Four Simple Summer Snacks

Four easy, healthy, delicious snack ideas that are easy to make - perfect for busy weekdays or fun weekend bites.

On social media, everyone always talks about the concept of “not a sad desk lunch”… but what about “not-a-sad desk snack?” For me, snacks can get SO boring. Often, at 3pm when my stomach is growling, I reach for a handful of plain raw almonds because that’s all I’ve got (when I’ve already eaten through the roasted ones). And then I’m kind of bummed that I didn’t have something a little more flavorful and that I just wasted a perfectly good snack opportunity. So today – better snacks! Whether you work at a desk or you’re constantly on the go,…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Nori Wraps

If you love sushi but don't love rolling it at home, these easy nori wraps are for you. They taste just as good, especially with spicy mayo drizzled on top!

gluten free / vegetarian

Meal #2 this week: Nori wraps! If you missed Monday’s post, I made these Mango Black Bean Ginger Rice Bowls as part of this week’s three meal series showing how ingredients from one meal can work into the next, and then again into one more. I did a similar five part plan a few months ago, and many of you wrote to tell me how helpful it was… so here we are again! At the end of the week, I’ll recap it all with a full grocery list. For this recipe, I started with these ingredients that I had on hand…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Strawberry Rhubarb Chia Overnight Oat Parfaits

This yummy parfait is one of my favorite strawberry rhubarb recipes. I dollop a simple jam over oats with granola & lightly sweet coconut cream.

breakfast / vegan / gluten free

Back when we lived in Austin, rhubarb season existed to me only via Instagram. Rhubarb didn’t grow where we lived, and I didn’t quite understand why there was a sudden explosion of rhubarb recipes all over the internet every spring… until now. After the longest winter ever, our farmers markets are open again(!) and the first types of produce to appear have been asparagus, rhubarb, and… cheese. Yes – I think cheese is considered a vegetable here in the Midwest. One of My Favorite Rhubarb Recipes So far, I’ve only used rhubarb to make crisps, crumbles, and this strawberry rhubarb…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Asparagus Ribbon, Mint & Pea Pesto Toasts

Have you ever tried peeling asparagus into ribbons? Lightly crisp, fresh & delicious, they're just the thing to top these yummy spring-themed toasts.

breakfast / spring / vegetarian

If you love asparagus, but the people you’re living with don’t, this post is for you. Even if you’re just blasé about asparagus, like I used to be, give it a chance by ribboning it! The thin, raw ribbons tossed with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper are so fresh and delicious that you’ll completely avoid the unpleasant fibrous, stringy experience that asparagus sometimes causes. You can toss them in salads, put them on pizza… last weekend we ate them on fancy toast because these happened to be the ingredients that I had on hand. To make the ribbons, you…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Strawberry Tart

You won't find any dairy or gluten in this delicious strawberry tart recipe! Instead, it has a bright coconut cream filling and a nutty almond crust.

gluten free

This strawberry tart recipe comes from the Sweet Laurel cookbook by Laurel Gallucci and Claire Thomas. I know you will absolutely love this book – there are SO many amazing allergen-free baking recipes (many are vegan as well). In addition to this simple strawberry tart, there are cakes, cookies, bars, pies, muffins, quick breads, and pop tarts. Each recipe is more decadent than the one before it, yet they all have short ingredient lists and simple instructions. I can’t wait to try the Apple Pie Bars and Double Chocolate Muffins in the fall, but right now, I’m obsessed with this…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

This chocolate zucchini cake recipe is the ULTIMATE summertime treat! It's moist, fudgy, and decadent, with a rich dark chocolate flavor.

vegan

When your garden (or your fridge) is overflowing with zucchini, there’s no better way to use it than by making this chocolate zucchini cake. It’s a recipe I make every summer, when I’ve already had zucchini noodles, zucchini chips, and zucchini salad, and something really decadent sounds like it would hit the spot. This chocolate zucchini cake is moist and delicious, with a rich chocolate flavor that I can’t get enough of. It’s wonderful on its own, but I like it best with a thick layer of frosting on top. If you want to lean into the green theme, you…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Vegan Seven Layer Dip

This healthy recipe for seven layer dip is a guaranteed party hit! Refried beans, guac, spiced quinoa, cashew cream & fresh veggies load it with flavor.

appetizers / vegan / gluten free

I have a huge weakness for seven layer dip. Growing up, my mom made it for SO many holidays and gatherings. I’d be sure to grab a seat at the table right next to it so that I could gobble it up, chip after chip after chip after chip. In my family, this was (and still is) called Tex Mex dip. When Jack and I were first dating, he thought this was hilarious, and once I moved down to Texas with him I learned why – this dip is neither Tex nor Mex. In the intervening years, I also learned…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Kale Guacamole

This kale guacamole has classic guac's addictive zesty flavor & creamy texture, but steamed kale leaves makes it extra green (and extra healthy)!

vegan / gluten free

This recipe was inspired by a kale guacamole that started showing up at Whole Foods last summer :). Yes, that’s right, I don’t always make my own guacamole. If I’m heading to someone’s house, sometimes it’s just easier to pick it up on the way. That delicious kale guacamole inspired me to make my own version at home. Not only is it healthy, but also adding in the kale bulks it up a bit without taking away any of the flavor. Plus, I somehow found a way to make guacamole *more* green! Who doesn’t love that? This recipe is easy as…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Loaded Potato Skins

You'll love these loaded potato skins with black bean salad, sunflower sour cream, and crispy coconut bacon. Great for parties!

vegan / gluten free / snacks & dips

I wanted to share this fun healthi(er) “game day” recipe before the Super Bowl even though, admittedly, we’re not big football fans. And by “we,” I mostly mean me. Jack will socially watch a game at a party, but my relationship with football didn’t exactly start off on the right… foot. Beginning in 1st grade, every year in gym class, we started the year with a football written test. Way to get kids interested in sports, right? The teacher would hand out worksheets to bring home and study (which I never did) and every year I’d bring home a failing…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Cranberry Cookies

These cranberry cookies are soft, chewy, and warmly spiced. They're perfect for the holiday season, but they're so delicious that I make them year-round!

vegan

These cranberry cookies are a more festive version of my favorite thing to bake: chocolate chip cookies! With Christmas just one week away, I wanted to share a fun holiday cookie recipe, but I wasn’t in the mood for sugar cookies or gingerbread. Nope, true to form, I wanted soft, chewy cookies that were generously studded with chocolate chips. I didn’t think that classic chocolate chip cookies really counted as a holiday treat, so I jazzed them up to make these cranberry cookies instead. I have to say, I’m thrilled with how they came out! I spiced them with cinnamon…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Butternut Hummus with Feta & Pomegranates

A healthy fall or winter appetizer - great for Thanksgiving, the holidays, or just for snacking! Vegetarian, vegan and gluten free.

fall / holiday: / appetizers

I hope you need a last-minute Thanksgiving appetizer because this butternut squash hummus dip is so insanely good! While I was making it, I couldn’t stop eating it. Now that the leftovers are in the fridge, I can’t walk by the kitchen without grabbing a cracker for a quick swipe. It’s easy to make, especially if you’re roasting butternut squash for another recipe – just roast an extra cup of cubed squash and swirl this hummus together in no time. It’s thick, creamy, tangy, and nicely spiced from the cumin, coriander, and a bit of cayenne. Now the important part…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.