5 EASY DINNERS

BIG BATCH

Green pozole

ACTIVE TIME 40 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 1 HOUR SERVES 8

Recipe by Heath Goldman Photograph by Greg DuPree Food Stylingby Margaret Monroe Dickey

CAN’T FINDHOMINY?

SWAP IN 4 15-OUNCE CANS RINSED AND DRAINED CHICKPEAS.

HOWTO FREEZE

Cool soup completely. Pour into gallon-size freezer bags, filling halfway and squeezing out air. Seal and stack the bags in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes. Reheat in a pot over medium until warmed through, 8 to 10 minutes.

PER SERVING: 390 CALORIES, 13G FAT (3G SAT.), 74MG CHOL., 7G FIBER, 28G PRO., 39G CARB., 2,532MG SOD., 9G SUGAR

2Tbsp. olive oil 8skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (about 3 lb.) 2½tsp. kosher salt, divided 2tsp. black pepper, divided 2medium onions, chopped 1fresh chile (such as Fresno or jalapeño), sliced, plus more for serving 1Tbsp. dried oregano 8cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided 46-oz. cans whole green chiles, drained 2 cups fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, plus more for serving 415-oz. cans hominy, rinsed

Tortilla chips and lime wedges, for serving

HEAT oil in a large pot over medium-high. Season chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Working in batches, add chicken and cook until browned, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. REDUCE heat to medium. Add onions, fresh chile, oregano, and remaining 1½ teaspoons each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft, 6 to 8 minutes. ADD ½ cup broth; scrape brown bits from pot with a wooden spoon. Return chicken to pot along with remaining 7½ cups broth. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat. Simmer until chicken is cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes; transfer chicken to a plate. When cool enough to handle, shred chicken into bite-size pieces with 2 forks. Return to soup (discard skin and bones). MEANWHILE, puree canned chiles and 2 cups cilantro in a blender until smooth. STIR chile puree and hominy into soup. Simmer until warmed, about 5 minutes. Serve topped with tortilla chips, cilantro, and sliced fresh chiles; place limewedges on the side.

ROAD TEST

GRANOLA

When it’s crunchtime inthe morning or snacktime atyour desk, it’s niceto have some granola squirreled away. Real Simple staffers sampled187(!) varieties tofind thebest.

Written by Heath Goldman Photograph by Con Poulos

OUT OFTHE BOX

TRANSFER GRANOLA TO AN AIRTIGHT CONTAINER TOKEEP IT FRESH LONGER.

1BEST OATS AND HONEY Cascadian Farm Oats and Honey Bite-size clusters of organic oats stay crunchy in milk, even at the bottom of the cereal bowl. Unlike some overly sweet competitors, this pick has a honey-vanilla flavor balanced by sea salt. TOBUY: $4 for 16 ounces; at grocery stores.

2BEST FOR HEALTH NUTS Nature’s Path Chia Plus Coconut An organic cereal that’s packed with omega-3–rich chia seeds and dried coconut. Plus, the oat base is mixed with airy puffed rice, so it won’t leave you feeling weighed down. TOBUY: $3.30 for 12.3 ounces; at grocery stores.

3BEST TO BUY IN BULK Early Bird Foods & Co. Gets the Worm This fun pick (an allnatural gummy worm is buried in each bag, like an old-school cereal-box prize) is largely sold online. But the olive oil–oat mix is worth the wait. Roasted in tiny batches so that it’s extra crispy and fresh, it tastes exactly like homemade. TOBUY: $52 for six 12-ounce bags; earlybirdfoods.com.

4BEST FOR KIDS 18Rabbits Caramel Apple Jr. Organic Granola Cereal Little ones will gobble up this combo of brown rice crisps, sunflower seeds, and dried apple. Real caramel sweetens the deal but doesn’t add a whopping amount of sugar—a two-thirdscup serving has eight grams (less than most of the other winners have). TOBUY: $5 for eight ounces; at grocery stores.

5BEST BERRY Barbara’s Better Than Granola Dark Chocolate Cranberry Many options in this category use tough, freezedried berries. This medley of multigrain wheat squares, sliced almonds, and oats includes plump dried cranberries instead—plus 70 percent cacao dark chocolate curls. Bonus: It contains nearly double the protein of many other granolas on the market. TOBUY: $6 for 10 ounces; at grocery stores.

6BEST GLUTEN-FREE Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Honey Oat Forget mysterious ingredients and fillers that may or may not be wheat-free. This winner keeps it simple—with oats, brown rice flour, and brown sugar. Loose like muesli (meaning small clumps), it’s excellent in warmed milk. TOBUY: $5.70 for 12 ounces; at grocery stores.

7BEST PEANUT BUTTER Kind Peanut Butter Whole Grain Clusters Oats, quinoa, and amaranth are cooked in peanut oil, coated in peanut butter, and tossed with peanut halves. This high-protein pick is tasty topped off with sliced bananas. TOBUY: $9 for 11 ounces; at grocerystores.

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re al simp l e ROAD TEST

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ACROSS THE TABLE ALL PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE SERIES BY STEPHEN DIRADO; STEPHENDIRADO.COM/ACROSS-THE-TABLE

HOW TOLOVE THEHARD-TO-LOVE PEOPLE INYOUR LIFE

You knowwho they are.The needy friend.The bothersome great-aunt.Teenagers (yours sometimes, everyone else’s all the time).These aren’t peopleyou can cut out ofyour life.So how doyou foster some affection for trying people?Startwith these strategies.

Written by Caroline Collins McKenzie Photographs by Stephen DiRado

This is a story about love. But not the heart-eye-emoji, romantic kind of love (sorry, February). This is a story about how to love family and friends who are part of your life, for better or worse, but whom you don’t always like. “We all have different perspectives and needs. We’re bound to encounter people who are hard to form relationships with,” says Alexandra H. Solomon,

PhD, author of Loving Bravely. Sometimes those people are related to you—often, ahem, through marriage—and sometimes they’re thrust upon you (hello, child’s friend who seems to be a first-class meanie but whom your child inexplicably adores). In either case, it’s your job to grow, compromise, and learn to, yes, love, even if it’s in a small and temporary way. And it pays off: “Through cognitive reframing and the occasional heart-to-heart, it’s entirely possible to make long-lasting changes in a currently tenuous relationship,” says Kathryn J. Lively,

PhD, a professor of sociology at Dartmouth

College who focuses on emotion management.

Here are seven common relationships, with advice on how to start—plus long-term ways to work on your happily ever after.

YOUR MOTHERIN-LAW

who gave birth to your beloved spouse (that’s key!) but tries to get you to call her Mom and still criticizes everything from your shopping habits to your parenting— behind your back.

HOW TO FAKE IT: “First, remember that this woman raised the person you love,” says Solomon. “Then consider what it would be like to have your baby all grown up and focused on someone else.” Shifting your perspective can help build empathy. “When you can empathize with someone, it’s easier to let criticism roll off your back,” says Solomon. Comedian and author Ali Wentworth, a mother of two who created and stars in the new Pop TV show Nightcap, offers this encouragement: “Think of yourself and your husband as a tag team, each taking on a mother-in-law. When you look at it that way, you start to realize that you might have it much better than your spouse. He has to deal with your mother.”

HOW TO MAKE IT: “Positive reinforcement can go a long way toward exacting change in a person you see as negative,” says David Spiegel, MD, director of the Center on Stress and Health at Stanford University. To shift the dynamic with your mother-in-law, try this plan of attack: Whenever she says something nice—and yes, she eventually will—make a big deal about it with direct eye contact, a warm smile, and an enthusiastic “That’s so great to hear!” Likewise, remain neutral to negative feedback. “The key is to be consistent in your reaction,” says Spiegel. “Eventually, your response pattern will begin to shape her behavior. And when you’re less needled, you’re bound to feel moreaffection.” ALSO APPLIES TO: Your own meddling mother; a know-it-all brother; a condescending colleague.

YOUR CHILDHOOD FRIEND

who has always been a little needy, but now that you’re older and you both haveyour own lives—or perhaps she’s singleand you have a toddler—it’s exhausting. HOW TO FAKE IT: Reshape how you spend time together—and take charge of the planning so that the schedule works for you, especially if the connection hinges on the fact that you have kids and she doesn’t. “When the time together is less of a logistical nightmare, you’re more likely to enjoy it,” says Rosanna Hertz, PhD, professor of sociology at Wellesley College. Suggest activities that have a clear beginning and end, such as a walk on a Tuesday morning or a movie on a Saturday afternoon. If it’s an old friend who simply has different expectations about how often you guys should talk, use technology to your advantage. Anna Sale, host of the WNYC Studios podcast Death, Sex, and Money (and a new mother), is a fan of the text check-in: “A quick text is an easy and rewarding way to stay connected to people I can’t devote as much time to as they—or I—would like.” HOW TO MAKE IT: “Old friends, even needy ones, are important to have around,” says Hertz. “They knew you when you were young and, because of that, are often some of the most loyal people in your life.” If the problem is that you’ve grown apart and you don’t have a lot in common anymore, don’t give up. Rekindle affection by playing the nostalgia card every once in a while. Look at old pictures over drinks. Do something you both used to love, whether it’s driving aimlessly while eating a Sonic Blast or getting tickets for your favorite band’s reunion tour. You’re likely to be flooded with good memories and affection for your bosom buddy. ALSO APPLIES TO: A sibling relationship with similar challenges. (You were BFFs as kids and have a different dynamic now.)

A NOTE FROM THE EDITORS: THE PEOPLE DEPICTED IN THESE PHOTOGRAPHS (FROM STEPHEN DIRADO’S SERIES ACROSS THE TABLE) ARE NOT THE HARD-TO-LOVE ONES DESCRIBED IN THE STORY.

YOUR SPOUSE’S CHILDHOOD FRIEND

who makes inappropriate jokes and seems to bring out the worst (or at least college-age) version of your husband.

HOW TO FAKE IT: You don’t really have to. “Unless this person is a legitimate threat to yourmarriage— bringing substance abuse into the picture, for example—this is a time to exercise letting go,” says Solomon. Start by asking a simple question: Do you need to be around when your husband spends time with this friend? Chances are, the answer is no. Removing yourself from direct contact may allow you to have a different perspective or realize that this friend is actually harmless. Your husband had a life before you; it’s healthy for him to reconnect to that from time to time. Look at it as an asset. “It’s a permission slip to enjoy your own free time,” says Solomon.

HOW TO MAKE IT: Take a closer look at what’s going on if the advice above doesn’t help. “Is it really the friend you’re averse to? Or is the problem that when your husband is with this friend, you’re left on your own with the kids?” says Hertz. Maybe this college friend reminds you of your husband’s college girlfriend he almost married, and it resurrects old hang-ups. It may be that talking about the underlying problem— needing more help with the kids, harboring old jealousies—softensyour hard feelings toward the bromance and strengthens your marriage communication skills, too.

ALSO APPLIES TO: Your good friend’s new friend— um, when did Friend 1 start liking sake? You both hate sake!—who is suddenly tagging along to everything.

YOUR GREATAUNT

who always calls at the worst time and wants to talk for an hour. You know she’s lonely, but you can’t help (guiltily) not picking up.

HOWTO FAKE IT: Set boundaries right off the bat. “Begin each conversation with a simple ‘So good to hear from you! I only have 15 minutes, but it’s wonderful to hear your voice,’” saysLively. There may also be ways tomake your aunt feel valued that aren’t sprung on you like her phone calls. “Maybe your aunt collects thimbles, and you mail her one every time you spot oneata flea market,” says Lively. Send her bundles of your kids’ artwork or, if she’s technologically inclined, e-mail a video of the children saying, “Have a great day, Aunt Ruth!” Speaking of kids, Wentworth takes this lighthearted approach to phone calls from longwinded relatives: “Put your kindergartner on the phone! They’ll be more than happy to talk for a few hours.”

HOWTO MAKEIT: Have compassion. Your aunt isn’t calling to irritate you. “Reframe your perspective: She’s isolated, not irksome,” says Lively. And see it as a service— you are communing with your elders and living with integrity and intention, says Solomon. “Give yourself a pat on the back! If the call becomes something you take pride in, it can become something you enjoy more,” she says.

ALSO APPLIES TO: Your hard-to-relate-to fatherin-law; the widowed next-door neighbor who loves to chat in thedriveway.

YOUR BROTHER’S NEW WIFE

who is constantly nagging and is all wrong for him (based on sister intuition, obviously). HOW TO FAKE IT: Experts agree—tread lightly in matters that involve someone else’s love life. Though tempting, it’s not your place to exert control over your brother’s relationship. Instead, on the next double date, “recast negative as positive,” says Lively. When your sister-in-law gripes about your brother’s long hours, tell yourself, “She’s saying this because she loves her husband and is worried he is exhausted.” You can even take it one step further and create a mini mantra that simultaneously helps you feel more positive and your sister-in-law feel heard. When she complains, you respond, “That must be hard,” says Lively. With that small encouragement, it’spossiblethat, over time, she may become lessnegativeand more pleasant to be around. HOW TO MAKE IT: Have a one-time conversation with your brother—but full of questions, not accusations. Ask him to shed light on what he

TEAR. EAT. HIKE.

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