No-Cook Meals

Black Bean Dip (or Salsa or Salad)

Enjoy this easy, endlessly versatile recipe as a dip with chips, a salsa for fish or chicken, a super-simple salad, or the foundation of a healthy, plant-based meal. Perfect for a potluck and can be prepared up to a day in advance!         Amidst all my experimenting with new recipes, this simple…

Creamy Balsamic Dressing

  Have you ever wondered how to perfectly poach an egg or whether mayonnaise is a better option that butter on a grilled cheese sandwich?  A sieve is your friend when poaching eggs, and mayo is easier to spread than cold butter, but there’s a little more to the story. A few months ago, Christine…

Smoked Paprika Aioli

This 5-ingredient sauce is made bright and light through the addition of Greek yogurt and lime juice, while two simple spices add singular, smoky flavor. You won’t believe how easy and versatile it is!   My first introduction to paprika came as a young girl while helping my mom make deviled eggs. She always topped…

Homemade Seasoned Salt

So often it’s the simple things made with run-of-the-mill pantry items that serve us best in the kitchen.  Thanks to their ease, versatility, and great flavor, staples like classic balsamic vinaigrette, basic marinara, homemade Bisquick, and aptly-named “everything” sauce have found their way into many recipes in my kitchen and throughout this blog.   An amped up salt fits nicely…

No-Bake Refrigerator Peanut Butter Oat Squares

A wholesome, no-bake recipe with peanut butter and chocolate (what’s not to love?), these chewy bars never last long!   Since my kids were little, one of their favorite lunchbox treats has been a chewy peanut butter chocolate chip granola bar. What’s not to like? With their convenient portable packaging and ever-growing assortment of flavors,…

Make-Ahead Pineapple Blueberry Breakfast Parfaits

These wholesome, prep-ahead jars are reminiscent of Bircher muesli with a tropical twist. In the morning, simply add milk to your desired consistency, give the jars a good stir, and dig in!   Golden pineapples are a staple on my weekly grocery list throughout the winter.  Their tropical sweetness seems almost summer-like at a time…

5-Ingredient Tropical Green Smoothie

I was skeptical.  I purchase fresh spinach in a 5-ounce box, and the thought of putting all of it into a single smoothie recipe seemed…well…excessive. But in the name of helping a friend, I gamely tried this recipe.  Ally Phillips, cookbook author, blogger, and longtime friend in food, was looking for a little assistance as…

Pineapple Serrano Hummus

I grew up watching the Parade of Roses every New Year’s Day.  Flowers have always been a hobby for my mom.  She had a greenhouse, an undisputed green thumb, and a knack for arranging flowers in the most beautiful way.  I remember being utterly amazed when she told me that all of the parade floats…

Easy Winter Fruit Salad

A straight-forward combination of fresh fruits with a little something extra to elevate the simple salad into something sublime.   From the time my kids could hold a crayon, I helped them make the gifts they’d give their loved ones on Christmas morning. My hope was that amidst all the material trappings of the holiday,…

Graham Cracker Houses

No-bake graham cracker houses are easier than their gingerbread counterparts but every bit as festive. The fun activity is sure to bring good cheer and enhance your holiday decor!    Making and decorating gingerbread houses has been a holiday tradition in our house since the kids were little. In the early years, it was more…

Creamy Horseradish Dill Sauce

Bright, herby, and quick to make, this creamy sauce will elevate fish, crab cakes, latkes, baked potatoes and more.    Not every actor in a movie can have a starring role. Strong supporting characters are integral to the success of any movie – or play or television show for that matter. That’s how I view…

Creamy (Healthy) Peanut Butter Dip… and some acceptable “double dipping”

Recipes have a way of evolving over time. Preferences shift, dietary needs change, and we learn from trial and error. Sometimes, we simply have a clever idea. At face value, the following recipe is a simple dip for apples, bananas, pretzels, and more. Mixing peanut butter and maple syrup into a base of Greek yogurt…

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