If you’ve been following my updates, you know the last few months have been a whirlwind: a new home, website upgrades, family health concerns, moving chaos, wins, losses, and the ongoing work of living intentionally while staying grounded.

Today’s post blends a writing prompt, a consumer warning, a moment of resilience, a cookware review, and a recipe born from creativity and circumstance.

The writing prompt that frames this piece is simple:

“What skills or lessons have you learned recently?”

And yet the answer — at least for me — unfolds across several experiences.

When Best Buy Failed Us — The Hard Lesson

On December 5th, my family waited more than 12 hours for appliances that had been ordered nearly two weeks in advance — appliances Best Buy already knew they could not deliver.

We were told twice that the delivery team was “finishing another job.”
Meanwhile, the system showed that two items were never in stock, making a delivery physically impossible.

What makes this especially troubling is that this was not a last-minute order. The appliances were purchased well ahead of time, with a confirmed delivery date. This failure should have been identified and communicated long before delivery day. Instead, valuable hours were lost while we were repeatedly told help was “on the way,” when we could have been actively working to solve the problem sooner.

This wasn’t just an inconvenience.
We had diabetic medication in the home that needed refrigeration.
That delivery mattered — medically, financially, emotionally.

By the time the truth finally reached us, we had:

wasted an entire day
risked a medical emergency
lost over $1,300 between emergency appliances and spoiled groceries
forwent an estimated $350–$400 in potential loyalty rewards after deliberately opting out of a Best Buy credit card due to the breakdown of trust caused by this incident
experienced unnecessary stress and confusion

It’s worth noting that this credit card offer came during a later return trip to Best Buy, when we still needed a few items for Christmas. At that point, walking into a store and leaving with what we needed felt safer than relying on another delivery. While I had serious reservations about returning at all, I justified the decision knowing we could physically take our purchases with us. Ultimately, we declined the credit card offer — not out of confusion, but because trust had already been compromised.

I submitted a formal complaint with a reasonable request for a response within five business days.
It is now December 15, 2025 — and, unsurprisingly, I received none.

I never expected reimbursement.
It would have been the right thing to do — but I knew better.

Still, I needed to speak the truth.

Politically, Best Buy is not the worst retailer on my boycott list. I’ve been working hard this year to realign my spending: avoiding Lowe’s, avoiding Home Depot, reducing Walmart, canceling Spotify after their ICE ads, choosing local whenever possible, and supporting ethical companies like Uncommon Goods.

But that day — in that moment — I made a choice based on what my home needed, not what my values wished for. Sometimes survival wins out over perfection.

And the lesson?
If you must shop there, go in person.
Never again will I trust Best Buy online for appliances.
And never again will I allow a corporation to risk my family’s health through dishonesty.

I’ve learned that Best Buy sells appliances… but they’re not an appliance store.

And I’ve learned their communication issues reflect a deeper system failure.

A Silver Lining on the Doorstep

I felt defeated, but what I didn’t realize was that a silver lining had already arrived on my doorstep.

From That Failure Came ButcherBox — A Surprising Success

During the original Best Buy checkout, I saw a promotional offer from ButcherBox.
I hesitated — then said yes.

So far?
I’m glad I did.

The Fully Cooked Crate-Free Apple Gouda Pork Sausages were the first thing we tried — pan-fried, quick, and genuinely lovely. A bright spot in a rough week.

But the real magic came later.

The Dutch Oven I’ve Wanted for Years

Amid the chaos, I finally bought my first Dutch oven — a dream I’ve had for a long time.

And not just any Dutch oven:

The Cellar Enameled Cast Iron 7-Qt Oval Dutch Oven
from Macy’s
for $44.93 (59% off)

Neutral-toned enameled Dutch oven with lid placed beside it on a light kitchen surface. — **The Dutch oven before the story begins.**

It’s beautiful, sturdy, spacious, and exactly what I hoped for.

For years, I imagined my first Dutch oven recipe would be Jamaican oxtails.
But life had a sense of humor — instead, my first dish was a crate-free boneless pork butt from ButcherBox.

And honestly?

It turned out to be exactly the dish I needed.

My First Dutch Oven Meal — Created With What I Had

This dinner wasn’t pre-planned.
It wasn’t curated.
It wasn’t fancy.

It was instinct.

ButcherBox boneless pork butt
seeded mustard
paprika, garlic, chili flakes, pepper
honey
black bean & corn salsa
red wine vinegar
citrus seltzer water
heat, patience, and love

I seared it, braised it, flipped it, basted it, glazed it, rested it — and what came out of that oven was a deep, tender, richly flavored meal that made my entire home smell like comfort.

We paired it with mashed potatoes and stuffed mushrooms.

It was, without exaggeration, one of the loveliest meals I’ve cooked in a long time.

A Dutch oven is absolutely a game changer — especially if you cook with intention.

So… What Did I Learn? (The Writing Prompt Answer)

Here are the lessons this month handed me:

Terrible situations can redirect you toward unexpected blessings.
Intentional living isn’t about perfection — it’s about presence.
Trust your intuition in the kitchen; creativity is a skill.
Ethical spending is possible, even when imperfect.
Resilience grows when you pivot instead of panic.
A Dutch oven pulls out the kind of flavors a crockpot can’t reach.
Honesty and accountability matter.
And sometimes a good meal is the closure you didn’t know you needed.

After the Best Buy debacle, that one perfect meal proved that even the hardest lessons can lead to the best food.

Life Lately: A Quick Update

We bought a home — an older home with character and charm — and promptly learned that homeownership comes with surprises: a water heater replacement, an unexpected electrician visit, and plenty of lessons along the way.

Side note: there’s been a lot of behind-the-scenes work happening here — some challenging, some exciting — all in service of growing and evolving CherryCoBiz. Thank you for being here through the process.

We’re choosing community, choosing local where possible, choosing ethical brands, and choosing mindful spending. I’m not perfect — but I am trying.

And CherryCoBiz is growing with me — inside and out.

If You’d Like to Try the Dish…

If this story resonated with you, and you’d like to taste the dish that ended one of the hardest weeks of the year, here is the recipe exactly as I made it.

Dutch Oven Black Bean & Corn Braised Pork Butt

(First Dutch Oven Meal — CherryCoBiz Style)

Ingredients

1 boneless pork butt (ButcherBox or similar)
2 tbsp seeded mustard
1–2 tsp honey (plus extra for glazing)
Salt & pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
Pinch of chili flakes
1 jar black bean & corn salsa
½ cup water
1 can citrus seltzer water
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1–2 tbsp olive oil (for searing)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300°F.
Pat pork dry. Rub with mustard, honey, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and chili flakes.
Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.
Sear pork on all sides until golden. Remove and set aside.
Add salsa, water, seltzer water, and red wine vinegar. Scrape up the brown bits.
Return pork to the pot; spoon liquid over top.
Cover and bake for 2 hours, flipping halfway and basting.
Uncover for 1 hour, flipping again and spooning juices over top.
Drizzle honey across the top and bake for 30 minutes, uncovered.
Remove from oven, cover with the lid, and let rest for 1 hour.
Serve with mashed potatoes, vegetables, or your sides of choice.