Snack

Here's a great breakfast or after-workout cooler that's ready in seconds and tastes as good as one you'd get at a juice bar.

This simple and refreshing drink comes from the CuisinArt Resort & Spa.

Peel, slice, and freeze bananas in resealable plastic bags to use as a nutritious thickener for a variety of smoothies.

This tastes like a thick, rich ice cream shake, but it's virtually fat-free.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

For soft and chewy cookies, bake these just a couple of minutes less than the recipe directs.

Nothing is more basic to French olive people than tapenade, the simple and delicious Provençal caviar eaten with toasted bread. It can be flavored with garlic, bay, thyme, mustard, and even rum or Cognac. Here, it is done the old way.

For a festive presentation, place the toffee in clear cellophane bags and tie with French silk ribbon.

This easy pâté can be made three days ahead.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Sue Ellison of Edgewater, Colorado, writes: "Although I play guitar and piano, and have worked for more than 20 years as an elementary-school music teacher, at this point music is just my job; cooking is my passion. It's an interest I share with my daughter, Hannah. We do a phenomenal amount of cooking together. In fact, I think she learned how to count using chocolate chips, standing on a stool next to me at the kitchen counter while I baked chocolate croissants." Roasted pine nuts add a southwestern accent to this lightly sweetened granola. Once the granola has cooled, leave it in large chunks for a snack or crumble it into bits for a cereal topping. Either way, it will keep up to one week if stored airtight.