Gina Eykemans

You only need two ingredients.

Over time dishwashers can collect food debris, soap residue, and inexplicable gunk that needs to be wiped away to ensure your dishes are getting a proper shine.

This week we’ve been having a full-on vegan snack attack! It turns out that vegan snacking is pretty simple, and also extremely delicious. Admittedly, when I was put on the case to make a queso dip devoid of cheese, I was a bit skeptical. But not only did I surprise myself with how amazingly delicious it is, I also managed to sneak in a bunch of nutritious vegetables to the recipe. In fact, most of these snacks, although they might sound decadent, have a secret hidden healthy component.

It's the cheesy non-cheese dip you've been dreaming of.

Potatoes are dreamy — there’s no way around it. From mashed potatoes to french fries to chips, these little spuds know how to make our palates very happy. One of my favorite potato chip flavors is salt and vinegar. The saltiness against the acidity of the vinegar makes them wildly addicting and kicks back so much flavor in every bite. So I decided to translate my favorite potato chip into a hearty snack. Because who doesn’t love another way to make potatoes?

Who doesn’t love a scoop of creamy marshmallow fluff, sandwiched between two sweet-and-salty peanut butter cookies? It’s a simple treat that feels perfectly nostalgic. What if I told you that I was able to make this treat vegan? Because it’s happening, and it’s wonderful. Marshmallow fluff was something I thought I would never be able to make for my vegan friends.

There is a time and a place for desserts to be fussy and time consuming. I like to reserve those desserts for special occasions and birthdays. However, if I’m making regular weekday treats, I want them to be fast, easy, and completely delicious. Enter these vegan pudding cups. I made these in a blender with a short list of ingredients that pack it full of good fats, and make it a healthy take on a classic.

I’m all about snacks. Whether it’s something to crunch on during a movie, or giving dinner guests something to munch on while dinner’s in the oven, any new additions to my snack game are welcome. If I can make those snacks healthy, that’s even better. If I can somehow give chickpeas the addictive crunch and cheesy taste of a bag of Cheetos? Holy moly — hold me back from going into full-on snack-attack mode.

On Valentine’s Day, the holiday of lovers and romance, the idea of a candlelit dinner out is lovely — in theory, at least. But paying inflated rates for a prix-fixe menu that’s probably not what you really wanted to eat, and enduring whatever misguided idea of love the restaurant you’ve chosen has in mind — table-side accordion players? In my opinion, never a good idea — is not what anyone really wants.

For 30 days this month we’re exploring Whole30, the 30-day reset and refocus on whole foods. Whole30 isn’t a diet or a judgment of foods as “good and bad.” It’s actually a short-term reset that has helped many of our readers cook more and figure out the foods that make them feel their best. Read more about our coverage here. All week long I’ve been sharing tidbits of my month-long adventure into Whole30.

This entire week I’ve been sharing my experience of doing the Whole30 program, but I haven’t talked too in-depth about my Whole30 failures. So, you guys … can I tell you a secret? I cheated. Like, really truly fell off the wagon for a minute. The thing is, it ended up not feeling like a failure at all. Now, before the diehard Whole30 crowd comes out of the woodwork to write me curt letters of disappointment or throw proverbial rotten tomatoes, let me explain.

I’ve already shared a comprehensive peek into my Whole30 experience. And this site has covered the basics, but now let’s talk about one of the most important parts of the experience: grocery shopping. I put together a survival guide with some tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way. In here, I share my shopping tips, with ways to mind your budget and cut costs, plus a few hacks to simply make life easier if you decide to follow this program. Let’s do this!

Can eating non-processed whole foods and ditching grains, dairy, and sugar, reduce inflammation in your system, clear up your skin, and revitalize your energy stores?

For me, Christmastime means sipping hot cocoa by the fire and fighting with your siblings over who has more marshmallows in their cup. My mom would inevitably jump in and tell everyone that they have the exact same number of marshmallows floating on top of their cocoa, but I’d always remain skeptical. Luckily I’m a grownup now and can have all the marshmallows I want, or I can be even fancier and whip up a stack of hot chocolate-style pancakes with all of the fixings.

Look out, Starbucks! I’ve got a simple holiday drink up my sleeve that’s easy to make, and even easier to guzzle by the glass. This creamy peppermint mocha breakfast shake will give your morning a kick and ignite your holiday spirit. Did someone say we could add crushed candy canes to breakfast items during the holidays? Yes? Perfect. I’m all in. This shake is so creamy, it almost could pass as chocolate mousse.

I finally cracked the code on a gluten-free Dutch baby with delicious buttery, crispy edges, and a light and airy pancake! This is big news in my pancake-loving household. To make things even more exciting, it’s infused with seasonal flare by incorporating eggnog in both the batter and the whipped cream. Can we say perfect holiday breakfast? Yes. Yes we can. If you have any leftover eggnog lurking in your fridge after a holiday party (and really, who doesn’t?

Since going gluten-free, doughnuts are one of the things I miss most during the holidays. Each year, on December 26, my grandfather would wake up before everyone else and make his way to the local doughnut store. He’d bring back a bakers’ dozen of every kind of sugary treat. As each of us awoke, sleepy-eyed, stepping over boxes and leftover ribbon, we would reach into the box for something sweet and find our way to a cup of coffee or tea.

I can’t imagine getting through the holidays without the sweet and spicy flavors of gingerbread. Unfortunately, the holidays are busy and I don’t always have the time or patience to bake up a big ol’ gingerbread house. So instead, I’ve crafted this wonderfully spiced granola that’s easy to throw together and will still give you all the gingerbread house nostalgia, with next to none of the fuss.

Fads are fun to reminisce about, right? I look back fondly on things like slap bracelets, hammer pants, and wildly permed mullets. I spent a lot of time in the late ’80s making fun of my mom’s need to wear shoulder pads in everything. But fads shift and change along with the cultural conversation, and presently, the way I eat is largely perceived as a fad diet.

Fruit juice is totally delicious, and has earned a spot on most of our breakfast tables. Can we say, Sunday morning mimosas with fresh-squeezed orange juice? Yes, please. We guzzle a nice glass of apple juice without much thought, or pick up one of those watermelon coolers from a nearby juice bar when we’re feeling fancy. However, aren’t you ever curious about how much fruit you’re actually consuming in that morning cup of juice?

I love juicing. My juicer has earned its place as a mainstay on my kitchen counter, and we do our tango, as I haphazardly throw a bit of kale and a cucumber down its chute. Maybe a beet. Maybe a head of lettuce. Definitely a lemon and some ginger. I don’t really pay attention to measurements or quantities. We make all sorts of combos. I usually end up drinking it out of a quart-sized mason jar with a straw. It’s not fancy. But what happens when you do pay attention to measurements?

Oh, how I love the glorious citrus season that erupts during California winter! The weather is still brisk when I go out for my walks around my neighborhood, but the trees in my neighbors yards are bursting with color. There are oranges, lemons and limes dripping off of trees, spilling over fences and begging to be used up!

Cookie dough is somewhat of a siren song in my life. It calls and beckons to me, singing its sweet melody of ooey-gooey comfort. It lures me in. I grab a spoon. Powerless. The next thing you know, the bowl is empty and there are no cookies to bake. Can you relate? Thankfully, I’ve devised a way to get my cookie dough fix that doesn’t involve sitting in a dark corner with a spoon.

Nutella isn’t something I grew up with at home. Both of my weirdo parents had an aversion to it. I’ve even heard my Italian father refer to it as “disgusting.” I am still to this day fairly certain that he’s never even tasted it. Either that, or he’s kind of a monster, because this stuff is delicious. The first time I smothered this chocolate and hazelnut spread onto a crêpe I fell in love, and it’s been hot and heavy ever since.

When the cold winter months arrive, the chilling winds tend to wreak havoc on my lips. It’s mistletoe season, and these lips are dry and chapped. No thanks. Usually, I find myself shelling out a pretty penny in order to spring for these all natural minty lip balms to soothe my troubled smoochers. But, this year I decided to make my own. I’m not sure I’ll ever buy the stuff again. Yes, it’s that easy.

Is it just me or do the holidays tend to hit with all the speed and subtlety of a freight train? I love this time of year, but it’s so easy to feel overwhelmed. I find myself trying to wrangle everything on my gifting list, getting enthusiastically ambitious with my DIY projects, and performing my normal human day job all while trying to celebrate the merriment of the season with friends and family (near and far).

Okay, so you’ve found out that you can’t eat gluten — now what? I’m here to share some beautiful cookbooks that have helped me as I’ve made my own transition to gluten-free eating. Being instructed to cut gluten out of your diet can seem tragic and overwhelming, and lead you to have all the feelings. I’ve told you all before about how I literally cried over a loaf of bread at Whole Foods before. Not cute.

Looking for a little something to get you into the holiday spirit? Something that could go under the tree just as easily as in your glass? I’ve got just the thing: let’s infuse some bourbon with holiday flavors. Throwing apples and cinnamon into bourbon feels like the cozy, boozy, slow start that this holiday season needs. You in? Great. Let’s seize the holidays. I think you’ll be really surprised at how easy this is!

Cookbook: The Paleo Kitchen: Finding Primal Joy in Modern Cooking by Juli Bauer of PaleOMG & George Bryant of Civilized Caveman Overall Impression: This book is a great resource for people interested in trying out the Paleo lifestyle without having to sacrifice their favorite comfort foods! The Paleo diet has gained a huge following these past several years.

It’s still summer, and that means plenty of gatherings and potlucks with friends. There are al fresco dinner parties and cookouts aplenty. As a guest, I never like to show up empty-handed. I like bringing a little something to say thank you to my hosts, and if that thank you just happens to look like a spicy tequila that’s been infused with jalapeños — well, that’s even better.

I know, I know. You’re most likely looking at that title and rolling your eyes a bit. Don’t be mistaken. I enjoy both receiving and writing love letters. I still cry when I watch The Notebook. I’m not a monster. But, in my house sometimes food says it best. Isn’t it crazy how time just seems to run away? January turns into June. Here we are in August, and I’m sure that if I blink it will be time to drink eggnog and craft gingerbread houses.

News flash, everybody: Summer is hot. I always seem to forget how hot it gets here in California, until it happens. The temperature starts to creep into the high 90s and I start to panic. It’s that how many layers of clothes can I remove in this social situation and still remain decent? sort of panic. I’ve come up with a solution to cool things down: How about we make some slushies? They’re easy to whip up in a blender, made with real fruit, and best of all, ice cold.

Freezers read like a crime scene. If a forensics expert took a look, the conversation would go something like this: “If you’ll refer to Exhibit A, you’ll see the dinner party leftovers from four months ago that should be been eaten by now. And Exhibit B, the surplus of Costco ground beef purchased last month because it was “too good a deal” to pass up.

Blackberries conjure up lots of summer memories for me. If I close my eyes, I can still remember all of the dusky hot evenings spent cleaning out the blackberry bushes on the side of my parents’ property. We’d put most of them into a container to bring back to the house, but a couple would always make their way to our lips straight off the vine — still warm from the day and bursting with juices. This is what summer should taste like.

Stainless steel appliances look great in the kitchen, but they’re prone to showing hard water marks and fingerprints. You frequently see this on the dishwasher (so many water stains!) and the handles of the refrigerator (hello, overuse). So, to restore my flat and dirty appliances back to their happy, shiny, robot-looking selves, I decided to make my trusty stainless steel toaster my test subject. What would I need to get it looking like new again? Two things: vinegar and oil.

There’s something natural about cooking over an open flame. I’m not talking about a campfire (though now I’m dreaming about S’mores). I’m talking about a simple gas stove. I grew up cooking on stoves like this, I understand stoves like this. Something about the hum of the blue flame is comforting, and there’s no question about its impact on cooking.