Darn Near Home-Made

I love the idea of a home-cooked meal.

I love the feeling of something warm coming out of the oven, the smell of food in the kitchen, and knowing there is something good ready for my family to eat.

But let’s be honest.

Most of us do not have hours every day to cook from scratch.

We are tired. We are busy. We are working, caregiving, running errands, trying to keep up with appointments, bills, laundry, family, and life. Sometimes dinner feels like one more thing on a list that already feels too long.

That is why I created Darn Near Home-Made.

This cookbook is for the woman who wants to eat better, feed her family well, and have real food ready during the week — without making life harder than it already is.

No Chef needed.

No fancy ingredients.

Done quickly cooking.

Make meals that feel homemade, taste comforting, and help you stay on track when life gets busy.

Why Make-Ahead Meals Matter

One of the biggest things I have learned is this: when food is already made, you are more likely to eat better. When you are tired and hungry, it is so easy to grab whatever is fastest. And sometimes that is fine. We are human. But if you have meals already made in the refrigerator or freezer, everything changes. You can heat something up.You can make a quick plate.You can avoid the “what are we eating?” panic.You can save money.You can feel a little more in control of your week.

Make-ahead meals are not just about food. They are about peace.

They give you one less thing to worry about.

What You Will Find Inside

Inside Darn Near Home-Made, you will find easy meals that are simple enough for real life but still feel cozy, filling, and made with love.

The recipes are created for busy weeks, tired nights, and people who want food that works.

You will find meals that can be:

• made ahead

• reheated during the week

• used for lunches

• served for dinner

• frozen for later

• stretched into more than one meal

• made without making the kitchen feel overwhelming

These are the kinds of meals that help you eat healthy all week without feeling like you have to start over every single day.

Healthy Does Not Have to Be Complicated

Sometimes people hear the word “healthy” and think it means expensive, bland, hard, or full of ingredients nobody can pronounce. That is not what this cookbook is about.

To me, healthy food means food that helps your body, supports your energy, and makes you feel better after eating It can still be warm.It can still be comforting. It can still taste good.It can still feel like home. This cookbook is about finding that balance — meals that are practical, comforting, and better for you than constantly grabbing something out of stress or exhaustion.

For the Woman Trying to Get Her Life Back

I know what it feels like to be overwhelmed.

I know what it feels like to have life come at you so fast that even cooking feels like too much.

After caregiving, hospital stays, health scares, Gary’s cancer journey, and trying to rebuild our lives, I learned how important it is to make things simpler.

Food was one of those things.

It honestly does not have to be complicated. Just simple, doable, and helpful.

That is what Darn Near Home-Made is meant to be. A cookbook that helps you feel like, “Okay, I can do this.”

This Is Comfort Cooking for Busy Lives

You don't have to be a chef.

You don't have to cook every single night.

You don't have to do everything from scratch.

You just need meals that help you get through the week feeling a little more prepared, a little more nourished, and a little less stressed.

Darn Near Home-Made is for the busy woman, the tired woman, the caregiver, the mom, the wife, the

single woman, the woman starting over, and the woman who simply wants to make life easier.

Because sometimes the best kind of meal is a meal that comes together fast.

It is just ready, warm, good, and made with care.

And honestly? That is close enough to homemade for me.

Darn Near Home-Made is coming from Living With Teri — easy meals, make-ahead comfort, and simple ways to eat healthier all week.

DM to pre-order your copy- $24.99 each These would make great Christmas Gifts.