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Fresh Cilantro Is Celebrated in These Seriously Yummy Recipes

April 17, 2015 by

Flavorful cilantro is a staple herb in many Southwestern and Mexican dishes, but it also complements a number of other types of foods as well. From butters to desserts, there are a whole slew of creative new recipes that incorporate the unique taste of cilantro. Here are three out-of-the-ordinary recipes for cilantro lovers!

Tropical Cilantro Smoothie [The Kitchn]
Though it may seem unusual, the flavors of tropical fruits pair very well with cilantro. This cool and refreshing smoothie blends pineapple, banana, and orange juice with a whole cup of cilantro, creating a summery taste that also contains a number of beneficial nutrients to make you feel energized and healthy.

Avocado Cilantro Sherbet [Martha Stewart]
Avocado is an unlikely addition to a cool sherbet, but then again, so is cilantro. Both ingredients are surprisingly delicious when combined with lime juice and whole milk in this fresh and tart dessert.

Cilantro Herb Butter [Simply Recipes]
Whether you spread it on bread or use it to flavor chicken, this cilantro herb butter is a great multipurpose way to add cilantro to any dish. The combination of cilantro and lime give it a classic Southwestern flavor, but the buttery texture is something completely unique. Best of all, this recipe takes just four ingredients and a few minutes to make.

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How to Identify the Freshest Fruit at the Supermarket

April 10, 2015 by

Fresh, ripe fruit plays an important part in any healthy diet, but it can be frustrating when your juicy apples get brown and bruised just days after purchasing them. If you'd like to select the ripest, freshest produce at the grocery store, check out these four tips!

  1. Feel the weight. Fruits like melons, oranges, and lemons feel heavier when they’re ripe with juice, so pick them up before choosing which ones to buy. The fruit should feel heavy for its size if it’s truly ripe.
  2. Test the texture. The above fruit should also feel firm to the touch, but not so firm that they feel dry and hard inside. Give them a gentle squeeze to check for bruising, as well.
  3. Use your sense of smell. Fruits like berries, grapes, and nectarines begin to smell sour or rotten when they’re past their prime, so be sure to give them a good whiff before purchasing. Most fruits will give off a light, sweet scent when they’re ready to consume.
  4. Inspect the whole surface. If all else fails, use your best judgment by simply inspecting the fruit. Turn over a melon or apple to check for bruising or discoloration, take a quick peek through a bag of grapes or oranges to see if any are mushy or rotten, and consider the color of the fruit’s skin, as this can often tell if it is too ripe.

How to Select Fresh, Ripe Produce [Lifehacker]
How to Pick Fruits & Veggies [Good Housekeeping]
Raw Produce: Selecting and Serving it Safely [FDA]
Choosing Fresh Fruits and Vegetables [Family Circle]

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Enjoy These Sweet Lava Cake Recipes

April 3, 2015 by

With warm, gooey chocolate inside of a moist cake exterior, molten lava cake is a chocolate lover’s dream. This decadent dessert may look like a gourmet treat, but it’s actually surprisingly easy to make. Here are two sweet and simple molten lava cake recipes!

Paula Deen’s Molten Lava Cakes [Food Network]
Everything that Food Network host Paula Deen makes is delightfully sinful, and these Molten Lava Cakes are no exception. They take just 30 minutes to prepare, and the mix of bittersweet and semisweet chocolate with orange liqueur adds a unique taste that your guests and family will love.

Healthier Molten Lava Cakes for Two [Texanerin Baking]
If you want to cut calories while still maintaining the indulgent taste and texture, this Healthier Molten Lava Cake recipe from Texanerin Baking is the perfect choice. It makes just enough for two people so that you can share with a friend, but you won’t be tempted with leftovers. Plus, the dark chocolate and espresso powder add major chocolate flavor without the added sugar of milk chocolate.

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Just Like Mom Used to Make: Chicken Pot Pie Recipes

March 27, 2015 by

With its light, fluffy exterior and its thick chicken stew inside, chicken pot pie is a classic recipe that will make you feel warmer and cozier with every bite. If you want to adapt this time-honored dish for your own friends or family, here are three great recipes to show you how.

Ina Garten’s Chicken Pot Pie [foodnetwork.com]
You can be sure that the Barefoot Contessa herself will have a few things to add to such a classic dish. Ina Garten’s pot pie gets an elegant makeover with the addition of fresh parsley leaves and chicken bouillon cubes, and serving it in miniature bowls makes it even more chic.

Impossibly Easy Chicken Pot Pie [bettycrocker.com]
If you’ve been dreaming of chicken pot pie but you’re short on time, this six-ingredient recipe is the perfect solution. It uses frozen vegetables, cream of chicken soup, and biscuit mix to make pot pie easier than ever.

The Epicurious Chicken Pot Pie [epicurious.com]
When you have the time to make the crust, chicken, and filling all from scratch, this is the recipe to use. This pot pie is perfect for a dinner party with your foodie friends, as it incorporates complex ingredients like black peppercorns, dry white wine, and dried chanterelle mushrooms along with the usual meat and veggies.

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How to Make Fondue at Home

March 19, 2015 by

Going out for fondue is usually a luxury reserved only for celebrations or special date night dinners, but did you know that it’s actually easy to make your own fondue at home? Use these recipes to create a restaurant-worthy fondue station at your next dinner party.

Cheese Fondue [foodnetwork.com]
Classic cheese fondue is the cornerstone of this trendy culinary style, and this recipe incorporates a blend of shredded Swiss and flavorful Gruyere with a few basic seasonings to create a creamy cheese dip. Keep some fondue forks or wooden skewers on hand to dip crusty bread or blanched veggies into the homemade cheese sauce.

Chocolate Fondue [marthastewartweddings.com]
If you prefer to experiment with at-home fondue for dessert instead of dinner, this simple recipe will surely be a crowd pleaser. Dip fresh fruits or even marshmallows into the chocolate-y finished product.

Garlic, Spinach and Cheddar Fondue [kraftrecipes.com]
For a more casual gathering, this creamy mix of spinach and cheddar with a hefty dose of garlic is simple to make, but just as delicious as fancier fondues. Pair it with fresh veggies and a variety of crackers to avoid the mess of fondue forks. This cheesy dip can even be served in a slow cooker if you don’t own a proper fondue pot.

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How to Take the Stress Out of Home-Cooked Meals

February 20, 2015 by

For as long as you can remember, there’s always been a certain pressure to provide your loved ones with a nightly “home-cooked meal.” Although it may sometimes feel like it’s impossible to prepare an elaborate dinner on busy weeknights, these smart tips will show you how to take the stress out of the classic home-cooked meal.

  1. Start meal planning. Sure, making a home-cooked meal is difficult if you don’t have all the ingredients or don’t know what to make. By planning a week’s worth of meals on Sunday evening, you can get your cooking schedule under control.
  2. Make preparations. Many at-home chefs use their weekends as a time to prepare the bases for the week’s meals. You can cook a dozen chicken breasts, bake a casserole, or even begin to marinate a steak to save yourself time the night of.
  3. Choose basic recipes. If you don’t have time to experiment with fancy recipes from cooking magazines, choose recipes that you already know and love. Just because your favorite spaghetti and meatballs is pretty basic doesn’t mean that it’s not home-cooked.
  4. Make it from scratch, but not entirely from scratch. Don’t feel like you have to crush your garlic by hand or chop each vegetable individually for your meal to count as home-cooked. Buying frozen veggies or garlic powder works just as well.

10 Secrets of Home Cooks (And How You Can Become One, Too!) [Real Simple]
6 Tips for Stress-Free Family Meals [Right @ Home]
How to Plan Your Weekly Meals, Stress Free [Lifehacker]

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How to Find Find Farmers’ Markets Near You

January 23, 2015 by

If you strive to include local, organic produce in your diet, this post is for you! The following two websites make it easy to track down farmers' markets near you, so you can continue to stock your kitchen with fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmers.

USDA’s National Farmers Market Directory [USDA]
Listing more than 8,200 markets across the U.S., the USDA's farmers' market directory makes it easy to find exactly what you're looking for. You can search by zip code, available products, accepted payment, and location (e.g. farm or closed-off street). Making this tool even more convenient, results can be exported to a spreadsheet or viewed in map form.

Farmers' Markets [Local Harvest]
This website displays local farmers' markets in map form with a directory of market names listed underneath. Simply type your zip code at the top of the webpage, then click the results for more information and product highlights of each farmers' market.

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Here Are 4 Uses for Mayonnaise Beyond the Sandwich

January 22, 2015 by

Whether you like the taste of mayonnaise or not, you should add a jar to your cart the next time you’re at the grocery store. This basic condiment is incredibly useful on things other than sandwiches, from your face to your furniture and everywhere in between. If you want to learn how mayonnaise can help you save time and money around the house, check out these creative tips.

  1. Give yourself an at-home manicure. To get salon-quality soft hands right from your own bathroom, soak your fingers in a bowl of mayonnaise before painting your nails. It will soften cuticles and make them easier to trim.
  2. Create a DIY facial mask. It may not smell as pleasant as your typical facial mask, but mayonnaise works wonders on the skin on your face. Leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes to soften dry patches and encourage healthy, glowing skin.
  3. Remove water stains from wood. If you have pesky rings on your coffee table from cold drink glasses, remove them in just a few minutes with some mayonnaise. Simply rub the mayo over the water-stained area and wipe it away with a clean towel.
  4. Fix a squeaky door. Use some mayonnaise to fix a door that sticks or squeaks. Rub just a bit on the door’s hinge and it will instantly remove the squeaking noise.

20 Uses for Mayonnaise [All You]

11 Home and Beauty Uses for Mayonnaise [Reader's Digest]
9 Surprising Non-Cooking Uses for Mayonnaise [Every Day]

10 Unexpected Home Uses for Mayonnaise [Wise Bread]

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Deliciously Lovely Pinterest Boards for Vegans

December 5, 2014 by

If you’re a vegan, Pinterest is a wonderful way to discover thousands of meat and dairy-free recipes that you can save to try later. This online community operates just like a digital bulletin board, enabling users to share their own content or pin content that you love. Check out these vegan Pinterest boards and you just may discover some recipes to make at home.

Vegan Richa’s Dessert Board
This Pinterest board is dedicated entirely to vegan desserts that are made without dairy or meat products. At a glance, the pins looks so decadent that you can’t even tell that they’re not the original recipes, from creamy vegan chocolate milkshakes to dairy-free peanut butter cheesecakes. Best of all, this board is so large that you’ll discover a new dish every time you visit.

Vegan Recipes
If you’re simply searching for versatile vegan recipes for everyday breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, you’ll love this board of recipes. All of the photos are so high quality that you’ll get hungry just looking at them, and they link back to reliable websites that provide step-by-step recipes to prepare the dishes at home. From colorful salads to splurge-worthy vegan baked onion rings, you’ll find a vegan recipe for every craving on this expansive Pinterest board.

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Pinterest Can Help You Lose Weight! Here’s How!

December 4, 2014 by

Pinterest is a social media site that operates just like a digital bulletin board, and its incredibly large community makes a great support group to help you lose weight. Pinterest contains thousands of articles, tips, workouts, and recipes that will help you to create a weight loss plan and sustain a healthy lifestyle even after you drop those extra pounds. Here are two of Pinterest’s best weight loss boards.

Cardio Workouts
This board is packed full of fast-paced, high-energy cardio workouts that will help you to burn calories without spending hours on the treadmill. There are so many workout ideas on this board that you’ll never have to do the same routine twice, and you can pick and choose which sound the most enjoyable to you. Visit the board any time you need a bit of pre-workout motivation, or create your own version filled with only the workouts that you like.

Healthy Eating
If you struggle with eating low-calorie, nutrient-rich meals, all it takes is a bit of healthy eating inspiration to make you excited about cooking nutritious meals at home. This board is filled with mouthwatering recipes that look so delicious, you’ll forget they’re actually good for you, from chewy cookies made with fruit and oatmeal to chicken tenders dipped in a low-fat avocado dipping sauce.

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