51 Easy Picnic Food Ideas

Looking for new picnic food ideas? You're in the right place. With recipes for sandwiches, wraps, salads, and more, we've got something for everyone!

It’s picnic season! Your blanket’s ready, your cooler’s out, and you can’t wait to get outside. Now, all you need is good picnic food to take with you. In my experience, the best picnic food ideas aren’t just delicious – they’re simple, too. They’re dishes that you can make ahead knowing that they’ll still taste great when you’re ready to eat. They’re easy to pack in a cooler or a bag, and you only need a few utensils to serve them. No utensils? Even better! Jack and I don’t have any big travel plans this summer, but we are anticipating…

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21 Sides to Spice Up Your Taco Tuesday

Not sure what to serve with tacos? You're in the right place! With dips, veggies, rice, and more, these tasty sides give you plenty to choose from.

If you’re wondering what to serve with tacos tonight, you’re in the right place! We all love tacos, but in my book, the sides (and the drinks!) are an equally important part of taco night. Any side for tacos, from chips and guac to dressed greens, will add varied textures and flavors to the meal, making it more satisfying and more fun to eat. You’ll find 21 of my favorite side dishes for tacos below. They’re all fresh and healthy, with plenty of vegan and gluten-free options mixed in for everyone to enjoy. With recipes for dips, veggies, grains, and…

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10 Best Vegetarian Tacos

Looking for a fun dinner? Make vegetarian tacos! Read on to find some of my favorite veggie taco recipes, as well as a guide to making your own.

When I’m in the mood for a fun dinner, I make vegetarian tacos. Jack mixes up margaritas, I set out a taco bar for two, and we each fill our tortillas just the way we like them. The process is quick and easy, and at the end, we get to dig in to flavorful veggie tacos. To me, it’s a pretty perfect night. In case you’re looking for a fun way to change up your dinner routine, I’m sharing 10 of my favorite vegetarian taco recipes below. They’d be perfect for Cinco de Mayo this week, but honestly, we make…

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31 Easy Chickpea Recipes

Got garbanzo beans? Put them to work in these easy chickpea recipes! They include fresh salads, flavorful curries, the BEST hummus, and more.

We LOVE chickpea recipes! Also called garbanzo beans, chickpeas are healthy, packed with fiber and plant-based protein. Even better, they’re delicious and versatile. Keep a few cans in your pantry, and you won’t get stuck making the same old chickpea recipes on repeat. Nope—you can blend these legumes into hummus, form them into falafel, or roast them up for a crispy snack. You can toss them into a salad or a pot of soup or stuff them into a sandwich. If you want more specific ideas, check out the chickpea recipes below. They’re some of my favorites. I hope you…

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25 Easy Rice Recipes

These rice recipes include quick weeknight dinners, flavorful side dishes, and more! Easy and delicious, they show off this pantry staple at its best.

Say goodbye to boring, bland, or mushy rice! These easy rice recipes will help you make the most of this delicious grain. They include quick weeknight dinners, flavorful rice side dishes, and more. Something you might not know about me is that I really, really love rice. I always keep at least one kind in my pantry, which means that I have rice recipes on heavy rotation. Below, I’m sharing 25 of my favorites, like a 15-minute fried rice, zesty cilantro lime rice (my go-to side dish!), and a couple of comforting risottos. If you have a bag of rice…

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25 Super Fun Baking Recipes

Have an afternoon at home? Bake! With breads, cakes, muffins, and more, these 25 easy baking recipes include something for everyone.

There’s no more joyful way to spend an afternoon than baking. I do most of the cooking in our house, but baking recipes are the ones that bring Jack and me together. He might stretch a batch of pizza dough while I prep the toppings, or we’ll work together to make a jumbo tray of cinnamon rolls to devour the next morning. If you have kids, easy baking recipes are a great way to get them into the kitchen. Let them stir together brownies and lick the spoon or decorate a batch of cookies with bright sprinkles and frosting. The process…

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30+ Healthy Pantry Recipes

These pantry recipes use simple ingredients, but they're still fun to make and fun to eat! Find easy, delicious ideas for soups, tacos, pastas, and more.

There’s nothing I love more than making a delicious meal out of what I have on hand. It’s thrilling to reach into the cupboard and pull out a can of tomatoes and a bag of dried lentils and imagine what pantry recipes I can make. Flash forward thirty minutes, and they’ve transformed into a creamy curried soup that’s flavorful, comforting, and nourishing. It’s certainly been a stressful week for us here in Chicago, and I’m sure it has been for many of you too. When I’m faced with stressful situations, cooking is the first thing I turn to. It’s soothing…

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25 Easy Pasta Recipes

These easy pasta recipes will satisfy any pasta craving! Whether you're hungry for classic lasagna or a new, inventive idea, we've got you covered.

Pasta recipes are some of these most versatile dishes out there. Cooking a romantic dinner for two? There’s a pasta recipe for that. Need a quick and easy dinner on a weeknight? There’s a pasta recipe for that. Serving a crowd? There’s one for that too. Below, you’ll find 25 easy pasta recipes we’ve made and loved on all sorts of occasions – family gatherings, date nights in, and times when I’ve been at a loss for what to cook for dinner. Oftentimes, those nights have yielded the best pasta dinners we’ve had. Turns out, it only takes simple ingredients…

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30 Best Vegan Desserts

Whether you're craving an indulgent cake, a refreshing sorbet, or anything in between, these vegan desserts are guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth.

These vegan desserts are here to prove that you don’t need butter, eggs, or cream to create something that’s sweet, rich, and decadent. Once you stock your pantry with a few simple ingredients, making knockout vegan desserts couldn’t be easier. Keep coconut oil on hand to take the place of butter, start reaching for ground flaxseed instead of eggs, and invest in a bottle of pure maple syrup. You might be surprised to find that you don’t miss the dairy or eggs one bit! Below, you’ll find my 30 best vegan desserts. I include plant-based twists on classic recipes as…

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What is Jackfruit?

Want to start eating jackfruit at home? You're in the right place! Read on to learn how to turn this fruit into a delicious plant-based meat substitute.

Who would have thought that jackfruit – a sweet, funny-looking tropical fruit – would become a trendy meat substitute? Lately, I’ve been seeing it on more and more restaurant menus, and I’ve been using it more and more in my kitchen. It’s fantastic in everything from dips to tacos to sandwiches and more, and it’s good for you, too! The unripe jackfruit that I use in my recipes is high in fiber and low in calories, and its meaty texture makes it really fun to eat. If you’ve never to cooked with it, I heartily recommend that you try a…

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51 Best Brunch Recipes

Looking for new brunch ideas? Try one of our 51 best brunch recipes! With plenty of sweet and savory options, we've got something for everyone.

Brunch might be the most popular meal there is, and for good reason! It’s the perfect combination of breakfast and lunch—you can opt for savory fare like chilaquiles or a slice of quiche or satisfy your sweet tooth with cinnamon rolls or a stack of pancakes. At the brunch table, anything goes. I’m sharing 51 of my best brunch ideas below. Filled with easy, doable, and delicious recipes, this list includes sweet brunch ideas, savory brunch ideas, and our best brunch drinks. Whether you’re looking for inspiration for a big holiday brunch or a lazy weekend meal for two, you’re sure…

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

Welcome to Love & Lemons!

I'm Jeanine Donofrio, a New York Times bestselling cookbook author and recipe developer. I share fresh, delicious vegetarian recipes that celebrate seasonal ingredients and flavors.

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