If It’s Here, It Made the Cut.

Over 1,000 recipes – every single one earned its place at our table.

recipe pile

The Story

It started the way most good things do — with a mess.

Recipes clipped from magazines, scrawled on the backs of pasta boxes, copied onto paper plates at parties, inherited from grandmothers and aunts and mothers-in-law. A collection that was rich, chaotic, and completely unmanageable.

In 2010, one weekend and one viewing of Julie & Julia later, It Is a Keeper was born.

But IAK was never really just a recipe blog. It was about a standard.

Every recipe on this site has been made in a real family kitchen, eaten by a real (and opinionated) family, and only published when it earned the only verdict that matters: it’s a keeper. Not because it went viral. Not because it photographs well. Because it works — reliably, every single time, with ingredients you already have.

That’s the bar your grandmother’s best recipes had to pass. It’s the bar every recipe on IAK has to pass, too.

Meet the person behind every recipe.

What Makes a Keeper

Not just a recipe. A standard.

Here’s what every recipe on IAK has to earn before it earns a spot on the site:

♥️ Built for real life. Weeknights. Picky eaters. Pantry staples only. If it’s fussy, complicated, or requires a specialty store trip, it doesn’t belong here.

♥️ Tested in a real kitchen. Not a food studio. Not a test kitchen. Christina’s actual kitchen, with the wrong-size bowls and the cluttered counters and the family waiting at the table.

♥️ Approved by the real jury. Her husband and her son have opinions. Always. A recipe doesn’t make the cut until they give the verdict.

What You’ll Find Here

More than 1,000 recipes across five categories — all tried, all tested, all keeper-approved.

A bowl of white rice topped with saucy chicken pieces, garnished with sesame seeds and chopped green onions—this dish is truly an It's a Keeper meal, served with chopsticks resting in the bowl.

Easy Weeknight Dinners

Quick, foolproof meals for the 5pm scramble. Chicken, beef, pasta, slow cooker, Instant Pot.

Easy Desserts

Simple ingredients, foolproof methods, big payoff. No pastry degree required.

A close-up of a pie slice with a creamy filling, topped with crushed toffee or candy pieces, being lifted from the pie—this dessert is truly an It's a Keeper treat.
Roast turkey with golden-brown skin, garnished with fresh herbs and stuffed with bread-based stuffing, served on a platter—it's a keeper for any festive gathering.

Entertaining & Holiday

Simple ingredients, foolproof methods, big payoff. No pastry degree required.

Vintage Recipes

Time-tested classics from real family recipe boxes. These weren’t trending — they were just always good.

A white bowl filled with pink cherry fluff salad, topped with a whole cherry, chopped nuts, and a mint sprig; a spoon is in the bowl. It’s a Keeper dessert that looks as good as it tastes!.

Recipes Worth Keeping. Since 2010.

Fifteen years. More than a thousand recipes. One standard that hasn’t changed.

If it’s on IAK, it made the cut.

BROWSE OUR RECIPES NEW? START HERE. MEET CHRISTINA

20 thoughts on “About It Is a Keeper”

  1. Ordered Moonshine Recipe book plus the 2 other ones that you were advertising in mid Dec 2022 and still waiting ?

    • These are digital ebooks and not hard-copy books. This was clarified in the terms of service you agreed to prior to purchasing. I’ve emailed you regarding how to get the download links resent to you. Thank you!

  2. I am so jealous you did this first! It’s been an idea of mine for awhile 🙂 Congrats on a wonderful blog and project!

  3. Hello! I am a new follower. I found you through the “Terrific Thursday Blog Hop”! I just took a look through your posts and I have one thing to say, “I am in big trouble!” So many things looked SOOOOO good! I will be trying out some of these recipes! Thank you and please visit my blog at http://SurvivingSAHM.com/blog!

    ~Heather

  4. Great site! I just found you and I like it! I too have have an obessive amount of recipes in binders that I have pulled from everywhere, the internet, magazines, etc including over 100 cookbooks. Keep up the good work!

    • Thanks for the kind words, Reynaul! Feel free to share your hits and misses on here too!

      Thanks for reading!

  6. Hello Christina! I just came across your blog. What a great idea! I, too, am guilty of collecting recipes and cookbooks without trying most of them. Most of my collection now is on my laptop, and no lie, I have over 1000. Guilty! Anyway, just wanted to send you a word of encouragement. Blogging daily must be a thankless job, but I hope it’s as fun for you to write as it is for us to read!

    • Thanks for the words of encouragement, Jacqueline! I really like sharing recipes on my blog. I think it’s a bit cathartic! It’s the one place where I can talk (on and on and on….) about food! I’m impressed with how organized you are with your recipes! I hope to be like that someday too! Do you use software to help store your recipes?

  8. I’m so glad I found you! Just today in fact. I’m always looking for new and different recipes. I’m a recipe collecter too, only I collect recipe sites that I know will be useful. I’m looking forward to seeing what else you bring out!

  9. Your photography is fabulous. Can you tell me the name and model of the camera your husband uses? Mine Hubs is wanting a new one and I love your pics.

    Thanks!

    • Deanne — Thanks for the kind words about the photos! My husband uses a Canon 40D with a 580 EX flash. However, this model was discontinued a little while ago. The 50D was the model that took its place. He uses 2 flashes (one on the cam and one off) to get the right lighting and not leave harsh shadows. It really does take beautiful pictures! Let me know if you need any more details.

    • WOW! Thanks, Megan! I’m honored that you thought of me! Please let me know what I need to do. I added a link to your blog to my blogroll at the right, too.

  11. Congrats ! I happen to think like you. And also about to start my own blog and then maybe a web page. Ultimately be my own boss, working with what I love the most; everything food related.

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