Watermelon St. Germain Cocktails

In case I haven’t mentioned it before – it’s pretty hot here. I’ve been eating watermelon like crazy because, well, I think it just might be the most refreshing fruit on the planet. I had been thinking of making watermelon margaritas until I had the most refreshing elderflower & vodka watermelon cocktail made by the Tipsy Texan a few weeks ago at the opening of Métier Cook’s Supply (a really cute kitchen supply store, btw – if you’re in Austin, go check it out). This is definitely a simplified version but I get impatient to make cocktails that have more than just a few easy ingredients.…

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Peach Sangria

Ginger, basil & mint give this peach sangria recipe a delicious herbal kick. Cold & refreshing, it's just the thing for hot summer days.

summer / cocktail / vegan

Happy Friday! I have the easiest, summeriest cocktail to share with you: peach sangria! This weekend, it’s going to be 102 degrees(!) here in Austin. Because hot summer days call for cold, refreshing drinks, I decided to come up with a new summer party drink recipe. I figure everyone loves sangria, so I thought – what would be more seasonal than peach sangria? Now one of my favorite sangria recipes, this drink is sweet, but not too sweet, and packed full of fruit and herbs. Peach Sangria Recipe Ingredients The base is simple: white wine, Grand Marnier, and fresh peaches. I also added…

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Peanut Butter Bourbon Milkshake

vegan / gluten free / almond breeze

It might not be summer everywhere yet, but here in Texas, it’s hot. Lately our weekend afternoons have consisted of long sweaty walks followed by sweet frozen treats. This ice cream has been our treat-of-choice over the past few weeks – mainly because when you experiment with new recipes, you make a lot of versions. And thus, a lot of ice cream. It’s not a bad problem to have. This recipe is a 2-parter, you can stop at the ice cream, or go a step further and make it into a milkshake. Instead of our regular coconut base, we did…

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Mango Matcha Smoothie

This mango matcha smoothie recipe is a healthy breakfast or snack. Mango makes the smoothie sweet & creamy and matcha makes it healthy & green!

vegan / gluten free

I’m not sure if you all noticed, but Jack made his 3rd post a few weeks back. (Check out his Blueberry Smoothie, if you missed it). This guy, I tell you, is crazy about smoothies. If he’s the smoothie king around here, then I am the matcha mistress. But both together? Well that’s just a match(a) made in heaven. (I know, bad pun, I just couldn’t help myself…) If you look at this recipe, you’ll notice that I leave out a common smoothie ingredient: banana. That’s because fresh mango works as a nice thickener on its own, so there’s no…

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Any Vegetable Vinegar Pickles

A simple pickle recipe that's great for pickling broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, onions, cucumbers, and more!

cookbook / giveaway / hip girl's guide to the kitchen

I love cookbooks and I hoard them pretty obsessively. Although, I’ll admit, I have a hard time following recipes from start to finish. Which is why I love the premise of Kate Payne’s new book, The Hip Girls Guide to the Kitchen. It’s a “hit the ground running approach, seeing as you need to eat three times daily whether you’ve mastered your kitchen or not.” It’s full of, really, everything you need to know to be pretty successful in your kitchen – from how to set up your pantry to how to put meals together intuitively and economically. (Also she’s gluten…

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Blueberry Rooibos Tea Smoothie

Learn how to make the BEST blueberry smoothie with this simple recipe! Easy, fresh & healthy, it's a yummy, antioxidant-loaded breakfast or snack.

gluten free / spring / rooibos tea

Today I’d (and this is Jack again, by the way) like to bring you another one of my favorite recipes for a hot summer day – a great, fruity smoothie. You see, Jeanine likes smoothies, but I really, really love berry smoothies. And I don’t need them for a workout, or to wake up, or any regimen – we’ll be walking down the street randomly, and I’ll just decide that it’s smoothie time. I have no smoothie shame. Blueberry Smoothie Recipe Ingredients This yummy blend starts with two of my smoothie favorites: blueberries and raspberries. The blueberries make up the…

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Pickled Chard Stems

spring / vegan / gluten free

Eat the rainbow, (and no I’m not talking about Skittles). I just love chard and I love it’s crunchy colorful stems. Although, very often, I end up with a lot of extra stem pieces. They’re way too pretty to toss so I’ve started pickling them. Don’t worry, this isn’t a Sunday afternoon project, these are super quick refrigerator pickles. (i.e. the kind I have patience for). You could slice yours into long spears, but I chop mine up (they pickle quicker that way), and them I eat them Japanese Tsukemono style – as a simple condiment with rice (or any grain),…

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Sambal Salsa & Black Bean Tacos

vegan / vegetarian / gluten free

I’m a little bit behind. I realize – today is Ocho de Mayo and I’m late to the game with a salsa & taco recipe. But the way I see it – every day can be taco day. Aside from avocado smashed on toast, “stuff in a tortilla,” is my next go-to meal. I came up with this recipe a little bit by accident. A few weeks ago, I was in Chicago visiting my family, cooking with whatever was around my mom’s kitchen. On that particular day: a few tomatoes, an avocado, some onions, etc… Halfway through chopping all of…

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Almond-ella Spread

Here's a delicious, healthy version of nutella made with almonds. It's vegan, dairy-free, gluten free, and only three ingredients!

snacks & dips / gluten free / udi's

Everyone loves nutella right? I love it as much as the next person, but I don’t love all of the unhealthy ingredients that are in it. This almond chocolate spread, (almond-ella is what I’m calling it), is just as creamy and delicious. It’s super easy and just 3 ingredients: almond butter, chocolate, and (the secret to it’s smooth texture), coconut oil. Melt everything together, pour it into a jar. It’ll firm up and set as it cools, (if you can wait that long). Slather it on toasted bread and top it with your favorite fruit. Many of you have asked me to recommend gluten…

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Dukkah Spiced Yogurt Dip

Learn how to make dukkah with this simple recipe! It's a delicious way to spice up a yogurt dip, hummus, toast, and more!

appetizers / vegetarian / gluten free-option

My Dukkah Recipe Inspiration I recently contributed this dukkah recipe to Food 52’s Small Batch series. When they first suggested it, I had to look up how to (authentically) make it. It turns out — there’s no one way. The word dukkah literally means “to pound” and it generally consists of hazelnuts, sesame seeds, and a few whole dried spices. To me, this was the perfect opportunity to use up the nuts and spices I had just cleaned out of my pantry shelves. (Specifically, the ones that didn’t fit when I transferred them from little bags to little jars). Along with the…

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Ginger Kombucha Cocktails

spring / cocktail / favorites

I just realized that I have a pattern of only posting cocktails on Fridays. I don’t know if it feels more socially appropriate that a cocktail should be a pre-weekend treat or if I’m trying to cover up the fact that I’m known to have a glass of wine (or two), on any given day(s) throughout the week. I like to celebrate the little wins in life, even if a “win” is just getting through an ordinary Monday. This week, however, is not about ordinary Mondays. I just about fell off my chair two days ago when I found out…

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Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.