How to Make A Cheese Board

Learn how to make a perfect cheese board for entertaining! Filled with a fun variety of cheeses, fruits, and spreads, it offers something for everyone.

Whether I’m hosting a dinner party, a happy hour, or a holiday get-together, a cheese board is always my go-to appetizer. It’s my #1 choice for so many reasons – it offers a little something for everyone, it looks so pretty and festive, and it’s easy to put together (no cooking required!). Now, if you’ve never made a cheese board before, it might not seem so easy. What cheeses do you pick? What do you pair with them? I promise that the process really is simple, and to get you started, I’m sharing my favorite way to assemble a cheese…

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Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

Say hello to the best vegan peanut butter cookies out there! These easy cookies have chewy middles, crumbly edges, and a fantastic nutty flavor.

As soon as I tried these vegan peanut butter cookies, I exclaimed, “They taste like Nutter Butters!” I meant it in the best way. They have a delicious crumbly texture with slightly chewy middles, and they’re bursting with sweet peanut butter flavor. For me, they’re the perfect peanut butter cookies. If you need a second opinion, talk to Jack. I’ve made over six batches of these vegan peanut butter cookies in the last two weeks, and they’ve all disappeared. Suffice it to say, we’re hooked. Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies Ingredients Here’s what you’ll need to make these vegan peanut butter…

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Applesauce Cake

On a fall day, this applesauce cake really hits this spot. It's moist, tender, and warmly spiced. Add cream cheese frosting to take it over the top!

Want to know how much I love this applesauce cake recipe? I made it four, that’s right, four times in two weeks. That’s a lot of applesauce cake! Well, it’s a lot of applesauce cake in theory, but in practice, it seems like a whole lot less. You snag a slice for breakfast, circle back later for an afternoon snack, and maybe reach for one or two more for dessert. By the end of the day, that first cake is almost gone, and by the end of the next, it’s completely vanished. What can I say? At this time of year,…

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Baked Apples

These baked apples are a simple, delicious fall dessert. The soft, juicy apples contrast beautifully with a crisp brown sugar and cinnamon topping.

This baked apple recipe might be my ideal fall dessert. It’s simpler to make than apple pie, apple cake, or even apple crisp, but it checks all the same apple-y, cinnamon-y boxes. It also shows off the natural shape and color of the apples, which I really love. When I nestle a couple of these baked apples into a bowl with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, they look so fresh and festive…and they taste amazing, too. I’ve made this baked apple recipe a few times this season already, and I’m still excited to make it a few more. If…

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Summer Fruit Tart

This no-bake fruit tart recipe is a delicious summer dessert! It's made with a creamy filling, fresh peaches and berries, and an easy graham cracker crust.

This fruit tart recipe could not be more delicious. Seriously! I’m in love with the creamy, tangy filling, the sweet and salty crust, and the jumble of fresh fruit on top. I tested it a number of times this summer to get the recipe just right, and each time, I looked forward to eating it. Its mix of juicy, creamy, crunchy, salty, tart, and sweet elements is just too good to beat. Another great thing about this fruit tart recipe is that it doesn’t require any baking. I love a good peach cobbler or peach crisp, but when it’s hot…

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20 Easy Peach Recipes

Make the most of peach season with these fresh peach recipes! They include drinks, desserts, and more to help you celebrate this sweet summer fruit.

It’s peach season! For the next few weeks, I’ll come home with a bag of peaches after every trip to the farmers market or store. The season is just so short, so while it’s here, and fresh peaches are juicy, sweet, and abundant, I make it my goal to eat as many of them as I can. Some I devour plain, their sticky juice dripping down my chin. But I use even more in my favorite peach recipes. As you might expect, these peach recipes include desserts like crisps and cobblers. But they go way beyond that, too. Have you…

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Healthy Zucchini Bread

This zucchini bread recipe is healthier than most, but that doesn't mean it isn't delicious. It's moist, warmly spiced, and lightly sweet. You'll love it!

This healthy zucchini bread is a delicious breakfast or summer snack. I should know, because I’ve just finished my [redacted] slice of the season, and I don’t see my healthy zucchini bread consumption slowing down anytime soon. 🙂 Like a traditional recipe, this healthy zucchini bread is moist, tender, and warmly spiced. It’s PACKED with zucchini, of course, but it also features a few other good-for-you ingredients that you wouldn’t find in a regular loaf. Almond flour adds protein and healthy fats, and it gives this loaf an especially moist texture. And instead of melted butter, olive oil brings richness.…

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Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies

These peanut butter no-bake cookies are sweet, nutty, chewy, and delicious. Made with just 7 ingredients, they're an easy dessert or anytime treat!

Over the last few weeks, Jack and I have eaten more of these peanut butter no-bake cookies than we’d like to admit. They’re sweet and nutty, with an addictive chewy texture that comes from lots of peanut butter and whole rolled oats. We’ve pretty much had a constant supply of them on hand, because as soon as you finish one batch, it only takes a few minutes to whip up another and pop it in the fridge to chill. I recommend you enjoy these peanut butter no-bake cookies for dessert or an afternoon treat, but if I’m being totally honest,…

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Peach Crisp

In this easy peach crisp recipe, an oat and nut topping covers a juicy layer of fresh peaches. Serve it with vanilla ice cream for a perfect summer dessert.

This peach crisp recipe is one of the easiest summer desserts. Toss the filling together in one bowl, and mix up the topping in another. Then, layer them both into a pan and bake! When you take your first bite, you’ll be stunned that something so delicious could be so simple to make. There’s just nothing better than peak-season summer fruit. Peach Crisp Recipe Ingredients Because this recipe is so easy to make, it’s a great choice for summer entertaining. It’s also ideal for serving guests with a variety of dietary needs, because it’s gluten-free and can easily be made…

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Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

Cookies for breakfast? Yes, please! These oatmeal breakfast cookies are sweet, nutty, and filled with healthy ingredients like oats, nuts, and fruit.

Here’s how much I love these oatmeal breakfast cookies: after I finish typing this post, I’m going to head to the kitchen to make more. They’re vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free, and they have fiber from the oats and protein and healthy fats from almond butter. Thanks to maple syrup, they’re naturally sweetened too. But these breakfast cookies aren’t just good for you. They’re also delicious! The same ingredients that pack them with nutrients give them a sweet, nutty flavor and soft, puffy texture. Who wants to eat a bowl of oatmeal when you can eat a cookie for breakfast!? Breakfast…

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Carrot Cake Cookies

These carrot cake cookies live up to their name! They have a soft, cake-like texture, a sweet, spiced flavor, and a tangy cream cheese frosting on top.

As I sat down to write this post, I remembered that I have a stash of these carrot cake cookies in the freezer. Just like carrot cake, they’re soft, moist, and filled with warm, spiced flavor. Walnuts or pecans add nutty crunch, and a tangy cream cheese frosting takes them over the top. Right now, I’m using all my willpower to resist running down the kitchen and devouring one on the spot. But no! I want to tell you all about these carrot cake cookies first. They’re the perfect spring treat—wholesome enough for an afternoon snack, brunch, or (without the…

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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.