things i cooked, ate, and spent money on

Writing these Substack posts every week is still a bit of an experiment. Cooking comes easy, but sitting down to write up the recipes is a different story. But here we are, staying mostly consistent as promised.

I figured I’d pull all of the recent recipes from the last couple months into one place so you can stop scrolling back through emails trying to find that one thing you swore you were going to make. I’m also dropping a few links below worth checking into.

If nothing else, this is your sign to actually make one of these recipes and tell me what you think. I’d love to see photos of any of them that you make; tag me so I can take a look.

So here’s what you missed (or saved and forgot about).

Recent Recipes

Here’s a recap of the recipes I shared from April and May:

Roasted Chicken, Crispy Rosemary Potatoes, and a Proper Lemon-Dill Cream - this one started as a simple Sunday dinner and turned into me trying to make it look like something you’d pay too much for at a restaurant. A little spring energy, still filling enough to keep everyone happy.

One Pot Lemon Chicken Orzo - I’m usually a one-pot dinner hater, but this one I can get behind. Parents don’t have time anymore. We’re tired. Sometimes we cook one pot dinners.

Brown Butter Sea Salt Chocolate Chunk Cookies - the recipe i used to bake cookies for my daughter’s entire class. Yes, this makes 4 dozen large cookies, but I also include details for one dozen, if you’re not feeding a ton of middle schoolers.

Brown Butter White Lasagna with Sausage, Spinach & Lemon Ricotta - I’ve always been a red sauce guy, but this white lasagna turned out great. It’s great because it contains enough lemon to make it a “seasonal” spring dish.

Chocolate Banana Oat Bars - fast, actually pretty healthy, affordable, and finally something to do with brown bananas that isn’t banana bread for the millionth time.

Spicy Sausage Fusilli Al Forno - this recipe using fusilli giganti scratches the lasagna itch without having to architect one or make a béchamel.

Find them all in my recipe archive here!

Things Worth Buying

Partner Discount Codes

Skylight Calendar: $40 off with code BAREFOOD40. See how I use it to keep my family routines rockin’ with minimal effort. It helps me plan out snack and meals, plus track my kids’ chores, and more.

Made In: Up to 40% off! I’m a big fan of Made In’s cookware and rave about them to anyone who asks about kitchen staples. One of my favorites is carbon steel griddle. It never leaves my stovetop and is the most versatile piece of cookware I own. I can easily do pancakes for breakfast, chicken for lunch, and burgers for dinner, all on this griddle.

LMNT: In case you missed it, I recently ran a half-marathon and bought a new bike! I generally like to keep active so I drink LMNT daily to replenish the electrolytes I lose while running, cycling, or hiking, and it does a great job of keeping me hydrated. The powdered LMNT is nice on-the-go, but I always like to keep the sparkling cans in my fridge (the pineapple flavor is the best).

Have you made any of the recipes or tried any of these brands? Let me know what you think in the chat below.