recipes

Toast to Springtime With an Apricot Bourbon Cocktail

Kick off your weekend with a drink that makes use of what's in season right now: ripe, plush apricots.

Kick off your weekend with a drink that makes use of what's in season right now: ripe, plush apricots. This muddled cocktail, inspired by the classic whiskey smash, calls for just four ingredients: apricots, whiskey, lemon, and agave. Dare we say it's, well, a smash? See how it's done, and then print out the recipe so you can make one for yourself.

healthy recipes

Paleo Pasta Alternative: Zucchini Noodles

A grain-free life does not have to be free of comfort food!

A grain-free life does not have to be free of comfort food! When you're craving a big bowl of garlicky pasta, cook up these zucchini noodles aglio et olio (garlic and oil) instead. The real comfort here, other than that fragrant garlic, comes from "breadcrumbs" created from toasted almond meal; I was truly surprised by how much I enjoyed their flavor and texture.

Keep reading for this protein-packed, Paleo-friendly recipe for pasta.

recipes

Happy Hour: Apricot Smash

This garden-to-glass cocktail pays homage to what I consider to be the most underrated Spring fruit of all time: the apricot.

This garden-to-glass cocktail pays homage to what I consider to be the most underrated Spring fruit of all time: the apricot. There's only a short window of time in May when these stone fruits are ripe, plump, and bursting with sweet juice; after that, they turn mealy and flavorless. Make the most of their short-lived season with a cocktail that highlights the fruit's floral, honeysuckle-like flavor. This tipple, which is inspired by the classic whiskey smash, calls for just apricots, agave, lemon, and bourbon. Got four ingredients and five minutes? Then make the apricot smash.

Spring

18 Cocktails to Toast College Grads and Coeds-to-Be

We're headed into college graduation season, which for many means packing four years of accumulated stuff in garbage bags, last-hurrah Summer vacations, and — soon enough — leaps into résumé writing and job hunting.

We're headed into college graduation season, which for many means packing four years of accumulated stuff in garbage bags, last-hurrah Summer vacations, and — soon enough — leaps into résumé writing and job hunting. With so much on these graduates' minds, why not make a toast to your special hard worker with a party and some delicious cocktails? We've rounded up festive, refreshing, and great-tasting alcoholic bevvies for your favorite over-21 former collegians, as well as cocktails with nonalcoholic alternatives to toast grads of all ages and their adventures to come!


— Additional reporting by Emily Bibb

salads

10 Tricks For the Best Homemade Salads

Do you have a whole plateful of salad woes?

Do you have a whole plateful of salad woes? If you find that your homemade salads just aren't as good as those in restaurants, perhaps the problem rests in the prep of the salad, the choice of ingredients, or the dressing itself. Integrate these 10 tricks into your salad-making routine, and we promise, you'll toss better homemade salads in no time.

healthy living

BluePrint's P.A.M. Gets a Makeover For an Antioxidant-Rich Happy Hour

If you've had BluePrint Juice's refreshing concoction of pineapple, green apple, and mint (P.A.M.) and thought to yourself how good it would be in a cocktail, you definitely have the makings of a bartender in you!

If you've had BluePrint Juice's refreshing concoction of pineapple, green apple, and mint (P.A.M.) and thought to yourself how good it would be in a cocktail, you definitely have the makings of a bartender in you! BluePrint's P.A.M. has everything you want in a great Summer cocktail — a balanced flavor profile of sweet and tart with just a little something extra from the fresh mint. All it takes is one sip to be transported to a tropical beachside destination. Adding to its taste appeal are of course P.A.M.'s many nutritional benefits: made from raw, live juice, pineapple and mint are both known for their detoxing and debloating benefits.

First we set out to hack BluePrint's P.A.M. recipe for ourselves, which was a success in its own right. But after mixing it up with a little rum, we may have even improved on the original.

Fans of the mojito, learn how to make your new favorite Summer cocktail after the break!

Breakfast

Taste Test: Yopa! Greek Yogurt

It's official: Greek yogurt is now the reigning queen of the dairy aisle.

It's official: Greek yogurt is now the reigning queen of the dairy aisle. New brands have been sprouting left and right, and one of them is Yopa!, by the makers of YoCrunch. It bills itself as "authentic Greek nonfat yogurt," but how did it taste in comparison to other Greek-style yogurts on the market? To find out, we tasted three fruity classics — strawberry, blueberry, and black cherry — complete with an essential, crunchy granola (an added bonus on the package). Find out how Yopa! yogurt fared.

recipes

Impress Your Guests With the Easiest Strawberry Tart Ever

Next time you're tasked with dessert for a crowd, impress your guests with this stunning fresh strawberry tart.

Next time you're tasked with dessert for a crowd, impress your guests with this stunning fresh strawberry tart. It may look like it's straight out of a magazine, but it's actually the easiest fresh fruit tart ever — all you really need is a handful of ingredients.

Be sure to go the extra mile for the freshest, off-the-vine, most fragrant berries; they'll really shine in this dessert (and, as a bonus, your entire house will smell like fresh strawberries). Then serve it to your guests with an ethereal dollop of fresh whipped cream. Ready to make this tart? Watch our video, then print out the recipe.

cooking tips

Never Fear Unmolding a Bundt Cake Again

Eye-catching and almost sculptural, bundt cakes are a beauty to behold when unmolded from their pans unscathed.

Eye-catching and almost sculptural, bundt cakes are a beauty to behold when unmolded from their pans unscathed. Unfortunately, if the correct precautions aren't taken, what makes these cakes so visually appealing — their intricate ridges and valleys — can be a downfall. Thankfully, with a little know-how, this problem becomes a nuisance of the past.

  • While we understand the appeal of a vintage bundt pan, generally these are best relegated as kitchen decor, as most are thin, don't promote heat evenly, and are less likely to unmold cleanly. Use these at your own risk, and take extra care with pan prep. Our favorite pan is sturdy and has a light-colored (for less-intense browning) nonstick coating for added insurance, though other options will work as well.
  • Brush the entire interior of the pan (get into those nooks and crannies!) with a thin coat of melted butter. To make sure you didn't miss a spot, examine the pan under a bright light, which will reflect off the butter's sheen and highlight any ungreased areas.

Keep reading for three more easy steps.

recipes

Off the Bookshelf: Quinoa Salad With Cherries and Feta

At the mere mention the word "picnic," my ears perk up.

At the mere mention the word "picnic," my ears perk up. So when I was flipping through Heather Christo's Generous Table and came across a menu plan for a lakeshore picnic, I knew I'd have to make at least one recipe from her spread. Add an early and bountiful cherry season to the mix — my local farmers market suddenly became overrun with them last week — and it was settled. Quinoa salad with cherries and feta would make it to my table, and soon.

Thankfully, Christo's palate is spot-on. Juicy cherries play off salty feta like old friends. Add grassy parsley, sharp minced shallot, and nutty toasted almonds to the mix, and the result is a hearty grain-based salad perfect for picnics, brown-bag lunches, or just because. As long as cherries keep finding their way into my farmers market tote, this delightful dish will be on my table.

Get the fast and fruity recipe.