Dinner’s ready, so where the heck is everybody? You’ve announced it, texted it, you’ve even rung a bell, but you’re still the only one in the kitchen. What’s a home cook to do?

It’s easy to start stewing: I know they heard me! What on earth is taking everyone so long? Don’t they know how much effort it took for me to get this done after a long day of work? And the food is getting cold!

But don’t! Whether you wind up waiting one minute or 10, you should use this time to do something for yourself. And that something should be relaxing.

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We all know the health perks of eating more vegetables: A wealth of research has found diets rich in fruits and vegetables lower blood pressure, decrease risk of heart disease, can reduce blood cholesterol levels, and may offer protection against certain types of cancers.

But all that means just fresh vegetables, right? Frozen veggies must not be as nutritious as plants plucked straight off the farm. Well, not so fast, says science.

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The afternoon slump is a real-life problem we all face — lunch feels like forever ago, your stomach is begging for something, and dinner is hours away. Once you’ve had a quick snack, all that fatigue fades away. Make that a snack rich in protein and you’re in even better shape. Eating protein not only gives you a boost of energy, but it also takes a good amount of time to digest, which means you won’t feel peckish again in an hour. Here are 20 great picks.

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For the first 23 years of my life, I was a carnivore. I ate my dad’s “famous” skirt steak with chimichurri, ordered grilled chicken on my salads, and relied on chorizo and egg tacos to save me the morning after a night of drinking.

After college I moved to Portland, Oregon, for graduate school. It was there that I first started to eat a little less meat — not because I fell prey to some sketch straight out of Portlandia, but because there was an abundance of delicious vegetarian food, and I was having a blast trying it all. (Soyrizo tacos are surprisingly good!)

But then one day I stopped eating meat entirely. I did not seek this decision out, though — it essentially came to me by accident. All thanks to one 276-page book.

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I live in what is, by all reasonable standards, a very small apartment. I say this not to complain — I like my apartment! — but only to suggest that I am not necessarily in a position to devote an entire cabinet to an ice cream maker that I have never used.

But there it sits, a full-sized ice cream maker, in a cabinet above my three-quarter sized fridge, where it has rested, untouched by milk or sugar, for approximately six years.

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These veggie-heavy burrito bowls are tucked in my meal plan rotation and saved for the nights when I want to feel like a real dinner superhero. With a base of cilantro-lime cauliflower rice, smoky black beans and corn, a touch of salsa, creamy avocado, and seared chicken breast, this is wholesome indulgence at its finest. And thanks to pantry and freezer staples, and a smart shortcut, they come together effortlessly.

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I love playing hostess any night of the week, but my favorite party to throw is, hands-down, a game night. An entertaining and relaxing way to spend time with friends and family, game nights are the perfect opportunity to get together, unwind, and have fun without the pressures of a formal dinner or cocktail party.

Related: A Friday Board Game Night with Friends, Dinner, Snacks & Sangria

All you really need for a successful game night? Games, yes. And some friends. The last thing? Drinks! You can do some simple beers or wine — or you can try to pair a signature cocktail with the night.

Whether it has a vague nod to the game, or it’ll just help keep players on track, here are some suggested pairings for whatever board you’re unboxing.

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The week after a holiday is always a little bit nutty. Our routine is off, skewed by hosting family and trying to eat up leftover ham rather than do a real meal plan. Meal planning is like a friendly reset button at the end of the week.

But this week I’m fighting fatigue and instead of trying to be creative in my meal plan, I’m relying on my meal planning template.

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The world is changing. This isn’t just an understatement about politics. It’s a truism about the equinox, that sliver of time when one season becomes another, when we exhale the old life and breathe in the new. Some of us free our houses from every last crumb for Passover. Some fill it with Peeps for Easter. Plenty use spring to make a fresh start, and for others still it’s a whole new (Persian) year. I am cleaning the winter out of my freezer. I have bones to pick.

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Let’s take a moment to truly appreciate the awesomeness of eggs. What other food can be cooked in so many ways, yet also be a foundational ingredient in baked goods, custards, and sauces? Eggs hold a rightful place as a refrigerator staple because they’re economical, have a long shelf life, and have been the savior of last-minute meals when you don’t have much else around to cook.

We love all those things about eggs — and we’re in good company — but for these recipes, we wanted to treat this workhorse ingredient to a little luxury. So while these recipes are still great for quick dinners and family brunches, they feature eggs in all their melting, yolky, showstopping glory. From an ingenious vegetarian take on Scotch eggs (they’re wrapped in falafel!) to the crispiest, cheesiest, Frenchiest croque madame, here are five stunning ways to make eggs the main attraction.

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