You’re going to love these coconut macaroons. I just know it. These chocolate-dipped macaroons are my favorite holiday cookie, ten years in the running! Coconut macaroons (two o’s) are often confused with macarons (one o), the colorful and delicate layered French cookies. Both call for egg whites, but that’s about where their similarities end. These macaroons feature rich coconut flavor and texture with subtle hints of honey (or maple syrup) and cinnamon. While you don’t have to dip them in chocolate, I strongly suggest that you do. They are the perfect little treat—satisfying and sweet, but ..read more

Meet my favorite granola bar recipe. These granola bars are delicious and easy to make with basic pantry ingredients. You don’t even have to bake them! These granola bars can pass as a quick breakfast, and they make a perfect snack. I love to pack these bars for road trips and flights, and I love hearing from moms who make these granola bars regularly for their kids. They’re a big hit with all ages. As you’ll see, the recipe is versatile, so you can easily incorporate your favorite flavors, like nuts, chocolate and dried fruit. You’ll find my go-to flavorings in the recipe below if you want ..read more

Coconut lovers, this double-coconut banana muffin recipe is for you! I’m confident you’ll fall in love with the sweet, bright flavors and contrasting textures in these little treats. These muffins taste familiar and comforting, given their fluffy, banana-infused insides. They’re also fun and tropical, thanks to the shredded coconut you’ll find on the inside and on the muffin tops. A little lemon zest brings all the flavors together. Like my healthy banana muffins, these muffins are also made with whole wheat flour and naturally sweetened (this time, with honey). These muffins are based on a ..read more

I’m jet lagged from my trip to Greece, so I made one of my old favorites to share again! It’s comforting and packed with nutrients, which is just what I need right now. In fact, I enjoy this recipe so much that it inspired a recipe in my cookbook, the colorful coconut fried rice with edamame on page 182. If you haven’t tried that one yet, you’ve really missed out. This dish is a relatively quick weeknight meal and a fun alternative to my go-to extra vegetable fried rice. This recipe has some Thai flavors, including sriracha, lime and cilantro. I added coconut flakes, too. The big, toast ..read more

Are you craving sunshine and warm days like I am? Let’s divert our eyes from the cloudy weather and focus on these vibrant, refreshing açaí bowls instead. They’re like a tropical vacation in a bowl, minus the jet lag and sand in your pants. You can enjoy them in the morning before work! I’ve been curious about açaí bowls for a while now, after seeing them pop up on my friends’ vacation feeds from trips to Southern California and Hawaii. Like always, I researched acai bowls to the end of the internet and played with my own acai bowl recipe until it was just right. Since acai grows in the Amaz ..read more

What the heck do you call such a colorful side? Colorful coconut coleslaw? More specifically, hot pink coconut coleslaw? Radical coconut slaw? I don’t know, but coconut slaw doesn’t do it justice. I do know that if you are a coconut fan, you should make this as soon as possible. You’ll be glad you did! This whatever-you-call-it slaw was roughly inspired by some coconut tostadas I enjoyed at Hola Arepa in Minneapolis this summer. (I say roughly mostly because the original version was much prettier.) I already went on about how amazing they were, but everything at that restaurant is amazing. I ..read more

Any muesli fans out there? How about muesli haters? Muesli is typically made with raw oats, nuts and dried fruit, and maybe some spices for good measure. I’ll be the first to admit that a lot of store-bought mueslis aren’t awesome—the raw oats taste like horse food (yep, I said it), and the healthy oils in nuts and oats can go rancid if the muesli sits on the shelf too long. I’m aiming to turn all the haters into muesli lovers with this recipe. Starting with raw nuts and oats from a store with a healthy turnover rate is key. Then I suggest you commit muesli blasphemy—mix in a tiny drizzle of ..read more

You guys. I didn’t work at all from Friday through Monday, and it was glorious. I brought my work with me to Memphis, but I opted for sleeping in, reading and watching the Olympics instead. I also brought these granola bars with me, tucked into my bag next to my neglected laptop, and I’m so glad I did. No time for breakfast? Granola bars to the rescue. Hungry on the plane? Granola bars sure beat pretzels. Long stretch between lunch and dinner? Again, granola bars. They kept my blood sugar levels stable, and kept me from turning into a cranky, hypoglycemic mess. I can attest that these no-bak ..read more

This post is brought to you by Bob’s Red Mill. I may have implied otherwise, but the cookbook is definitely not done. I’m wrapping up some final food photo shoots this week, and working with a local photographer to take some fun shots of Cookie and me. I have about one million photos of Cookie, but very few of us together, so I’m looking forward to having those. We also have several rounds of edits to go, and the design process is just beginning. Eek! It’s too much, but I’m giving it my all. I’ve been feeling sentimental for simpler times, like the family reunions on July 4th that I mentione ..read more

This post is brought to you by Bob’s Red Mill. Growing up, my mom wouldn’t allow any sugary cereal into the house except for the exceedingly rare box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, which we ate right out of the box like candy. Because it is candy. I was otherwise opposed to cereal. I never liked my mom’s choice of cereal—the healthy, fortified, fiber-rich stuff. On a more fundamental level, I couldn’t understand the appeal of cold milk and soggy stuff in a bowl. It’s like cold soup! Can anyone back me up on that?! Plus, I hated the sound of metal spoons scraping against bowls so early in the morni ..read more