Prettiest Spring Vegetable Platter

A fresh, healthy way to serve veggie crudite at your next happy hour or party! Vegan and gluten free options, with dip, wine, and cheese pairings.

spring / entertaining

Is it just me or has spring come early this year? Last weekend, I loaded up on the prettiest brightly colored vegetables to put together a gorgeous yet easy wine party crudité appetizer spread. Two things always intimidate me about putting together party food: 1: Spending tons of time (and tons of money) putting together a guest-worthy spread, and 2: Picking out great wine. So today I have some tips for both… Let’s start with the wine (always my favorite place to start). We’ve partnered with WineSimple, which is my new favorite way to choose wine because they choose it for you! You start…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Healthier Holiday Recipes

entertaining / holiday 2015

I don’t know how it happened. Just yesterday it was July and here we are, it’s almost Christmas. In the spirit of the holidays, I thought I’d share a few healthy-but-not-too-healthy recipe ideas. These are some cheery favorites, organized into 3 simple menus for various types of holiday gatherings: Party Food (pictured above): Vegan Kale & Artichoke Dip  Minty Pomegranate Spritzer (my go-to holiday cocktail!) Curried Avocado Chickpea Salad Sliders Cranberry Pistachio Chocolate Bark A Cozy Christmas Morning: Strawberry Vegan Waffles Mini Spinach & Sun dried Tomato Frittatas Apple Mimosas Almond Milk Chai Lattes Dinner Party: Ginger Kombucha Cocktails Minty Millet Pomegranate Salad Sweet…

TO THE POST >>>>

Apple Mimosas & Butternut Baked Eggs

Host a fun & easy-going brunch with these simple baked eggs. Butternut squash, eggs, leeks, and herbs are all you need. With apple mimosas, of course.

cocktail / brunch / entertaining

Thanksgiving has become an odd holiday for us. During the first years that Jack and I were together, we traveled to visit family for every single holiday. It took us a while to realize that Thanksgiving weekend air travel is the worst of them all. So now we have a tradition of staying home with no real tradition. One year we stayed in and made risotto. The year after that we had a friends-giving (before they were called that). Last year, we stayed home and worked (we were just beginning the book). This year we’re going to gather with friends over a fun & easygoing…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes

entertaining / Thanksgiving 2015

It’s that time of year again – time for my annual non-turkey turkey day recipe roundup. Whether you’re a Thanksgiving traditionalist, an all side-dish-eater, or you have a family member that just turned vegetarian, here are a few of my favorite healthier holiday recipes that will hopefully spark a bit of inspiration. Pictured above: Fig & Feta Crostini Carrot Soup (vegan & gf) Kale & Shiitake Mushroom Stuffing (vegan) Fennel Salad with Walnuts & Avocado (vegan & gf) Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes (vegan & gf) Pictured above: Avocado & Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash (Gluten Free, vegan optional) Easy Vegan Apple Crisp (vegan) Tart…

TO THE POST >>>>

Healthy Vegetarian Grilling Recipes

Healthy vegan and vegetarian summer grilling ideas! Easy marinated veggie skewers, spicy grilled corn and chunky guacamole. Perfect for a memorial day or 4th of July cookout!

summer / vegan / entertaining

Happy holiday weekend! If you’re hosting a cookout this Labor Day weekend, here are a few simple (yet super delicious!) veggie recipe ideas. And if you’re attending a cookout this weekend – well, it’s always good to be a bringer especially if you’re the one with the special food requirements. (Who me?) Ok, let’s get started – first we’re going to load up some skewers. (Actually, first, we’re going to make some margaritas). Once you have a drink in hand, get started by marinating the mushrooms. My secret not-so-secret-anymore marinade is so easy –  olive oil, balsamic, soy sauce and black pepper. The mushrooms become deeply browned and…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Mix & Match Mini Pizzas

summer / vegetarian / entertaining

If you’ve been following for long, you know that I have a slight obsession for all things that are mini. Mini skillets, mini pies, mini tacos – but my absolute favorite small food has to be mini pizzas. They’re quick and easy to make and a fun way to try lots of different toppings. These would be great for a summer party – you could even toss these little guys on the grill if you don’t want to heat up your house. The first step to your mini pizza party is mini naan – I buy Stonefire Mini Naan all the time –…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Oscar Party Appetizers & Wine Pairings

Vegetarian appetizer recipes and wine pairings for your Oscar party! Red Pepper Soup Shooters, Best Dressed Endive Spears, and Mini Pizzas.

entertaining / appetizers / vegetarian

The Academy Awards are this weekend – have you seen all of the movies? We’ve binge-watched only a few of them, but so far my favorite is the Grand Budapest Hotel. Does anyone know where I can get Jack a hat that says “Lobby Boy?” Whether or not you’re into the glitz and glam of it all, we love any excuse to gather over food and wine. We’ve partnered with Dark Horse Wine to create 3 fun Oscar-themed appetizers along with some unexpected wine pairings. To make things easy, most of this menu can be prepared in advance, and all of these Dark Horse wines are under $10…

TO THE POST >>>>

Winter Wines (& Food Pairings)

wine / holiday / entertaining

Happy almost new year! I hope you all have some really fun plans tonight. Jack and I are going to have a pretty quiet night at home (because, omg, it’s freezing out!), but the wine will be flowing, nonetheless. Here are some bottles we’ve been enjoying recently. All are under $16(!), and are available at wine-carrying Whole Foods Stores.

TO THE POST >>>>

Healthier Holiday Party Recipes

holiday / entertaining / recipe roundup

Is it just me or has every day this week felt like Friday? Since holiday party season is in full swing I thought I’d round up a few fun & festive recipes that are healthy-ish, and (mostly), finger food friendly. Click on the images to go to each recipe (or see links below)… Minty Pomegranate Spritzers / Butternut Squash & Sage Crostini / Avocado Pomegranate Crostini / Quinoa Stuffed Peppers / Parmesan & Fig Grilled Cheese / Vegan Soft Pretzels / Butternut Squash Croquettes  /  Vegan Stuffed Shells / Cookies!  /  White Chocolate Almond Butter Cups

TO THE POST >>>>

Behind the Scenes: Making & Mattering

wine / inspiration

I get a lot of questions about my background – mostly about how I got started blogging and if I have tips or suggestions for someone just starting out. I’ve always had a hard time coming up with “the answers” because I truly feel like everyone’s path is different. What I can tell you is that one key to my creative little journey has been surrounding myself with insanely talented people to be inspired by. So when La Crema Wines asked me to be a part of their Interview Magazine Statement Makers campaign, I immediately knew I wanted to interview one of the most inspiring…

TO THE POST >>>>

Holiday Cocktail & Cookie Swap

Enjoy cocktails and a holiday cookie swap with Love and Lemons and Crate and Barrel. Includes two cookie recipes and a cocktail recipe!

holiday / entertaining

For as long as I can remember, my family’s Christmas season officially started with cookies. Before we were even tall enough to reach the countertop, my mom would pull over kitchen chairs so my sister and I could “help” out and get our hands in the flour. She would get out the baking sheets, the ingredients, and the flour-dusted recipes that were reserved only for the holiday season. We’d bake batch after batch after batch, eating more cookie dough than actual cookies. This year, to kick off our holiday season, I created a little cookie & cocktail party taking inspiration…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>
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.

Click here to view our privacy policy.
Copyright © 2024 Love and Lemons, LLC. All rights reserved.