Making Room by Gather

There are some recipe creators that quickly become a part of our family, and for me, The Defined Dish has always been one of them! 

I welcomed her on the show this week to talk about some of the things she does best - tips and trucks for unique menu planning AND recipes that are foodie and weeknight approved!

From sharing about her growing business, Side Dish, to the upcoming launch of her newest cookbook - we know this conversation is one you'll LOVE! 

Pre-order a copy of her latest cookbook here

Browse her recipe collection here

Get 20% off your first order of Side Dish here

This Episode is Sponsored by: 

Tiny Spoon Chef- Get $100 off your customized in home personal chef service using this link! 

Support the show

A few months back I met John O'Leary at an event, after not knowing much about him before that. His humility, integrity, and wisdom shined through and quickly I recognized that that type of leadership and relationship honest come without a story ...and that story needed to be heard. 

John O’Leary’s story began at nine years old, when a house fire left him burned on 100% of his body and given less than a 1% chance to live. Followed by years of hidden pain, stubborn hope, and a community that refused to let go. We sit with John to explore the heart behind Soul on Fire, the Sony film based on his life. 

If you’ve felt stretched thin as a new parent, lonely while building a business, or stuck in a season where yesterday feels better than tomorrow, this conversation offers practical hope. 

Stream Soul on Fire on Netflix or Amazon, then come back and tell us what moved you most. If this episode encouraged you, follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a friend who needs a reason to believe the best is still ahead.

Learn more about Soul on Fire 

Learn more about John O'Leary 

--------

This Episode is Sponsored by: 

Tiny Spoon Chef- Get $100 off your customized in home personal chef service using this link! 

Ten Boom Coffee- Order your favorite blends from a brand that supports worldwide communities and gives back with every purchase! Use code GATHER for 15% your first order 

Support the show

Do you buy wine based on the label? *No shame* Me too! 

With the holidays, literally HERE, I wanted to chat with a winemaker to give answers to my questions! 

We sit down with winemaker Andrea Card to make holiday wine approachable. Talking about the average day of a professional wine maker (Spoiler- it doesn't include daily charcuterie) to the process behind selecting labels this conversation is seasonal, light hearted and will lead you to you next best bottle of Prosecco *promise!*

 • Do wine makers get drunk at work (I know you're wondering too!)

  • Pairing made easy through complement or contrast 

•   Why bubbles work with almost everything • Diamond Prosecco style, origin, and serving idea

• The incredible experience that visiting Francis Ford Coppola offers! 

It's a season of celebration and well, this conversation is the perfect listen (and inspiration) as you set your table to celebrate! 

This Episode is Sponsored by: 

Tiny Spoon Chef- Get $100 off your customized in home personal chef service using this link! 

Creative Crayons Workshop- Purchase your own coloring tablecloth for the holidays (Or to keep your littles entertained while you listen to the show!) Use code KAYTY at checkout to save. 

Ten Boom Coffee- Order your favorite blends from a brand that supports worldwide communities and gives back with every purchase! Use code GATHER for 15% your first order 

Support the show

What if the missing link in your health story isn’t another pill, but intentional choices in your home, your gut, and a season of new conversations about health? We sit down with Dr. Ann Shippy, engineer turned board-certified functional medicine physician, to map a practical route from unexplained symptoms to real recovery. 

When conventional care couldn’t explain a sudden crash in her health, she became her own experiment and uncovered the systems thinking that now guides her patients toward lasting change. We dig into the important conversation of mold in our homes as an overlooked driver of illness. You’ll learn how to test your space with composite dust sampling, when it’s time to move to cleaner air, and the tools that promote healing. 

Whether you're interested in the conversation of longevity, pre-conception, mold and autoimmune disease this conversation is for you! 

If you’re ready to replace questions with answers and quick fixes with real life health transformations, this conversation gives you hope. 

This Episode is Sponsored by: 

Tiny Spoon Chef- Get $100 off your customized in home personal chef service using this link! 

Creative Crayons Workshop- Purchase your own coloring tablecloth for the holidays (Or to keep your littles entertained while you listen to the show!) Use code KAYTY at checkout to save. 

Support the show

Justin Earley found himself in a life rattling season in his early 30's. This unexpected, and at times, dark season reveled a profound truth: your heart follows your habits. Through this deeply personal, and relatable conversation  we explore the habits that actually lead to the changes we long for in our relationships, health and overall lives. Through this conversation you will hear more on the topics of: 

• living beyond labels and why naming is not fixing
• life as a garden not a machine
• breath prayer and box breathing to calm the nervous system
• practice your way out of what you practiced your way into
• pause prayers that lead to healthy parenting patterns 
• eating, exercise, and 10 other new approaches to habits that lead to lasting change 

If you're someone who has been longing for peace, healthy and change, or who learns about personal development but can't seem to find breakthrough...this is for you! 

Get a copy of Justin's new release here

This Episode is Sponsored by: 

Creative Crayons Workshop- Purchase your own coloring tablecloth for the holidays (Or to keep your littles entertained while you listen to the show!) Use code KAYTY at checkout to save. 

Ten Boom Coffee- Order your favorite blends from a brand that supports worldwide communities and gives back with every purchase! Use code GATHER for 15% your first order 

Support the show

Some new home stories start with spreadsheets. Ours began with a tired face at a graduation party and a nudge that wouldn’t let go. After six years in an 800-square-foot cottage that doubled as an studio and home, we were out of options and almost out of hope. We’d heard “you’ll never find it” from strangers and a realtor that reviewed our dream + budget on paper...

Then quickly things changed. We reconnected with friends, after something in our heart told us to send the text that answered a prayer 6 years in the making. Their prayers met ours, and the door opened. Walking through that house felt like seeing a blueprint of our calling: a kitchen crafted for cooking, design details we’d pick ourselves, a guest room to truly be able to live 'open door' living. Layer on layer of the story reveals that this plan was not something we could have planned on our own. Only faith. Only God. 

We talk candidly about how living in limbo can affect hospitality, the myths social media sells about home, and the invitation to name your dreams, pray specifically, and keep setting the table while you wait.

If you’re navigating a cramped apartment, a damp rental, or headlines that say home is “not for you,”- this story is for you. Come hear how one gentle whisper, in divine timing, turned into a home that revived our work, rest, and welcome.

Finally, we're inviting you into our miracle house story. Come on in! 

This Episode is Sponsored by: 

Creative Crayons Workshop- Purchase your own coloring tablecloth for the holidays (Or to keep your littles entertained while you listen to the show!) Use code KAYTY at checkout to save. 

Support the show

I grew up watching PBS- chances are you did too. This made me particularly interested in the life and story of the new show, Kitchen Curious hosted by Vivian Howard. While I expected to connect over our love of food, and a commitment to learning in the kitchen- what I didn't expect was to be deeply inspired by her approach to burn out and creativity. 

Through this episode we explore canning 101, how to keep creativity sustainable, and how her new show Kitchen Curious answers the questions that all of us are asking. She's wise, she's incredibly talented and committed to connection and craft! Through this conversation you can expect to hear:

• Easy pickling and canning without special gear
• Burnout, boundaries, and designing creative cadence
• How a rural sizzle reel became a PBS Peabody winner
• Why PBS matters
• Kitchen Curious & why you'll love it!
• Cast iron care made simple (learn from Kayty's mistakes)
• Where and how to stream Kitchen Curious

If you love this episode, be sure to share it with those in your life and leave a review on the show. And most importantly, after listening today, head on over to KitchenCuriousTV.com … and watch the show for yourself.

This Episode is Sponsored by: 

Tiny Spoon Chef- Get $100 off your customized in home personal chef service using this link! 

Support the show

You should hire a personal chef! ...but seriously! 

 What if the solution to your dinnertime stress isn't another meal kit or recipe app, but a hired professional to join your family and make your life easier? 

...that's right, I said it! 

Janice, founder of Tiny Spoon personal chef service, joins the conversation to challenge our assumptions about who personal chefs serve and how they can transform daily life. Janice's story led her to create a company that's redefining the personal chef industry not just for clients, but for chefs themselves.

The conversation peels back the curtain on what makes Tiny Spoon unique: Fortune 500-level benefits for chefs including healthcare, 401(k) matching, and profit-sharing in an industry notorious for burnout and poor work conditions. 

For clients, the experience begins with a thoughtful consultation focused on understanding family rhythms and preferences, creating a deeply personalized service that goes far beyond meal preparation.

If you want to eat spicy but your kids don't, perfect! If you want chocolate peanut butter protein bites and to try Moroccan food for dinner, also perfect! 

Whether you're a busy professional, overwhelmed parent, or someone who simply wants to delegate food preparation to focus on other priorities, this episode offers a fresh perspective on how we might rethink mealtime. 

Curious listeners can visit tinyspoonchef.com/gather for $100 off their first service.

Support the show

Becoming a mother transforms everything – your body, your relationships, your identity – but most parenting books barely scratch the surface of this seismic shift. Licensed therapist Rachel Elmore discovered this gap firsthand when she experienced postpartum depression after her first child's birth, despite her professional expertise.

When established treatment resources failed her, Rachel created what became the foundation for her groundbreaking book "A Mom is Born" – the first postpartum resource written from both clinical and Christian perspectives by someone who lived through it. This conversation explores the comprehensive New Mom Wellness Plan that has helped thousands of women navigate early motherhood with grace and support.

Rachel unpacks the practical wisdom behind creating a "postpartum pack" . Why accepting help isn't a burden but actually a gift to those who care, and how this vulnerability often leads to deeper, more meaningful relationships. Everything from handling meal trains and managing household responsibilities to navigating the significant hormonal shifts that occur even when weaning from breastfeeding.

For those supporting new mothers, Rachel offers insight into creating truly welcoming spaces that accommodate both mother and baby needs. Most importantly, Rachel shares the perspective every struggling mother needs: "Bad moms don't worry about being bad moms. Good moms do that." The very act of worrying about your parenting indicates you're already on the right track.

Whether you're a new parent, supporting someone who is, or preparing for future parenthood, this conversation provides the honest, compassionate guidance we all wish came standard with every baby shower invitation. Share this episode with anyone navigating the beautiful, challenging journey of early parenthood.

This Episode is Sponsored by: 

Tiny Spoon Chef- Get $100 off your customized in home personal chef service using this link! 

Support the show

Ever wondered why your cookies spread too much or your cake sinks in the middle? Sally McKenney, the self-taught baking expert behind Sally's Baking Addiction, joins us to reveal the kitchen secrets that transformed her personal blog into a trusted baking empire with millions of weekly visitors.

Sally's approach to recipe development is refreshingly honest – she shares both successes and failures, helping readers understand not just how to bake something, but why certain techniques and ingredients matter. What began as a creative outlet while working in finance has evolved into a community-building endeavor that connects bakers worldwide through meticulously tested recipes and clear, supportive guidance.

Learn why room temperature ingredients create better structure, how to quickly bring cold eggs to room temperature, and why doubling cake recipes often leads to disaster. Her ingenious bread test for finding oven hot spots and freezer strategies for always-ready treats are practical solutions for home bakers at any skill level. As someone who's made dozens of Sally's recipes over the years (her monster cookies are a personal favorite!), I can attest that her detailed instructions truly build confidence in the kitchen.

We also get a sneak peek at Sally's newest cookbook, which features 101 recipes spanning every major baking category – from cookies and cakes to savory options like a caramelized onion and fig galette. With approximately 70 brand-new recipes and step-by-step photos for every creation, the book promises to become a treasured kitchen companion for years to come. Whether you're an occasional baker or dedicated enthusiast, you'll find Sally's passion for teaching the science of baking both inspiring and immensely practical.

Ready to transform your baking results? Subscribe now and follow @sallysbakeblog to discover why millions of home bakers trust Sally's expertise to guide their kitchen adventures!

This Episode is Sponsored by: 

Tiny Spoon Chef- Get $100 off your customized in home personal chef service using this link! 

Support the show