In this episode, Dina chats with friend and guest Ruth McKeaney — former attorney turned home renovator, cookbook author, and host of Hungry for Home. Ruth shares how she went from the courtroom to flipping houses with her husband, moving every 18 months while raising five kids, and discovering her creative side through necessity.

They talk about:

• Faith in uncertainty — Ruth’s journey of trusting God through constant moves, chaos, and identity shifts.
• Marriage as a team — how she and her husband supported each other during 16 years of renovations.
• Hospitality + kitchen life — freezer marinades, her go-to takeout, and the gluten-free Trader Joe’s cake she hides from her kids.
• Signature recipe — her “Barely Baked Cookies,” kept in frozen dough balls so she can bake fresh cookies for guests anytime.

Ruth’s story is full of heart, humor, and encouragement for anyone navigating change, motherhood, or building a life centered on home and faith.

This week in the kitchen:

Featured recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookies from Hungry 4 Home Cookbook

Ingredients

4 sticks butter

2 tablespoons vanilla

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

2½ cups brown sugar

1½ teaspoons salt

1½ teaspoons baking soda

5 cups flour

1 bag of good chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli)

Instructions

Step 1: Soften the butter until partially melted. Stir in brown sugar, sugar, vanilla, and eggs.

Step 2: Combine salt, baking soda, and flour in a bowl.

Step 3: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix by hand. Do not overmix! Stir in chocolate chips.

Step 4: Using an ice cream scoop, spoon generous balls of cookie dough onto a greased and lined baking sheet. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes (or overnight).

Step 5: When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F on the convection setting.

Step 6: Put the cold cookie dough tray into the oven and bake until the edges are brown but centers are still gooey (about 10 minutes). They will look “barely-baked.”

Resources: Dina’s Cookbook-https://www.amazon.com/At-Kitchen-Sink-Recipes-Cookbook/dp/0593728939

Hungry 4 Home Book: https://www.hungry4home.com/shop2/p/hungry-for-home-a-year-together-at-hillside-farm

Connect with Ruth: https://www.hungry4home.com/

Ruth’s Instagram: @hungryforhome

Prefer video? This episode is on YouTube!

DishItGirl is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org

In this warm and joy-filled episode, Dina sits down with her friend Tasha Calvert, a beloved Bible teacher, host of the Digging In podcast, and author of the upcoming book Set Apart for More. The two dive into kitchen stories, faith journeys, and the surprising inspiration behind this week’s featured recipe.

Tasha walks us through the behind the scenes of her journey with the Bible. How she went from just reading words on a page to truly understanding the word of God. Tasha gives us practical, everyday ways to go from “fill in the blank” faith, to understanding faith in a way that transforms your life as Jesus intended.

This week in the kitchen:

Featured recipe: Red Pepper Jelly Apple Pie:

On the Menu This Week:

Grilled Chicken with lemon-pepper asparagus inspired by Tasha

Chicken Apple Quesadillas

Pie Crust

Ingredients

• 1¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• ½ tbsp sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 1¼ cups grated sharp cheddar
• 3 to 4 tablespoons ice cold water
• 1 egg yolk for egg wash

Filling

• 8 apples peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 cup hot pepper jelly
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions for the Pie Crust

• In the bowl of your food processor add the flour, sugar, salt, butter and cheddar. With the lid on, pulse until large crumbles form.
• With the processor running, add in 1 tablespoon of water at a time until the dough starts to come together.
• Form the dough into a round disc and wrap in plastic or place into a quart-size re-sealable bag. Chill dough in the fridge for about an hour.
• When ready to use place on a floured surface and let it come to room temperature before rolling out.

Instructions for the Filling/Assembly

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
2. Prepare a pie plate by buttering it and then taking about 1/2 tablespoon of flour sprinkling it around the bottom of the pie plate.
3. In a medium sized bowl add the apples
4. Mix the sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon in a small bowl; stir into the fruit. Put the hot pepper jelly in a glass measuring cup. Warm it in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds to loosen it up, then stir it into the fruit with the lemon juice.
5. Prepare to roll out the dough. Sprinkle some flour down on a flat surface and put some flour on your rolling pin as well. This helps keep the dough from sticking to the rolling pin and surface.
6. Take about 1/3 of the dough and roll it out into a flat, thin circle.
7. Place the dough over the pie plate so that it overflows the borders. Add the filling making sure you fill up the pie plate evenly.
8. If there is a lot of dough overflow use a sharp knife to cut away the extra dough. You can use that extra dough to roll out again and make strips to put over the top of the pie.
9. Add the apple and red pepper jelly mixture into the prepared pie plate, spread in an evenly layer.
10. Take the egg yolk and beat it for the egg wash. Brush the egg yolk over the top of the pie.
11. Before putting it in the oven cover the edges of the pie with foil. The edges tend to cook quick than the rest of the pie and it burns.
12. After about 25 minutes into baking remove the foil. Let the edges bake the rest of time. Another 15 minutes more
13. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely before serving.

Resources: Dina’s Cookbook-https://www.amazon.com/At-Kitchen-Sink-Recipes-Cookbook/dp/0593728939

Set Apart Book: https://www.bhpublishinggroup.com/set-apart-for-more/

Connect with Tasha-https://tashacalvert.com/

Tasha’s Instagram: @tistashcalvert

Prefer video? This episode is on YouTube!

DishItGirl is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org