Cooking can feel like a chore some days, just another thing we have to do and a whole set of decisions to make.
There's the lists that start scribbled on the fridge door, then the meal planning, grocery shopping, washing, chopping, measuring, cooking, and dreaded dishes. And once you've wrapped that up, it's time to do it again the next day (yay!).
The daily business of feeding ourselves (and for some of us, family & friends too) is a lot to manage.
So I always feel like, if I'm gonna cook something at home from scratch, then it better taste good. And - fingers crossed - not be terribly hard, or time consuming for me to throw together.
I work a full-time job outside of sharing recipes here on my nights and weekends, so I mean it when I say that the time after I clock out is precious. And I don't know anyone who wants to spend it all hanging out between their stove & their sink.
But I do love to start and end my day with something that feels comforting, that tastes great, and makes me feel good - and these recipes are the ones I lean on again and again.
So my hope, here at Free Your Fork, is that even just one of these recipes makes this everyday task feel a little easier or more exciting for you too.
Because if there's one thing we all deserve, it's a little something delicious to carry us through the day!
ABOUT THE BLOG
I started the blog in 2015 as a way to share healthy recipes with my family and friends when we found ourselves living plane-rides apart.
But over the years, this little recipe-sharing-site has grown into it's own fun community cooking club. Everytime I read one of your emails, comments, or recipe reviews - some of you eagerly jumping in to help a stranger with an ingredient substitution, meal prep tip, or cool idea - I'm reminded of how fun it is to get creative in the kitchen.
To try a new technique you saw online.
To explore new ingredients or new combinations.
To use food as a way to "travel" the world (when your heart says "let's go!" but your wallet or 9-5 says "not yet").
To connect to your culture, your friends, or your family one shared meal at a time.
Cooking can provide us with this window of time to slow down, enjoy something comforting, and connect at the end of the day. A small opportunity to take care of yourself one meal at a time with something filling and delicious, made just the way you like it.
And the romantic in me really does love it for that.
ABOUT ME
By the way, I’m Lauren!
SO great to meet you. Thanks so much for being here.
I'm the recipe creator and food writer behind Free Your Fork. I run this business with help from my husband, Billy - he’s the food photographer + devoted taste-tester who handles all the images you see here on the site. Together we are the two-person team behind Free Your Fork.
When I’m not testing new recipes in the kitchen, you can find me happily trekking on some trail somewhere. If you follow me on Instagram then you know just how much I love being anywhere with trees, mountains, or rivers.