Welcome to My Homemade Cooking
I’m Alice
I never imagined I’d become a recipe creator. For most of my twenties, I avoided cooking anything more complicated than scrambled eggs or pasta with jarred sauce.
The turning point came four years ago when my partner and I moved into our first apartment together. Excited but broke, we were surviving on takeout that was slowly draining our wallets. One particularly pricey sushi night, we looked at each other and said, “We need to fix this.”
The next morning, I video-called my mom in a panic. “How do I actually make food?” she laughed and walked me through her simple roast chicken recipe—the one she made every Sunday when I was growing up, but that I’d never paid attention to. I scribbled notes on a sticky note, hung up, and gave it a try.
It was… okay. Not perfect, not Instagram-worthy, but edible. And somehow, making that one meal sparked something in me I hadn’t realized was there.
How Cooking Became My Routine
I started calling my mom every few days for recipes. She’d explain, I’d attempt, sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t. My partner became my honest taste-tester (“It’s good, but maybe less salt next time?”).
What surprised me most was how much I enjoyed the process. Chopping vegetables became meditative. The sizzle of onions hitting a hot pan became satisfying. The smell of something homemade filling our apartment made it feel like home.
I began experimenting, tweaking my mom’s recipes, and trying techniques I saw online. Some attempts were disasters—like the time I confused baking soda with baking powder and made hockey puck muffins. Slowly, though, I started getting the hang of it.
Friends noticed. They’d come over and ask, “You made this? From scratch?” Yes—and you can too. It’s not as hard as it seems.
How My Homemade Cooking Began
About a year into my cooking journey, a coworker asked if I had my recipes written down anywhere. I didn’t—they were scattered across phone notes, texts to my mom, and scraps of paper in a drawer.
That weekend, I created My Homemade Cooking. The name came from my partner, who’d always say, “I want something homemade” whenever we talked about meals. It started as a way to organize my recipes to share with friends.
But something unexpected happened. Strangers started finding my recipes online. Comments like “This was my first time making lasagna and it actually worked!” or “Made this on a Tuesday night with my kids—thank you for keeping it simple” began appearing.
Those messages meant the world to me. I remembered being the person intimidated by cooking. If my recipes could help someone else feel capable in the kitchen, it was all worth it.
Recipes You’ll Actually Use
My Homemade Cooking is built on one core belief: good food doesn’t need fancy equipment, expensive ingredients, or culinary school. It just needs recipes that work and clear instructions that guide you along the way.
Here’s what I focus on:
- Weeknight-friendly meals – Most recipes take 45 minutes or less, because I know your time is valuable
- Budget-conscious cooking – Delicious meals that don’t break the bank, using regular grocery ingredients
- Beginner-tested recipes – If I could figure it out as a nervous beginner, so can you
- Real-life flexibility – Don’t have that exact ingredient? I’ll suggest alternatives
- Simple desserts – Sweet treats that don’t take all day
My Recipe Method
Every recipe on this site has been made multiple times in my small apartment kitchen with everyday tools. I note what works, what’s tricky, and what can be skipped if you’re short on time. I include photos of the process, not just the final dish, so you can see what it should look like along the way.
I’m not a professional chef. I’m a home cook who learned through trial and error, countless questions to my mom, and a genuine love for creating meals that bring people together. That’s why these recipes work for real people with real lives.
My Kitchen Philosophy
Cooking shouldn’t feel stressful or like a chore. It should be the part of your day that grounds you and lets you create something tangible with your own hands.
You don’t need natural talent or a cooking background. You just need to start, be patient with yourself, and remember that every “failed” recipe teaches you something valuable.
Some of my favorite meals are the simplest—garlic and olive oil pasta, roasted vegetables with good seasoning, a fluffy omelet. Complexity doesn’t equal deliciousness. Heart and attention do.
Ready to Cook? Let’s Start
Whether you’re a complete beginner, returning to cooking after years of takeout, or just looking for reliable weeknight recipes—you’re in the right place.
Follow My Homemade Cooking on social media for extra recipes, tips, and behind-the-scenes cooking fun. Questions or recipe results? Email me at [email protected]—I personally read every message.
Thank you for being here and trusting me with your meals. Now let’s make something delicious.
— Alice
