Coffee with Kathy: What You Told Us in October

Pour yourself a cup. This month I asked what you do with a recipe you love, how you’d hunt for the next one, and what cooking at home actually means to you. One answer made me laugh. One got me right in the heart.

(Pst… this post may contain affiliate links. You pay the same price, but I receive a few cents as a thank you for introducing you to the product. I only recommend what I personally use and love, because mindful purchasing is important to me!)

Most of you are emailing recipes to yourselves. 19 of 36, to be exact. The little heart button and the “save this recipe” box? Seven votes, combined.

If that sounds familiar, it’s June’s AI buttons all over again. I keep building buttons, and you keep doing what already works. Honestly? Respect.

And you do save. When I asked what you do with a recipe you love, the top answer was save it for later (20 of 49). One of you explained it perfectly: some get made right away, others wait “for later, after I get the ingredients.” After last month, that tracks. A missing ingredient is exactly what sends you clicking away.

Then I asked what cooking at home means to you. 30 of 77 said the same thing: it’s how I take care of the people I love.

Put that next to last month, when “completely out of energy” topped the list of things you wanted help with. You’re tired, and you cook for them anyway.

Someone wrote in: “It’s rewarding, but demanding.” Yes. Both. Every single night.

So here’s my end of the deal. The recipe filter I promised is live, and the three things you said you’d reach for first (cuisine, main ingredient, and time) are all in there. Less hunting, more of the part that matters.

We also made our Thanksgiving meal plans 10x better than last year by adding specific menus, shopping lists, and more helpful resources!

Every answer here came from someone reading a recipe on this site, just like you. Since May, you’ve answered my questions 1,510 times – and every round has changed something. The full numbers are below, along with my own answers (fair’s fair).

Happy cooking,
Kathy 🍋

The numbers behind this month

Since May: 19 questions, 1,510 answers. Here’s October.

What does cooking at home mean to you?

77 answers

It’s how I take care of the people I love

30

It’s a creative outlet – I love making something

25

It’s practical – feeding myself well, simply

13

It’s how I decompress after a long day

6

Something else

3


My answer: It’s how I take care of the people I love

When you find a recipe here that you love, what do you do?

49 answers

Save it to come back to later

20

Make it that same week

13

Share it with someone who’d love it

6

Print it or send it to my phone for the kitchen

6

Something else

4


My answer: Make it that same week

When you’re hunting for a recipe here, what’s the first thing you’d filter by?

80 answers

Cuisine – the kind of food

21

Main ingredient – what I’ve got to use

20

Time – how fast it is

18

Number of ingredients – how short the list is

10

Dietary – what fits my needs

7

Something else

4


My answer: Main ingredient – what I’ve got to use

When saving a recipe, you…

36 answers

Email it to yourself

19

Pin it for later

8

Use the heart icon to save

4

Use the “save this recipe” box

3

Something else

2


My answer: Email it to yourself (yes, I do this too!)

What you taught me

These surveys helped me understand our community so much better:

  • We cook for the same reason: the people around our table. That’s why everything here is built for real kitchens and real weeknights.
  • We’re curious cooks who love to improvise. So the recipes we update get swaps and tips that let you make them your own.
  • Some nights we’re running on empty. So we’re making it easier to find the right dinner fast, whether you start from a craving, what’s in the fridge, or how much time you’ve got.
  • We trust what we can see. So updated recipes get clearer steps and more photos to cook along with.

Thank you for every answer so far. You’ve shaped this kitchen more than you know.

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