Bellini Cocktail

Move over, mimosas! This bellini cocktail deserves a spot on the brunch table too. It's made with two simple ingredients: peach puree and prosecco.

A bellini cocktail is the perfect fun, bubbly beverage to serve at brunch. It’s refreshing and delicious, and though it feels fancy, it’s insanely simple to make. You just need two ingredients: peach puree and prosecco. I love fresh peaches, and I love sparkling wine, so obviously, I love this bellini recipe. I think you will too! What is a bellini? The bellini cocktail (not to be confused with Giovanni Bellini, the artist, or Vincenzo Bellini, the composer) was invented by Giuseppe Cipriani, the founder of Harry’s Bar, in Venice, Italy, sometime around 1948. In its simplest form, it consists…

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Mango Margarita

This frozen mango margarita recipe is my ideal warm weather drink. It's tangy, frosty, sweet, and refreshing. Pass the chips and salsa, please!

It’s finally warming up in Chicago, so we’re cooling off with this mango margarita! To me, it’s the perfect warm weather drink – frosty, refreshing, and blissfully easy to make. Just toss 5 ingredients into the blender, puree until smooth, and enjoy! Yep, making this frozen mango margarita recipe is as simple as that. Another great thing about this recipe? It’s all about the mango. Instead of using mango juice or added sweeteners, I blend up frozen mango to create its thick texture and sweet, tangy flavor. Once you try it, you’ll never make a mango margarita any other way. It’s smooth,…

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Mulled Wine

Celebrate the holiday season with this mulled wine recipe! Packed with notes of citrus, apple, and warming spices, it's cozy, festive, and delicious.

Jack and I may not always get around to putting up the Christmas tree, but we do love to celebrate the holiday season by making this mulled wine recipe. Packed with notes of citrus, apple, and warming spices, it’s cozy and festive – the perfect defense against Chicago’s winter weather. Colorful garnishes like orange slices, cranberries, and fresh rosemary make it even more cheery. With a mug of it in hand, I forget that it’s cold outside in an instant! If you’ve never made mulled wine before, you’re in for a treat. It’s not only a) delicious and b) super simple…

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Mojito Recipe

If you're in the mood for a fun summer drink, this mint mojito recipe is just what you need! It's refreshing, delicious, and super easy to make.

When life gives you mint leaves, what do you make? This mint mojito recipe! When Jack and I planted our little back deck garden this summer, I immediately started wondering, “What am I going to do with all this mint?!” The basil looked good, the eggplant was thriving, but the luscious, leafy mint plants were the cream of the crop. This summer, I’ve been tossing mint into salads and blending it into pesto like crazy, but I wanted to find a way to really showcase the pretty, aromatic leaves. A mint mojito recipe seemed like the perfect solution. For the…

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Home for the Holidays (+ mulled wine!)

A peek at our new home plus a delicious recipe for spiced mulled wine!

I’ve mentioned this before on the blog, but this past year we made a huge move from Austin to Chicago, where I’m originally from. Years and years ago (when I first met Jack who lived in Austin) I was SO excited to leave and to live somewhere warm… forever! I didn’t miss fall, I didn’t miss the seasons, I basked in the sun in December and I loved every minute of it. As far as I knew, I would never be back but, well, life has a way of changing in unexpected ways and here we are! On a warm…

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Skinny Lemongrass Mojitos

Summer has officially begun this week – and we’re making mojitos! I hope your herb garden is ready because instead of the basic mint mojito, these are made with lemongrass and basil as well. Basically, I like to build cocktails the same way I approach salads – the more fresh herbs and citrus, the better. To make these “skinny,” I skipped the sugar and sweetened these with Truvia Natural Sweetener instead. It has no calories and it’s sweetness comes from the stevia leaf. Personally, I’d rather splurge on a dessert than on a sugary cocktail so I love that these mojitos are…

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Orange Peel Black Tea Sangria

Happy Long Weekend! Jack and I are off to the farmers market this morning but I wanted to pop in quickly and share this sangria recipe. I posted it on Instagram awhile back – but I think it’s such a refreshing cocktail for weekend BBQ’s that I wanted to share it here on the blog as well. This combines two of my favorite things in the world – iced tea and wine! Its simple to make – just pour the wine and iced tea into a large pitcher and add the fruit. Chill overnight, so that the flavors will infuse, and serve it…

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Sparkling Mint Juleps

Happy Friday! Hold on to your giant fancy hats – the Kentucky Derby® is coming up in a few weeks, so we’ve partnered with 14 Hands Wine (a.k.a. the preferred wine of the Kentucky Derby) to bring you a fresh spring cocktail. What is it? A twist on a traditional mint julep – it’s minty, it’s tangy, and it’s sparkly! The classic mint julep is made with mint, bourbon, simple syrup and crushed ice. Instead of the simple syrup, I took the liberty of adding lime juice and sparkling wine instead. I think bubbles make everything better and 14 Hands Brut, with its apple and citrus flavors, is…

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Winter Spiced Moscow Mule

A fun and festive holiday spin on a Moscow Mule - perfect for New Years Eve! This healthier version uses ginger kombucha instead of ginger beer.

Hello from Holiday Vacation-land… aka, my parents house where Jack and I have been spending the week. We flew in just in time to have a white Christmas before the snow melted. Other than spending time with family, we’ve been spending time in the house because we’re really not winter people. I binge-watched Shirley Temple movies; Jack fixed my parents computer. We’ve been eating my mom’s Christmas cookies, and I’ve been working on a few new recipes – spending time in front of the stove is the best way to stay warm around here! All in all, it’s been a much-needed…

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Sweet Tea Sparkling Apple Cider

Sweet Tea Sparkling Apple Cider is the best fall/Thanksgiving cocktail! With just 6 ingredients, it's easy to make and full of festive fall flavors!

Happy almost-Thanksgiving week! Do you have your menu set? Are you getting together with family or having a Friendsgiving? Either way – here’s a sweet and oh-so-pretty cocktail that would be lovely for your turkey day. This one couldn’t be easier: mix apple cider with iced tea, let it chill for about 2 hours with diced apples, cinnamon sticks and star anise. When your guests arrive, pull it out of the fridge and serve with sparkling wine. That’s it!

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Skinny Caipirinhas

With the Rio Olympics coming to a close, it’s time to celebrate with Brazil’s national drink – Caipirinhas! Jack and I have some fond Caipirinha memories – we actually spent our honeymoon in South America and our first stop was Rio. On our first night we had dinner at a great restaurant in Ipanema, the name of which I can’t remember (before the blog I was terrible at taking travel notes). The waiter insisted that we have the “national drink of Brazil.” He explained to us what Cachaça was and we felt like we were experiencing a truly special exotic…

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

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.