Hugo Spritz

I love sipping a Hugo spritz on a hot day! Made with prosecco, elderflower liqueur, and fresh mint, this Italian cocktail is floral and refreshing.

Have you ever tried a Hugo spritz? This Italian cocktail is bubbly and bright, with floral notes from elderflower liqueur and herbal depth from fresh mint. It’s just as refreshing as an Aperol spritz, its better-known cousin, but it doesn’t have any of Aperol’s bitterness. Instead, it’s lightly sweet and delicate. It’s one of my favorite cocktails to sip on a hot summer day—always on a patio, and preferably in Italy…though more likely in my own backyard. Luckily, this Hugo spritz recipe is easy to make with 5 ingredients, so it couldn’t be simpler to mix up at home. Hugo…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Blackberry Cobbler

This blackberry cobbler recipe is my idea of a perfect summer dessert. It's easy, delicious, and bursting with juicy berries. Serve with ice cream!

This blackberry cobbler recipe is easy and delicious. Juicy, tangy blackberries meld into a golden batter that’s soft and moist in the middle and crisp around the edges. Topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it’s a mouthwatering summer dessert. I’ve shared several biscuit-style cobblers in the past—there’s a yummy Summer Fruit Cobbler in Simple Feel Good Food, and I also have this great blueberry cobbler on the blog. But this blackberry cobbler recipe is my first attempt at a cake-y, batter-style cobbler. Friends, I’ve been missing out.  Since this style of dessert was new to me, I loosely based…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

This classic strawberry banana smoothie recipe is a delicious healthy breakfast or snack! It's sweet, creamy, and super refreshing.

In the last few weeks, I’ve made this strawberry banana smoothie recipe more times than I can count. Now that it’s summer, my whole family has been having it for breakfast almost every morning. Thick, creamy, and sweet, it’s super refreshing on a hot day. This strawberry smoothie recipe couldn’t be simpler to make. It calls for a handful of basic ingredients and comes together in the blender in less than 5 minutes. It’s the kind of thing you can easily pull off for breakfast on a busy weekday morning (yes, even if you have a toddler running around!) or…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

You'll love this chocolate zucchini bread recipe! Packed with shredded zucchini and gooey chocolate chips, it's moist, fudgy, and delicious.

This double chocolate zucchini bread is moist, fudgy, and delicious. In the summertime, it’s my favorite way to satisfy a chocolate craving. It tastes just as decadent as a rich chocolate cake, but it’s packed with shredded zucchini. Eating your vegetables has never tasted so good! Like my classic zucchini bread recipe, this recipe makes two loaves. They disappear pretty quickly in our house, but if you have extra, pop one loaf in the freezer for another day, or share it with a friend! They (and you) will love this chocolate zucchini bread. Quick note: I recently re-tested and updated…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Tom Collins Cocktail

This Tom Collins recipe is easy to make with gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and club soda. Served over ice, this classic cocktail is bright and refreshing.

It’s probably not surprising that I love a Tom Collins cocktail. This sparkling gin drink is only one step removed from homemade lemonade, after all. Made with gin, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and club soda, it’s bright, fizzy, and super refreshing. Plus, because it’s a long drink, meaning that the alcohol is mixed with a good amount of soda water, it’s not as strong as some other cocktails. This makes it perfect for sipping on a hot summer day. If you’re new to making cocktails at home, I think this Tom Collins recipe is a great place to start. You…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

10 Easy Father’s Day Grilling Recipes

These easy grilling recipes would be perfect for a Father's Day cookout! They include fun appetizers, mouthwatering mains, and more.

Father’s Day is coming up this weekend! To celebrate, my family is getting together for a backyard cookout (complete with my favorite Father’s Day side dish—see yesterday’s post!). In case that’s how you’re celebrating too, I’ve rounded up 10 easy grilling recipes below. They include fun appetizers, simple sides, mouthwatering mains, and even a dessert—all of which you can cook on the grill. They minimize cleanup and maximize the time you get to spend outside, which I consider a huge win on any summer holiday. I hope you find some you love…and to all the dads reading, happy Father’s Day!…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

7 Layer Dip

Based on my mom's classic recipe, this 7 layer dip is a perfect party appetizer or game day snack. Serve with tortilla chips for dipping!

7 layer dip might be my favorite party appetizer of all time. If you’re not familiar, this delicious dip combines creamy refried beans with zesty avocado, taco-spiced sour cream, tangy cheddar cheese, and loads of fresh fixings. It’s like bean dip meets guacamole meets pico de gallo and more. I mean, come on—pass the tortilla chips, please! This classic 7 layer dip recipe is based on my mom’s. She made it for every party and gathering when I was growing up, which meant I spent many of those parties and gatherings next to the snack table, piling a little paper plate with…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Easy Fruit Salad

This easy fruit salad recipe is a perfect summer side dish! Kids and adults love this one—it's made with colorful fruit and a bright honey-lime dressing.

This classic fruit salad recipe has become one of our go-to summer side dishes. It’s fresh, it’s colorful, and—best of all—it’s kid-friendly. Our kiddo has always loved fresh fruit, so when I want to bring a dish to a gathering that I know he’ll go for, fruit salad wins every time. I call for a vibrant blend of pineapple, mandarin oranges, blueberries, strawberries, grapes, and kiwi in this recipe, but I want to say up front that this fruit salad is super flexible. I’m sharing some of my go-to subs and swaps below, but honestly, almost any fruit tastes delicious with…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Caprese Pasta Salad

This Caprese pasta salad recipe is perfect for summer picnics! It's super bright and fresh, filled with tomatoes, basil, and a light balsamic dressing.

This Caprese pasta salad recipe is practically summer in a bowl! As you can probably tell from its name, it’s a delicious fusion of two summer favorites: pasta salad and Italian Caprese salad. If you ask me, it’s a match made in heaven. A classic Caprese salad is bursting with fresh summer flavor, thanks to the famous combination of creamy mozzarella, juicy tomatoes, and aromatic basil. But it isn’t as packable as pasta salad, a staple at picnics and potlucks. This easy Caprese pasta salad recipe combines the best of both. You get all the fresh flavor of a Caprese…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream

Love chocolate? Love ice cream? You HAVE to try this homemade chocolate ice cream recipe! It has a smooth, creamy texture and rich chocolate flavor.

Warning: this chocolate ice cream recipe is insanely delicious. If you try it once, there’s a good chance you’ll have it on repeat all summer long! I shared this vanilla ice cream recipe a few years ago, and it’s become SO popular that I knew I had to share a chocolate version too. After lots of testing and tweaking (read: eating lots of chocolate ice cream), I’m happy to report that this recipe makes some of the best chocolate ice cream I’ve ever tasted, homemade or otherwise. It’s luxuriously creamy and super chocolatey. I’ve eaten it straight out of my ice…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

How to Make Iced Coffee

Learn how to make iced coffee at home! Easy to customize with any milk or sweetener, this recipe is just as delicious as iced coffee from a coffee shop.

Iced coffee is my favorite way to start a warm spring or summer day. Sorry, hot coffee—when the temps are high enough, only the iced stuff will do. In the last few years, iced coffee drinks have exploded in popularity. But I find that people often get them at coffee shops instead of making them at home. This iced coffee recipe is here to change that! It’s SO simple, you can customize it with your favorite milk or sweetener, and it’s more affordable than ordering iced coffee out. If you’re an iced coffee fan, give it a try. I think you’ll…

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

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.