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About

Welcome to Butter & Baggage!

I’m Barbara, and I’m glad you’re here. I love creating delicious, high-quality recipes for people who enjoy cooking.

I believe good food makes people happy. And as a busy attorney, wife and mother I’ve learned preparing homemade meals doesn’t have to mean long hours in the kitchen. That’s why many of the recipes like queso chicken on this site can be on the table in 30 minutes.

Barbara choosing tomatoes at the farmers market.

Transform your weeknight dinners into something special.

With hundreds of recipes to choose from, I’ll help you prepare high-quality, simple meals that your whole family will love.

Here you’ll find

  • Recipes with that “special something” to stand out from the crowd
  • Fresh, seasonal ingredients you’ll feel good about eating
  • Comfort food with a Southern flair for people who enjoy quality food
  • Restaurant-style meals you can make at home
  • And of course, an abundance of butter!

Butter has been a passion of mine since I first started baking and cooking in high school. After my first failed banana pie recipe gleaned from Seventeen Magazine, my quest for buttery baking perfection was born.

In fact, I might be a bit of a butter snob! I used to get into fights with my grandfather about the merits of using oleo versus butter. It is the running joke in our house that the butter needs to be from ‘happy cows’ within 50 miles of where we are.

Here are a few of our buttery favorites: Homemade yeast rolls, cinnamon rolls, buttery Chex mix, chocolate pretzel bark and the best mashed potatoes.

A bowl of buttery chex mix, with pretzels.

Over the years my love of food has woven its way into my family’s culinary adventures. As luck would have it, I was blessed with a mother-in-law who loved cooking as much as I did and didn’t mind my sometimes-disastrous experiments in her kitchen.

As my skills improved, many of the meals I made became popular with my family and friends. I love gathering loved ones together around the table, sharing good food and creating memories.

My official taste testers are my husband Michael and our two daughters, Taylor and Natalie, who are in and out as young adult life dictates. I refer to them often, as they are my best critics and also the pickiest eaters I know. I am always amazed when I make something that all three of them like.

We are a family that loves to travel. Many of the recipes here are influenced by our visits to some of my favorite places. I’m inspired by the use of fresh ingredients in French and Italian cooking and incorporate these techniques into many of the meals I create, like mini croque monsieurs and pasta alla vodka.

Mini croque monsiuers on a platter.

Thanks for stopping by!

I hope that these recipes become classics in your home and wherever you take them. I have always thought that whenever you pass along a recipe, a little piece of your love and soul goes with it. With this blog I pass on my love of baking, traveling, and butter to all of you.

Barbara choosing peaches at the farmers market.

I’d love to hear your comments and feedback as you share in my culinary adventures. You can contact me here: butterandbaggage@ gmail.com, or connect in Instagram.

Planning for the holidays? Check out my free No Hassle Holidays guide to side dishes. These mouth-watering recipes are sure to become family favorites for years to come.

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