No-Bake Protein Balls

This no-bake protein balls recipe is one of my favorite healthy snacks! It's easy to make with simple ingredients like peanut butter, oats, and flax.

When I need an afternoon energy boost, these protein balls are the perfect bite-size snack! Made with peanut butter, honey, and mini chocolate chips, they’re lightly sweet, nutty, and delicious. They’re super satisfying too—oats and ground flaxseed add plenty of fiber, and a couple scoops of protein powder give them a nice protein bump. They’re similar to the energy balls I’ve shared in the past, but with one key difference: you don’t need a food processor to make them. You can just stir together the ingredients in a bowl before shaping the mixture into balls. So easy! I always get requests for…

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Homemade Salsa

Break out the tortilla chips! This homemade salsa recipe is zesty, fresh, and super easy to make. Enjoy it as a dip, or pile it onto tacos, nachos, and more.

appetizers / cooking basics

If I learned one thing from living in Austin, it’s that homemade salsa is infinitely better than any kind in a jar. I loved sampling salsas at restaurants and taco trucks. Each one was different—some were made with roasted ingredients, others got a smoky, spicy kick from dried chiles, and still others were nice and fresh. This variety inspired me to start experimenting with making homemade salsa. I might pull out dried chiles in the winter, when good tomatoes are hard to find, or roast tomatillos if I see them at the farmers market. But on hot summer days, this…

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Corn Salsa

This corn salsa recipe is easy to make with fresh corn, peppers, cilantro, and lime. Zesty, sweet, and spicy, it's delicious on tacos, burritos, and more!

This corn salsa recipe is full of fresh summer flavor! Sweet, juicy corn kernels play off crisp bell peppers and red onion, spicy jalapeños, cilantro, and zesty lime. I love to serve it as a summer appetizer with tortilla chips, and it’s also great on burrito bowls, taco salads, and more. Think Chipotle’s corn salsa, but better. Like many of my favorite summer recipes, this corn salsa is easy to make. Simply dice up the veggies, chop the corn kernels off the cob, and stir everything together. If you’re doing the math, that means that I use raw corn in…

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30 Best Summer Vegetable Recipes

These summer vegetable recipes star veggies like corn, tomatoes, eggplant, and zucchini. Try one to make the most of the season's best produce!

These summer vegetable recipes are my unofficial summer cooking bucket list. They’re the dishes I come back to every July and August, when zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, corn, and more are in full swing and I want to make the most of them. If you’re looking for ways to use your latest farmers market haul or garden bounty, I think you’ll love these summer vegetable recipes too. Most of them are super simple—think quick sautés and salads you can throw together on a weeknight. A few are a little more involved (looking at you, tomato galette), but I think they’re well…

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Affogato

An affogato is an Italian dessert made with two simple ingredients: hot espresso and cold gelato. It's the perfect easy, delicious treat for a hot day!

Let’s make an affogato! This classic Italian dessert is a delicious marriage of two simple ingredients: espresso and gelato or ice cream. You barely need a recipe to make one (it’s as easy as pouring hot espresso over cold ice cream). But because I think an affogato is the best way to enjoy coffee on a hot day, I couldn’t resist sharing this simple affogato recipe—my preferred ratios and variations included. I hope you’ll take it as an invitation to enjoy this delightful Italian treat for the rest of the summer, no trip to Italy required! How to Make an Affogato…

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Air Fryer Corn on the Cob

Air fryer corn on the cob is the fastest, easiest way to cook corn! It's ready in minutes, and it comes out tender, juicy, and flavorful every time.

Air fryer corn on the cob has been a total game changer for me. It’s the quickest, easiest way I know to cook corn on the cob! This recipe takes just 10 minutes from start to finish, and it yields perfectly cooked, tender sweet corn. Bonus: it doesn’t heat up your kitchen in the process. I won’t lie—I still make boiled corn on the cob and grilled corn on the cob for summer cookouts and BBQs. But when I want to make a small batch in as little time as possible, this air fryer method can’t be beat. It’s perfect…

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Cucumber Tomato Salad

This cucumber tomato salad is a refreshing summer side dish! A tangy vinaigrette brightens juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, onions, and herbs.

summer / salads

This cucumber tomato salad recipe is the simplest summer side dish! Making it is as easy as tossing sliced cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, crisp onions, and herbs with a tangy 5-ingredient dressing. I make some version of it every week in the summer, changing up the herbs to use what looks best in my garden or tossing in fun add-ins like avocado or cheese. Bright and refreshing, it pairs well with almost any meal, from fresh summer pastas to veggie burgers off the grill. Whether you make it as written or make it your own, this recipe is a great one…

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Pesto Gnocchi

Ready in 20 minutes, this pesto gnocchi recipe is a perfect dinner for summer weeknights! With a vibrant pesto sauce, it's fresh and delicious.

This pesto gnocchi recipe is exactly the kind of easy dinner I’m craving right now. It’s fresh and summery, featuring bursty cherry tomatoes and plenty of basil pesto. But at the same time, it’s super simple. Made with store-bought gnocchi, it comes together in 20 minutes or less. File it under “summer weeknight dinners to make on repeat!” This recipe is my extra-veggie spin on the Italian dish gnocchi al pesto. Hailing from Liguria, pesto’s home region, it traditionally consists of gnocchi tossed in a vibrant basil pesto sauce—that’s it. No other add-ins or garnishes, except for maybe a little cheese on…

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Banana Ice Cream

This banana ice cream recipe stars one simple ingredient: frozen bananas! This creamy, dairy-free treat is fun and refreshing on hot summer days.

Have you ever made frozen banana ice cream? This one-ingredient treat has a rich, creamy texture a lot like regular ice cream, but you don’t need an ice cream maker (or any sugar or dairy) to make it. It whizzes up in the food processor in just a few minutes! Banana ice cream was trendy years ago (remember “nice cream”?), but it recently made its way back into my kitchen thanks to the PBS Kids show Daniel Tiger. There’s an episode where Daniel and his mom make “banana swirl” together, which inspired me to start making it with my son…

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Homemade Lemonade

This homemade lemonade recipe is just the thing for a hot summer day. Made with 3 simple ingredients, it's sweet, refreshing, and deliciously tart.

summer

This homemade lemonade recipe is so refreshing on a hot day! Made with 3 simple ingredients—water, lemon juice, and simple syrup—it’s sweet, citrusy, and deliciously tart. In the summer, I’d happily drink an ice-cold glass every day. (Not surprising given that you’re on Love & Lemons, right?) This lemonade recipe makes a big batch, so it’d be a great refreshment for your next cookout or BBQ. However, you can easily scale it down if you’re serving a smaller group. Garnish glasses with fresh mint leaves or basil for an aromatic, summery twist, or keep things classic and top each one…

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20 Easy 4th of July Desserts

Our best 4th of July desserts! Round out your Independence Day menu with one of these delicious sweet treats. Find pies, ice cream, cookies, and more!

Looking for 4th of July dessert ideas? You’re in the right place! I’ve rounded up our best 4th of July desserts below. They include no-bake sweets, easy frozen treats, portable options like cookies and bars, and TONS of delicious baked goods packed with summer fruit. You’ll even find some red, white, and blue ideas in the mix! All these desserts are easy to prepare, and many are great for making ahead (ideal for when you’re hosting or attending a gathering, if you ask me). Choose one for a sweet ending to your Independence Day BBQ—you can’t go wrong here! Fruity 4th…

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Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.