I’ve always been a planner; lesson plans color-coded, parent emails flagged, bulletin boards changed with the seasons. In the classroom, I was prepared. But in the kitchen? That’s another story.

More times than I care to admit, I’ve started cooking a recipe and realized halfway through that I was supposed to chill something overnight or soften the butter an hour ago. My students would be shocked. At school, I never missed a prep task. At home, I’m winging it with one eye on the clock and the other on my hungry family.

That’s why I love Plan to Eat. I know it sounds dramatic, but this little app has rescued more dinners than I can count. I drag the recipe into the menu calendar, and it reminds me that I need to soak, thaw, or prep something ahead of time. It’s like my lesson planner, but for food. This year, I made a quiet commitment to myself: Prep in the kitchen the same way I prepped in the classroom. Not just to get the job done, but to slow down and enjoy the process. To light the candle. To stir with intention. To not miss the sweetness because I was too busy rushing through the routine.

I recently made one of the easiest and most nostalgic desserts I know: No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies. But in our house, we don’t call them that. We call them Yum Yumms, because they are yummy yummy. That name started when I was a kid, and it just stuck. Even now, my grown-up friends and family still call them that, like it’s the most natural thing in the world. There’s something about the name that makes you pause and smile, that invites you to slow down and savor—not just the cookie, but the moment. Calling them by their proper name feels too formal, too buttoned-up for something that’s always been about joy, about simplicity, about not missing the sweetness right in front of you.

Yum Yumms

What You Will Need:

What You Will Need To Do:

1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or set out about 25-30 cupcake liners.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine 1⁄2 cup salted butter, 2 cups sugar, 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, and 1⁄2 cup milk.
3. Set the pan over medium heat and stir frequently until the mixture comes to a full boil.
4. Once boiling, let it boil 60 seconds without stirring (trust the process).
5. Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2⁄3 cup creamy peanut butter, and 3 cups quick oats.
6. Mix until well combined.
7. Drop spoonfuls (about 2 tablespoons each) onto the baking sheets or into liners. I use a scoop.
8. Let them set at room temperature for 20–30 minutes, or pop them into the fridge to speed it up.
9. Store in an airtight container. Try not to eat half the batch before dinner.

Sometimes slowing down starts in the smallest ways. Like reading the recipe all the way through. Or giving yourself the time to make dessert on a weekend instead of grabbing something in a rush. I almost missed the sweetness not just in food, but in life because I wasn’t paying attention.

Intentional living isn’t always big and dramatic. Sometimes, it’s cookies on a parchment-lined tray and a gentle nudge from your calendar app saying, “Hey, soak the beans tonight.” It’s learning that the people in your life (yourself included) deserve your attention, not just your effort.

So today I’m asking:
What have you almost missed because you were too busy? And what could change if you prepped a little sooner, paused a little longer, and stayed present in your own life?

Because sometimes what saves dinner… ends up saving the day too.

Gracefully yours,

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