The Homesic Lifestyle

If you hear screaming, laughing, crying, or some combination of all three coming from my house… mind your business. 😂

It’s just me still trying to process the fact that PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY BUYING MY BOOK.

Like… I wrote a whole freaking book, self-published it, put it on Amazon, and y’all said, “Yep, I’ll read that.” And then some of you came back and left FIVE-STAR REVIEWS. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Excuse me while I lose my ever-loving mind for a minute. 😂❤️

And apparently, the number of copies this little independently published book has sold in its first week is kind of phenomenal for a self-published author.

WHAT?! 😭😂

I don’t have some giant publishing company behind me. I don’t have a massive marketing team. I’m just me, over here figuring this whole thing out as I go.

So if this book is doing well, I know exactly who I have to thank.

YOU GUYS.

Thank you for buying it, reading it, sharing it, talking about it, recommending it, and simply showing up for me. That part means more than I could ever put into words.

If you’ve already finished Still Rearranging, please don’t forget to leave a review on Amazon. Those reviews really do help other readers find the book, and I promise I read every one while attempting to act like a perfectly normal, calm author.

Spoiler alert: I am neither normal nor calm. 😂

And if this book makes you think of someone who feels behind because everyone else seems to be getting married, having babies, buying houses, getting promoted, or somehow checking off all the boxes “on time”… share it with them.

Or maybe it makes you think of the person who does EVERYTHING for everybody else and still insists, “I’m fine.”

This book isn’t really about being a woman or being a certain age. It’s about realizing that somebody else’s timeline doesn’t have to be yours, that you don’t have to carry everything handed to you, and that it’s okay to make some room for yourself in the life you’ve built.

I still can’t believe this is real.

Seriously, thank y’all for showing up for me.

Now excuse me while I go check Amazon again like I haven’t already checked it 47 times today.

Still Rearranging: Making Room for You in the Life You’ve Built

Available on Amazon ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

https://link.amazon/B08jGc2JD

I have to brag on this one a little because this cake turned out AMAZING. 💜💛

Three layers of soft, fluffy gluten-free vanilla cake with a purple and yellow swirl inside, finished with homemade vanilla buttercream and all those little piped details.

And when I say you would never know this cake was gluten-free… I mean it. The texture was soft, moist, fluffy, and the flavor was absolutely incredible.

I’ve been working on getting my gluten-free cakes to taste just as good as anything made with regular flour, and this one is officially a keeper.

Definitely adding this recipe to the recipe book. 💜

Recipe in the comments

Well, this is pretty exciting! 🥰🍳

I was officially accepted into Sur La Table’s The Kitchen Table community as a collaborator/advocate!

If you know me, you know how much time I spend in the kitchen — cooking, baking, trying new recipes, making sourdough, and usually making a giant mess while I’m at it. 😂 So getting the opportunity to work with a brand like feels like such a fun fit.

Through The Kitchen Table, I’ll get to participate in challenges, try and share Sur La Table products, and bring you along for the recipes, kitchen experiments, successes… and probably a few “well, that didn’t go as planned” moments too. 😂

I’m really excited to see where this goes, and I’m especially grateful that sharing something I genuinely love doing is opening up some new opportunities.

Looks like we’re officially taking this kitchen obsession to the next level. ❤️

Same-Day Sourdough Loaf

Makes 1 large round loaf

Ingredients

100 g active, bubbly sourdough starter
325 g water
500 g bread flour, I use King Arthur Bread flour
12 g salt
Water, for spritzing before baking

Directions

1. Mix the dough.
Combine 100 g active starter and 325 g water. Whisk until frothy. Add 500 g bread flour and 12 g salt. Mix until all the flour is incorporated and a shaggy dough forms.

2. Over the next 2 hours, perform stretch-and-folds in 30 mins intervals, allowing the dough to rest between each set. Continue until the dough becomes smoother, stronger, and holds its shape better.

3. Bulk ferment — about 4 hours.
Cover and let the dough continue fermenting at room temperature for approximately 4 hours, or until it looks noticeably risen, airy, and jiggly with bubbles developing throughout.
Go by the dough more than the clock. A very active starter or warm kitchen may shorten this step.

4. Shape.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently shape it into a tight round boule. Place it seam-side down on parchment paper.

5. Final rest — 40 minutes.
Let the shaped loaf rest uncovered or lightly covered for approximately 40 minutes. This gives the surface enough time to firm slightly and makes it easier to get a clean, dramatic score.

6. Preheat.
Heat the oven and Dutch oven to 440°F.

7. Score and spritz.
Score the loaf with a sharp bread lame or razor. Give the top and sides of the dough a good light spritz of water just before putting it into the Dutch oven.

No ice cubes needed. The spritz creates additional steam inside the covered Dutch oven and helps produce a blistered, crisp crust and good oven spring.

8. Bake covered.
Place the loaf, still on the parchment, into the hot Dutch oven. Cover and bake at 440°F for 25 minutes.

9. Finish uncovered.
Remove the lid and bake another 20 minutes, or until deeply golden brown.

10. Cool completely.
Transfer to a cooling rack and resist cutting into it while it is hot. Let it cool completely so the crumb can finish setting.

My Same-Day Timeline

Mix → 2 hours stretch & folds → approximately 4 hours bulk ferment → shape → 40-minute rest → score & spritz → 25 minutes covered + 20 minutes uncovered at 440°F

Rosemary garlic Parmesan sourdough. 😋🤤
Just add 1/2 cup grated parm to my Rosemary Sourdough recipe.

Sticky Korean Pan-Fried Chicken Thighs made with Kinder's

Tender chicken thighs with crispy edges and a thick, sticky Korean-style glaze — all made right in a skillet.

Ingredients

2 lbs chicken thighs, bones removed
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
About ⅓ cup potato starch
Neutral oil, for shallow frying
About ½ cup Kinder’s Korean Fried Chicken Sauce
1 tablespoon honey or brown sugar, optional for an extra-sticky glaze

Directions

1. Prepare the chicken.
Remove the bones from the chicken thighs and cut the meat into large bite-size pieces. Pat the chicken very dry with paper towels.
2. Season.
Season the chicken with ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon onion powder.
3. Coat with potato starch.
Sprinkle about ⅓ cup potato starch over the chicken and toss until each piece has a light, even coating. Shake off any heavy excess.
4. Heat the skillet.
Add enough neutral oil to a large skillet to lightly cover the bottom, roughly ⅛–¼ inch deep. Heat over medium-high heat until the oil is hot.
5. Pan-fry the chicken.
Add the chicken in a single layer, leaving a little space between the pieces. Do not overcrowd the skillet.
Cook for about 4–5 minutes on the first side without moving it too much, allowing it to develop a deep golden crust.
Flip and cook another 4–5 minutes, turning occasionally after that, until the chicken is deeply browned, crisp on the outside, and completely cooked through. Chicken thighs should reach at least 165°F internally.
Work in batches if necessary.
6. Remove the chicken.
Transfer the cooked chicken to a rack or paper-towel-lined plate while you prepare the sauce.
7. Make the sticky glaze.
Carefully pour the excess oil from the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add about ½ cup Kinder’s Korean Fried Chicken Sauce.
If you like a sweeter, extra-sticky coating, stir in 1 tablespoon honey or brown sugar.
8. Reduce the sauce.
Let the sauce gently bubble for about 1–2 minutes, stirring frequently, until it becomes thick, glossy, and slightly syrupy.
9. Toss the chicken.
Return the crispy chicken to the skillet and toss it in the sauce for only 30–60 seconds, just until every piece is coated.
10. Serve immediately.
Take it off the heat as soon as it is coated so the chicken keeps that crispy, slightly chewy texture underneath the sticky sauce.

The Secret to the Texture

Pat the chicken dry, use potato starch, don’t crowd the skillet, and reduce the sauce separately before adding the chicken.

That gives you tender chicken inside with browned, crispy edges and a thick, sticky Korean glaze instead of a watery sauce.

Quick Fried Rice — 6 servings

Ingredients
4 cups cooked cold rice
3 eggs
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup peas
3 tablespoons neutral oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce (Tamari for Gluten free)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 cloves garlic minced
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2–3 sliced green onions

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup carrots and cook about 3–4 minutes, until they’re starting to soften. Add 1 cup peas and cook another minute.

Push the vegetables to one side. Add a tiny splash more oil if the pan looks dry, then pour in 3 beaten eggs. Scramble them just until cooked, then mix them into the vegetables.

Add 2 tablespoons oil and 4 cups cold cooked rice. Break the rice apart and spread it across the skillet. Let it sit for about 45–60 seconds at a time before stirring so some of the rice actually gets those browned fried-rice bits.

Add 2 cloves minced garlic, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and 3 tablespoons soy sauce. Toss everything together and cook another 2–3 minutes.

Turn off the heat and stir in 1 teaspoon sesame oil and the green onions, if using. Taste it before adding any extra soy sauce because your Korean chicken is already going to have a pretty flavorful sauce.

I posted the Rosemary Sourdough recipe earlier today and that made me want make it again.

This was a same day bake. Look at this color. 👀🥰

Lots of signs went out this week.