hello (from the abyss!)

It's been a very long time, I know.

Hi there!

If you subscribed to A Beautiful Plate a while ago, you might have thought I’d hung up my (chef’s) coat, so to speak, and disappeared for good.

If you’re a new subscriber, welcome—I’m so glad you’re here. And I promise, it gets better.

Our Kitchen and Living Room Post-Demo 🙃

Recap of What’s Been Going On:

1. We embarked on an extensive home renovation in November 2023, which didn’t fully wrap up until late January 2025. I was deeply (deeply) involved in the day-to-day oversight—and it consumed every ounce of my energy and, at times, sanity.

2. Since we were living in our garage during this period (which, I swear, was better than it sounds), I decided it would be a great time to foster several puppies through our local rescue, Street Dog Hero. We already have two adult dogs—what’s one more, right? Turns out, quite a bit, especially when potty training is involved.

3. While I expected to be inundated with inspiring one-pot recipe ideas during this time, cooking on a single plug-in induction burner—with no dishwasher—was less than inspiring. I cooked far more than I thought possible under the circumstances, but the creative energy and uninterrupted time required for recipe development? Fleeting, at best.

4. And lastly, I’m currently navigating some potential food sensitivities, which I am still in the process of figuring out. As you can imagine, it’s a tricky intersection of personal and work for me. I appreciate your patience as I work through this, as it may influence how I approach recipe development moving forward. The joys of aging, right?

The Many Foster Puppies of 2024

What You Can Expect Moving Forward:

The landscape of recipe websites—and the unavoidable pull of SEO and ever-changing algorithms—has shifted dramatically over the years. After nearly 15 years of doing this work, I’ve found these shifts increasingly at odds with my interests and, more importantly, creative drive. So, it’s time to do things a bit differently.

I want to return to the heart of why I got started in the first place: to provide content that offers value. My goal is to make your time in the kitchen more intuitive, joyful, and manageable—content that supports your life, not complicates it.

Over the years, my standards have only increased. If a recipe falls flat or feels unnecessarily fussy, it will not make the cut. I’m committed to offering recipes that are worth your time and energy, whether they’re quick weeknight staples or slower meals for weekends or special occasions.

My hope is that these dishes become ones you reach for again and again, adapt and make your own, or proudly share with friends and family.

Things I’m Excited to Share Here:

• Vibrant, flavor-forward dishes along with foundational recipes you can tailor to your taste and what you have on hand. I’ll be focusing on approachable, nourishing meals that deliver comfort and flavor without unnecessary complexity. My cooking leans vegetable-forward, but I love—and cook—a bit of everything.

• Kitchen tips and guides that simplify grocery shopping, prep, and cooking — all designed to lighten the mental load that often accompanies meal time.

• Meal plans and strategies to help you save time, reduce stress, and bring more ease and joy into your kitchen.

• Lifestyle content with a personal touch—a peek into my new kitchen, organization tips, book reviews, and trusted equipment and product recommendations.

• More! I expect this space to evolve based on what is resonating best with everyone—you all and myself included.

Why I’ve Moved to Substack:

After years on other email platforms, I’ve moved the ABP newsletter to Substack. I love its simplicity—particularly the mobile app—and sense of community it fosters.

One of my favorite features is the landing page, which makes it easy to browse and search past newsletters—no need to dig through your inbox. I encourage you to explore the app and its features.

While my website, A Beautiful Plate, will remain a recipe resource (with an ongoing goal of updating old and new favorites), this Substack newsletter offers a more personal, casual, and creativity-driven space where I can share exclusive content that doesn’t quite fit the format of my website—without the distraction of ads and algorithms.

Things will be a little different around here going forward, and that excites me. It feels a bit like old-school blogging (in the best way), and I hope that excites you too!

Housekeeping Notes:

• While many newsletters on Substack require a paid subscription, this one is free to all subscribers at this time.

• While no newsletter service is free of glitches, I do really enjoy the Substack app experience and strongly recommend downloading and exploring the interface. These newsletters will arrive in your inbox, but the app offers more features and better accessibility (in my opinion).

• If you received this newsletter in your inbox, you are an existing subscriber to A Beautiful Plate. You can unsubscribe or edit your notification preferences at any time (just use the button in the email footer).

• If you choose to support this work with a paid upgrade—thank you! A great (and free) way to do so is by tapping the ❤️ icon at the top or bottom of this post. You can also leave feedback, requests, or say hello in the comment section. Thanks for being here!