Who I Am
I’m Rebecca Hayes, a 34-year-old mom from Tampa, Florida, and the person behind this brand new recipe website. I work part-time as a dental hygienist, which means I’m on my feet all day cleaning teeth and then come home to three kids who somehow manage to dirty every dish in the house.
My husband Danny is a firefighter with the Tampa Fire Department, which sounds exciting until you realize it means unpredictable schedules and me handling dinner solo most nights. We’ve been married for nine years and have three kids: Isabella (10), and twins Sofia and Miguel (8), who thinks vegetables are a form of punishment.
My Background
Growing up outside Jacksonville with a mom running a home daycare meant our kitchen was always busy, focused on simple, kid-friendly meals like boxed mac and cheese and frozen nuggets nothing fancy. College in Tampa meant ramen noodles and studying dental hygiene for a stable career. It was during my last year of school that I met Danny at a barbecue; he impressed me by actually knowing how to grill and making amazing potato salad.
Marriage and Kids
We married two years after graduation, settling near Westchase. I quickly learned that regular cooking didn’t just happen naturally – our early years involved lots of takeout and calls to my mom for help. When Isabella arrived in 2015, my attempt at being a perfect, from-scratch mom lasted about three months before burnout hit. The arrival of twins Sofia and Miguel in 2017 tripled the chaos. Suddenly managing three kids under three, each with different tastes and schedules, made cooking even more challenging and time-consuming.
The Air Fryer Game Changer
Last summer, my sister brought her air fryer to a family reunion and made these incredible sweet potato fries that all the kids devoured. I’d been skeptical about air fryers – they seemed like another kitchen gadget that would sit unused after the novelty wore off.
But watching her cook for twelve people in that tiny rental kitchen, making batch after batch of crispy food without standing over hot oil, changed my mind. I bought one the week after we got home.
The first thing I tried was frozen fish sticks for the kids. They came out golden and actually crispy, not soggy like they usually were from the oven. Miguel, who normally picks breading off everything, ate three pieces without complaining. I was sold.
Discovery Through Trial
Over the next few months, I started experimenting during the kids’ quiet time or after they went to bed. I tried reheating leftover pizza – way better than the microwave. Roasted vegetables that actually had some texture instead of being mushy. Chicken wings that came out crispy without the mess of deep frying.
My biggest success was figuring out how to cook frozen chicken breasts straight from the freezer. As someone who constantly forgets to defrost dinner, this was life-changing. Twenty-five minutes later, I had juicy chicken that I could slice for sandwiches, add to pasta, or serve with whatever vegetables I could get the kids to eat.
Sharing What Works
I started taking pictures when meals turned out well, mostly to remember what I did. Danny would see me photographing dinner and joke that I was becoming a food blogger. My friend Lisa at work kept asking for recipes when I’d mention what we had for dinner the night before.
The turning point came two months ago when I brought air fryer chicken tenders to Isabella’s soccer team potluck. Three different parents asked how I made them, and one mom said her picky eater son ate four pieces. That’s when I realized other parents might actually benefit from these discoveries.
Starting This Journey
I’ve been thinking about starting this website for months, going back and forth about whether anyone would actually want to read about my kitchen experiments. Finally decided to take the plunge and make it official. I’m not a chef or food expert – I’m just a mom who figured out how to make dinner less stressful. But maybe that’s exactly what other families need.
My plan is to share the air fryer recipes that have made weeknight dinners manageable in our house. Quick meals that use ingredients you can find at Publix. Food that kids will actually eat without lengthy negotiations. Techniques that work when you’re tired and just need to get dinner on the table.
What You Can Expect
Every recipe I post will be something I’ve made for my own family multiple times. If it requires more than thirty minutes of active cooking time, it probably won’t make it here. If it needs specialty ingredients that cost more than my grocery budget allows, it’s not happening.
I’ll be honest about what works and what doesn’t. Some experiments fail spectacularly. Miguel still won’t eat anything green, no matter how I cook it. Isabella thinks seasoning beyond salt is “too spicy.” Sofia will eat almost anything, which makes her my best taste tester. These are the realities I’m working with.
My Hope
I hope this website helps other parents facing that familiar 5:30 PM dinner dilemma with hungry kids and no plan. I’ve been there countless times! These air fryer wins have made things easier in my kitchen, and sharing them feels right. I hope you find some recipes here that make your own weeknights a little easier. Feel free to explore the dishes that have become staples in our busy home.
Thanks for being here from the very beginning.
Rebecca Hayes
Tampa, Florida