I've worked for grocery stores in some capacity most of my adult life. From stocking shelves to purchasing and marketing, the world of grocery retail is something I've always had a passion for. That said, I'm not sure I ever had enough passion to want to write a musical about the grocery giant, but that's exactly what's happened at Harrison School of the Arts in Florida. These teens just love Publix that much. Want to take a look?

Titled "When You Dream," this jam-packed show of singing and dancing is centered around George Jenkins — the founder of Publix grocery stores. It's nothing short of a real live love letter. Jenkins was born in 1907 and died in 1996, and in honor of the philanthropy and legacy he left behind (1,100 grocery stores), the Harrison School for the Arts turned their admiration for his work into a musical stage performance.

The performance was originally held for the local Chamber of Commerce on January 26th and will have a repeat performance on April 7th if you happen to be in Miami and love Publix as much as they do!

Being someone who lives in the northern Midwest and isn't blessed to be near a Publix, I don't feel the same love for the stores in my area. That said, the idea of singing as I fill my cart while walking through the aisles does sound intriguing and like a good way to make the experience more fun. Surely I can't acquire any more weird looks than I do when I ask for vegan cheese in Wisconsin.

What's your favorite grocery store?

2017 was a big year, and I personally spent a large part of it in a state of overwhelming envy over the array of fancy and delicious-looking dishes that other people could find in their Costco food courts. A Costco in Wales served cottage pie — which is like shepherd's pie, but with beef — and jacket potatoes, while Costco in France serves chicken fingers and ham and cheese croissants. But now a California Costco is stepping up for U.S. Costco stores everywhere with a new açaí bowl that looks pretty amazing, and it's just $4.99.

The new açaí bowl consists of a sizable helping of frozen, pureed açaí surrounded by fresh strawberries and blueberries. I feel healthier just looking at that thing.

The new açaí bowl was reportedly spotted by a Reddit user going by PookeyBear13 at a Costco food court in San Juan Capistrano, California, and it's also topped with Kirkland Signature granola and banana chips. It looks like it would make a great breakfast.

Of course, it's in a Costco food court, so the price is extremely low. $4.99 might be a bit more expensive than the food court's traditional hot dogs and pizza, but $4.99 is a great price for all that fruit. Every time I add strawberries or blueberries to my order at a weigh-your-own frozen yogurt place, I wind up tipping the scales and owing them my firstborn.

The açaí bowls have been spotted at Costcos in Seattle, Washington, and Fremont, California, too. Reviews are mixed, but açaí can be a pretty polarizing flavor. If you like açaí and fresh fruit, it would probably be worth a try. Now the rest of us just have to hope this sells so well that Costco sends it to the Midwest and everywhere else as well.

Would you try Costco's new açaí bowl?

From a pragmatic standpoint, it makes zero sense to purchase kitchen equipment in Europe if you live in the United States. If you're buying more than a few linens, it's either heavy to haul or expensive to check in the belly of an airplane. I know from experience that people stare at you if you walk through security with a fine mesh strainer. Depending on the exchange rate, it can be expensive. And, well, don't you already have silverware?

But let's face it — we're not always practical. Which is why when most of us head to Paris, after thinking first about where and what we're going to eat, we turn to how we might spend our time in the City of Light exploring beautiful things for our kitchens back home.

On my last trip, I set out to find antique silver-plated flatware, wooden-handled cooking utensils from the same cookware mecca my parents went to in the '70s, and antique cocktail glasses (because it's a good idea to carry the most fragile things when traveling). Although I can't say it was all easy to transport, I do appreciate having a breath of fresh, Parisian air at home every day; my favorite stores there give my life here a certain je ne sais quoi that the cookie-cutter American stores can't.

Here's my list of go-to Parisian kitchenware shops; they're the ones I seek out every time I cross the pond. There are, of course, legions of others — the kitchen department at Le Bon Marché is not to be missed, and the Marais is crammed with housewares stores that leave any kitchen-happy shopper buzzing with excitement. In any case, bring a second suitcase.

Merci isn't anything like IKEA. But when you walk in — through an impossibly adorable garden, into an atrium where beautiful watches, soft clutches, bespoke jewelry, interesting tech trinkets, and that perfect candle vie for your attention —there's that same overwhelming feeling: Oh my goodness, I might need to sit down. Or, maybe it's safer if I don't go in.

Merci is more of a lifestyle center than specifically a kitchenware shop; it sells everything from clothing to clocks to lighting to linens. It's large enough that you'll need to plan a coffee break at the café, if you really want to see everything.

But where it really shines is on the top floor (where full dining room layouts proffer dreamy combinations of glassware, linens, and silver, all worth seeing even if you don't plan to buy) and in the basement, where cute and more quotidian kitchenware (those Duralex glasses you crave, soft linen aprons, camping-specific dishware) are priced within reach. Just don't be surprised if you go in for French café tableware and come out with a bedspread and a pair of boots.

In the '70s, my newlywed parents pooled all the money people gave them for furniture for their wedding, bought plane tickets to France, and skied for four months, washing dishes at night to try to earn back the money they'd spent. On the way home, realizing they could no longer afford any furniture, they stopped at this 200-year-old Parisian kitchen supply store and bought kitchenware instead, knowing it would last a lifetime.

It wasn't a fancy place then, and it isn't today — just a two-floor temple to cooking, packed to the brim with utensils, knives, bakeware, dishes, pans, and pots big enough to fit a small human. Smithsonian magazine, writing about Julia Child's Dehillerin collection, once called it "the Paris kitchen-supply store that is to cooking gadgetry what the dictionary is to words" (read: they have everything).

A few years ago, I began buying new cooking utensils there if I passed through Paris (just one or two at a time, because they're expensive), and today, my assortment of Dehillerin wood-handled spoons and spatulas are my favorites. Consider purchasing an extra suitcase.

Although you can buy the most modern kitchen equipment in Paris, it's deeply satisfying to find gorgeous old stuff there, too. Often (always?), the best finds and deals in gently worn kitchenware are found in Paris's giant flea markets. Le Marché aux Puces in Vanves, which is more of a true flea market, is more hectic but usually less expensive then Le Marché aux Puces in Clingancourt, which is more of a labyrinthine collection of small antiques stores, each specializing in something (silver, antique coffee grinders, tea pots, table linens, and chocolate tins, to name a few).

Because I prefer the more organized approach, I usually hit Clingancourt — in part, admittedly, because I can get great coffee at Flea, the new café and curiosities shop apart from the market's main bustle. Also, the markets are spread over fairly large areas, so they don't have just one address. Flea is a good launch pad at Clingancourt, and offers a free little paper guide (in English!) to great spots in the market. It's useful to arrive at the market with a specific goal (and an associated price) in mind, if you don't want to get too carried away.

"The Treasury," a bespoke mix of Scandinavian-inspired housewares in the 10th arrondissement, is the best place to find a true treasure (French-made or otherwise) to take home. After a Swedish snack at Café Smörgås, browse the airy space for rustic raw table linens, eccentric glassware, pretty roasting pans, and cleaning supplies that could double as art. (If ever a wooden dishwashing brush could make a lasting impression, it would be here.)

The best part: According to the store's manifesto, most products are artisanally produced using quickly renewable materials, and the owners take special care to only source items made under healthy working conditions. So you can be chic, earth-friendly, and supportive of trustworthy local producers all at once. Skål.

From the family behind French brands Bonpoint and Merci, Démodé acts more as a revolving pop-up shop, partnering with artists to create dishware and décor that fits their gentle feminine aesthetic.

Currently in a small former restaurant space near the Musée d'Orsay, the shopping experience feels like equal parts treasure hunt and gallery visit. The room is half-filled with one perfectly set table, with another quarter devoted to dishware and linens, plus plates that you might actually want to use as art. The rest feels open, which is unusual in Paris.

In any incarnation, Démodé is the place you seek out when you are ready to fall in love with something totally unexpected — a set of deep mustard-colored napkins, say, or a collapsible woven produce basket that happens to fit nicely in your carry-on. My favorite part is that no matter how much I love it this time, it will always surprise me on the next trip.

What's the best thing you bought for your kitchen while traveling?

Polar opposites collide in January with delicious results. We're all trying to eat a little better, maybe save on groceries, or get a little better at meal planning while also still craving the cozy comforts of warm bowls of soup, slow-cooked meals, and maybe a creamy dessert or two. There's absolutely no doubt about it: slow cookers and soups ruled your saves this month. Here are the top 10 most-saved recipes of January 2018.

No surprise that this Whole30-friendly breakfast-lunch-dinner option makes January's top 10 list. This incredibly easy recipe can only be made better with a sunny-side-up egg.

Long live cabbage rolls. If one of your goals is to eat more vegetables this year, this slow cooker recipe is a wonderful place to start.

This hearty slow cooker chili is a little lighter than its beef brethren. It's packed with plenty of vegetables (thanks, frozen corn and canned chiles) and simmers slowly in the Crock-Pot. It's definitely a game-day crowd-pleaser — hint, hint.

Here's where this recipe keeps your resolutions in check — whether you're try to save money, eat in more, order in less, or you just need to use up all those oranges you got at the grocery store, you can do all that in one slow cooker.

Have you seen this recipe yet? It's basically everything you could possibly want in creamy comfort food in just one pan. It's a perfect Monday night meal, if you ask me.

I'm a little heart-eyes for this comfort classic too. Traditional chicken and dumplings can take all day at the stove, but this slow cooker version is equal parts easy and delectable.

This is my personal most-cooked recipe from January — I put it on our family meal plan not once, but twice! Flavorful and family friendly — it freezes well too!

This recipe is for all you parents out there trying to get your kids to eat more veggies! Partnering is one of my favorite ways to get kids to try and love vegetables. Here, pasta and broccoli come to the table hand in hand with a lovely lemon sauce everyone loves.

Of course you want broccoli cheddar soup from the slow cooker — Ree knows this! This recipe combines comfort food with the ease of the slow cooker for this classic soup we know and love.

Cheesecake from the slow cooker is brilliant, as the former requires low and slow heat and the latter all but guarantees that! While it might be surprising as a favorite recipe from January — the month we see more smoothies and gym memberships than any other — the fact that we're all saving it for later means we can admire it now but bake it later.

I still remember the first time I heard the word "ketogenic." I was in a brainstorming meeting at a cookbook publisher several years ago, and the question was, "What's the next Paleo?"

We tossed around all the up-and-coming eating trends and picked a few we would watch. I tucked the word "ketogenic" into my back pocket and soon forgot about it.

This New Year's Day, I bought my first ketogenic cookbook. Because, you see, now everyone is doing it. It is the next Paleo. And since my job as a cookbook agent means I look at hundreds of cookbooks each year, you might wonder: Which ketogenic cookbook did I pick?

Not the blogger cookbook with the attractive cover that clocks in at a comprehensive 336 pages (for that, I'd recommend Simply Keto: A Practical Approach to Health & Weight Loss, with 100+ Easy Low-Carb Recipes by Suzanne Ryan). And not the cookbook with a great promise by a bestselling author (that would be The Keto Reset Diet: Reboot Your Metabolism in 21 Days and Burn Fat Forever by Mark Sisson and Brad Kearns).

No, instead, I chose a simple, slim, unfussy paperback called The Complete Ketogenic Diet for Beginners: Your Essential Guide to Living the Keto Lifestyle by Amy Ramos.

This unassuming little book is one of the top healthy cookbooks on Amazon this January, and it's been one of the bestselling ketogenic cookbooks on Amazon for over a year.

Why Everyone Is Starting Their Keto Journey with This One Book

Let me guess: Your boss, mailman, cousin, and college best friend are all going keto. And maybe, for a few brief seconds, you're thinking about it, too.

This high-fat, low-carb diet puts your body into a natural metabolic state known as ketosis, where your body begins to burn fat (including your fat reserves) for energy, rather than burning carbs for energy. The macronutrient ratio for triggering ketosis is 70% fat, 20% protein, 5% carbs. So yes and yes to that cheese and charcuterie plate. (But no to those crackers.)

You might be thinking: How on earth am I going to eat that much fat? And do I have time to understand all this science and track macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, and fat)?

As soon as that twinge of panic rises, it's time to call in The Complete Ketogenic Diet for Beginners. This is one of the top healthy cookbooks on Amazon for good reason: It's relentlessly practical, no-frills, and proudly simple.

It's not going to bog you down with pages of introductions, explanations, anecdotes, and throat-clearing. In fact, it's not going to give you much of the author's voice at all. But it will tell you just what you need to know (no more, no less) about what the ketogenic diet is, why it works, why it's safe (more on that below) and how to do it, exactly.

The Complete Ketogenic Diet for Beginners opens up like a toolbox, and inside, you'll find all the pieces you need to start putting this keto thing together.

5 Tools in This Book for Keto Newbies

1. A 5-step plan for going keto, including a handy chart for swapping simple carbs for non-carbs. (I'm calling it right now: Shirataki rice is the new quinoa.)
2. A 14-day meal plan, perfect if you have no enthusiasm for the mental acrobatics of converting your usual recipes.
3. A shopping list (44 slices of bacon is item #1, and you are welcome).
4. 75 recipes, which call for you to do wonderful things like slather steak in a blue cheese butter compound.
5. Complete nutritional information, including an icon that indicates the Keto Quotient of each recipe, because of course, you must always know your KQ.

Yet to hit that coveted 70% fat intake per day, you're going to need to call in the big lipids. And that's where a great fat bomb recipe comes in.

What Is a Ketogenic Fat Bomb?

Fat bombs are snacks that pack a huge amount of fat into one bite. In The Complete Ketogenic Diet for Beginners, you'll find recipes for sweet Blueberry Bombs and Spiced Chocolate Bombs, but if you snack toward the savory side, you'll want to try these Bacon-Pepper Fat Bombs.

This Bacon-Pepper Fat Bomb recipe is a very creative way to eat butter, and for that reason I worship it. It calls for just four simple ingredients, which can be cooked and rolled up in about 15 minutes.

And might I recommend rolling up an extra tin of these to bring to the office? If colleagues ask why you are feeding them a ball of butter, gently remind them: Keto is the new Paleo.

Canned chicken noodle soup was the meal my mom warmed up for us on sick days while she balanced getting us well (read: back to school) with getting work done at home. Chicken and rice soup, however, was made from scratch and an all-day affair we savored.

Chicken and rice soup is just the sort of thrifty luxury we should all master in the kitchen. A whole chicken is simmered to both make the rich broth and for the tender chicken it yields. The rest of the soup is built on the bits and bobs you probably have in the kitchen right now: a few banged-up carrots, some limp celery, a partial bag of rice. The resulting soup is nourishing, full of chicken, tender vegetables, and rice that creates a creamy thickness without any cream.

My mom knew what she was doing: Save the chicken noodle soup for sick days and make this chicken and rice soup whenever you need to taste home in a bowl.

Chicken and Rice Soup, a Homemade Luxury

Consider the canon of chicken soups around the globe and throughout history and you'll often find that recipes start with simmering a whole hen or chicken in water to create the broth. This was both to the benefit of the chicken and the soup. Modern chickens are tender, but this was not always the case, and boxed broth certainly wasn't an option when my grandmother was making this soup.

Stewing (not boiling!) the chicken makes for an incredibly tender chicken and a rich, flavorful broth with fat and collagen from the chicken enriching the water. You'd feel restored from the broth alone, but this broth does take time, over an hour of simmering, which makes it a luxury in the modern kitchen where time is a commodity. With that being the case, this is a wonderful recipe to make when you'll be in the house to tend to the pot.

Key Steps for Luxe Chicken and Rice Soup

• Cover the chicken in the pot. You're going to set your seasoned chicken in a large pot or Dutch oven and then cover it with water — this prevents adding too much water but guarantees the chicken is covered.
• Simmer the vegetables with the chicken. After the chicken and water come to a simmer, add the vegetables. This will make for an incredibly flavorful broth but also super-soft vegetables — a quality that adds to the nourishing aspect of this soup. If you prefer crisper vegetables, simply add them about halfway through the chicken's cook time.
• Cook the rice in the broth later. Once tender, you'll remove the whole chicken from the pot and add the rice. While the rice simmers, shred the chicken and return to the pot when the rice is cooked.

Serving and Storing Chicken and Rice Soup

When the rice is tender and the chicken is shredded, be sure to taste the broth and add any additional salt and pepper. Fish out the bay leaves and return the shredded chicken to the pot before serving. Serve the soup in deep bowls, preferably at a table filled with friends or family.

The leftover soup can be stored in the fridge for up to a week, but can be frozen for several months.

When it comes to adding a good, filling, healthy, and affordable protein to a meal, there's nothing easier than peeling open a tin of smoked trout. Whether I'm trying to throw together a serviceable dinner or I'm in the mood for a particularly decadent breakfast, it's a quick and pretty delicious way to round out a dish. And, thanks to its shelf life, I can stock up and keep it on hand (I get mine at Trader Joe's and usually snag five or six tins of it at a time).

I love smoked trout for the same reasons I love tuna — it's a healthy source of filling protein, it's versatile, and it's relatively cheap — but recently my love for trout has actually surpassed my love for tuna. (And I say that as someone who usually had at least two or three tins of yellowfin rolling around in my desk drawer, Yup, I was That Coworker. I'm sorry! But I never heated it up, I swear.) It's less aggressively fishy than tuna is, and the trout's savory smokiness adds a rich depth of flavor to pretty much everything I add it to. Unlike tuna, I don't really feel the need to fuss over it with oil, salt, and seasonings; it's flavorful enough to stand alone.

Here's how I worked it into my meals, from morning to night.

Breakfast: Trouts Loves Eggs

I try to eat breakfast every day, not only because it's my favorite meal of the day, but also because if I neglect it, my stomach starts shrieking by 10:59 a.m. and I have to eat what I call a kindergarten lunch. As a breakfast-lover and a savory person, I love scrambling an egg or two and folding smoked trout in with a bit of black pepper and shredded Parmesan cheese. It feels so indulgent and keeps me full until an adult-appropriate lunch hour without knocking me out for the rest of the morning.

On more leisurely weekends, this might become an omelet with ricotta or crème fraîche and a tiny bit of truffle salt. When I'm moved by the meal-prep spirit, I spin this combination into a frittata to keep handy in the fridge.

Lunch: Trout Is a Go-Anywhere Filling

The easiest $5 lunch ever: Mix up a tin of smoked trout with a dollop or two of Greek yogurt (or ripe avocado if you're dairy-free), salt, pepper, maybe some diced red onions if you're feeling industrious, maybe some white beans or chickpeas if you're starving, and a squeeze of lemon. I've put this on a sandwich, tossed it in with spinach and arugula for a filling salad, and just actually eaten it straight out of the mixing bowl with a spoon. No shame. (Note: When paired with crackers, this also makes for a really simple snack — either for guests or just, you know, for yourself.)

Dinner: Trout Upgrades Boring Dinners

I'm bad at meal planning and have duly accepted my fate in this realm, so dinner at my house often requires a rather hectic and hangry last-minute trip to the store (or, let's be honest, takeout order). Smoked trout has been a lifesaver in this realm, because it rounds out dishes and elevates things like soup and pasta from side-dish territory to entrée level.

I recently made a puréed winter root vegetable soup, and finishing it with the trout gave it texture and generally made it taste more robust and less like a thin, hot vegetable smoothie.

It's also really good with pasta, even in the simplest forms — I've added it to garlicky buttered noodles, along with a little Parmesan and red pepper flakes. For a dressed-up take on classic tuna noodle, I bet it'd be great in a creamy pasta with seasonal vegetables, too. And if I'm really pressed for time? I can just peel open a tin, put a spoonful straight on buttered toast, sprinkle some Parm on top, and stick it under the broiler for a dressed-up melt.

Sorry, Starkist, but I've never looked back.

Are you a fan of smoked trout? How do you use it?

When it comes to lunch on a ketogenic diet, you have a whole lot of flavorful, filling options to choose from. Yes, sandwiches are off the table, but you can improvise with lettuce wraps! There are countless variations of salads, soups, and other bowl foods as well. Here are seven great ideas to get you excited.

1. Vegetable Noodle Bowls

Break out your spiralizer or simply pick up a container of zoodles at the grocery store and create easy veggie noodle bowls. Sauté them quickly and then toss with your favorite keto-friendly sauce — a rich pesto is a great idea. You can add some cooked crumbled sausage or shredded chicken, if you like, or simply top the bowl with a fried egg.

Get a recipe: 3-Ingredient Pesto Zoodle Bowl

2. Lettuce Wraps

Use lettuce or a hearty green like collards in place of traditional bread wraps to make a low-carb sandwich like turkey and cheese or salami and cheese. Or you can use them to wrap up some flavorful roasted vegetables, like Buffalo-style cauliflower, and top generously with cheese.

Get a recipe: Buffalo Cauliflower Lettuce Wraps

3. Egg, Chicken, or Tuna Salad

These three classic lunch salads are very keto-friendly. Rotate through them all or simply pick your favorite and enjoy it on its own or piled on top of a bed of leafy greens for a tried-and-true meal. Keep a close eye on the add-ins — the carbs in some of the sweeter vegetables, like bell peppers, add up quickly.

Get a recipe: How To Make Classic Egg Salad

4. Cauliflower Rice Bowls

You can pretty much make any grain bowl fit the keto diet if you swap the grain out for cauliflower rice. Load it with low-carb vegetables and meat and you've got a lunch that's sure to keep you satisfied.

Get a recipe: How to Make Cauliflower Rice or Couscous

5. Meaty Chili

While many chili recipes call for too many high-carb beans, if you make a version without beans and instead focus on the meat and low-carb vegetables, you'll have a rib-sticking lunch on your hands.

Get a recipe: How To Make a Very Good Chili Any Way You Like It

5. A Salad with Last Night's Leftovers

Hold onto whatever bits of steak or chicken or salmon you have from dinner and use them to top a big salad for lunch. Even leftover roasted broccoli or cauliflower can be added to the bowl of lettuce to bulk it up and give it life.

Get a recipe: Thai-Grilled Steak Salad

7. Low-Carb Veggie-Based Soup

Make a big pot of soup at the start of the week and you can dig into it all week long for a simple, warming lunch. Using this recipe as a guide can help you make countless variations of comforting soup with whatever compliant vegetables you have on hand.

Get a recipe: How To Make Soup from Almost Any Vegetable

There are budget makeovers, and then there are budget makeovers. These fall in the latter camp and still manage to knock our socks off, despite the teeniest, tiniest price tags imaginable.

Keep reading to see some super-inspiring photos and find out what little (inexpensive) tweaks and changes were done to each space.

1. Some paint, tiles, and new shelving

Hannah of Seeds & Stitches pulled off this amazing transformation — which involved painting cabinets, a basic backsplash, and new open shelving — for less than $500.

2. A handdrawn backsplash

Mallory, the blogger behind Classy Clutter, was able to get this bright and fun kitchen for about $200. It involved a lot of time (namely on the hand-drawn "backsplash") but because it's a rental, she won't look back and wonder why she spent so much money on a temporary space.

3. A new floor and backsplash

Julia upgraded her kitchen for right around $1,000 and it included a new floor, wall paint, and backsplash. The island is made of a table top and trestles from IKEA, which she already had on hand. You can see the before-and-after pics and her entire house tour at Apartment Therapy.

4. Shiplap and a faux marble countertop

After two weeks of non-stop painting and sanding, Sarah, of All Things With Purpose, revealed her fixed up $300 kitchen. To keep costs down she used shiplap instead of tile on the backsplash, and tried her luck at hand-marbleizing the countertop.

5. Refinished floors and painted cabinets

This cute kitchen from Beautiful Matters got a drastic new look for about $500. The biggest differences: the newly scraped and refinished hardwood floor, the painted cabinets, and the red door.

I decided to "go Paleo" about five years ago due to some health issues, and, for the most part, I haven't looked back. Even though the diet gave me back my health, I don't subscribe to dietary dogma. The truth remains that a diet mostly free of grains, dairy, and sugar makes me feel my best.

When I switched to a Paleo lifestyle, I never anticipated that I'd find a greater groove in my cooking. Food became easier, simpler, and tastier. I love the fact that I can often put ingredients together and then bake them, not requiring much attention or active time. These are some of the recipes that got me through that period when I was transitioning to a full Paleo diet.

Welcome to This Week's Meal Plan

Planning my weekly meals is a habit I enjoy. Since I'm frequently asked by friends and family what I'm cooking for dinner each week, I thought it'd be useful to share my weekly meal plan here. Whether you're just learning to meal plan and looking for a real-life example of how this works or you're an old pro on the hunt for inspiration, here's a peek at how I'm feeding my family this week.

Monday: Lemon Chicken with Roasted Broccoli

Does Ina ever do any wrong? I make this recipe for myself and my clients often. I always prefer skin-on chicken, but many recipes require searing the breasts, which I'm not always in the mood for. This recipe uses lemon, garlic, herbs, and a little wine to turn plain chicken breasts into something truly special. Serve it with some broccoli roasted at 425°F with ghee or olive oil and you've got a perfectly paired meal.

I am obsessed with foods that are glazed and sweet, and that used to only mean things like cinnamon buns. Luckily, I can still get my fix with these amazing chicken thighs. Chicken thighs are more forgiving and have more flavor than traditional breasts, and when glazed with a concentrated sauce made of apricot preserves, mustard, and coconut aminos (used in place of the soy sauce!) in one baking dish, you've got a recipe you'll use for life. Quickly steam some asparagus to serve on the side.

Many people are intimidated by cooking fish, and I totally get it. Cooking fish on the stovetop deters lots of people, especially at the risk of wasting potentially pricey fish. But I have a solution for those of you who are fearful: this recipe for halibut! It requires making a really easy sauce of garlic, cilantro, shallot, and olive oil, and baking it in the oven at high heat. I have two promises for you: You won't mess it up and you'll reach for this recipe for a long time to come. When served over roasted cauliflower rice, I can't think of anything I want more midweek.

This is one of the simplest, most practical recipes you could ever make. Use this all-purpose sauce for literally any type of seafood, or any cut of chicken or pork. It's a recipe from my mom that will stay in my arsenal for life. It's predominantly pantry staples like dried herbs mixed with some fresh lemon. Mix the sauce with some shrimp and then roast or grill. It's a perfect pairing for some simple Yukon gold potato coins, which are easily made by slicing some Yukons 1/2-inch thick and roasting them at 425°F for 30 minutes, flipping once in between.

Smitten Kitchen was my first true blog love, and this sausage, potato, and spinach soup is one of the first things I made. It's a one-pot meal, super easy, and makes me feel like I'm eating in a restaurant. It's also a fantastic and interesting way to use up pantry staples and wilted veggies, and it's super budget-friendly.

Target might not come first to mind when you're shopping for a ready-made dessert. And, to be honest, that's probably not going to change. There's just not a huge selection. But when desperate times call for desperate measures and you need a dessert (and a bunch of hangers, a serving platter, and dish soap all at once), your best bet is to make a bee-line for the freezer case.

There you'll hopefully find the Archer Farms Crème Brûlée. The two-pack of vanilla custards come in cute terra cotta dishes, which are perfect for repurposing into rustic-chic serving pieces for nuts or olives. The desserts go from freezer to plate in minutes, and the packet of sprinkling sugar easily brûlées into a crispy burnt sugar topping under the broiler. The soft, sweet, pudding-like custard lacks the rich, eggy silkiness of restaurant crème brulee, but it's a fine substitute. In fact, these would make for a sweet Valentine's Day dessert at home.

Or make your own: How To Make Creme Brûlée

A decent second option: cheesecake. Look for the Archer Farms Ultimate Cheesecake Collection or the Archer Farms Ultimate Cheesecake Bites, which are essentially the same thing but in bite-sized form. The cheesecakes are a bit on the sweet side, and lack the depth of cheesy flavor you'd get in a homemade version, but those can be good things, depending on your audience. The rich chocolate version, with its cocoa cookie crust, is the best in the bunch.

Make your own: How To Make Perfect Cheesecake

Have you tried the crème brûlée or the cheesecakes? What'd you think? Do you have any other desserts to suggest?

Why is it that, no matter how much you plan and prep, the hour before any party is always spent frantically running around? I almost always spend the time hyper-cleaning things, and freaking out about the pillows being angled just so on the couch and whether the kids left popcorn kernels on the rug last night when they watched a movie before bed.

I'll admit it, though: While I love for the house to look perfect, not once has a friend come in and complimented me on the angles of the pillows on the couch. So as an apology for all past stress — and to help you stress less in the future — here's a list of things that hosts tend to care about that I'm sure no one else does.

1. How fancy the wine is.
2. Whether or not the place settings match.
3. If the tablecloth is ironed.
4. Whether the butter is served from a dish or a wrapper.
5. If guests have to get their own glasses out of the cabinet.
6. If the table's not totally set (it gives guests something to do!).
7. If people have to sit in folding chairs.
8. If the floral arrangement is lopsided.
9. If dinner takes an extra 15 minutes to make.
10. Whether or not your hair is dry.
11. If the playlist is just right (another actually fun task for guests).
12. If you made everything from scratch or if some stuff is store-bought.
13. If the rug is vacuumed.
14. If your toiletries are all over the bathroom.
15. If you've got a pile of mail on the countertop.

Honestly — and I do know this in my heart of hearts — I've learned from my friend (and former boss) Clinton Kelly that the only thing that really matters to guests is that you seem relaxed and happy when they arrive. So next time, instead of stressing, I'm just going to have a glass of wine and let go of all these things instead.

What else have you learned to let go of when you're entertaining a crowd?

While we thoroughly believe in investing in high-quality knives for prep work (a Wüsthof chef's knife is a true miracle worker in the kitchen), when it comes to everyday utensils you have in-hand at the table, less expensive knives work just fine.

This set from AmazonBasics is super affordable (and currently on sale for 25 percent off) while still totally functional. The set features eight knives with serrated blades (perfect for carnivorous fare) and ergonomic handles. In case you're worried about the quality, know this: More than 1,200 reviewers have given the set 4.3 stars — not bad for a $15 set. That's pretty good, especially compared to other inexpensive sets!

You may have heard the term "macros" being thrown around a lot if you're following a ketogenic diet. If you've been confused about what that means, don't worry — we're here to help. Macros are shorthand for macronutrients. What are macronutrients, exactly, and why are they important? Here is the basic information you need to know.

What Are Macros?

Macros (macronutrients) are the class of compounds that provide us with the majority of energy (also known as calories). They are broken into three main categories: carbohydrates, protein, and fat. All three have their own specific roles and functions in the body, which is why they are so important to consume. These compounds are found in all the food we eat, in varying amounts. We may think of carbs as being things like bread and grains, but even fruits and vegetables have certain amounts of carbs in them.

On the opposite end of the spectrum are micronutrients, which are vitamins and minerals — these provide us with a much smaller amount of energy yet are still important in the production of enzymes, hormones, and other substances that are necessary for us to live.

The 3 Macros to Know

• Protein: This compound is made up of smaller compounds called amino acids. Protein is responsible for being the building block of life — it helps create, maintain, and restore all our muscles, organs, and tissues. Major sources of protein are meat, beans, and dairy, just to name a few. On a ketogenic diet, protein is consumed in moderation in comparison to fat, making up anywhere from 15 to 20% of caloric intake.
• Fat: Without fat, our bodies wouldn't be able to absorb other nutrients. It's important for growth and development too, but it also helps protect our organs and keep our bodies warm. Nuts, seeds, oils, dairy, fish, and meat all contain fat, although some are better sources of fat than others. On a ketogenic diet, fat is the primary macronutrient consumed, making up about 70 to 80% of calories.
• Carbohydrates: Carbs are particularly important for supplying energy to the body and we burn them first, before fat and protein, for said energy. Grains are the most common source of carbs, but sugar and starchy vegetables, among others, are also sources. In a keto diet, the term "net carbs" is often mentioned; this means the grams of total carbohydrates in a food minus its grams of total fiber. Fiber is a carbohydrate that your body can't digest, so it doesn't count toward the amount of carbs that are used for energy. Carbohydrates are heavily limited on a ketogenic diet, making up 5 to 10% of calories consumed.

Why Are Macros Important When Talking About Keto?

Regardless of what dietary strategy you subscribe to, it's important to understand macros because having a sense of your personal carbs, protein, and fat intake can affect your overall health.

On a ketogenic diet, for example, your balance of these three macros are different than someone who isn't following the diet, since you're limiting your carb intake and therefore eating a greater amount of protein and fat in order to get into the desired metabolic state where fat, rather than carbohydrates, is the body's primary fuel source. Keep in mind, the specific ratio you consume of these macros very much varies based on your age, gender, activity level, and personal wellness goals.

Related: Here's What You Can and Can't Eat on a Ketogenic Diet

When it comes to grocery shopping on a budget, it is very hard to beat Costco. If you have room to store massive quantities of food, the warehouse club has amazing prices on everything from avocados to baked cheese snacks. We wanted to know which grocery buys were the most budget-friendly, so we went right to the experts: the people who work there.

Turns out, the Costco forum on Reddit is full of friendly Costco employees with tons of behind-the-scenes information about the ins and outs of everybody's favorite big big-box store. According to Costco employees, these are five of the best deals in the store.

1. Pork loins

"The butcher [has] the biggest deal on meat anywhere, and that's not considering that the quality is also superior." says CostcoSkDestiny. Multiple people showed up to sing the praises of Costco's gigantic pork loins. The packages are about five pounds each; luckily, the meat makes for fantastic leftovers, and you can cook some and freeze the rest for later. With rebates, the pork loin can be an even bigger deal. We heard one customer managed to get an entire pork loin package for just 86 cents.

2. Hot sauce

"Frank's Hot Sauce, when it's on sale is the best deal around," says TheAubiOne. "The two-pack usually goes for $7.99 at my Costco, but with the $2 instant rebate coupons, they are a must buy." Not all warehouses have the exact same hot sauce, though. Some stock Frank's, while others carry Cholula or Tabasco. Either way, it's worth looking into if you like to slosh spicy stuff over everything you eat.

3. Rotisserie chickens

Several people — employees and shoppers alike — were quick to nominate the $4.99 rotisserie chickens at Costco. Not only are they some of the cheapest rotisserie chickens on the market, but they're also among the tastiest. Rumor has it, the birds are actually loss leaders for the store, which means they don't make any money on them, but they use them to get shoppers in the door and hopefully buy something else while they're there. You can pick up some veggies and have a complete meal for way less than $10.

4. Anything with the Kirkland Signature label

"Basically anything Kirkland signature — almond milk, tortilla chips, frozen pizza," says user Time_Feeler. Costco's Kirkland Signature products really are almost always a good bet, for everything from olive oil to Prosecco. For example, a box of Kirkland Signature Japanese sencha green tea with matcha produced by Ito En costs $15 for 100 bags at Costco. That's only 15 cents a bag, and half the per-bag price of the same product anywhere else.

Read more: The 13 Best Kirkland Signature Products at Costco

5. Massive, 10-pound packs of ground beef

Reddit user Fixall had a brilliant suggestion for getting very low-fat ground beef at an enormous discount: Ask the meat department for a 10-pound tube (sometimes called "chub"), which is the way the meat is sent to Costco to begin with.

Other users were skeptical of whether or not it would actually fly to buy ground beef from behind the counter at Costco, but two people say they tried it, and it actually worked. "The butcher was a little surprised that I wanted a whole chub but he weighed it, labeled it, and passed it out the window to me," says Bokkasrealm. "The cashier ringing it up said he had never seen it before."

As with many grocery items at Costco, prices vary by location. But the super-lean chub is generally much cheaper than the regular ground beef. Great news for people who are looking for a deal, and for people who want leaner beef. (Just portion it out and freeze it in smaller packs when you get home.)

Related: How To Freeze and Defrost Ground Beef

What's your favorite budget grocery buy at Costco?

In recent months, many industries have been rocked by stories of sexual harassment, misconduct, and worse. The stories may be more public now, but the events they describe are not new. In many cases, harassment and overt sexism have been pervasive problems that have been dismissed, ignored, swept under the rug, or held as a sort of family secret for decades or longer. The food industry is far from being alone in this, but it is a high-profile example of an industry where sexual harassment has been treated as a normal thing for far too long.

Sara Moulton has worked in the food industry longer than most. She was one of the first stars of the Food Network, the on-air food editor for Good Morning America, and the chef of the executive dining room at Gourmet magazine for 20 years. If anyone knows the industry, she does. And this week she wrote about her own experiences with sexual harassment and discrimination. She described the food world as a "boys' club," and says that after 40 years in the industry, she's sick of it.

Moulton enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America in 1975, and she says that from the start she was surrounded with people telling her that women did not belong in kitchens. They bolstered their arguments with scientific-sounding but uncited reasons, saying that women were too weak for kitchen work, couldn't stand the high temperatures, couldn't take the emotional pressure, and even that they couldn't lift the pots. One would think those arguments would have stopped when Moulton graduated with highest honors two years later, but they didn't.

Moulton started working in restaurants after graduation, and then was hired and mentored by Julia Child herself.

French cooking was Child's passion and her life's work, and Child said Moulton had to go to France to study more. She even arranged an apprenticeship with Michelin-starred French chef Maurice Cazalis, and that type of position was extremely difficult for a woman to get. (In her memoir, celebrity chef Cat Cora says that after she graduated from the CIA, she sent a fat file full of her culinary awards and achievements to the heads of 10 Michelin three-star restaurants in Europe, trying to get an apprenticeship. Eight of the chefs — including Paul Bocuse — allegedly responded that they didn't accept women in the kitchen.)

With Julia Child in her corner, Moulton got the apprenticeship, but says the chef would not allow her to cook on the line. The married, 72-year-old Cazalis also hit on her constantly, while she tried to deflect him by changing the subject or talking about her fiancé.

Moulton writes that Cazalis once told her he'd take her to visit the residence of the President of France, where one of his former apprentices was the chef. That's a perfectly reasonable sort of thing for a mentor to do for an apprentice. But on the trip he allegedly tried to put his hand on her leg in the car, surprised her by booking them a single room at the hotel, talked about how he slept naked, and stood in front of her in his underwear. When they went to dinner, instead of going to a restaurant with good food — which would be a normal choice for a chef and an apprentice — he took her to the Folies-Bergère for terrible food and topless dancers. She says that while she tried to talk about food, cooking, and his career, he talked the whole night about what great lovers French men are.

Moulton says she slept with her raincoat over her pajamas, and it took her six months to gather up the courage to tell Julia Child about Cazalis' behavior, and that Child's response was, "Oh dearie, what did you expect? They're all like that. Get over it."

At the time Moulton was surprised, but then she says she started thinking of it as a lesson in being tough and not letting things — like sexual harassment from old, married men — stand in her way.

But Moulton says she's been thinking differently about the experience lately, because she says this sort of "locker room" culture still exists. Moulton's experience with Cazalis happened decades ago, but recent allegations against chefs Mario Batali, Johnny Iuzzini, and John Besh indicate that this is not a 1970's problem — it's a today problem, too. Sexism and sexual harassment have been a part of kitchen culture for so long that it's normalized and seen as just part of "the industry." Victims are told to shrug it off and move on, while the harassers get to continue doing it without consequences.

Like many of the stories of harassment coming out of restaurant kitchens lately, Moulton's is not a new one, and it wasn't even a secret. Alex Prud'homme described the exact same story in The French Chef in America: Julia Child's Second Act.

Part of the problem, Moulton says, is that the culture of the professional kitchen is so close and tight-knit that objecting to that sort of thing marks a person as being a bad sport or not one of the team.

"The chef community is a tight community. If you start to say that something isn't acceptable — even if it really isn't acceptable — suddenly you can be accused of not acting like a member of the team," Moulton wrote. "You also worry that there will be consequences — and there most likely will be."

After 40 years in the restaurant industry, Moulton says she's sick of the status quo, and she's right.

"This has to end," Moulton wrote. "I don't have a neat and tidy happy answer to any of this but I do know that if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem and everybody has to say no this is not acceptable. This is not how humans treat other humans."

Despite what some Texans believe, the best chili is one where beans take center stage and vegetables get some of the spotlight. So for this number, pinto and kidney beans kick things off by spending the day simmering in a warmly spiced tomato broth. By the time you lift the lid after a long day, you will find the beans tender and the liquid thickened. Half a poblano pepper and a dash of chili powder lend a mild heat, but the secret to making this chili sing is the last-minute addition of sweet corn kernels and a splash of apple cider vinegar.

The heat of this vegetarian chili quickly thaws frozen corn kernels, preserving the pop of fresh, sweet flavor. The zing of apple cider vinegar wakes up the earthy, umami-rich flavors that mellow during cooking. Chili is a thick, hearty one-pot meal best cooked low and slow, so put away the Dutch oven and plug in the slow cooker for this one.

Dried Beans Make a Better Vegetable Chili

Slow cooker vegetarian chili is a cinch to pull together at the start of a busy work week. Simply stir all of the ingredients (except the corn and apple cider vinegar) together in the slow cooker before heading out for the day. With no meat in sight, there is no need to dirty a separate pan for browning. And because it will cook all day, dried beans are the smart and inexpensive choice.

An often-overlooked step when cooking with dried beans is to spread them out on a sheet tray to pick out tiny pebbles or broken beans that may have made it through quality control at the bean depot. After a quick rinse in the sink to wash off any dusty residue, pile the beans in the slow cooker and season the chili with a classic combination of coriander, cumin, dried oregano, and chili powder. Stir in chopped veggies, set the timer, and walk away for most of the day. Serve straight-up, with cornbread, or over a baked potato — because with a chili this thick, rich, and hearty, there's no missing the meat.

Turning meat-dominate meals into hearty vegetarian options is nothing new. I mean, it's 2018, after all. You can get a veggie burger that looks like it's bleeding, there's a "meatloaf" that's secretly just made out of nuts, and you can sub cauliflower for steak if that's more your speed. Vegetarians and plant-lovers alike have been super creative in the kitchen in the last few years. and the results have mostly been delicious.

Today, we're tackling vegetarian meatballs. Instead of the usually bean-filled ball, these meatless meatballs are made with cauliflower and quinoa. And they come together in just 30 minutes. Your weeknight dinner is served.

This recipe combines seasoning, some breadcrumbs, quinoa, and cauliflower. It's blended together with some egg to bind and made into balls. The meatless balls are seared in a pan to give them a crispy, golden exterior, and the next thing you know you have dinner in 30 minutes flat. The blogger Pinch of Yum serves them in her "life-changing" masala sauce over rice with some leafy greens on the side.

These veggie balls would freeze well in large batches for last-minute meals. Just make sure to thaw in the refrigerator and pop them back in an oven to crisp up before adding to whatever sauce you have on hand.