Hi, hi! I’m Jess, a twenty-something gal with a major thing for prosecco & french fries. I hold the steadfast belief that guacamole goes with everything & that there’s no such thing as too many pairs of pretty shoes (despite what my hubby, Chris, might have to say!). Chris & I have lived in Minneapolis, mn for the last 2 years (by way of Milwaukee, WI), but our love story is actually decade-long saga that’s something along the lines of the plot of a Freddie Prinze Jr. movie (I spilled all of the deets on our love story recently here!).
There are few things in life I love more than spending time with my family, “OMG I can’t breathe & I’m crying” laughing with my besties, snugglin’ my 80-pound german shepherd puppy, & enjoying really freakin’ delicious food & wine.
& If you can identify with any of this, you’re totally in the right place.
Welcome to Plays Well With Butter! I am so glad you are here!
Plays Well With Butter is all about helping modern gals & guys turn everyday moments into celebrations through food & drink.
Hosting your loved ones at home doesn’t have to be a giant, extravagant affair (no matter what the real housewives might have us believing!). While there’s totally a time & a place for printed menus, linen napkins, & jaw-dropping tablescapes, the absence of these things absolutely should not prevent you from inviting over some friends to share in a delicious meal. These days, entertaining can & should be as unfussy as shooting a text that says, “Hey, we’re throwing burgers on the grill tonight…will you please join us?!”
Through the years of hostessing & entertaining in my own home, I’ve learned that these unfussy moments of everyday celebration often times end up being more memorable & special than those over-the-top affairs. & that’s exactly why I love creating moments of everyday celebration: good food + good drinks + good conversation + good laughs is a simple & surefire equation for an excellent time with your loved ones.
On Plays Well With Butter you’ll find tons of simple, elegant recipes that are just as easy to make as they are to eat. I develop all of my recipes with simplicity in mind, making sure they’re perfect for a last-minute girls’ night, a weeknight dinner party, or even just an impromptu cozy date night at home with your boo thang.
If you’re new to Plays Well With Butter, I suggest starting here, a section of the site where I bookmark Plays Well With Butter faves. While I love all of the recipes I put out, these are the absolute, top, best, fool-proof recipes on this site (we’re talkin’ the recipe for Perfect Guacamole that took me years to nail, Lavender Lemonade Rose Cocktails (#roseallday, riiight?!), Mini Chai Scones with Maple Chai Glaze (because mini means you can eat 5, ya know?), & a seriously killer Pasta Bolognese recipe that I learned while working in a fine dining italian restaurant).
I’d also love to invite you to also check back every Monday & Wednesday, when I post new recipes (or you can subscribe to my email list below! New posts will get sent straight to your inbox the minute they go up – & no spam ever, promise!).
If you’d like to learn more about me, I’d start here with a post about why I recently left my corporate job to pursue my passion with recipe development & food photography. I’d also suggest giving @playswellwithbutter a follow on Instagram, where I’m pretty notorious for sharing a LOT about my everyday life (including all of the deets of any Trader Joe’s run I ever go on!).
If you’re interested in contacting me, find those deets here. I love partnering with brands whose product I love, collaborating with other bloggers, & I REALLY love hearing from readers – in fact, chatting with you about anything at all seriously makes my day.
Thank you SO much for stopping by, & I truly hope you’ll stay awhile.
Cheers!