Let's Celebrate!


Yay, it's the weekend!

We're in the celebrate-whatever-you-want mindset this weekend, because we all deserve to take a breather and give ourselves something delicious. Whether you're celebrating love, or maybe enjoying a long 3 day weekend, or you're celebrating Rachel's birthday today (woo!), we've got some great recipe ideas for you.

Dinner for 2 💘

Cod with Lentils and Avocado
Time: 40 min

This dish was inspired by a meal Rachel had years ago. One of those meals that inspires you to be creative and think about food in a different way. Plus it's a great hearty but light option for date night. The recipe makes 4 servings, but the fish can easily be scaled down for 2.

Galentine's Party Plans💃

Strawberry Cheesecake Dip
Time: 20 min

Think of how popular you'll be if you show up to the dinner party with this pretty, pink, strawberry cheesecake dip. It's easy, creamy, and has a fun choose your own dipper adventure. We have a lot of strawberry fields in our area so we're pretty lucky to get a great supply most of the year, but they're extra delicious right now. You better believe we'll be whipping up a batch of our own this weekend!

Plus a little birthday treat to celebrate Rachel 🎂

(and a good option for date night too!)

Dessert Quesadilla with Strawberries and Nutella
Time: 20 min

What's not to love about chocolatey Nutella, strawberries, marshmallows, all in a cinnamon sugar crusted tortilla?! Nothing! It's great and super easy to make. TIP: don't cook too long or too hot because the cinnamon sugar can burn easily.

More long weekend, date night, birthday, or celebrate YOU options here:

BRUNCH

Blueberry Muffins with Crumble

What's not to love about a blueberry muffin?

SHAREABLE SNACK

Fruity Rice Krispies Treats

Such a hit for a party.

DINNER

Juicy Turkey Burger

For a more rustic, simple, and super delicious dinner option.

Lots of love from us to you, happy Valentine's day, happy long weekend if you have one, and happy cooking!

-Emily and Rachel

Bright, bold recipes for every cook

We’re Rachel & Emily, sisters, home cooks, and the duo behind Cooking with Conks. We share fresh, bold, flavorful, and approachable recipes that are always worth digging into. We believe anyone can learn to cook something great. All it takes is a little confidence, a few tips, and a recipe that makes you excited to try new flavor combinations. If you love good food with a California twist, you’re in the right place. Let’s cook!

Read more from Bright, bold recipes for every cook
Chicken and steak kabobs on the grill

Pull Up A Chair with Rachel & Emily Conklin Hey Reader, Can you believe we're already more than half way through the year? Check out our most popular posts from January to now. We're Halfway Through 2026 So far this year we've cooked, baked, blogged, judged, and basically done all things food. We've been working hard to create recipes and blog posts that are informative, easy to understand, and enjoyable. Our goal is always to make cooking feel approachable and fun! We're counting down our...

Pull Up A Chair with Rachel & Emily Conklin Hey Reader, What we've been up to: simple cooking, new recipes, and perfecting old favorites. Plus our latest take on internet culture. Let's Catch Up It's summer and there's a lot of excitement that comes with that. Fresh foods, juicy fruits, ice cold drinks, and plenty of sunshine. We've both been busy with work, but we're still finding time to cook, experiment, and update recipes behind the scenes. Lately we've been into simple meals and snacks:...

Picture of a hand holding up a slice of BBQ chicken and pickle pizza

Pull Up A Chair with Rachel & Emily Conklin Hey friends! Here's what's been happening this week: we judged a local food competition, shared some new recipes, and renewed our focus on approachable meals. Let's Catch Up This past weekend, we had the pleasure of judging a food competition designed to support a local non-profit. We were alongside four professional chefs. No pressure! Restaurants and bakeries brought their best savory and sweet dishes to the competition. We spent the afternoon...