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From the kitchen

What's on the tray.

A look at the food I cook. Real meals, photographed in the kitchen.

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A Wagyu sloppy joe topped with crushed kettle chips on a school lunch tray, with salad, carrots, grapes and pickled vegetables.

Sloppy Joe Thomases

Friday's Sloppy Joe Thomas, finished with salt-and-vinegar kettle chips.

Chopped ranch chicken with a creamy sauce and fresh herbs on a school lunch tray.

Ranch chicken with homemade ranch

Monday's ranch chicken, chopped and finished with herbs and lava sauce.

Shredded chicken tacos with cheese and pickled onion, alongside pinto beans, a marshmallow-topped chocolate cake, chips and watermelon.

Chicken verde tacos

Tuesday's chicken verde tacos, with beans and a hot chocolate cake.

Individual chocolate cakes topped with toasted marshmallow halves, with powdered sugar dusted across several cakes on a baking sheet.

Mexican hot chocolate cakes

Mexican hot chocolate cakes with toasted marshmallow halves and a dusting of powdered sugar and cinnamon.

Glazed pork tenderloin with sesame rice, cucumber salad and edamame on a lunch tray.

Teriyaki pork tenderloin with cucumber salad

Wednesday's teriyaki pork with rice, cucumber salad and edamame.

Breakfast burrito halves with egg, sausage and cheese, beside salsa, a granola square, watermelon, blueberries and pickled vegetables.

Egg, sausage and cheese breakfast burritos

Thursday's breakfast burritos and chocolate chip granola.

Breakfast burrito halves with egg, sausage and cheese, beside salsa, a granola square, watermelon, blueberries and pickled vegetables.

Chocolate chip granola squares

Thursday's tray, with a chocolate chip granola square at right.

Greek chicken with feta and dill, rice, cucumbers and tomatoes on a lunch tray.

Greek chicken

Chopped chicken, feta and fresh dill. Rice and vegetables alongside.

Tomato soup topped with herbs, two golden grilled-cheese halves and sliced red apples on a lunch tray.

Tomato soup and grilled cheese

Tomato soup, golden grilled cheese and sliced apples.

Wagyu beef tacos with pickled onions, crema and crushed corn nuts, with slaw and black beans on a lunch tray.

Wagyu beef tacos

Seasoned beef tacos with crema, slaw and a little crunch.

Peruvian chicken and green herb sauce over rice, with cucumbers, carrots, broccoli and lime on a lunch tray.

Peruvian chicken

Peruvian chicken, Awesome Sauce and bone-broth rice.

A square of pancake bake topped with blueberry compote, whipped yogurt cream, granola and rainbow sprinkles.

Sheet-pan pancake bake

Pancake bake with blueberries, whipped yogurt cream and sprinkles.

Two carnitas tacos with herbs and cheese, served with beans, slaw and cornbread.

Carnitas tacos

Carnitas tacos with beans, slaw and cornbread.

An adult holding a Wagyu smash burger with melted cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles.

Wagyu smash burger

A close look at the Wagyu smash burger, with cheese and all the fixings.

Baked ziti topped with red sauce and cheese, with green beans and grapes on a lunch tray.

Baked ziti

Baked ziti with red sauce, cheese and green beans.

Chicken Rojo tacos topped with pickled red onion, herbs and crumbled cheese.

Chicken Rojo tacos

Chicken Rojo tacos with pickled red onion, herbs and cheese.

Greek pork souvlaki over a creamy herb sauce, with rice, broccoli and grapes.

Greek pork souvlaki

Greek pork souvlaki, rice and roasted broccoli.

A slice of breakfast pizza with a browned cheese top and sliced green onion.

Breakfast pizza

Breakfast pizza with a browned top and green onion.

Fresh-baked flatbread cut into squares, with gloved hands holding a split piece to show the crumb.

Ham, egg and cheese on fresh flatbread

Fresh-baked flatbread, ready for ham, eggs and cheese.