Braised Coconut Spinach & Chickpeas with Lemon

As the early fall days grow cooler, I am eagerly reaching for butternut squash and other autumn vegetables, ready to turn them into silky purées and hearty stews, dreaming of spicy curries and creamy soups. And in these plans for fall cooking, there’s one key ingredient, a magic touch, that I always make sure I have stocked. Coconut milk is a pantry staple that adds richness and luxury to everything it touches, gilding vegan stews with a sweet tropical touch, and lending its creamy goodness to puddings, breakfast dishes, and other sweets.

If you have a can of coconut milk you’d like to put to good use, or need some hearty and delicious inspiration for your fall kitchen, start here. Just one little can — so many delicious ways.

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For 30 days this month we’re exploring Whole30, the 30-day reset and refocus on whole foods. Whole30 isn’t a diet or a judgment of foods as “good and bad.” It’s actually a short-term reset that has helped many of our readers cook more and figure out the foods that make them feel their best. Read more about our coverage here.

If you are considering Whole30, or you are doing Whole30, then you know two things: Dairy is off-limits, and there is one key exception to the dairy rule.

While butter itself is off-limits, ghee and other forms of clarified butter are not. Bear with them. Whether you buy into the program or not, there is a method to this madness.

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From Apartment Therapy → Stay in Season: The Most Beautiful Winter Flowers for Your Home

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For 30 days this month we’re exploring Whole30, the 30-day reset and refocus on whole foods. Whole30 isn’t a diet or a judgment of foods as “good and bad.” It’s actually a short-term reset that has helped many of our readers cook more and figure out the foods that make them feel their best. Read more about our coverage here.

So you’re doing Whole30. You are prepping your meals like you’ve never prepped your meals before; you are embracing your temporary sugar-free lifestyle — apples are basically candy to you now! — you have mastered the art of ordering at restaurants; and you’re drinking so much LaCroix you should probably buy stock in the company.

Congratulations! There is, however, one last frontier: desk snacks. Desk snacks, I have found, are difficult even if you are not on the Whole30. Here are seven that will keep you satisfied.

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January, with all its resolutions and lose-10-pounds promises, has a way of tricking us into thinking our need for warm, filling foods have come and gone. But for most regions, this is the time of year when the bitter bite of the season is at its worst, and we need foods to warm us up more than ever. However, comfort-food stews can fall prey to becoming stodgy and predictable. That’s where these new-ish stews come in — they deliver what we crave, but with a few new and interesting twists.

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From Apartment Therapy → 5 Ways to Ease Yourself Back Into Frugal Living After the Holidays

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If you grew up helping Mario and Luigi try to save Princess Peach, the radish may become your new vegetable obsession. The Ravanello radish shaper helps you whittle your radish into the shape of a mushroom and carve little white dots into the pink-topped flesh.

That’s right — it looks exactly like a Super Mario power-up.

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If you live in the Bay Area and are a Trader Joe’s aficionado, your Saturday nights are about to become a whole lot greater. The Mercury News reports the second Trader Joe’s in the region (in Menlo Park) has been approved to maintain a wine and beer tasting area.

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Earlier this week, we asked you what makes you happy in the kitchen. For some of you, it’s a tangible item like a sink or a pretty backsplash. Or it’s a thing you do (so many of you love to bake) while you’re in the space. Or it’s a mix of both! The point? The kitchen has this amazing way of putting a smile on all of our faces.

Get inspired (and even happier!) by some of these reader comments.

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When it comes to hearty winter stews and braises, meat tends to be the main ingredient of this warming meal, but that doesn’t mean you should discount vegetables. Not only do they complement and balance the meatiness of stews and chilis, but it’s a wonderful way to pack more (and more!) vegetables into your comfort food.

Whether the recipe calls for it or not, every stew can use another serving of veggies. Here are seven vegetables you should be adding to stews and braises right now.

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