The Wrapped Breakfast Quesadillas

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I’ve never been a morning person, which means I stumble around in a haze until I get some caffeine or food into my system. For me, breakfast has never been the most interesting meal of the day; it’s more a means to an end, but I’m aiming to change that. Maybe mornings would be more tolerable if there was an awesome meal to look forward to!

With that in mind, here are five delicious breakfasts that are also ideal for hectic mornings. You can prep ahead of time, grab it on your way out the door, and still start your day with a good, solid meal.

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Every corner café or coffee shop probably has a stack of beautiful yogurt parfaits layered with fruit and granola, ready for you to grab and go. But what about people like me, who like savory instead of sweet for breakfast? Loaded with sausage, cheese, and spinach, this grits parfait is just as gorgeous as its sweet counterparts.

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Grace Kelly and Cary Grant in To Catch a Thief

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The surge of amorousness come Valentine’s Day and the accompanying pressure to celebrate the holiday with an over-the-top bouquet and a fancy dinner reservation can be overbearing. Yet there’s no need to fret if impromptu tulips weren’t delivered or you couldn’t snag a table at that swish new French-Vietnamese restaurant. It’s far more fun to settle in for the night with low-cost bubbly, a casserole in the oven, and a flick. Choose one of these 10 gems, which all meld food and romance in distinctly memorable scenes.

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Regular breadcrumbs and panko are standard go-tos for crisp breaded meat and fish, but what happens when you need a gluten-free option?

The answer is probably closer than you think. Sure, there are plenty of premade gluten-free breading options on the grocery store shelf, but you probably already have one of the best solutions for gluten-free breading in your pantry right now.

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Cranberry Cake

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What do you do if your Valentine is someone who just doesn’t like chocolate? What if a fancy box of chocolates or a flourless chocolate cake doesn’t make your heart skip a beat?

Not to worry — there are plenty desserts out there that don’t rely on chocolate for their deliciousness. Pick any one of these recipes for a sweet dessert that your special someone will enjoy … even if that someone special is you!

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For our over-the-top girly, Cheesy Valentine’s Day to-do, we knew we wanted to go pink for our color scheme — and I have to hand it to Ariel: My apartment looked like my five-year-old niece’s dream come true. (If only Princess Sparkle had been there, it would have been perfect). But I digress … to go with the balloons and streamers and overall profusion of fuchsia- and flamingo-colored decor, we also wanted to serve pink drinks. So, in addition to our fizzy raspberry sorbet and elderflower cocktails, we stocked up on bottles of that traditional warm-weather pleaser: rosé. And now that we’ve gone pink in the wintery months, we’re not sure why we hadn’t before. This blush-hued wine has earned a spot at our tables all year long.

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Two kinds of bars — candy and cookie — come together in a superhero-worthy pairing that, yes, truly satisfies. A chewy cookie layer replaces finicky nougat in this homemade version, leaving you free to expend your energies on making caramel from scratch. (Yes, it’s simpler than you think! Just use that candy thermometer for guaranteed success.)

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This time of year, hearts are abundant in every way, shape, and form. There are the classic heart-shaped candies, of course, but also cookies, cupcakes, and pizzas. Even breakfast gets in on the action with heart-shaped eggs and bacon! (See all the heart-shaped things here.) But it’s rare we actually stop to think about our real heart — and I’m not talking about in the emotional sense.

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The anything-goes potluck dinner, those democratic shindigs where each guest comes armed with a homemade dish, is great fun to attend. After all, how often does one get to pile a plate high with a mélange of discordant items like vegetable lasagna, quiche Lorraine, and Cajun-spiced chicken fingers? But these convivial smorgasbords are also rife with risk, because what if no one has the good sense to make green beans, and there are three platters of chocolate chip cookies?

One aspect of these suppers that need not confound, however, is what to sip. It is entirely possible to find a bottle that goes well with caprese salad and doesn’t clash with tacos al pastor. Here are a few strategies from the pros, organized by type of wine.

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I know — how can we possibly talk about napkin folding when you’re still using paper napkins at the table? Disposable may cut it for everyday dining, but if you’re setting out paper napkins when guests come over, cute design or not, it’s time for an upgrade.

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