Thank you for the warm responses on yesterday’s post, The Horse Named Hustle. I love the conversation going on over there and imagine more conversations will bloom from it, like the idea of trying to have it all. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, thank you for being here. Thank you for contributing some of your life to mine. It’s life giving and shaping to me. As promised, here we go. This is like trying to clumsily say fiancé out loud for the first time or buying your first house. Am I adult enough for all of this? Of course not. In that same vein, I can’t believe I’m saying this. I’m hiring. A left brain to be exact. If you know of someone that would be a great fit, would you pass this along? Or, if this position sounds like a good fit for you, consider applying. Details below. Read more

At the start of the year, I mentioned that this is the-year-of-the-pivot for me (see this post and that post). Something needed to change. It felt silly and premature to share it when I shared it. I had no idea what the outcome would be. Maybe I’d sign off from this space. In fact, I thought that would be the outcome. Maybe I’d swim towards interior design. Maybe I’d apply for other jobs outside my home. I love watching a good backyard makeover take place, to see the process over a period of time. For better or worse, I’ve decided to share this one, too. If for nothing else than to document my oscillating feelings, and look for a common pattern. I usually find my answers there.  Read more

The Minimalist Kitchen is out! This day. It’s like graduation or your wedding day. It never arrives until it does. And now, here we are! I’m so excited for this book to be in your hands and in your home. I’m celebrating with tacos (BBQ Black Bean Tacos with a Quick Slaw) and a margarita, of course. You’ll find both of these recipes in the book. I’ve said thank you so many times over the last couple of weeks that it feels cheap. I’m not sure there’s a better word to express my gratitude to you. So thank you will have to do. Your support means more words than the English language has to express. I hear you’re already depleting Amazon’s stockpile of the book. Wow. Thank you! If you’re in the Twin Cities, please come celebrate with me tonight at The Lynhall with sips and small bites, a panel discussion, and book signing! Read more

The countdown is on. There are 12 days left until my book, The Minimalist Kitchen is out. If you’ve pre-ordered it from Amazon, I hear it will deliver on publication date, April 10! I’m scared and excited for this book to be in your hands. As Elizabeth Gilbert says in Big Magic, “Scared and excited are conjoined twins, baby.” I’m so glad she’s normalized these bipolar feelings of mine. I’m nervous for all the things I don’t know—how you’ll feel about the book. But I’m more so excited because this practice, that started 4 years ago in my kitchen, has changed my cooking life. I think it will change yours too. For the better.  Read more

After we had Hal, we kept that squishy girl all to ourselves for a hot minute before sharing her on the world wide web. Like a mother memorizing the folds and smell of her new skin and counting her toes for the 24th time, I’ve been keeping something else to myself. Reading and rereading it. Absorbing the smell of the fresh ink on the uncoated pages. I’m so excited to announce the arrival of my second baby—The Minimalist Kitchen (Oxmoor House). This thing I swore I’d never do is real. Read more

Once we started practicing The Minimalist Kitchen framework for the pantry, it just naturally overflowed to the fridge. We did a better job of buying what we could consume before expiration, which ultimately led to less waste. But, no matter what we did, we couldn’t get that box of lettuce or that clamshell of berries to last the whole week. Nor could we figure out how to control the chaos of the fridge drawers. Read more

It’s January, and in January I always seem to tackle another problem area in my kitchen. The kitchen naturally comes with a complex set of issues. But the good news is, there are simple solutions to make the kitchen a friendlier space to cook in. I wrote a whole book about it (The Minimalist Kitchen). Today, I’m tackling the cabinets and drawers. Read more