welcome to my kitchen
tips & tricks
Most savory recipes can be improved by adding Sriracha, miso, or Dijon mustard: the trick is knowing which..
recipes
recipe difficulty
🥄: lowest difficulty, doable on all but the absolute worst days
🥄🥄🥄🥄🥄: highest difficulty, requires significant time and physical and/or cognitive effort
⭐: favorite recipes that I make a lot
breakfasts · lunches & dinners · sides
muffins & breads · snacks · desserts · beverages · holidays
breakfast
⭐ scrambled egg muffin: 🥄
⭐ baked oatmeal cups: 🥄
mini Dutch baby pancakes: 🥄🥄🥄🥄
Grape Nut custard pudding: 🥄🥄
stuffed French toast roll-ups: 🥄🥄🥄
lunches & dinners
garlic miso chicken: 🥄🥄
⭐ orange teriyaki salmon: 🥄🥄
⭐ maple dijon autumn veggies & sausage roast: 🥄
slow cooker cheesy chicken taquitos: 🥄
chili lime steak bites: 🥄🥄🥄
marry me chicken: 🥄
pot roast: 🥄
⭐ garlic parmesan chicken & potatoes: 🥄🥄
baked macaroni and cheese: 🥄🥄🥄
(the secret ingredient for baked mac'n'cheese? Dijon mustard, ~1 Tbsp. you're welcome.)
slow cooker lasagna: 🥄🥄
⭐ sweet chili lime salmon: 🥄
(you can leave out the lime juice)
rosemary garlic slow cooker beef stew: 🥄🥄
sides
butter garlic mushrooms: 🥄🥄
⭐ honey garlic butter roasted carrots: 🥄
deviled eggs: 🥄
muffins & breads
Earl Grey tea cake: 🥄🥄🥄
pumpkin muffins: 🥄🥄🥄
⭐ banana bread muffins: 🥄🥄
snacks
peanut butter honey oatmeal bars: 🥄🥄
edible (eggless) cookie dough: 🥄
desserts
air fryer chocolate chip cookies: 🥄🥄🥄
⭐ air fryer "apple pie guts": 🥄🥄
chocolate chip cookies: 🥄🥄🥄
magic custard cake: 🥄🥄
red velvet cake: 🥄🥄🥄🥄
beverages
piña colada smoothie: 🥄
cinnamon roll smoothie: 🥄
⭐ blueberry pie smoothie: 🥄
⭐ easy lemonade: 🥄
⭐ builder's tea
holiday specials
Shabbat challah bites: 🥄🥄🥄🥄
⭐ Shabbat Shirley Temple: 🥄
Christmas friendship dough starter: 🥄🥄
Christmas sugar cookies: 🥄🥄🥄
Note: I have both Jewish & Christian holidays listed because I am giyur, a Jew-in-progress, but I still celebrate Christmas and Easter (non-religiously) with my family of origin. I am not Messianic (and Messianic "Jews" are not Jewish).
about
F.A.Q.
Who are you, anyway?
I'm Meep, the person behind pine island projects. I'm 30something, disabled (hEDS, ME/CFS), neurodivergent (ADHD, OCD, PTSD, &c), and overworked/underpaid. I live alone with my cat and so cook for one (somewhat picky) eater [myself].
Do you keep kosher?
No.
Why do you make so many simple things from scratch?
I'm an American immigrant living in Japan. It is difficult, expensive, and sometimes impossible to get common boxed or pre-made comfort foods here so I had to learn how to do it myself.
(… but I always bring back boxes of cake mix when I visit the States.)
Do you have any food allergies?
No, but I have a Pinterest board of allergen friendly recipes from when I was living with my brother and brother-in-law (no eggs, soy, gluten, or shellfish). Aleksei, my brother-in-law, also has a Pinterest board of allergen friendly instant pot recipes and allergen friendly weeknight dinner recipes.