The Raw and The Cooked - Simple Rhythms for SAHM, Honest Motherhood, and Books Worth Reading

Dara Boxer
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  • Self-Improvement
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Dara Boxer is a stay-at-home mom to four kids six and under, committed to living a simple, well-organized, and beautifully functional life — mostly for her own sanity. A former personal chef and cooking instructor, she brings that same intention to her home: from seasonal meal planning to laundry systems, quiet time routines, toy storage, and everything in between. Episodes release on Thursdays, and alternate between honest book reviews and practical strategies for managing the chaos of home life with little kids. Come for the rhythm tips, stay for the raw motherhood truths — and maybe leave with a better grocery list.

  1. 4d ago

    #241: What’s in My Fall Dinner Capsule?

    What if meal planning worked a little more like getting dressed? I’m building a fall capsule of meals: a handful of family favorites that I can rotate throughout the season, with enough flexibility to keep things interesting. In this episode, I’m sharing how I’m thinking about our fall dinner rotation, the meals that made the cut, and why having a reliable framework makes feeding a family feel so much easier. 🍂 Fall 2026 Capsule Sunday – 🍝 Pasta Night Monday – 🥔 My Mom’s Meatloaf & Mash + a Green Tuesday – 🍲 Soup Night + Homemade Sourdough Wednesday – 🐟 Salmon + Greens & Potatoes Thursday – 🌮 Slow-Cooked Korean Tacos, Chicken Pot Pie, or Shepherd’s Pie Friday – 🍁 Maple-Dijon Chicken or Whole Roasted Chicken Saturday – 🧹 Leftovers / Clean-Out-the-Fridge Night The goal isn't to eat the same seven meals every week. It's to have a starting point—a collection of meals we already know we love, ingredients that overlap, and a rhythm that takes some of the daily decision-making out of dinner. A capsule wardrobe gives you fewer things to wear, but more outfits. I'm hoping a capsule meal plan can do the same thing for dinner. Crusty Bread Recipe Send us Fan Mail www.daraboxer.com

  2. Sep 24

    #240: Reviewing the 24 Books I Read This Summer 2026

    This summer, I read my way through a whole collection of books, from family dramas and literary fiction to thrillers, classics, and books about living well. In this episode, I'm sharing the books I loved, the ones that were just OK, and the three I didn't finish. Let's talk about summer reading! ❤️ Books I LOVED Whistler — Ann Patchett (Episode #228)Commonwealth — Ann Patchett (Re-read)The Rest of Our Lives — Ben MarkovitsFahrenheit 451 — Ray BradburySay You'll Remember Me — Abby Jimenez (Episode #230)The Chosen — Chaim PotokThis Story Might Save Your Life — Tiffany CrumThe Unsinkable Greta James — Jennifer E. SmithThe Push — Ashley AudrainSame As It Ever Was — Claire LombardoHeart the Lover — Lily KingWriters & Lovers — Lily KingFive Tuesdays in Winter — Lily King (Episode #233)Mina's Matchbox — Yoko OgawaThis Is Not About Us — Allegra GoodmanThe Art of Spending Money — Morgan Housel (Episode #236)Yesteryear — Caro Claire Burke (Episode #239)The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry — John Mark Comer (Episode #197)🙂 Books That Were OK In the Family Way — Laney Becker KatzThe Mad Wife — Meagan ChurchPlastic — Scott GuildI Just Wish I Had a Bigger Kitchen — Kate StricklerAfter Annie — Anna QuindlenThe Burning Side — Sarah Damoff📚 Books I Didn't Finish (DNF) Banyan Moon — Thao ThaiA Better World — Sarah LanganWe Don't Talk About Carol — Kristen BerrySend us Fan Mail www.daraboxer.com

  3. Sep 17

    #239: Book Club | Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

    I finally got my hands on the wildly popular Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke—and then promptly read all 400 pages in one day. I’m talking mommy influencers, motherhood, marriage, religion, internet culture, a completely bonkers plot twist, and why I loved reading this book even though I’m not entirely convinced I loved the book itself. Send us Fan Mail www.daraboxer.com

  4. Sep 10

    #238: Maybe You Don't Need More Recipes

    What if you don't need more recipes—you just need to get really, really good at a handful of them?  Inspired by Jiro Dreams of Sushi, today I'm talking about the beauty of repetition, mastery, and becoming just a little bit better than you were yesterday. In a world that constantly tells us to try something new, I'm making the case for the humble family rotation: five to ten dishes you know by heart, love to cook, and have perfected over time. Send us Fan Mail www.daraboxer.com

  5. Sep 3

    #237: Happiness Is a Discipline

    As a society, we are obsessed with happiness. There are endless books, podcasts, studies, and strategies devoted to finding it, creating it, measuring it, and optimizing it—and yet I’m not convinced we’ve gotten any happier. The Torah’s answer to happiness is different. Rather than telling us to chase a feeling, it repeatedly commands us to rejoice, to enjoy what we’ve been given, and to serve God with joy and gladness. I think there’s a reason for that: happiness is a discipline.  Gratitude, contentment, rejecting entitlement, choosing a positive outlook, and learning to recognize our blessings are all practices that shape the way we experience our lives. As we approach Rosh Hashanah, I’m thinking about what God actually asks of us—and how gratitude and happiness fit into that larger picture. We talk about asking for health and prosperity, but perhaps wisdom comes first: having a direction for our lives matters just as much as having a working engine and a full tank of gas. I also share one of the phrases that has had the greatest impact on my own outlook: Rabbi Nachman’s teaching that “with joy you will go out.”  Maybe happiness isn’t something we eventually arrive at. Maybe it’s something we practice, every day, as we become the people we are capable of becoming. Send us Fan Mail www.daraboxer.com

  6. Aug 27

    #236: Book Club | The Art of Spending Money by Morgan Housel | The Radical Idea of Enough

    In this episode, I’m talking about Morgan Housel’s The Art of Spending Money, a book that really resonated with me for its ideas about contentment, enough, and what actually makes a rich life. We talk about the fisherman who is told he should work harder so that someday he can retire and spend his days fishing—and how he’s already living the life the businessman is chasing. I share what this looks like in our own family: choosing to live on one income, valuing time and flexibility over maximizing our income, and finding so much richness in ordinary things like cooking, baking, riding bikes with my kids, and an afternoon with an iced coffee and nowhere to be. Maybe we don’t need more money, more stuff, bigger houses, or bigger vacations. Maybe sometimes we need to stop and recognize that we already have enough. Send us Fan Mail www.daraboxer.com

  7. Aug 20

    #235: The Influencer Book Problem

    This week, I'm reviewing Kate Strickler's I Just Wish I Had a Bigger Kitchen—but the conversation quickly becomes about something much bigger. Over the last decade, I've noticed a publishing trend that's hard to ignore: bloggers, influencers, and podcasters with built-in audiences are increasingly landing book deals. From a business perspective, it makes perfect sense. But as a reader, I'm starting to wonder what gets lost when platform becomes the primary qualification. In this episode, I discuss: Why I picked up Kate Strickler's book in the first placeWhat worked—and what left me disappointedThe difference between vulnerability and simply oversharingWhy so many influencer memoirs feel oddly underdevelopedThe publishing industry's shift toward audience over authorshipThe kinds of memoirs and personal essays that continue to stay with me years laterThis isn't a critique of one person nearly as much as it is a conversation about modern publishing, writing, and what makes a book truly memorable. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Have you read an influencer memoir that genuinely surprised you? Or one that left you wanting much more? Send us Fan Mail www.daraboxer.com

  8. Aug 13

    #234: The Fall Planning Method That Helped Me Slow Down

    This year I realized I didn't need to plan August through December all at once. By breaking fall into just seven weeks, from my kids back to school through fall break, everything felt lighter, more manageable, and—surprisingly—more content. Plus, how that mindset is helping me enjoy the season without buying more. Send us Fan Mail www.daraboxer.com

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About

Dara Boxer is a stay-at-home mom to four kids six and under, committed to living a simple, well-organized, and beautifully functional life — mostly for her own sanity. A former personal chef and cooking instructor, she brings that same intention to her home: from seasonal meal planning to laundry systems, quiet time routines, toy storage, and everything in between. Episodes release on Thursdays, and alternate between honest book reviews and practical strategies for managing the chaos of home life with little kids. Come for the rhythm tips, stay for the raw motherhood truths — and maybe leave with a better grocery list.

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