Hi! I’m Ali, and I am so happy that you found your way here.
I created Gimme Some Oven to celebrate life around the table, with recipes that are simple, fresh, and full of flavor. With two littles underfoot these days, I know how relentless the dinner grind can feel. My hope is that this space can offer a bit of inspiration for everyone — and make everyday cooking feel a bit more fun.
So whether you’re throwing together a quick weeknight dinner, hosting a cozy brunch with friends, or just craving a warm batch of cookies, I hope you’ll find recipes here that feel doable and delicious.
Cheers!
About Ali
About Me
When I began Gimme Some Oven back in 2009, I was working full-time as a musician by day and spending my evenings cooking, photographing, and sharing recipes just for fun. Over time, that creative outlet grew into a full-time career — and for more than a decade now, I’ve had the absolute joy of writing and developing recipes here on Gimme Some Oven.
Even after all these years, it still feels like magic to create a recipe in my kitchen and see it come to life on tables all around the world! Your trust in my recipes means the world to me, and I work hard to make sure each one is thoughtfully developed, thoroughly tested, and truly worth making — the kind of recipe you’ll want to return to again and again.
Beyond the blog, my husband and I are now settling back into life in Kansas City with our two young boys after spending six wonderful years living in Barcelona. My favorite things include sunny days, an excellent plate of nachos, lingering around tables with good friends, and always dreaming up our next adventure. I occasionally share more about life behind the scenes here if you’d like to follow along.
About Gimme Some Oven
So what kinds of recipes will you find here?
Short answer: a bit of everything.
The recipes I share here are the ones we’re actually making and eating in our home. My husband is pescetarian, our boys are still a bit veggie-suspicious, and I enjoy a wide range of foods — so our meals reflect that mix. We do our best to cook seasonally, and most weeknights are all about quick, flavorful recipes that come together in 30 minutes or less. But I also love slowing down on the weekends with a cozy cup of coffee and baking our favorite 1-Hour Cinnamon Rolls, or inviting friends over for a big pot of chili with homemade guac and margaritas.
You’ll notice here that we’ve got a soft spot for Mexican food, big bowls of soup, noodles in all forms, and cookies of just about every variety. While most of my recipes lean fresh and lighter, you’ll also find your fair share of fun treats and comfort food favorites — we’re all about balance!
My hope is that you’ll find recipes here that work well for real life, whatever that looks like for you right now. And if there’s ever a recipe you’re craving, I’d love to hear from you!
My Favorite Recipes
FAQs
I can’t take the credit. 😉 The name actually came from my former bandmate, Jay, who tossed it out during a rehearsal years ago when I mentioned I was thinking about starting a food blog. It made us all laugh — and it stuck! Now it feels like a fun little reminder of my past life as a full-time musician.
You bet! Every single one of the 2000+ recipes on this site has been developed and tested in my own kitchen. I now have a team of recipe testers who join me each week to test old and new recipes to help ensure they are as clear, reliable, and delicious as possible. We want each recipe to be the best it can be when it reaches your table!
The best way to ask about substitutions is to leave a comment on that specific recipe post. That way, we’ll be sure to see it, and other readers can benefit from the answer too.
Yes! We’re constantly retesting, updating and rephotographing older recipes to make sure they’re as reliable and delicious as possible. Whenever we make a significant change, we do our best to note it clearly in the recipe notes so that you know what’s been updated.
No. We made the decision back in 2018 to stop publishing sponsored content on Gimme Some Oven. While we were grateful to partner with brands we genuinely loved in the past, it’s important to us that readers know all product mentions are now completely unpaid — just things we personally use and recommend.
This is probably the most-asked question we receive. Sorry, not yet! I keep putting it off, but someday I look forward to finally writing one. 💛
Giving Back
While we love creating and sharing recipes here, we also recognize what a profound privilege it is to have consistent access to fresh food, clean water, and a safe place to gather around the table. Not everyone has that — the statistics are sobering, and they remind us how important it is to keep working toward change.
That’s why we donate a portion of our profits to support three organizations working to fight food insecurity and expand access to nutritious food and clean water around the world. Every time you visit this site, your pageviews directly help support that work too, and we’re so grateful. We’d love for you to learn more about these incredible organizations and consider supporting them in whatever ways you can too.
It’s our hope that this space not only inspires delicious meals, but also plays a small part in supporting communities far beyond our own kitchens.
TWP is a community-led initiative in Mali focused on developing economic opportunities for women through organic food production, access to clean water, and a commitment to environmental stewardship.
Cultivate Kansas City is a locally-grown nonprofit working to grow food, farms, and community in support of an equitable, sustainable and healthy local food system for all.
World Central Kitchen is first to the frontlines, providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises.
How do I follow your blog – Thanks!
I love all your recipes! Making your roasted tomato soup again today!
Love, love, love your recipes because they never disappoint. The secret to good cooking begins with the recipe. Easy to understand instructions that are fully informed (I.e., they don’t assume you have cooking knowledge but also don’t dumb it down). Cannot give enough thumbs up.
Hi Ali,
I´m new to your blog. Your food thoughts seem very close to my own. I´m 74 and retired to Mexico for 12 years now. I generally use recipes for inspiration and to give me proportions, e.g. egg to milk ratio for custard. I hope to browse some more of your site as time goes by. Thanks for this. Enjoy your day,
Paul
I love your recipes & your personal story is intriguing!! Thank you for sharing your recipes & your personal stories!!
Hi, Ali, good to find you again! My life has undergone a number of changes since I used to get recipes from you on a regular basis, all to do with the inevitable process of aging. I’m in a setting now that makes it difficult to do much cooking for myself and sadly, while the food is usually at least minimally tasty, the ingredients often include unhealthy oils, too much salt and sugar (plus the company won’t divulge the nutrition information). So, I’m going to make your Gingerbread. I do make a good cornbread with more than half corn flour and chopped green chilies. (I’ll check yours out.) BTW, as an undergraduate, I was in Barcelona with a friend for a few days when we were on break from a six-month stay with a group in Scandinavia. This was a mere 59 years ago. I am glad to see you and your husband are thriving in España!
Ali,
I’d read your life story when I first found one of your recipes and subscribed to your blog instantly, but just re-read it when you introduced your beautiful son! He’s absolutely perfect! I’m so very happy for you and your husband! Not only is this new chapter of your life so much fun, this is a time where your 30 minute meals will come in mighty handy! Plus, your next challenge that you’ll conquer is making those 30 minute meals one handed cuz your other arm will be holding Milo! Congratulations to your family and enjoy every moment! They grow up so fast, so don’t blink! I blinked and my 2 daughters are 45 and 41! Where did the time go? God bless all of you!
We have a daughter who lives in the south of Spain. Enjoy visiting when we can. Love the simplicity of the foods and really enjoy the open markets. I was hoping to follow you on pintrest. Always looking for quick and healthy recipes. Stay safe and enjoy all of Spain.
Can I add vanilla protein powder to the “No Bake Energy Bites? If so, how much do you recommend?
Love these chewy ginger molasses cookies!