Even if nobody is packing your lunch or asking you to sign a folder, there’s still something about this month that makes a fresh start feel possible. The weather hasn’t fully changed yet (much to my chagrin), but the rhythm has. Calendars fill back in. Dinner needs a plan. The house starts asking for a little more structure, and honestly, so do I.

So, this month’s curriculum is The September Syllabus: Back to School for Grown-Ups.

Think less homework, more clean slate. A little campus nostalgia, a little grown-up ambition, a few movie nights, a couple of books, and enough snacks to make the whole thing feel worth sharpening a pencil for.

Inside this month’s curriculum, you’ll find:

Books
Come and Get It by Kiley Reid
The Idiot by Elif Batuman

Movies
Mona Lisa Smile
The Breakfast Club
Legally Blonde
Rushmore

There are discussion questions for each book and movie, snack and drink pairings for movie night, table talk questions, and a few bigger prompts for thinking about what you want this season to feel like. You can follow the whole syllabus or just pick the one thing that sounds fun. Nobody is grading this, which is one of the blessings of adulthood.

Download the September pdf

For a family movie night, this month’s kids’ pick is Monsters University. Make a little campus snack tray with popcorn, apple slices, and something sweet.

Here’s to September: fresh pages, new rhythms, and the quiet hope that comes with an opportunity for a reset.

Then Saturday is the first full Saturday of college football. It’s one of my favorite days of the year, and only partly because of the football.

The Seasonal Moment

Name Your Traditions

Some traditions get handed down to you. Others just kind of happen.

Our first football Saturday is the second kind. Early in our marriage we spent that Saturday at home with games on from the minute we woke up until the last one ended, making snacks all day and going nowhere. We never decided it would be a tradition. We just did it again the next year, and the next, and at some point it turned into a day we count down to every fall.

I’d bet you have a few of these too, things that became traditions without anyone ever calling them that. The meal you always make on the first cold night. The thing you do the week before school starts. The way a certain holiday weekend always goes. A day that matters to your family now just because you kept showing up for it.

This week, pick one. Write about it in your journal, tell the people you share it with that you love that it’s become your thing, or go ahead and put it on next year’s calendar so nothing else can land there.

A lot of traditions started as something good that happened once. Somebody just cared enough to do it again.

This Week’s Lineup

Monday: Memphis BBQ Spaghetti
A Memphis thing: crockpot pulled pork and spaghetti tossed in a smoky, tangy barbecue tomato sauce. Cook the whole pork shoulder and put some of the shredded pork in the fridge. You'll want it Thursday.

Tuesday: Mama’s Supper Club Tilapia Parmesan + Buttery Zucchini & Squash
The tilapia goes in the oven, and the zucchini and yellow squash cook on the stove in butter with garlic salt, black pepper and Italian seasoning. Quick, easy, and a nice breather between barbecue nights.

Wednesday: Memphis Honey Gold Chicken
Memphis gets all the credit for barbecue, but we're a wing city too, and honey gold is a flavor that tastes like home to me. This weeknight version puts the sweet, tangy mustard sauce over skillet chicken, with mashed potatoes and easy green beans on the side.

Thursday: BBQ Pulled Pork Quesadillas
Monday's pork, back again, tucked into crispy flour tortillas with a lot of melted cheese and barbecue sauce. A steamable bag of corn with butter and salt handles the side.

Friday: Breakfast for Dinner
This is the dinner equivalent of putting on comfortable pants at the end of the week, and I mean that as the highest compliment.

Seasonal Sip

Tailgate Tea

Football’s back, so this week’s sip comes from The BakerMama. Her Tailgate Tea is sweet tea, bourbon, pineapple juice, orange juice and lemon juice in a pitcher, built for a long afternoon of games.

Make the whole pitcher with bourbon, leave it out entirely, or set the bottle next to the pitcher and let everyone handle their own.

Seasonal Sweet

No-Banana Banana Pudding

I love banana pudding. I do not love finding slices of banana in it. So this one uses banana cream pudding, and you get all the flavor with none of the mushy pieces.

There are, however, a lot of Nilla Wafers. They get layered through the pudding pretty generously, and then the whole thing sits in the fridge until the cookies go completely soft and almost cake-like.

The Weekend Table

The First Football Saturday

Here’s the day. We stay home, turn on football in the morning, and leave it on until the last late-night game is over. (I will be calling it Pac-12 After Dark for the rest of my life, whatever the conferences decide.)

There’s no real dinner. We make snacks as the day goes and eat when we’re hungry. The one thing I always want is Sausage, Rotel & Cream Cheese Dip in the slow cooker with a big bag of tortilla chips next to it. Beyond that, whatever sounds good. Make the Tailgate Tea, find your spot on the couch, and stay there.

There will be plenty of Saturdays later in the season for tailgates and watch parties and having people over. This one is just ours.

This Week’s Playlists

One playlist was never going to cover 901 Day.

Memphis Made goes through the city’s musical family tree: blues, Sun Records, Stax, Big Star, the indie years, and the people making Memphis music right now.

Memphis, Mane is for Memphis rap, which needed its own playlist. It starts in the early underground days and moves through Three 6 Mafia, 8Ball & MJG, Gangsta Boo and Project Pat, up to Young Dolph, Key Glock, GloRilla and the current crop.

Two playlists, one city. I could have kept going.

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Serves 8–10

• 2 pounds breakfast sausage

• 3 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, softened and cut into chunks

• 2 (10-ounce) cans Rotel tomatoes and green chiles

• Tortilla chips

  ---

Directions

1. Brown the sausage.
Cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it into small crumbles as it cooks. Drain off any excess grease.

2. Prep the Rotel, if you want.
If you prefer a smoother dip, pour both cans of Rotel into a blender and blend until the tomatoes are completely smooth. This step is entirely optional, but it gives you all the Rotel flavor without the tomato chunks (this is a chunky tomato-adverse blog).

3. Combine everything.
Add the cooked sausage, cream cheese and Rotel to a slow cooker. Stir everything together as well as you can, then cover and cook on low for about 1 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the cream cheese is completely melted and the dip is smooth and creamy.

4. Keep it warm.
Turn the slow cooker to warm and leave the dip there for serving. Give it a stir every so often as people come back for another scoop throughout the day.

Serve warm with tortilla chips.

Prep Ahead

• Brown the sausage a day or two ahead and refrigerate it until you are ready to make the dip.

• If you are blending the Rotel, you can do that ahead too and keep it covered in the refrigerator.

• You can assemble everything in the slow cooker insert the night before, refrigerate it, then start heating it the next morning.

  ---

Leftover Tips

• Refrigerate leftover dip in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

• Reheat individual portions in the microwave or warm the whole batch gently on the stovetop or in the slow cooker, stirring occasionally.

Ingredients

Serves 6–8

• 1 (5.1-ounce) box instant banana cream pudding mix

• 3 cups cold whole milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 (8-ounce) container Cool Whip, thawed

• 1 (11-ounce) box Nilla Wafers

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Directions

1. Make the pudding.
Whisk the banana cream pudding mix and cold milk together according to the package directions. Stir in the vanilla and let the pudding stand for about 5 minutes, until thickened.

2. Make it extra creamy.
Gently fold about half of the Cool Whip into the pudding mixture, saving the rest for the top.

3. Layer the pudding.
Arrange a generous layer of Nilla Wafers across the bottom of a serving dish. Spread a layer of banana pudding over the wafers, then continue layering wafers and pudding until all of the pudding has been used. Don’t be shy with the wafers—the goal is to get plenty in every scoop.

4. Add the Cool Whip.
Spread the remaining Cool Whip in an even layer over the top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight. The longer rest gives the pudding time to soak into the vanilla wafers until they’re wonderfully soft and cake-like.

5. Finish and serve.
Just before serving, crush a handful of additional Nilla Wafers over the Cool Whip. You can also tuck a few whole wafers around the top if you’d like.

Prep Ahead

• This dessert is actually better made the day before you plan to serve it. An overnight rest gives the wafers plenty of time to soften.

• Wait until just before serving to add any crushed wafers to the top if you’d like those to stay a little crisp for contrast.

  ---

Leftover Tips

• Cover and refrigerate leftover banana pudding for up to 3 days.

• The wafers will continue to soften as it sits (which is a feature, not a bug).

Serves 4

For the chicken

• 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or thin-sliced chicken breasts

• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• ½ teaspoon onion powder

• ½ teaspoon black pepper

• 1 tablespoon olive oil + 1 tablespoon butter

For the honey gold sauce

• ⅓ cup yellow mustard

• ¼ cup honey

• 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 1 tablespoon butter

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

• ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika

• Pinch of cayenne, optional

For the sides

• 1 (24-ounce) package Bob Evans Original Mashed Potatoes

• 2 (14.5-ounce) cans cut green beans, drained

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 2 cubes chicken bouillon

• Black pepper, to taste

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Directions

1. Start the green beans.
Add the drained green beans to a small saucepan with the butter, chicken bouillon, and a splash of water. Stir, cover and let them simmer over low heat while you make the chicken.

2. Season the chicken.
Pat the chicken dry, then season both sides with seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper.

3. Cook the chicken.
Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for about 4 to 6 minutes per side, depending on thickness, until browned and cooked through to 165°F. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

4. Make the honey gold sauce.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the mustard, honey, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, butter, garlic powder, smoked paprika and cayenne, if using, to the same skillet. Stir until the butter has melted and the sauce is smooth. Let it gently bubble for 1 to 2 minutes.

5. Glaze the chicken.
Return the chicken to the skillet and turn each piece in the honey gold sauce until generously coated. Let everything cook together for another minute or two, spooning a little extra sauce over the chicken as it thickens.

6. Heat the mashed potatoes.
Heat the mashed potatoes according to the package directions. Give the green beans a final stir and season with salt + black pepper to taste.

7. Serve.
Spoon the mashed potatoes onto each plate, add the honey gold chicken and drizzle over a little extra sauce. Serve the green beans alongside.

Prep Ahead

• Mix all of the honey gold sauce ingredients except the butter and refrigerate in a covered container for up to 3 days.

• Season the chicken earlier in the day and keep it covered in the refrigerator until you’re ready to cook.

• There’s intentionally almost nothing to prep for the sides—the refrigerated mashed potatoes and canned green beans keep this firmly in weeknight territory.

  ---

Leftover Tips

• Refrigerate leftover chicken in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat it gently so the honey in the sauce doesn’t scorch.

• Slice leftover honey gold chicken for sandwiches or wraps, with any extra sauce spooned over the top.

  ---

Table in Season Note: Memphis gets plenty of attention for barbecue, but we’re a wing city, too—and honey gold is one of those flavors that feels distinctly like home.

Serves 4

• 2 cups reserved pulled pork from the Memphis BBQ Spaghetti (or any pulled pork)

• ⅓ cup barbecue sauce, plus more for serving

• 8 medium flour tortillas

• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or Mexican-blend cheese

• 2 tablespoon butter (1 for the skillet, 1 for the corn)

• Sour cream, for serving

• 1 (10–12 ounce) bag frozen steamable corn

  ---

Directions

1. Warm the pork.
Add the pulled pork and barbecue sauce to a small skillet over medium-low heat. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pork is warmed through and lightly coated in sauce. You want it saucy, but not so wet that it makes the tortillas soggy.

2. Assemble the quesadillas.
Lay out four tortillas. Sprinkle each with a layer of cheese, divide the pulled pork evenly between them, then add another layer of cheese. Top with the remaining tortillas.

3. Cook until crisp.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add a little butter or oil. Cook the quesadillas one at a time for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until the tortillas are golden and crisp and the cheese is melted. Add a little more butter or oil to the skillet between quesadillas as needed.

4. Make the corn.
While the quesadillas are cooking, microwave the corn according to the package directions. Transfer to a serving bowl, stir in the butter and season with salt to taste.

6. Serve.
Slice the quesadillas into wedges and serve with sour cream and extra barbecue sauce for dipping, with the buttery corn alongside.

Prep Ahead

• When you make the Memphis BBQ Spaghetti earlier in the week, set aside 2 cups of the shredded pork before it goes into the spaghetti sauce. Refrigerate it in an airtight container for this meal.

• Shred the cheese ahead of time—or use a bag of pre-shredded cheese and make this already-easy dinner even easier.

• If the pork has been refrigerated, you can mix it with the barbecue sauce ahead of time so all you have to do at dinner is warm, assemble and crisp.

  ---

Leftover Tips

• Leftover cooked quesadillas can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat them in a dry skillet or the air fryer rather than the microwave to bring back the crispy tortilla.

  ---

Table in Season Note: This is exactly why I love a cook-once, eat-twice dinner. The slow cooker does the work on the pork once, then a few nights later the leftovers become something that doesn’t really feel like leftovers at all. Crispy tortillas, melted cheese and plenty of barbecue sauce will do that. 😌

Serves 4–6, with pulled pork reserved for another meal

For the pulled pork

• 4 lb boneless pork shoulder or pork butt

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika

• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• ½ teaspoon black pepper

• ½ cup chicken broth

• ½ cup barbecue sauce

For the BBQ spaghetti

• 12 ounces spaghetti

• 1 tablespoon butter

• ½ medium yellow onion, finely diced

• 1 small green bell pepper, finely diced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 cup tomato sauce

• 1 cup barbecue sauce

• ½ cup reserved cooking liquid from the pork (or chicken broth)

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

• 2 cups shredded pulled pork

• Salt and black pepper, to taste

  ---

Directions

1. Slow cook the pork.
Combine the brown sugar, smoked paprika, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper, then rub the seasoning all over the pork. Place it in the slow cooker, pour the chicken broth around it and spoon the barbecue sauce over the top. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours or on high for 5 to 6 hours, until the pork is tender enough to pull apart easily with a fork.

2. Shred the pork.
Transfer the pork to a cutting board and shred it, discarding any large pieces of fat. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking liquid. Measure 2 cups of shredded pork for the spaghetti, then refrigerate about 2 cups separately for another use later in the week.

3. Cook the spaghetti.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti until just al dente. Drain and set aside.

4. Build the BBQ sauce.
Melt the butter in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and green bell pepper and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce, barbecue sauce, reserved pork cooking liquid, Worcestershire sauce and smoked paprika. Let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes so the flavors have a chance to come together.

5. Bring it all together.
Stir 2 cups of pulled pork into the sauce and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add the cooked spaghetti and toss until the noodles are thoroughly coated. If the sauce gets thicker than you’d like, add another splash of the pork cooking liquid or chicken broth. Taste and season with salt and black pepper as needed.

Prep Ahead

• The pork can be cooked and shredded up to 3 days ahead. Refrigerate the pork for the spaghetti and the pork for the quesadillas separately, which makes both dinners easier to pull together.

• The onion and bell pepper can be chopped a day or two ahead and refrigerated.

• You can also make the BBQ sauce ahead, then reheat it and add the pork and freshly cooked pasta at dinnertime.

  ---

Leftover Tips

• Store leftover BBQ spaghetti in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Add a small splash of water or chicken broth when reheating to loosen the sauce.

  ---

Table in Season Note: BBQ spaghetti is one of those Memphis foods that can sound a little strange until you eat it. The sauce lands somewhere between traditional spaghetti sauce and the tangy barbecue sauce you’d expect alongside pulled pork, but it just works. Put the barbecue sauce bottle on the table for anyone who wants an extra drizzle.

First, though, summer gets one last real week.

This week’s menu is a rerun episode, and I mean that as a compliment. I went back through everything we cooked this summer and pulled the meals that earned a second appearance: the creamy sausage and corn pasta, the seafood sheet pan bake, Crunchwraps, chicken tender Cobb salads, and the peach BBQ chicken sandwiches with those Old Bay sugar kettle chips I haven’t stopped thinking about since I made them.

The sweet is a repeat too, and the Weekend Table is one more excuse to eat summer vegetables while they still taste like something. Chili and casseroles are coming. Soon. Very soon, if I have anything to say about it.

The Seasonal Moment

Make a Summer 2026 Time Capsule

Certain summers get attached to very specific things. A song comes on ten years later and suddenly you’re back in the car you drove when you were 22. You eat something you haven’t had in ages and remember exactly where you were sitting the last time you ate it.

So sometime this week, take a few minutes and notice what belongs to this summer. The dinner you made over and over. The song your kid demanded every single time you got in the car. The show, the drink, the book, the spot you kept ending up on Saturday afternoons. Write a few of them down. Stick a photo with them if you want. It doesn’t have to be a whole project — just a little record of summer 2026 while you’re still close enough to remember the details. This ties in so well to a substack post I loved this week:

midnight crumbs

start a seasonal memoir

we’re remarkably good at photographing the things we know we’ll want to remember, and remarkably bad at keeping the things we don’t realise we’re going to miss. the big birthdays, holidays, the first day in the new place, weddings, graduation. they all survive. even that dinner where everyone dressed properly and somehow remembered to take a group photo. the big things tend to leave evidence behind, it’s everything around them that slips away from memory. the shoes that were always by the door, what you ate almost religiously every friday night from the takeaway, the perfume you wore all summer. the silly little phrase your best friend kept saying until it somehow became part of your vocab too. even the thing you were worrying about so intensely that you were convinced it might alter the course of your life, and six months later you can barely remember what it was…

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18 days ago · 224 likes · 25 comments · hannah bay

This Week’s Lineup

1. Chicken Tender Cobb Salad

2. Copycat Crunchwrap Supremes

3. Creamy Smoked Sausage, Corn & Parmesan Pasta

4. Summer Seafood Sheet Pan Bake

5. Slow Cooker Peach BBQ Chicken Sandwiches + Old Bay Sugar Kettle Chips

   ---

Seasonal Sip

Gin Daisy

Our one newcomer this week, and it gets the honor of being the drink we raise to summer on its way out. A Gin Daisy is bright, citrusy, and cold. Make one while there’s still enough evening light to drink it outside — even if the humidity has other plans for you.

Seasonal Sweet

Peach Cobbler Sundaes

Peaches are about to leave the center of my cooking for another year, so these are coming back one more time. Warm peaches, cobbler crumble, cold vanilla ice cream. If there’s a better argument for late August, I haven’t found it.

The Weekend Table

The Big Plate of Summer Vegetables

One last big plate of whatever looks best right now. Corn, squash, green beans, okra, tomatoes for the tomato people. Whatever’s overflowing at the farmers market. Grill something to go with it if you feel like it, put bread on the table, call it dinner.

This has become one of my favorite Weekend Tables precisely because there’s no recipe. It’s just an invitation to pay attention to what’s good right now, cook it simply, and let the season do the heavy lifting.

This Week’s Playlist

Songs of Summer 2026

A few years ago I realized I’d mostly stopped listening to current music. Streaming made it so easy to stay inside my own little algorithm, hearing exactly what I already knew I liked, and I started missing that strange shared experience of the same songs playing everywhere all summer.

I’ve been working on that. I want to know what people are actually listening to right now, even when it’s not something an algorithm would’ve picked for me. Pop, country, indie, everything in between. I want a song to come on in 2036 and drop me straight back into the summer of 2026 because I heard it when everybody else did.

So this playlist is all over the place on purpose. I pulled from songs-of-the-summer lists across genres — the big hits, the songs having a moment, even a few older ones that came roaring back this year. It’s not a ranking of the best music of 2026. It’s what this summer sounded like.

Put it on shuffle while you make one of your favorites from this summer, pour a Gin Daisy, and give the season one last spin before we move on.

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Serves 1

• 2 oz gin

• 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice

• 1/2 oz grenadine

• 1 to 2 oz club soda

• Ice

• Lemon wheel or cocktail cherry, for garnish

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Directions

1. Shake the cocktail. Add the gin, lemon juice, and grenadine to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake until thoroughly chilled.

2. Pour and finish. Strain into a rocks or Collins glass filled with fresh ice. Top with club soda and give it a gentle stir.

3. Garnish and serve. Finish with a lemon wheel or cocktail cherry and serve right away.

   ---

Table in Season Note: Grenadine gives this one a beautiful pink-coral color. Pour it into a vintage glass if you have one and take it outside for one last late-summer happy hour.

And then, every evening, we all come back.

That’s the part I love. Backpacks hit the floor by the door. Somebody’s asking what’s for dinner before their shoes are off. There are permission slips to sign and lunches to figure out and a kid who swears nothing happened at school today — nothing — until you’re halfway through dinner and it all comes pouring out.

So this week we’re going Back to the Table. The dinners are easy on purpose. Weeknights are complicated enough. The goal isn’t to do more. It’s to actually notice the part where everyone lands in the same room at the end of the day.

The Seasonal Moment

Come Back to the Table

Nothing to add to your calendar this week, I promise.

Just pay attention to that little window in the evening when everybody starts trickling home. It feels completely unremarkable while it’s happening, yet it also makes up a huge portion of a life together. Sit down when you can. Ask one more question about somebody’s day, even if the first answer was “fine.” Stay at the table an extra five minutes before the getting-ready-for-tomorrow shuffle begins.

You don’t have to make Tuesday special. You just have to show up for it.

This Week’s Lineup

• Honey-Glazed Skillet Chicken with Buttered Noodles & Country Green Beans

• Sloppy Joes with Tater Tots & Watermelon

• Creamy Corn & Sausage Skillet over Rice

• Cheesy Italian Meatballs with Creamy Parmesan Spinach & Garlic Bread

• Crispy Baked Pork Chops with Mashed Potatoes & Roasted Broccoli

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Seasonal Sip

A Bold Red for Sunday Sauce

No cocktail this week. We’re opening a bottle of red instead.

You want something with enough backbone to stand up to a rich beef-and-sausage sauce. Chianti Classico is my pick, but Barbera or Montepulciano d’Abruzzo will do the job happily. If you like bigger, more Cabernet-style wines, grab a Super Tuscan.

Bonus: the same bottle goes into the sauce, which is exactly the kind of efficiency I can get behind.

And if you’re standing in the wine aisle starting to feel like this is turning into a research project: Chianti Classico, fifteen to twenty-five dollars, done. Go home.

Seasonal Sweet

Chocolate Shavings Affogato

Affogato sounds fancy. It’s not fancy. It’s a scoop of vanilla ice cream with hot espresso poured over the top, and the hot-meets-cold thing is the entire magic trick. Takes about ninety seconds and looks like you tried.

For the kids, a bowl of ice cream with chocolate syrup. Nobody will file a complaint.

The Weekend Table

Sunday Sauce

Some Sundays you get to stay home all afternoon with nowhere to be. Other Sundays there’s church, a birthday party, two errands you forgot about, and somebody’s game across town. Sunday Sauce works either way, which is exactly why I keep coming back to it.

The stovetop version goes like this: onion and carrots soften slowly in olive oil, then in go the ground beef and Italian sausage, tomato paste, a glug of red wine, and a smooth tomato base — no chunks, for the chunk-averse eaters at your table (me). Then it just simmers, low and slow, until it’s thick and rich and deeply savory. A splash of whole milk near the end gives it that soft, classic bolognese finish.

Out of the house all day? There’s a slow cooker version too. Brown the meat and cook down the tomato paste and wine on the stove first, transfer everything to the slow cooker, and walk away. When you get home: stir in the milk, boil the pasta, dinner’s basically done.

That’s the thing about Sunday Sauce. It doesn’t demand your whole day. It just gives the day something to orbit.

Serve it with rigatoni, pappardelle, or tagliatelle, a mountain of Parmesan, warm bread, and a simple salad. Pour the wine. Put on Simmering Sunday Sauce — it starts with the big Italian-American classics and eases into Sinatra, Dean Martin, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, the kind of music that makes you refill your glass instead of clearing the table.

Affogatos after.

There’s something right about ending a week that’s all about coming home with a meal that takes its sweet time getting to the table. The sauce simmers, the music plays, people drift in and out of the kitchen, and eventually everyone sits down together — one long dinner before Monday scatters us all again.

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Serves 4

• 1 pint vanilla ice cream or gelato

• 4 shots freshly brewed espresso or

• 6 to 8 teaspoons instant espresso powder

• ½ cup very hot water, if using instant espresso

• 1 to 2 ounces dark chocolate

• Flaky sea salt, optional

Directions

1. Scoop the ice cream.
   Place 2 small scoops of vanilla ice cream or gelato into each of four small glasses, bowls, or coffee cups.

2. Make the espresso.
   If using an espresso machine, brew 4 shots of espresso. If using instant espresso, stir 1½ to 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder into 2 tablespoons very hot water for each serving. You want it strong since the ice cream will mellow it considerably.

3. Add the chocolate.
   Use a vegetable peeler or fine grater to shave a little dark chocolate over each serving.

4. Pour and serve.
   Pour the hot espresso over the ice cream just before eating. Finish with the tiniest pinch of flaky sea salt, if you like, and serve immediately.

Serves 6 to 8

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced

• 2 medium carrots, finely diced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 pound ground beef

• 1 pound mild Italian sausage, casings removed

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 1 cup dry red wine

• 1 (28-ounce) can tomato purée or passata

• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

• 1 cup beef broth

• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

• ½ teaspoon black pepper

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

• ½ cup whole milk

• 1 pound rigatoni, pappardelle, or tagliatelle

• Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

  ---

Directions

1. Build the base.
   Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very soft. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

2. Brown the meat.
   Add the ground beef and Italian sausage to the pot. Cook, breaking the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through. If there’s a large amount of grease in the pot, carefully spoon off the excess, leaving a little behind for flavor.

3. Cook the tomato paste.
   Stir in the tomato paste and let it cook with the meat for 2 to 3 minutes, until it darkens slightly and begins to stick to the bottom of the pot.

4. Deglaze with wine.
   Pour in the red wine and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let the wine simmer for about 5 minutes, until it has reduced noticeably.

5. Start the long simmer.
   Add the tomato purée, crushed tomatoes, beef broth, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, pepper, and salt. Bring the sauce to a gentle bubble, then reduce the heat to low.

6. Let Sunday Sauce do its thing.
   Simmer partially covered for 1½ to 2½ hours, stirring occasionally. Keep the heat low enough that the sauce is barely bubbling. As it cooks, it should become thick, rich, and deeply savory. If it gets thicker than you like, add a splash of beef broth or water.

7. Finish with milk.
   About 20 minutes before serving, stir in the milk and let the sauce continue to simmer gently. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.

8. Cook the pasta.
   Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until just al dente. Reserve about a cup of pasta water before draining.

9. Bring it together.
   Add the drained pasta to enough sauce to coat it generously, adding a splash of pasta water if needed. Serve with additional Sunday Sauce spooned over the top and plenty of freshly grated Parmesan at the table.

   ---

Optional Slow Cooker Method

1. Build the flavor on the stove. Cook the onion and carrots in the olive oil until softened, then add the garlic. Add the ground beef and Italian sausage and cook until browned. Drain excess grease if needed.

2. Cook the tomato paste and wine. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the red wine, scrape up the browned bits, and simmer for about 5 minutes.

3. Move everything to the slow cooker. Transfer the meat mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker. Stir in the tomato purée, crushed tomatoes, ½ cup beef broth (rather than the full cup used on the stovetop), Italian seasoning, garlic powder, pepper, and salt.

4. Let it simmer. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. Leave the lid on as much as possible so the temperature stays steady.

5. Finish the sauce. Stir in the ½ cup whole milk during the last 30 minutes of cooking. Taste and adjust the seasoning. If the sauce seems thinner than you’d like, leave the lid slightly ajar for the final 20 to 30 minutes.

6. Serve. Cook the pasta separately just before dinner, then toss it with enough sauce to coat generously. Serve with extra sauce and Parmesan.

   ---

Prep Ahead

• Dice the onion and carrots a day or two ahead and refrigerate.

• The entire sauce can be made a day ahead. In fact, it is arguably even better after a night in the refrigerator. Reheat slowly on the stovetop and add a splash of broth if needed.

  ---

Leftover Tips

• Freeze extra sauce in dinner-sized portions for a future weeknight.

• If you have only a small amount left, spoon it over cheese ravioli or tortellini for an easy dinner.

  ---

Table in Season Note: This is a good day to put the sauce on early, turn on Simmering Sunday Sauce, and let dinner announce itself for a few hours before anyone actually sits down. Bring the pot or a big serving bowl of pasta to the table with Parmesan, warm bread, and a bottle of red wine, then let everyone serve themselves.

Serves 4

For the pork chops

• 4 boneless pork chops, about 1 inch thick

• 1 packet Shake ’n Bake Pork Seasoned Coating Mix, or similar seasoned coating mix

• 1 tablespoon olive oil, optional, for lightly coating the baking sheet

For serving

• 1 family-size package refrigerated mashed potatoes

• 1 large head broccoli, cut into florets

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

• Salt and black pepper, to taste

• Sister Schubert’s yeast rolls

Directions

1. Coat the pork chops.
   Heat the oven according to the coating mix package directions. Prepare the pork chops with the seasoned coating according to the package instructions, then arrange them on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.

2. Add the broccoli.
   Toss the broccoli florets with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Spread them on a second baking sheet, or alongside the pork chops if there is enough room for everything to roast without crowding.

3. Bake the pork chops and broccoli.
   Bake the pork chops according to the coating mix directions, until the coating is crisp and the pork reaches 145°F in the center. Roast the broccoli for about 18 to 22 minutes, stirring once, until browned at the edges and tender.

4. Make the potatoes.
   Prepare according to package directions.

5. Warm the rolls and serve.
   Bake the Sister Schubert’s rolls according to the package directions. Serve the crispy pork chops with mashed potatoes, roasted broccoli, and warm rolls alongside.

Prep Ahead

• Cut the broccoli into florets ahead of time and store refrigerated.

• The pork chops can be portioned and ready in the refrigerator, but wait to add the coating until just before baking so it stays crisp.

Leftover Tips

• Store leftover pork chops in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

• Reheat the pork chops in the oven or air fryer rather than the microwave if you want to keep the coating crisp.

• Leftover mashed potatoes can be reheated with a splash of milk and a little extra butter.

Serves 4

For the meatballs

• 1 (24 to 32-ounce) bag frozen Italian-style meatballs

• 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce

• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

For the creamy Parmesan spinach

• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 2 ounces cream cheese

• ¼ cup milk or heavy cream

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

• Salt and black pepper, to taste

For serving

• 1 loaf frozen or refrigerated garlic bread

Directions

1. Bake the meatballs.
   Heat the oven according to the directions on the meatball package. Pour the marinara sauce into a baking dish, then add the frozen meatballs and turn them gently so they are coated in sauce. Cover tightly with foil and bake until the meatballs are heated through, following the package timing as a guide.

2. Make them cheesy.
   Remove the foil and sprinkle the mozzarella and ¼ cup Parmesan evenly over the meatballs. Return the dish to the oven, uncovered, for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.

3. Make the creamy spinach.
   While the meatballs bake, squeeze as much liquid as possible from the thawed spinach. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the spinach, cream cheese, milk or cream, and garlic powder. Stir until the cream cheese has melted and the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in the Parmesan, then season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Bake the garlic bread.
   Prepare the garlic bread according to the package directions, timing it so it comes out hot just as the meatballs are ready.

5. Serve.
   Spoon the cheesy meatballs and marinara onto plates with the creamy Parmesan spinach and warm garlic bread alongside.

Prep Ahead

• Thaw and squeeze the spinach up to 2 days ahead and keep refrigerated.

• The meatballs, marinara, mozzarella, and Parmesan can be assembled in the baking dish earlier in the day. Cover and refrigerate, then add a few extra minutes to the baking time if starting cold.

Leftover Tips

• Store leftover meatballs and sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

• Reheat the meatballs with extra mozzarella in a toasted roll for an easy meatball sub.

• Leftover creamy spinach is also good folded into scrambled eggs or warmed alongside another dinner.

Serves 4

• 14 ounces smoked sausage, sliced into rounds

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 3 cups corn kernels, fresh, frozen, or drained canned corn

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• ½ teaspoon onion powder

• ½ teaspoon black pepper

• ½ cup chicken broth

• ½ cup heavy cream

• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

• Salt, to taste

• 2 cups cooked white rice, for serving

Directions

1. Brown the sausage.
   Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced sausage and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned around the edges.

2. Add the corn and seasonings.
   Stir in the corn, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, until the corn is heated through and beginning to pick up a little color.

3. Make it creamy.
   Pour in the chicken broth and heavy cream, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Let the mixture simmer gently for 3 to 5 minutes, until the sauce begins to thicken.

4. Finish with Parmesan.
   Reduce the heat to low and stir in the Parmesan until melted and smooth. Taste and add salt if needed.

5. Serve.
   Spoon the creamy sausage and corn mixture over warm white rice, making sure to get plenty of sauce into each bowl.

Prep Ahead

• Slice the sausage up to 2 days ahead and keep refrigerated.

• If using fresh corn, cut it from the cob ahead of time and refrigerate.

• Rice can be cooked ahead and reheated with a splash of water.

Leftover Tips

• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

• Reheat gently over low heat, adding a splash of chicken broth or cream if the sauce has thickened too much.

Serves 4

• 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

• 3 tablespoons honey

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• ½ teaspoon black pepper

• 1 to 2 tablespoons water or chicken broth, if needed

For serving

• 8 ounces egg noodles

• 2 tablespoons butter

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• 2 (14.5-ounce) cans cut green beans, drained

• ½ teaspoon chicken bouillon, plus more to taste

• 1 tablespoon butter

• Sister Schubert’s yeast rolls

Directions

1. Slice and season the chicken.
   Slice the chicken breasts horizontally into thin cutlets. Add them to a bowl or zip-top bag with the honey, olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Toss until every piece is well coated. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to several hours.

2. Start the sides.
   Cook the egg noodles according to the package directions. Drain and toss with 2 tablespoons butter, then season with salt and pepper. Add the drained green beans to a small saucepan with the chicken bouillon, 1 tablespoon butter and about ¼ cup water. Cover and simmer over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Bake the rolls according to package directions.

3. Cook the chicken.
   Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken along with the marinade, arranging the pieces in a single layer. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes on the first side, then flip and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through.

4. Let it get sticky.
   As the chicken finishes cooking, keep it moving in the skillet and spoon the bubbling honey mixture over the top. The marinade will gradually reduce into a glossy, sticky glaze that coats the chicken. Lower the heat if the honey begins to darken too quickly. If the glaze gets too thick before the chicken is done, add a tablespoon or two of water or chicken broth to loosen it.

5. Bring it to the table.
   Serve the honey-glazed chicken with the buttered noodles, country green beans and warm rolls. Spoon any extra glaze left in the skillet over the chicken (and let a little find its way onto the noodles).

Prep Ahead

• Slice the chicken and combine it with the marinade in the morning, then refrigerate until dinner.

• The green beans can be assembled in their saucepan ahead of time and refrigerated, ready to warm while the chicken cooks.

Leftover Tips

• Refrigerate leftover chicken in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

• Reheat gently with a splash of chicken broth or water to loosen the glaze.

So this week is about keeping dinner doable while making a little room for that late-summer feeling. We’ve got honey garlic chicken and zucchini lo mein, a Southern cozy crockpot dinner with sausage, cabbage, potatoes, and honey cornbread, Greek-ish pita melts, baked beef ravioli, and a very low-effort Friday night to make room for the possibility of weekend hosting.

And on that note…this weekend, we’re launching the first Seasonal Supper Club. Once a month, I’ll share a dinner you can make for a few people you love, with a menu, a simple tablescape, a loose timeline, and a few conversation or activity ideas to keep in your back pocket. For August, we’re starting with a Mediterranean dinner: whipped feta with honey and pistachios, Greek chicken meatballs, brothy lemon orzo, roasted zucchini and red pepper, rosé sangria, and Greek honey cake.

It sounds like a lot when I write it all out, but I’ve broken things out into a make-ahead timeline that I hope feels approachable. Really we’re just finding a reason to invite people in, have some sangria, and let the kids eat chicken nuggets if that’s what needs to happen.

The Seasonal Moment

Invite the easy people.

This week, send the text. Not to the people who make you feel like you need to clean the baseboards before they arrive, or the couple you admire but don’t yet know how to feed without overthinking it. Start with the easy people: your best friends, the neighbors you already love, the family members who’ll help clear plates, the people who make your house feel more like itself when they walk in.

It doesn’t have to be a full dinner party. It can be pizza on paper plates, sangria on the porch, kids eating chicken nuggets at a card table, or two people splitting a baked ravioli pan while Taylor Swift’s “august” (this month’s national anthem) plays in the background.

If you want to follow the first Seasonal Supper Club menu this weekend, wonderful. If you just want to text one person and say, “Come over soon, I miss you,” that counts too.

This Week’s Lineup

Honey Garlic Chicken & Zucchini Lo Mein

Crockpot Sausage, Cabbage & Potatoes

Greek-ish Chicken Pita Melts

Baked Beef Ravioli

Pizza Night or Leftover Baked Ravioli: Frozen pizza, takeout pizza, or leftovers from the night before. This is a maximum-easy Friday, especially if you’re doing the Seasonal Supper Club menu over the weekend.

Seasonal Sip

Golden Hour Rosé Sangria
This week’s sip is part of the first Seasonal Supper Club menu: rosé, citrus, peaches or nectarines, grapes, orange liqueur, and a little honey.

Seasonal Sweet

Greek Honey Cake
This week’s sweet is also part of the Seasonal Supper Club table. It’s a simple orange-cinnamon cake soaked with honey syrup and served with vanilla ice cream.

The Weekend Table

The First Seasonal Supper Club: A Mediterranean Dinner

Full hosting guide, timeline, recipes, kid plan, and printable invitation and place cards here. 😊🍋

Playlist

Driving Home with Wet Hair at Golden Hour

This week’s playlist is for that particular part of August when summer is still very much here, but you can feel it starting to slip around the edges. It’s Lana Del Rey, Lorde, the aforementioned “august,” and the kind of hazy late-summer songs that make a regular drive home feel a little cinematic.

Put it on while you’re making dinner, setting the table, pouring sangria, or just driving home in the evening.

Listen on other music services

Grocery list and Sunday prep notes are below for paid subscribers.

Read more

So this month, we’re starting something new: Seasonal Supper Club.

The idea is simple. Once a month, I’ll share a dinner you can make for a few people you love, with a menu, a simple tablescape, a loose timeline, and a few activity ideas if you want the night to feel like more than just dinner. I’ll also suggest a different idea each month for who to invite, because if you’re anything like me, you may be looking for ways to create occasions that bring people into your circle more intentionally.

I’m also including the conversation and activity ideas because, honestly, I can be a shy and slightly nervous host. I like having a loose plan, even if we never use it, because it makes the whole thing feel less intimidating. Usually, once the sangria is flowing, the food is being passed, and the kids are giggling at the kids’ table, it is fine. More than fine, really. I’m always glad I did it.

So for August, we’re starting with a Mediterranean dinner that feels sunny, relaxed, and easy to pull off.

Who to Invite

For the first Seasonal Supper Club, invite your easiest people.

This is the month for best friends, close family, or the neighbors you already know. Start with the people who make your house feel more like itself when they walk in.

A table of six to eight is perfect, but four people still counts. Two people and a bottle of sangria also counts. Do you.

Each month, I’ll suggest a different way to think about the guest list, partly because I know how easy it is to say, “We should have people over sometime,” and then let sometime float away into the same mysterious place as half your socks and good intentions. Seasonal Supper Club is meant to give us a low-pressure reason to put something on the calendar.

If kids are part of your life, they can be part of this too. The grown-ups can have the pretty Mediterranean dinner, and the kids can have a version that actually gets eaten. More on that below.

Printable Invites and Place Cards

I’ve made some printable invitations and place cards. The place cards will include a few simple conversation prompts, partly because I love the idea of making the table feel a little more intentional, and partly because I am, at heart, a host who appreciates having a conversational backup plan. You may put them out and forget all about them, but sometimes having one small thing ready is enough to make the whole idea of hosting feel less intimidating.

For this first Seasonal Supper Club, I’m including the printable invitation and place cards for everyone as a little launch gift. Going forward, these monthly printables will be part of the paid subscriber kit, and I’ll also add them to my Etsy shop as a one-off purchase if you just want that month’s set. 🌿💕

Invitations | Placecards | Kids Activity Sheet

Menu

Appetizer
Whipped feta with honey, pistachios, and olives
Warm pita, pita chips, cucumbers, and mini sweet peppers

Dinner
Greek chicken meatballs
Brothy lemon orzo
Lemon garlic roasted zucchini and red pepper

Seasonal Sip
Golden Hour Rosé Sangria

Dessert
Greek honey cake with vanilla ice cream

Tablescape

Keep the table simple and grocery-store friendly.

Start with whatever you already have: a white tablecloth, a runner, plain plates, napkins, or the everyday dishes you use all the time. Add lemons down the center of the table, a few small jars or glasses of cheerful grocery store flowers, and candles if you have them. That’s enough.

If you want to add one more layer, use a small bowl of olives, a dish of pistachios, or a few extra herbs from dinner as part of the table. Mediterranean food does half the decorating for you, which is one of its gifts.

A very easy formula:

Lemons, grocery store flowers, candles, and one good serving bowl.

If the table looks like people are welcome to sit down and pass things around, you did it right.

Activity Choices

You don’t need a full agenda for a dinner party, but it can be nice to have one small thing that gives the night a little shape. Pick one, or ignore this section entirely once everyone is settled and talking. But having a tiny activity or conversation prompt in your back pocket can take some of the pressure off, especially if you’re a quieter host like me.

Conversation cards at the table
Write one question on each place card, or tuck a few into a small bowl and let people draw them during dinner. Keep them easy and a little nostalgic.

A few ideas:

• What’s a meal you associate with summer?
• What was the best thing you ate on vacation?
• What’s a song that always sounds like August to you?
• What’s one place you’d go back to tomorrow?

A Mediterranean movie night after dinner
Put on Mamma Mia!, Luca if kids are still awake, or another summery movie once the plates are cleared and everyone has moved to the couch. You can even talk over it and just let it be background.

A golden hour walk
If the weather is kind and nobody is melting, take a short walk after dinner. This is especially good if kids are invited and need to burn off whatever combination of nuggets, cake, and chaos they’ve consumed.

If Kids Are Invited

Make the kid meal easy. This is not the place to wage war over Greek chicken meatballs.

For picky eaters, I’d do air fryer chicken nuggets, buttered orzo or plain noodles, fruit, cucumber slices or baby carrots, and ketchup or ranch. If they want to try the grown-up food, wonderful. If they eat five nuggets and a strawberry and disappear to play, also wonderful.

A few kid-table ideas:

• Set out crayons and paper (like my activity sheets!).
• Put fruit and crackers in little bowls.
• Keep dessert simple with Greek honey cake and vanilla ice cream.

The goal is for the kids to feel included and for the grown-ups to be able to occasionally finish a sentence.

Food Timeline

This timeline assumes you’re doing everything in one day before an evening dinner party. If you have time the day before, the Greek honey cake, whipped feta, and meatballs are the best places to get ahead.

The Day Before, If You Have Time

• Make the Greek honey cake. This is the best make-ahead item on the menu, since the honey syrup has time to settle into the cake and the whole thing is one less thing to think about on the day of the dinner.

• Make the whipped feta, but wait to add the honey, pistachios, olive oil, lemon zest, and black pepper until right before serving.

• Mix and shape the chicken meatballs, then cover and refrigerate them until you’re ready to bake. You can also chop the zucchini and red bell pepper, slice the sangria fruit, and make the lemon garlic sauce if you’re on a roll.

Morning Of

• Bake the Greek honey cake if you didn’t make it the day before. Let it cool fully, then cover it until dessert.

• Make the whipped feta and store it in the fridge without the toppings. Slice cucumbers, cut pita if needed, and gather the olives, pistachios, honey, and serving bowl so the appetizer comes together quickly.

• Make the rosé sangria so it has several hours to chill. Don’t add ice yet.

• Check your kid food plan if needed. Put the chicken nuggets, fruit, ketchup, ranch, and any kid plates or cups where you can grab them quickly.

About 3 Hours Before Guests Arrive

• Mix and shape the chicken meatballs. Cover them and place them in the fridge until baking time.

• Slice the zucchini and red bell pepper. Keep them in the fridge, but wait to season them until right before roasting so the zucchini doesn’t release too much water.

• Measure the orzo, broth, Parmesan, butter, lemons, shallot, and garlic. The orzo is the most active part of dinner, so having everything ready will make the last stretch feel much calmer.

About 90 Minutes Before Guests Arrive

• Top the whipped feta with honey, pistachios, lemon zest, black pepper, and a small drizzle of olive oil. Put the olives in a separate bowl.

• Set out pita, pita chips, cucumbers, and mini sweet peppers.

• Take the meatballs out of the fridge so they’re not going into the oven completely cold.

About 60 Minutes Before Guests Arrive

• Bake the chicken meatballs. Once they’re cooked through, cover them loosely with foil and keep them warm.

• Put the sangria in a pretty pitcher, or make sure the pitcher is ready to go in the fridge. Set aside ice and extra fruit for serving.

• If kids are coming and will need to eat early, get their fruit and dips ready now. This is also a good time to make sure the air fryer is clean and available for nuggets.

About 30 Minutes Before Guests Arrive

• Roast the zucchini and red bell pepper. Once they’re done, finish with lemon juice, Parmesan, and herbs if using. This side can sit for a bit and still be lovely warm or closer to room temperature.

• Put out the whipped feta, olives, pita, cucumbers, and peppers.

• Start the first round of chicken nuggets if you know the kids will be hungry right away.

When Guests Arrive

• Let people graze on the whipped feta and olives while everyone settles in.

• Serve the rosé sangria over ice, with fruit in each glass. For kids or anyone skipping alcohol, pour lemonade or white grape juice with orange and peach slices so they still get a fun glass.

• If the kids are hungry, feed them early. Air fryer nuggets, fruit, cucumbers, and ranch or ketchup are exactly right here.

About 20 Minutes Before Dinner

• Start the lemon orzo. Cook the shallot and garlic in butter and olive oil, toast the orzo, then add the broth and stir until the orzo is tender and silky.

• Finish with lemon zest, lemon juice, Parmesan, and extra broth as needed. Keep it loose and spoonable, because orzo will keep absorbing liquid while everyone wanders toward the table.

Right Before Dinner

• Rewarm the meatballs if needed, then serve them over the brothy lemon orzo or alongside it.

• Transfer the roasted zucchini and red pepper to a serving dish. Add extra Parmesan, herbs, or a little lemon if it needs waking up.

• Bring everything to the table family-style: meatballs, lemon orzo, zucchini and red pepper, extra pita, lemon wedges, and any sauce you want to serve alongside.

After Dinner

• Serve the Greek honey cake with vanilla ice cream. Keep chopped pistachios or walnuts on the side if you’re using them, especially with kids or allergy concerns.

Below you’ll find the full recipes for this month’s Seasonal Supper Club, along with the printable invitation and place cards.

Whipped Feta with Honey, Pistachios & Olives

Ingredients

Serves 6 to 8 as an appetizer

• 8 oz feta cheese, crumbled
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 small garlic clove, grated, or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 to 2 tablespoons honey, plus more to taste
• 1/4 cup pistachios, chopped
• Black pepper
• Lemon zest, optional
• Olives, for serving
• Warm pita, pita chips, cucumber slices, and mini sweet peppers, for serving

Directions

1. Make the whipped feta.
   Add the feta, cream cheese, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic to a food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. Taste and adjust with more lemon juice or a small drizzle of honey if you want it a little softer and sweeter.

2. Spoon it into a serving bowl.
   Spread the whipped feta into a shallow bowl or onto a small platter, using the back of a spoon to make a few swirls on top.

3. Add the toppings.
   Drizzle with honey and a little olive oil, then sprinkle with chopped pistachios, black pepper, and lemon zest if using.

4. Serve.
   Set the whipped feta out with olives in a separate bowl, plus warm pita, pita chips, cucumbers, and mini sweet peppers for dipping.

Table In Season Note

Keep the olives separate from the whipped feta so guests can decide how much briny and salty they want, and so the bowl stays creamy and pretty. If you’re not sure about nut allergies, serve the pistachios in a small bowl on the side instead of sprinkling them over the top.

Greek Chicken Meatballs

Ingredients

Serves 6 to 8

• 2 lbs ground chicken
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3 cloves garlic, minced, or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or 1/2 teaspoon if using Cavender’s
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons Cavender’s Greek Seasoning, optional for extra flavor
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley or dill, optional
• 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, for brushing or drizzling

Directions

1. Mix the meatballs.
   Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, panko, feta, eggs, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, onion powder, salt, pepper, Cavender’s if using, and herbs if using. Mix gently until everything is combined, trying not to overwork the meat.

2. Shape the meatballs.
   Use a cookie scoop or your hands to form the mixture into meatballs, about 1 1/2 inches each. Place them on the prepared baking sheet with a little space between each one. Drizzle or brush the tops lightly with olive oil.

3. Bake.
   Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, until the meatballs are golden in spots and cooked through. If you want a little more color, broil them for 1 to 2 minutes at the end, keeping a close eye on them.

4. Serve.
   Serve warm over brothy lemon orzo, with zucchini and red pepper on the side. Add extra feta, lemon wedges, or a spoonful of lemon garlic sauce at the table if desired.

Table In Season Note

For hosting, bake the meatballs on parchment so cleanup is easy, then transfer them to a shallow serving bowl or platter with lemon wedges and a little extra feta scattered over the top. They will look more intentional than the effort required, which is always the goal.

Brothy Lemon Orzo

Ingredients

Serves 6 to 8

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 shallot, finely diced, or 1/2 small yellow onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups dry orzo
• 5 to 6 cups chicken broth, plus more as needed
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Juice of 1 to 2 lemons, to taste
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley or dill, optional
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• Extra butter or olive oil, for finishing

Directions

1. Start the base.
   In a large skillet or wide pot, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the shallot, or the onion if that is what you have, and cook until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.

2. Toast the orzo.
   Add the dry orzo to the pan and stir it into the butter, oil, shallot, and garlic. Let it toast for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring often.

3. Cook the orzo.
   Add 5 cups of chicken broth and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring often, until the orzo is tender and the broth has turned silky, about 10 to 12 minutes. Add more broth as needed to keep it loose and spoonable.

4. Finish with lemon and Parmesan.
   Turn the heat to low. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, Parmesan, and herbs if using. Taste and adjust with salt, pepper, more lemon juice, or an extra pat of butter. Add more broth as needed until the orzo is loose, silky, and spoonable.

5. Serve.
   Spoon the orzo into a shallow serving dish and top with the Greek chicken meatballs, or serve the meatballs alongside it. Add a little extra broth right before serving if the orzo has thickened.

Table In Season Note

This is the recipe to make right before everyone sits down. Keep extra broth nearby, because orzo likes to drink up every bit of liquid while you’re not watching.

Lemon Garlic Roasted Zucchini & Red Pepper

Ingredients

Serves 6 to 8

• 4 medium zucchini, sliced into thick half-moons
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips or chunky pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Cavender’s Greek Seasoning, optional
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Juice of 1/2 lemon, plus more to taste
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
• Chopped parsley or dill, optional

Directions

1. Prep the vegetables.
   Preheat the oven to 425°F. Slice the zucchini into thick half-moons, about 1/2 inch thick, so they can roast without getting too soft. Slice the red bell pepper into strips or chunky pieces.

2. Season.
   Spread the zucchini and red bell pepper on a large sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, then season with garlic powder, salt, pepper, Cavender’s if using, and lemon zest. If you’re using Cavender’s, go lighter on the salt at first and adjust after roasting. Toss well and spread the vegetables out as much as possible. Use two pans if needed.

3. Roast.
   Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring once, until the zucchini is tender and the vegetables are golden in spots. If you want a little extra color, broil for 1 to 2 minutes at the end.

4. Finish.
   Squeeze lemon juice over the vegetables while they’re still warm, then sprinkle with Parmesan and herbs if using. Taste and add more lemon, salt, or pepper as needed.

Greek Honey Cake

Ingredients

Serves 8 to 10

For the cake:

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the honey syrup:

• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 cinnamon stick, optional

For serving:

• Vanilla ice cream, optional but recommended
• Chopped pistachios or walnuts, optional
• Extra honey, optional

Directions

1. Bake the cake.
   Preheat the oven according to the cake mix package directions. Grease a 9x13 baking dish. In a large bowl, mix the cake mix, eggs, oil, Greek yogurt, orange zest, cinnamon, and vanilla until smooth. Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake according to the package directions, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

2. Make the honey syrup.
   While the cake bakes, combine the honey, water, sugar, orange juice, lemon juice, and cinnamon stick if using in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, then remove from the heat.

3. Soak the cake.
   When the cake comes out of the oven, use a skewer or toothpick to poke holes all over the top. Slowly pour the warm honey syrup over the warm cake, letting it soak in as evenly as possible.

4. Let it rest.
   Let the cake sit for at least 30 minutes before serving. It can also be made earlier in the day or the night before, which makes it a very friendly hosting dessert.

5. Serve.
   Cut into squares and serve with vanilla ice cream. Add chopped pistachios or walnuts if you want, or keep the nuts on the side if kids or allergies are a concern.

Table In Season Note

Set the cake out on a simple platter with a small bowl of vanilla ice cream nearby, and keep any chopped nuts on the side. It feels special, but the boxed cake mix keeps it from becoming the reason you need to lie down before guests arrive.

Golden Hour Rosé Sangria

Ingredients

Serves 6 to 8

• 1 bottle rosé
• 1/4 cup orange liqueur, such as Cointreau or Grand Marnier
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 orange, thinly sliced
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• 1 peach or nectarine, thinly sliced
• 1 cup green grapes, halved
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• Ice, for serving
• Fresh mint or rosemary, optional

Directions

1. Make the honey mixture.
   In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir the honey with the orange juice until the honey loosens and blends in. If needed, microwave it for 10 to 15 seconds so it stirs in more easily.

2. Build the sangria.
   Add the orange slices, lemon slices, peach or nectarine slices, and grapes to a large pitcher. Pour in the rosé, orange liqueur, and honey-orange juice mixture.

3. Chill.
   Stir well, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours. If you can make it 4 to 6 hours ahead, even better, because the fruit has time to settle into the wine.

4. Serve.
   Fill glasses with ice, pour the sangria over the top, and add a little fruit to each glass. Garnish with mint or rosemary if you want it to look a little more special.

Table In Season Note

Set the pitcher out with a small bowl of extra fruit and a bucket of ice so guests can pour their own. For kids or anyone skipping alcohol, put out lemonade or white grape juice with orange and peach slices so they still get a pretty glass.

One Last Note

Choose a date, invite the easy people, make the food, and let the night be a little imperfect. If the kids eat nuggets and the orzo thickens while you’re answering the door and someone brings a bottle of wine you didn’t ask for, that still counts.

Especially that, probably. 🍷

Serves 4 to 6

• 1 large bag frozen beef ravioli, about 24 to 30 oz
• 1 jar smooth marinara sauce, about 24 oz
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Olive oil or cooking spray, for the baking dish

Directions

1. Prep the baking dish.
   Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish with olive oil or cooking spray.

2. Layer the ravioli.
   Spread a thin layer of marinara in the bottom of the baking dish. Add half of the frozen ravioli in an even layer, then top with more marinara, half of the mozzarella, a little Parmesan, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and black pepper.

3. Repeat.
   Add the remaining ravioli, the rest of the marinara, the remaining mozzarella, and the remaining Parmesan. Sprinkle a little extra Italian seasoning over the top if you want.

4. Bake.
   Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the ravioli is tender and the sauce is bubbling. Remove the foil and bake for another 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden in spots.

5. Serve.
   Let the baked ravioli rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving so it scoops more easily.

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Prep Ahead

• The whole dish can be assembled earlier in the day, covered, and kept in the fridge until baking.
• If baking straight from the fridge, add 5 to 10 extra minutes to the covered baking time.

Leftover Tips

• Leftovers reheat well in the microwave or covered in the oven.

Serves 4

• 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 4 pita rounds, pita pockets, or pieces of naan
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter, for the skillet

For the lemon garlic sauce:

• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, or 1 small garlic clove, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For serving:

• 1 cucumber, sliced
• Extra lemon garlic sauce, for dipping
• Olives, optional
• Pita chips, optional

Directions

1. Make the sauce.
   In a small bowl, stir together the Greek yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Taste and add more lemon juice if you want it brighter.

2. Mix the chicken.
   Add the shredded rotisserie chicken to a bowl and stir in a few spoonfuls of the lemon garlic sauce, just enough to coat the chicken lightly and keep it from drying out.

3. Fill the pita.
   Layer the chicken, feta, and mozzarella inside the pita or over half of each pita round. Fold closed if using flat pita or naan. If using pita pockets, tuck the filling inside gently so they do not split.

4. Toast the melts.
   Heat olive oil or butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the filled pita and cook for 2 to 4 minutes per side, until the outside is golden and the cheese is melted. Work in batches if needed.

5. Serve.
   Slice the pita melts into halves or wedges and serve with cucumber slices and extra lemon garlic sauce for dipping.

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Prep Ahead

• Make the lemon garlic sauce up to 2 days ahead and store it covered in the fridge.
• Shred the rotisserie chicken earlier in the day.
• Slice the cucumbers ahead and keep them chilled.

Leftover Tips

• Reheat leftover pita melts in a skillet or air fryer so the outside crisps back up.
• Use extra chicken, feta, and sauce in a quick lunch bowl with rice, cucumbers, and pita chips.
• Extra lemon garlic sauce is good with grilled chicken, roasted vegetables, or snack plates.