These chocolate muffins look decadent — but they're full of fiber

Psst: They have a secret ingredient.

View in Browser   SHOP GH+ MEMBERS SUBSCRIBE   Welcome! I'm always looking for ways to make life a little tastier and more enriching. This summer I'm also interested in creating more balance in my days: More time with friends, more time for projects, more time to learn. Join me as I share some of my takeaways and insights on the job here at Good Housekeeping. BOOK CLUB | MY NIGHTSTAND I Can't Invite You to Dinner With These Women, But You Can "Meet" Them Through Their Books The Journalist Who Found a Spy — and a Story Worth Telling I first "met" Gerri Willis in my bedroom — on my TV! Every morning, I'd wake up and turn on American Morning on CNN, where Gerri was a go-to for business and finance news. She had that rare combination of clarity and charisma, and I always found myself pausing mid-makeup-routine to hear what she had to say. Fast-forward a few years: I'd just started at Good Housekeeping, and guess who was coming to the GH Institute for a tour — and to interview me? Gerri Willis. We hit it off immediately. And now, more than a decade later, we've shared weekends in the Berkshires with our families, dinners cooked side by side, late nights out with our partners, long hikes and even longer conversations about aging parents, purpose, careers and the very big questions we all ask in quiet moments. One of my favorite memories: a trip we took with our husbands — Gerri and David, Colin and me — to Scotland. We spent our days exploring moors, castles and the charming towns around Dornoch and our nights sharing local fare, wine and conversation. Along the way we met stately deer, gentle Highland cows and windswept ponies with manes like storybook creatures. Truly magical. THICK & THIN Since I've known Gerri, our lives have taken many turns. It's wonderful having a friend you can talk to about almost anything: We celebrated her breast cancer recovery (left), book launch (center) and discovery of an underground cabin in Scotland. A few years ago, Gerri started working on a series for Fox Nation called Real Tough Women, a documentary spotlighting fearless American women — some who served in combat, others who achieved extraordinary feats of exploration. She also launched a companion podcast called Fearless & Proud, in which she dug even deeper into the lives of history's unsung female heroes. The more she researched, the more she became fascinated (borderline obsessed, in the best way) with one woman in particular: Elizabeth Van Lew. Elizabeth lived in Richmond, VA — the capital of the Confederacy — when the Civil War broke out. She was wealthy, well-connected and firmly committed to preserving the Union. And she became a spy. But not just a spy — a spymaster, running an entire ring from right inside enemy lines. Gerri, being Gerri, didn't stop at surface research. She traveled to Richmond, walked the streets Elizabeth once walked, dove into archives, and pieced together not just a portrait of one remarkable woman but a whole new perspective on the Civil War. The result is her just-released book, Lincoln's Lady Spymaster, and it reads like the most riveting true-crime historical thriller — complete with deep dives on key players, including (yes) John Wilkes Booth and the series of events that shaped his path toward becoming an assassin. You can feel Gerri's reporter roots in every chapter — fast-paced, vivid and told with the urgency and precision of a breaking story. If you love untold histories, fearless women and the kind of nonfiction that keeps you turning pages late into the night, you'll love this one! My Favorite Food Writer Just Wrote a Rom-Com If Gerri's book is all drama and danger and hidden messages sewn into petticoats, Amy Rosen's Off Menu is the opposite — and just as delicious. It's fun, funny, full of foodie details and exactly the kind of book you want to throw in your tote for a weekend escape (real or imagined). Amy and I worked together years ago at a magazine where she was the food director — which meant she basically ran the kitchen and the conversation. Amy is also a cookbook writer (I highly recommend her book Kosher Style), an entrepreneur and a journalist — and one of those people you go out with "for one drink" and then suddenly you realize it's midnight and you've covered everything from pastry technique to dating disasters to the meaning of life. Her storytelling is that good. And don't even get me started on her cinnamon buns. (Actually, do. They're flaky and gooey in all the right ways — and, yes, she turned them into a whole business.) So it makes perfect sense that Amy's now written a rom-com about a food writer (that's her holding a hot-off-the-presses copy). Off Menu is her fiction debut, and from everything I know about Amy — the laugh-out-loud wit, the perfectly observed moments, the way food is practically a love language — I already know I'm going to love every bite. My copy just arrived in the mail, and I'm saving it for this weekend! (Glass of wine in hand, feet up, phone off — you know the drill.) Two Women, Two Very Different Reads — One Awesome Thing in Common Gerri and Amy are both smart, passionate storytellers I've had the joy of working with — and now you can appreciate them too. Whether you're in the mood for a thrilling slice of history or a sparkling rom-com with food as the third lead character, reading these books is like getting to hang out with two of the most compelling women I know. (And honestly, we all deserve that kind of company right now.) TRENDING STORIES | SOME OF MY FAVES THIS WEEK 7 Days of Meatless Meals: Try a Plant-Based Week  This 7-day challenge makes going meatless feel doable and delicious. Day 4 is all about scheduling satisfaction — yes, that includes avocado toast with a jammy egg. 🍳  READ NOW These Vintage Items Might Be Worth a Lot of $$ My grandma has been gone for years, but her things still bring back memories — and some of these "Grandma" items could be valuable: Think Pyrex bowls, costume jewelry, needlepoint and more. READ NOW Foods You Should Never Cook in Your Air Fryer — Yikes! Not everything belongs in your air fryer! (For instance, do NOT try the delicious-looking soup above!) This guide to what not to cook in an air fryer is super helpful — and kind of surprising! READ NOW FOOD | BREAKFAST BAKING These Muffins Look Decadent — but They're Full of Fiber and Zucchini (Along With Chocolate!) A couple of weeks ago I mentioned an article we ran about on-the-go breakfast ideas — and a lovely reader wrote back to say they had actually made one of the recipes, the Chocolate-Zucchini Bran Muffins. (Always makes my day.) They didn't have wheat bran on hand, so they swapped in oat bran and said it turned out delicious. Obviously, I had to try it. Well — we had to try it. Colin did most of the kitchen work (no surprise there), and since we were running low on wheat bran and couldn't find any at the local store (why is wheat bran suddenly elusive?), we ended up using half wheat bran and half oat bran. The result? Little muffins that look like dessert but are secretly full of fiber and zucchini. They're not overly sweet — which I love, especially at breakfast — but the chocolate chips make eating these muffins just enough of a treat-y moment. I ate mine warm with a swipe of butter (mmm) and have zero regrets. I've been grabbing one on my way out the door in the morning, but they're also great after dinner or as a late-afternoon snack when you need something that feels like a hug but won't send you into a sugar crash. You might want to try a batch this weekend —  whether for breakfast, dessert or after work, these muffins do it all. BAKE TIME Pantry staples, a lot of zucchini and a quick stir bring this rich, chocolatey batter to life. Into the tins it goes to become perfectly fudgy, veggie-packed muffins. Thanks for reading! I wish you a wonderful weekend. I look forward to connecting with you in the next newsletter. See you in a few weeks! 🌺 JANE FRANCISCO | jane@goodhousekeeping.com   Follow Us Unsubscribe | Privacy Notice | CA Notice at Collection Good Housekeeping is a publication of Hearst Magazines. ©2025 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This email was sent by Hearst Magazines, 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019-3779