The Raw and The Cooked - Simple Rhythms for SAHM, Honest Motherhood, and Books Worth Reading
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.
Episodes
240 episodes
#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 thr...
#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 tw...
#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 ...
#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 ...
#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...
#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,...
#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. Plu...
#233: My Accidental Lily King Binge
This week on The Raw and the Cooked, I'm sharing my completely accidental Lily King reading binge.After walking past Heart the Lover at the library for over a year, I finally picked it up—assuming it was a light rom-com...
#232: Going from 3 to 4 Children | What the Transition Was Like
Our fourth baby turns two very soon, and I can finally come up for air, now that the dust has settled in the transition from three to four children. So I figured, today I'd share the sequel to the episode I recorded, back when I only had t...
#231: Ten Things Simplifying My Life This Summer
Summer can easily become a season of chaos, so I’ve been focusing on small systems and simple changes that make our home run more smoothly. In this episode, I’m sharing 10 things simplifying my summer — from a bread slicer and better food stora...
#230: Is Abby Jiminez the New Queen of a Summer Rom-Com?
Looking for the perfect summer read? ☀️📚 In this episode, I'm sharing why Abby Jimenez has become my go-to romance author. After finishing Say You'll Remember Me, I realized I've loved every one of her novels I've picked up—a rar...
#229: Recent Library Hauls
One of my favorite rhythms we've added to our summer is a weekly trip to the library.In this episode, I'm sharing everything I've borrowed over the past few weeks—from books I absolutely loved to the ones I returned after only a few chap...
#228: Whistler | Ann Patchett's Best Since Commonwealth?
Ann Patchett has done it again. In this episode, I'm sharing my spoiler-free thoughts on Whistler, why I think it's one of her strongest novels to date, and the surprising ways it echoes my all-time favorite, Commonwealth.&nbs...
#227: What I'm Studying in 2026 | Healing, Faith, and Growth
This week I'm sharing the non-fiction books I'm exploring in 2026 and what they reveal about the season I'm currently in. From marriage and communication books like Fight Right and You're Not Listening, to health and healing t...
#226: Before You Replace It, Ask This Question
In a culture that constantly encourages us to upgrade, replace, and start over, there is something deeply countercultural about slowing down long enough to ask: Can this be repaired?From fixing a stand mixer and restoring outdoo...
#225: Book Club | The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan
This week I'm sharing my thoughts on The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan. We talk about audiobook narrators, friendship, reinvention, second chances, and why I kept inventing household chores just to listen to one more chapter.&n...
#224: Camp Mommy - Planning a Simple Summer
Summer is here — and this year, we’re embracing a slower, simpler rhythm. In today’s episode, I’m sharing how I plan our “camp mommy” summers with four little kids: creating gentle structure without overscheduling ourselves, organizing outings,...
#223: Why I’m Done Chasing Reading Goals
This week, I’m talking about something that’s been quietly changing the way I read: slowing down.For years, I chased ambitious reading goals and measured my reading life by numbers — how many books I finished, how quickly I moved onto th...
#222: Book Club | The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
A book shows up in the mailbox and suddenly I’m reading a format I normally avoid. That’s how The Correspondent by Virginia Evans landed in my hands, and it’s why this review turns into something bigger than a thumbs up or thumbs down. When a t...
#221: The 2pm Reset
In this episode, I walk through what I call the 2 p.m. reset—those moments in the afternoon when the day starts to feel like it’s slipping away. I paint a realistic picture of that mid-day overwhelm: a messy kitchen, kids needing constant atten...
#220: Seven Simple Ways ChatGPT Makes Home Life Easier
This week I’m sharing how I actually use AI in my real life as a stay-at-home mom of four—without understanding anything technical. From building flexible routines that actually work, to planning holidays, breaking down home projects, writing e...
#219: Why 'Vigil' by George Saunders Falls Flat for a 'Lincoln in the Bardo' Fan
I went into George Saunders’ Vigil with the kind of excitement you only get when an author has already given you a personal classic. Lincoln In The Bardo is still one of my favorite audiobook experiences, the kind that feels less like “listenin...
#218: Our Q1 Budget Reality Check
In this episode, I’m sharing a Q1 budget recap as part of our “use it up, wear it out, make do or do without” year. I walk through what worked over the past three months, including areas where we saved money, lowered recurring expenses, and lea...
#217: Three 5-Star Books + One Popular Letdown
Today, I'm sharing three recent favorites I can’t stop thinking about, then unpack one widely loved novel that surprised me in the wrong way. How To Read A Book by Monica Wood, a prison book club - fun! ...
#216: Seasonal Reset For A Rhythmic Home
We tie a bow on the rhythmic home series by zooming out to seasonal flow and the small resets that keep our routines working as life changes. We share how we review what’s working, adjust what’s not, and stay grounded as people so our home supp...