Our Chicago Kitchen Sneak Peek

In case you hadn’t heard – we’ve moved to Chicago! Long story short, last spring we left our beloved city of Austin and came to Chicago (where I’m originally from). Our original plan was to stay in Chicago temporarily for the summer and definitely(!) leave before the winter. Well, as you see, that didn’t really happen because here we are. I’ll spare you the details, but we spent about 7 months this past year jumping between airbnb’s, hotels, friends’ houses, and parent’s houses (with a marble slab in our car’s trunk to continue shooting recipes). After all of that, we…

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Apple Oatmeal Cookies

These apple oatmeal cookies are perfect for fall! Packed with apples, walnuts, cinnamon, and raisins, they're a healthy, cozy autumn treat.

Baking these soft, chewy apple oatmeal cookies allowed me to cross off #1 on my fall checklist: fall baking! Now that we’ve moved back to Chicago and are experiencing fall to its fullest, I have all sorts of fall activities I want to do. I can’t wait to go apple picking, to carve pumpkins, and more! If you’re also someone who loves fall activities and getting in the fall spirit, I highly recommend making these apple oatmeal cookies as soon as you can. Packed with oats, raisins, apples, and walnuts, they’re basically fall in a cookie. 🙂 Apple Oatmeal Cookies…

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8 Favorite Pasta Recipes

If I had to name 3 loves off the top of my head right now: #1 my husband Jack, #2 Italy, and #3 pasta. If you read the introduction in our cookbook, you know that so much of my love for cooking (and later the idea of starting Love & Lemons) was inspired by the trip that Jack and I took to Italy when he proposed. Last week, we celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary, so suffice it to say (that aside from an airport snafu), love is in the air these days. So I was completely over the moon when…

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Spicy Chipotle Cornbread

Learn how to make cornbread with this easy cornbread recipe! Sweet, spicy & absolutely delicious, it's meant to be served with a hot bowl of soup.

It’s fall and yes, I’m still crazy about the corn BUT hear me out – this cozy cornbread recipe is the perfect accompaniment to your favorite bowl of chili (two of my favorites are here and here). Chili and cornbread are, in my humble opinion, what fall dreams are made of. It’s the perfect dinner to cuddle up with on the couch. I have a few cornbread recipes here on the blog, but this spicy chipotle version is my new favorite. To the (vegan) cornbread base, I add chopped chipotle peppers, scallions, and kernels of fresh corn (although frozen is…

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Mini Frittata Muffins

Are you a savory breakfast person looking for make-ahead options? Mini frittata muffins are just what you need! They're easy, healthy, and delicious.

These frittata muffins are my solution to a longstanding problem: all the best grab-and-go breakfasts are sweet. Don’t get me wrong, banana bread, scones, chia pudding, and breakfast cookies are all delicious. But if you’re anything like me, sometimes, you’re craving a savory breakfast, and you don’t have time to cook eggs. You wish that there was a tasty, protein-packed option that you could take with you as you headed out the door. Enter: this frittata muffin recipe. Packed with fresh veggies and eggs, these mini frittata muffins have become my favorite meal prep breakfast recipe. They’re great straight from…

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Spinach Hummus Wrap

This bright hummus wrap is layered with crisp fresh veggies, hemp seeds, and a light spinach hummus - perfect for packing for a healthy lunch!

This month, we have a ton of airplane travel coming up. Not to complain, but travel is one of those things where I LOVE the destination(s) but don’t love the journey… especially the food that’s available during the journey, a.k.a airport food. It’s become my habit to bring my own food on the plane, and with 12+ hours to France(!) on Friday, I’m making a tasty to-go hummus wrap. These wraps would be great for school lunch boxes as well! This recipe is inspired by the hummus wraps that I picked up at Whole Foods in Union Square when we were…

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Peach Affogato & some link love

Peach affogato is a simple summer dessert. Top the peaches with ice cream and a simple maple-cinnamon oat granola. Drizzle with cold brew coffee and enjoy!

Remember way back in the day when blogs were new and everyone did “Follow Friday?” I’m thinking of bringing that back because sometimes I’m just so excited about what other talented folks are doing. Yes, I do realize that today Saturday… but regardless, here’s a list of things I’ve loved and drooled over this week. And P.S, if you need one darn simple way to enjoy peaches, scroll down for this pictured Peach Affogato. This luscious Pecan Roasted Beet Dip with Sage makes me so excited for fall… mmm, sage. These colorful tortillas! So creative! Ten Lunch Ideas that Spark Joy.…

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Overnight Oats with Blueberry Chia Jam

Make your overnight oats better with this healthy blueberry chia jam! All you need is some lemon, maple syrup, cinnamon, chia, oats, and blueberries.

Before I tell you about this recipe, I wanted to make a quick announcement to our Chicago friends – this Saturday I’ll be attending the Renegade Craft Fair Chicago at the Quaker Oats booth. Stop by to say HI and enjoy a healthy snack of Overnight Oats. I’ll be doing the meet & greet from 11:30am – 12:30pm, hope to see you there! (click here for details) Ok, back to the recipe! Last week, I was up to my ears in corn… this week, I’ve been eating blueberries until I’m blue in the face. They’re so good right now! Plus,…

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Zucchini Lasagna

This zucchini lasagna recipe is packed with vegetables! I blend zucchini into the creamy filling and layer zucchini planks into the lasagna itself.

I shared this zucchini lasagna recipe in my first cookbook, but I loved it so much that I had to share it here too! If you’re looking for a fresher spin on the classic comfort food, you have to try this recipe. My Favorite Zucchini Lasagna Recipe This zucchini lasagna is a low-carb, gluten-free, extra-veggie twist on traditional lasagna. It’s totally vegetarian, so you won’t find any meat sauce, ground beef, or ground turkey here. Instead, this lasagna is seriously packed with zucchini. I use it in two ways in this recipe: First off, thin zucchini slices replace half of…

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Breakfast Panzanella

When you make a big panzanella salad - turn the leftovers into breakfast the next morning by adding some fresh basil and fried eggs! So easy and delicious!

If you caught Monday’s post, you might have noticed that I made a pretty big panzanella. I think it looked a little smaller in the photos, but it was truly a massive amount of food, especially since there’s just two of us here. As we were cleaning up after that dinnertime photo shoot, I was storing away containers full of leftovers and I said to Jack (half joking), “are you ready to have panzanella for breakfast tomorrow?” And then half-joking turned into all seriousness when we both realized that all of the tomato-ey bread-y goodness with runny FRIED EGGS on…

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Sweet Corn Gazpacho

The summer is great for two things - sweet corn and gazpacho. This chilled soup is easy - blend corn, tomatoes, peppers, oil, vinegar, salt, and cucumber!

I know, I know, I’m still going with the sweet corn... The other day, Jack was driving out to the suburbs to pick up a few things at my parent’s house and I asked him to stop at The Farm on his way home. The Farm is a little farm stand in Darien, IL where, in my opinion, the best sweet corn is grown. Growing up, my mom brought home dozens of ears of corn at a time and we’d all sit on the back stoop and shuck it. It took forever and we made a silky mess, peeling back one…

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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.