banana “ice cream” sundaes recipe
Although I recently became dairy-free, I haven't been able to eat ice cream for quite some time.  It's a pretty hard-to-digest food even if you make it from scratch, and not one that has agreed with me in many...

mixed berry cobbler recipe (slow cooker version, too!)
Do you know the difference between a crisp, a cobbler, a slump, a grunt and a brown betty?  I hear the terms used interchangeably, when of course, they're not the same at all.  A cobbler has a biscuit topping,...

healthful vegan mint chip smoothie recipe
I quietly went dairy-free recently which made me a little bummed out because I love yogurt and feta and Pecorino Romano cheese.  My acupuncturist was begging me for years to break up with dairy once and for all so...

mini flourless chocolate cakes recipe
The last school the kids attended allowed cupcakes with 2-inch high thick blue frosting to be handed out at 10:30 am on your child's birthday.  And if I do the math, that was about two birthdays every month.  The...

winter fruit salad recipe
Although I'm not 100% strict about it, I do try my best to eat seasonally as well as locally.  This helps to keep our bodies in harmony with nature, and is more healthful for us as well as the...

gluten-free, vegan pear-cranberry tart recipe
Why do so many people go on cleanses on January 2nd?  One word -- SUGAR.  It starts on Halloween with an innocent bite of an Almond Joy and keeps coming until New Years Day with that "one last piece"...

gingerbread cookies recipe
Mr. Picky asked me the other day if I would make cookies with him and I was this close to saying "Not today, sweetie.  I'm too busy."  That would have been absolutely true.  We're all so busy.  I don't know...

perfect apple pie recipe
I am teaching Apple Pie in my Thanksgiving classes this month and I thought I really should share the recipe with you too, my dear readers.  Perfect for Thanksgiving or if you're hunkered down watching Election Day coverage tonight....

how to make pie crust
I am a total sucker for seasonal fruit desserts, and pies are no exception, especially in the summer and fall.  But we know each other well enough by now to know that I’m not a big dessert pusher.  I...

trail mix cookies recipe
Having teenagers is a double-edged sword.  On the one hand, it's kind of cool that my girls are old enough to have adult conversations and share clothes with me.  On the other hand, it bums me out that they...

vanilla and chocolate chia seed pudding recipes
Have you ever bought something that you heard people talking about, that you thought you should start eating and would figure out how to get it into your diet soon but never did, only to have that something sit...

grilled banana s’mores recipe
I had my first s'more on a girl scout camping trip when I was 12 and I thought it was genius.  I loved that crispy graham cracker paired with a smooshy, slightly burnt marshmallow and the way the...

homemade graham crackers recipe
There are some things that I just don't think are worth making from scratch (like puff pastry) and then there are some things I can't believe can be made from scratch and taste good, like graham crackers.  Wait, not...

peach and blueberry crisp recipe
Were fruit crisps popular 30 and 40 years ago?  I can't recall, but I feel like they started turning up everywhere about 20 years ago.  A fruit crisp was one of the first desserts I ever made on my...

whole wheat carrot cake with dairy-free frosting recipe
I was married almost 17 years ago, so I guess it's not crazy that my husband would have forgotten what flavor our wedding cake was.  I'm just surprised, because he was very involved in all decisions.  I know you're...

no-sugar, no-egg, no-flour breakfast cookie recipe
Most people are not mind readers, so if you have a wish for the perfect Mother's Day, you may need to drop a few hints.  I used to dream of a day where I could relax in my bed...

low-sugar strawberry shortcake recipe
Have you ever eaten a piece of fruit and said, "this is the best darn [insert name of fruit here] I ever had"?  I've been saying that daily with strawberries and every time I do, my kids roll their...

coconut-almond tart with strawberries recipe
When I was a little girl, I loved any holiday where candy was involved.  I was crazy about sugar and my mother didn't allow many sweet treats in the house, so I really looked forward to those "special occasions."...

easy-peasy chocolate tofu pudding
We used to celebrate Valentine's Day a little differently than we do now.  It was also the one holiday of the year where I was off the hook.  My husband took care of the dinner reservation and the flowers,...

roasted cinnamon pears with dark chocolate sauce
If you're like most people, you're probably thinking you've got one last hurrah before the parties come to an end and the decorations go back in storage.  A final splurge before you return to your normal routine.  One last...

gingerbread
Nothing says "holiday" to me like the smell of gingerbread baking in the oven.  I am crazy about that combination of molasses and fragrant spices that are quintessential to gingerbread.  I have made lots of different baked goods with...

pumpkin pie
There are very few recipes that debuted on my first Thanksgiving menu 16 years ago that are still going strong today.  Roast turkey, cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes are staples year after year, as is a traditional pumpkin pie....

healthy granola bars recipe
Has school started in your neck of the woods?  We're back at it this week.  I get a little bummed when the kids go back to school.  I've really enjoyed spending more time with them and summer is so...

chocolate-covered frozen bananas
Are you asking yourself if I have gone mad?  Two desserts in one week!  What happened to "moderation?"  People, I write it like I see it and chocolate-covered frozen bananas are what the past few weeks have been about...

zucchini-blueberry bread
Have I warned you about planting mint in your garden?  No?  Ooops, sorry 'bout that.  I know I have told several people to only plant mint in containers since its root system will go crazy and you'll never be...

stone fruit crostata with spelt crust
I have been lucky enough to have had a summer intern working by my side for the last two months and for most of last summer, too.  Hannah is entering her junior year at Cornell as a public policy...

red, not white and blueberry oat bars
Mr. Picky and I are chillin' on Long Island this week with my family and enjoying the sound of seagulls during the day and crickets at night (if only Daughter #2 would stop texting me to pick her up...

cinnamon “nachos” with fresh fruit salsa
It was tense around here on Super Bowl Sunday as my husband's Steelers were getting walloped by the Packers.  Nevermind that I had just laid out a fresh batch of baked chips and guacamole, no one was really...

lemon ice torte
I went to my first Passover seder when I was in college in Philadelphia.  I was dating a nice Jewish boy from California who had some relatives living outside the city.  Aunt Lulu and Uncle Stanley invited us over for...

chocolate coconut macaroons recipe
If I am going to eat dessert, it better be good.  It better be worth falling off the wagon for.  Usually Passover desserts do nothing to tempt me from my sugar abstinence and that's not necessarily a bad thing.  But...

almond butter and chia seed cookie recipe
Remember the commercials for Chia Pets, the clay animals with a green furry layer of sprouted chia seeds covering their bodies?  Did your parents let you have one?  I SO wanted a chia puppy!   I can't help but chuckle...

healthy chocolate chip oatmeal cookies recipe
A funny thing happens when people start cooking healthful food for family and friends.  They feel the need to announce that fact to everyone before serving it.  "Ok, guys.  Wait until you try this muffin!  It's made with flaxseeds and...

date-sweetened banana bread
One of my pet peeves is when people label a dessert as "healthy," and not because that is grammatically incorrect, but rather because desserts have sugar of some form and that will never be "good" for you no matter how...

molasses-ginger cookies
Just in time for your cookie exchange!  These cookies are chewier than a gingersnap, but still wow you with that sweet and spicy kick.  I love rolling them in unsweetened, shredded coconut instead of the traditional granulated sugar, but they...

healthy brown rice pudding recipe
Brown rice is a staple in my home.  A simple bowl of steamed brown rice, whether it is short-grain, long-grain, basmati or jasmine is utterly satisfying to me.  I love the nuttiness and wholesomeness of brown over white.  Keeping...