thanksgiving traditions are well-documented in a spreadsheet and documentation that allow him to constantly hone each component of the meal into something with the precision he wants. It may not seem necessary, but believe me when I tell you it matters.

D’s starter was born - as were so many others - in the early days of the pandemic. It has gone on to nourish and delight in the years since. This year I was able to bring that tradition, along with it’s love and intentionality, home with me. Every time I feed and use it will be a physical reminder of its origins, and the loving hands that brought it to life. Working with my new sourdough will be an act that perpetually connects me to someone I love in a way that will nourish my soul and my body.

I look forward to the mindfulness of nurturing and working with my new starter, and enjoying the fruits of our connection. Though I will no doubt make plenty of big, crusty loaves, I anticipate the smaller moments as well in the form of the far less time consuming pancakes, rolls, and spoonbreads.

I am left with an important question: what should I name my sourdough starter? I’d love to hear your ideas!