A perfect meal, this time of summer, is one that seems to fly out of the refrigerator and onto your plate, with nothing but a brief stop at the grill (or grill pan). A seared steak, crusted with pepper, or a smoky hunk of eggplant straight from the garden with a salad to keep them company. This is easy living, people.

But what if you want just a touch more to your meal? Get fancy — how about a sauce? I stumbled accidentally onto the easiest and punchiest sauce recently — a magic blend of three ingredients that spices up everything from the grill — steak, chicken, burgers, a pile of vegetables. Zero cooking required. Just mix and drizzle. Want to see what’s in my magic sauce?

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I can’t tell you the last time I ate breakfast at home on a work day. I’m definitely not one of those people who can skip breakfast and calmly sail through the morning on just a cup of coffee. No way! Breakfast is an absolute must for me. I need a satisfying, filling meal that can carry me through the morning.

But most mornings are a race against the clock to get out the door and to work on time. So I prefer to hold off and eat breakfast once I’m comfortably seated at my desk. Here are ten great desk breakfasts.

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These bars slip into that magical niche of snacks that seem — and taste — like candy but are still, at least ostensibly, healthy. They are made without refined sugar, require zero cooking, and can last in a backpack all day. Packed with peanuts and topped with a thin layer of chocolate, they are also the perfect energy-boosting snack to get you through a workout, an afternoon class, or a weekend hike.

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I reach for the stick blender to make quick work of blending a big pot of soup, and it’s also great for the morning on-the-go smoothie since I can blend it right in the cup. But beyond these two tasks, what else can stick blenders do?

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