I have a confession, my dear friends. I. Love. Dairy. There, I said it. I feel lighter already. But I’m not talking about the high-protein, gym-bro-approved, TikTok-famous kind of dairy. No offense to cottage cheese—I see you, I love you, you’re doing great sweetie—but I’m talking about the kind of dairy that makes you feel like everything is going to be okay. The comforting, creamy, nostalgic kind of dairy. The kind you reach for after a hard day when the only thing that went right is that you remembered to put on pants before leaving the house.  Or when reality hits that you've got TWO college tuitions to try and pay for. Giant glass of milk with cookies or cake? Absolutely. A whole cheeseboard "for the table" (a.k.a. just for me while I pretend I'm hosting a dinner party)? Obviously. And cheesecake—sweet, velvety, occasionally crack-prone cheesecake—how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Or just eat three slices and call it a poem. But here's the thin...

I have a complicated relationship with late summer. On the one hand, I’m super cranky because it’s approximately 100 degrees every day for what feels like a month straight. (Maybe it's technically only been 6 days in a row, but facts have no place here. We’re going by vibes and the vibes are sweaty.) Also, school is starting back up, which means the kids and I are about to get stupid busy. Ivy's got calculus which is stupid for a marketing major, my jobs busy season is gonna hit hard this year, and trying to secure a loan for Zander to live his dream of being a commercial airline pilot is a no holds barred NIGHTMARE—it’s all happening, and I do not love it. And did I mention it's HOT? Because it is. Even my poor flowers are waving little white flags out in the yard. Honestly, the only living things still thriving out there are the zucchini (seriously, how?) and the sunflowers, which are apparently solar-powered and mocking me with their cheerful resilience. BUT. L...

  My friends, I may have left the beach, but the beach hasn't left me . You know how some people come back from a tropical vacation refreshed, with glowing skin and a new lease on life? Yeah, that’s not me. I came back with a sunburn on my forehead, and a heart full of longing. Ever since we got back from Hawaii, I’ve been in full-on denial. I’m drinking coconut sparkling water like it’s my job and I've rewatched the video retrospective that Ken made over and over again.  No matter what I do though, I'm still thousands of miles and 4 time zones away from a beachy sunrise.  But because I’m nothing if not a delusional optimist, I’ve been dreaming up ways to bring the beach to my landlocked kitchen. The idea came to me while I was stress-scrolling through vacation photos and also eating cookies (multitasking is my spiritual gift). I l thought about my beloved snickerdoodles and noticed something. That cinnamon sugar coating? It kinda looks like sand. The soft crackles in ...