Welcome to Time for the Table! I'm Lauren, the recipe developer, writer, and photographer around here. I make easy prep family dinners and recipes that are ready in 30 minutes or less - with a modern Midwestern flair.
I've travelled around the world and have tried many different types of cuisines, but my Midwestern roots run deep. I consider my cooking style modern Midwestern since you might find a surprising global twist on classic Midwestern recipes. Instead of a traditional Midwestern cucumber salad with a creamy base, I make a Cucumber & Bell Pepper Salad that has a soy sauce base with a nod to Asian cuisine. I also like to find ways to lighten hearty classic Midwestern recipes. For example, instead of fried chicken, I make Panko Crusted Baked Chicken Legs.
The Beginning
I am thirties-something Kansas native and mom of three young boys. My boys are always hungry and constantly eating, so I spend what feels like hours and hours cooking (and cleaning!) every day in the kitchen.
Even though I spend so much time cooking, I've realized how much of a blessing cooking homemade food is for my little family. Not only am I teaching my kids healthy eating habits, but I am also teaching them a deep love for time eating together around the table!
In fact, research has shown that eating meals together as a family is extremely beneficial, especially for kids. Some benefits of eating together are:
- Helps prevent adulthood weight struggles
- Helps prevent mental health disorders
- Helps improve self-esteem
- Encourages healthy eating habits
- Helps improve communication skills
Many of us view cooking as a chore. Believe me, many times cooking IS a chore. However, with the years I've spent cooking and developing recipes in my own kitchen for my own family, I've found many helpful shortcuts that have made cooking faster and more enjoyable.
In 2021, I started Time for the Table to share the tips & tricks I've learned over the years to make easy-prep recipes that you and your family or friends can enjoy together.
Fun Facts About Me
- Some of my favorite things include: drinking my morning coffee (black, please!), reading books about history, taking long walks outside, fixing up houses, making homemade meals for my family, and savoring red wine.
- I've traveled to more than 23 countries across the world and have set foot on four continents. I've gone scuba diving between tectonic plates in Iceland, soared across waterfalls on the longest zip-line in Asia, and have seen the Sydney Opera house in Australia. My world travels slowed wayyyyy down after the birth of my first son in 2014. Honestly, my traveling days seem like a lifetime ago!
- Because of my extensive traveling, I've also been able to try a variety of foods. The craziest thing I've eaten is balut - a fertilized duck egg - in the Philippines and svið - a boiled sheeps head - in Iceland.
- Even though I've visited many different countries, the state of Kansas has always been my home. I've lived in both Wichita and the Kansas City metro area. My husband was born in Iowa and moved to Kansas when he was eight so our Midwestern roots are very strong.
- I grew up a die-hard Kansas State Wildcats fan, but life has a sense of humor. I actually graduated from the University of Kansas with a Bachelor's of Liberal Arts degree in Communication Studies. Who would have thought?
- I started shopping at Aldi when I was a broke newlywed and still enjoy shopping there. A large majority of the recipes I make are recipes with ingredients you can find at Aldi. I love Aldi’s no-frills business model and I can get my grocery shopping done in less than 30 minutes - all while saving money! I've recently started shopping more at Sam's Club since my boys can put away food like no one's business and the bulk options can work out to be a comparable price.
- Content publishing has always been a hobby of mine! I've had webpages on Expage, Angelfire, Geocities, Xanga, Blogspot, and WordPress throughout my life. My first job out of college was as even as a website manager.
Connect with Me
I always appreciate any feedback about a recipe I posted. Did you love it? Hate it? Did you make some additions or revisions? You can contact me by sending me an email at timeforthetable(at)gmail(dot)com. You can also follow me on social media on Instagram or Pinterest.