10 Healthy Smoothie Recipes

These healthy smoothie recipes are an easy, delicious way to fill up on fruits and veggies. My family loves them for breakfast or as a snack!

These healthy smoothie recipes are packed with good-for-you ingredients! Think fresh fruit, vegetables, chia seeds, nut butters, and more. They fill these healthy smoothies with nutrients like fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals…and they taste delicious too. If you’re looking for breakfast or snack ideas for 2026, these healthy smoothie recipes are a great place to start. Ranging from classic fruit smoothies to vibrant green smoothies to tropical and chocolatey blends, they’re satisfying, flavorful, and easy to make in minutes. My whole family loves these recipes (kiddo included!). I hope you will too! Healthy Fruit Smoothie Recipes Strawberry Banana Smoothie This classic…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

30 Best Christmas Side Dishes

Our best Christmas side dishes! From fresh vegetable sides to crowd-pleasing casseroles, they'll all be hits on your holiday dinner table.

These Christmas side dishes include everything you need for a delicious holiday feast! They range from fan-favorite potato recipes to stunning winter vegetables, fresh salads, make-ahead casseroles, and more. No matter what main you’re making, you’ll find Christmas side dishes to love. I don’t know about you, but the side dishes are always my favorite part of Christmas dinner. It doesn’t matter whether my family is having lasagna or prime rib—I’ll be more excited about the vegetables, potatoes, and homemade dinner rolls on the table. I hope these Christmas side dishes are the highlight of your holiday dinner too. Our…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

25 Best Christmas Appetizers

Need some Christmas appetizers for your next holiday party? Find our best ideas below! They include easy, crowd-pleasing dips, finger foods, and more.

These Christmas appetizers will be a hit at any holiday party this season! I’ve made them for countless family gatherings, cozy cocktail hours, and get-togethers with friends over the years. Fun, flavorful, and festive, they’re crowd-pleasers every time. These Christmas appetizers include tasty finger foods, delicious dips, platters, and more. Many can be made ahead, and others are quick to throw together at the last minute. Whether you’re hosting a holiday party or looking for the perfect bite to bring, you’ll find easy appetizer ideas to try. Our Top 5 Christmas Appetizers Stuffed Mushrooms My husband Jack can’t get enough…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

25 Easy Christmas Cookie Recipes

Ready for holiday baking? Find our best Christmas cookies below! They include easy recipes for sugar cookies, spice cookies, cut outs, and more.

I’ll be baking Christmas cookies on repeat for the next few weeks! They’re one of my favorite parts of the holiday season—sweet, festive, and perfect for making with family and sharing as a gift. If you ask me, there’s no better way to spread holiday cheer. In case you’re ready for holiday baking too, I’ve rounded up my best easy Christmas cookie recipes below. They include traditional Christmas cookies like gingerbread as well as fun shortbread variations, classic chocolate chip cookies, and more. They’re all great for holiday parties, cookie tins, and baking with loved ones (kids included!). I hope…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Christmas Sugar Cookies

I make these Christmas sugar cookies for the holidays every year! Cut into festive shapes, they're perfect for decorating with icing and sprinkles.

Let’s make Christmas sugar cookies! My family loves breaking out our cookie cutters to bake these cookies for the holidays every year. They’re classic cut-out sugar cookies, with crisp edges, soft middles, and a warm, buttery flavor from vanilla and almond extract. Made with a simple 8-ingredient dough, they hold their shape in the oven, which means that you can cut them into all kinds of holiday shapes. While you could enjoy these Christmas sugar cookies plain, we think half the fun of making them is decorating them. Top them with icing, plus sprinkles, colored sugar, and/or candies for a festive…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

A Crowd-Pleasing Side Dish for Your Thanksgiving Table

These 5-ingredient mashed potatoes are our most popular Thanksgiving recipe! My husband’s favorite side dish, they’re rich, creamy, and delicious.

Ever since I met my husband Jack, he’s been raving about his Uncle Billy’s mashed potatoes. Rich, creamy, and topped with what Jack calls “butter lake,” they were his favorite side dish at Thanksgiving growing up. I can’t say I’m entirely sold on the butter lake part, but Jack has helped me perfect my mashed potato recipe over the years. At this point, he says that it’s just as good as his Uncle Billy’s…if not better. I have to agree that they’re the best mashed potatoes I’ve tried. Here’s why we love these mashed potatoes: They have an amazing creamy…

TO THE POST >>>>

15 Best Thanksgiving Cocktails

Our best Thanksgiving cocktails! Find simple classics like an Old Fashioned as well as fun, festive fall drinks. You and your guests will love them!

I love adding a few Thanksgiving cocktails to my holiday menu each year. Sometimes, I stick with the classics, serving up warming mulled wine or dry martinis. Other years, I lean into the season, making signature Thanksgiving drinks that are packed with fall flavors—think cranberry margaritas or apple cider sangria. Either way, they put the perfect festive finishing touch on the meal. I’ve rounded up my best Thanksgiving cocktail recipes below. Check them out if you’re looking for drink ideas for your celebration. I hope you find some you (and your guests) love! Our Best Thanksgiving Cocktails Apple Cider Sangria This…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

20 Best Thanksgiving Desserts

Our best Thanksgiving desserts! Ranging from classic pies to non-pie ideas like cakes and bars, these delicious recipes will wow your holiday guests.

Have you chosen your Thanksgiving desserts yet? I’m still deciding. I might go the classic pie route, or I might go pie-free, creating a Thanksgiving dessert table with fall crisps, festive cakes, or even a show-stopping pumpkin tiramisu. In case you’re on the fence too, I’ve rounded up our best Thanksgiving dessert ideas below. You’ll find recipes for traditional holiday pies like pumpkin and apple, plus plenty of non-pie Thanksgiving desserts. Pick one direction, or make a mix of both. No matter which you choose, these Thanksgiving desserts will be a hit! Classic Thanksgiving Desserts Best Pumpkin Pie Pumpkin pie has…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

35 Best Friendsgiving Food Ideas

Our best Friendsgiving food ideas! Find easy recipes for a festive fall gathering—crowd-pleasing appetizers, fun drinks, desserts, and more.

If you’re celebrating Friendsgiving this year, you’re in the right place! Below, I’ve rounded up my best Friendsgiving food ideas—bite-size appetizers, batch cocktails, classic side dishes, and easy desserts. Whether you’re hosting or just bringing a dish to pass, you’ll find Friendsgiving recipes to try. Back in the day, Jack and I celebrated Friendsgiving on Thanksgiving, because we lived far from our families and didn’t always travel for the holiday. Now, it’s more common to do both—a Friendsgiving earlier in November and a traditional Thanksgiving feast with family later on. I’m all for this, because it turns Friendsgiving into an opportunity to…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

The No-Bake Bars I’m Making for Halloween

These no-bake peanut butter bars are the perfect Halloween treat. They taste like Reese's peanut butter cups, and they're easy to make with 5 ingredients!

In our house, Halloween has suddenly become a Very Big Deal. Before Jack and I were parents, we barely did anything for the holiday. On a good year, I’d maybe put on the same Dorothy costume I’d worn for the seven Halloweens prior. But now that we have a four-year-old, things are different. Our house is fully decorated, we ALL have new costumes for Friday, and today, Ollie and I are making these no-bake peanut butter bars as a fun pre-Halloween treat. Here’s why we love these peanut butter bars: They taste like Reese’s peanut butter cups. With a fudgy…

TO THE POST >>>>

21 Best Fall Pasta Recipes

Craving comfort food? These fall pasta recipes are for you! Packed with seasonal produce and cozy autumn flavors, they're perfect for cool nights.

Is anyone else making fall pasta recipes on repeat? With the sun setting earlier and the temps getting cooler, I’ve been craving comfort food lately, and nothing hits the spot like a cozy bowl of pasta. In case you feel the same, I’ve rounded up our best fall pasta recipes below. They include classic Italian tomato sauce pastas, ultra-creamy ones, and of course, others that are packed with the season’s best produce (bring on the butternut squash!). Whether you’re looking for a quick weeknight fix or a crowd-pleasing dish for a special occasion, I’m sure you’ll find some fall pasta…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>
A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Welcome to Love & Lemons!

I'm Jeanine Donofrio, a New York Times bestselling cookbook author and recipe developer. I share fresh, delicious vegetarian recipes that celebrate seasonal ingredients and flavors.

More about us...