Another year, another pile of cookbooks. I’ve added some amazing titles to my cookbook collection this year, but eight in particular are in heavy rotation in my family kitchen, which I think makes them among the best cookbooks for famili…
Santa may have a team of elves working for him (not to mention a name-taking Mrs. who pretty much keeps the whole show together), but the rest of us are running on fumes by Christmas Eve, and with little back up to boot. Still, cookies m…
Knowing how to make mulled wine is at the top of my holiday season skills list, along with pie making , gift wrapping , and secret keeping. (I score 2 out of 4. Can you guess my failures?!) Mulled wine is one of my favorite winter drinks…
As someone who develops recipes professionally, you’d think that I’d always have a plan for feeding my family dinner. Just like everybody else, though, the busier I get, the harder it is to get dinner on the table. Thanks to natural bran…
Chocolate candy is a must over the holidays. Festive sweets make a special treat to have around the house, serve as part of a holiday dessert spread, or give as a gift . Store bought is great—we love supporting local chocolate shops —but…
Well here's a first. I ordered what looked like a really awesome chocolate gift for a chocolate-loving friend--a box of assorted cake truffles from Red Envelope, and kind of forgot about it. Because when they arrived with a card from Sha…
Holiday entertaining doesn’t have to be a blockbuster affair. In fact, some of the best holiday gatherings are small, impromptu get togethers and relaxed gatherings with easy cocktail party foods, festive snacks and, of course, seasonal …
If you would love to decorate cookies with the kids but have a to-do list as long as mine, my new favorite, and delicious, shortcut to easy Christmas cookies may work for you. It's those amazing, pure butter shortbread cookies from Walke…
If you’re not Jewish, get ready to wish that you were: Jelly donuts are a traditional Hanukkah food. As in, you must eat them to celebrate the holiday or you get kicked out of the tribe. Okay, you don’t really have to eat them, but you c…
I’d like to think that calories don’t count over the holidays. In fact, that IS what I think while indulging in classic holiday treats like decadent hot chocolate and gingerbread desserts . Cocktails, though, are a place where I can skim…
Hot chocolate goes with all winter activities at my house, whether we're picking out a Christmas tree or going out to see the lights. Making homemade hot chocolate is so easy that I kind of feel guilty using the powered mix from the groc…
Every year, we are huge supporters of Small Business Saturday , ever since the first grassroots effort. You can look back through our archives for our writers' favorite small businesses from Brooklyn to Albuquerque but this year we wante…
You need last minute Thanksgiving help? We've got it for you. We've put out so many amazing features from the best Thanksgiving recipes of all kinds to fun printables to keep the kids busy, that we wanted to put them all in one place for…
I hate showing up to someone's house empty-handed, even when the hostess says, "Oh...just bring yourself." That's why I always have so much fun scoping out affordable hostess gifts for you all each year. While we can always grab a bottle…
We’ve been gearing up for Thanksgiving all week with amazing mashed potato recipes , the easiest cranberry sauce recipes , killer stuffing recipes , tips for how to make homemade pie , and a guide to best mail order pies in the country (…
NYC local cupcake shop Baked By Melissa has had us wrapped around their finger since they rolled into town with their delicious bite-sized cupcakes and clever ideas--remember the cupcake gumball machine and the Betsy Johnson cupcake ? We…
Stuffing is one of those Thanksgiving dishes that I’m always changing. One year cornbread, the next sourdough. Sometimes sausage, other times bacon. Every once in a while I make it in the bird, though mostly it's done in a separate pot. …
I can never eat too many hot, yummy, heaping forkfuls of mashed potatoes. We're the kind of family that has both homemade stuffing (often more than one kind) and potatoes on the Thanksgiving table. If you're not running away from me in a…
As a professional home cook and recipe developer, I’m always game to change things up, even at a holiday meal. But, if you ask me, certain holiday dishes, like cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving are essential. You can play with them, but do…
We might as well call the holiday season “pie season” if you ask me. That’s honestly what it is—or at least what it should be. Who’s with me? Even if you’re not (and we’ll settle this later), Thanksgiving and the winter holidays create t…
The long season of "eat, drink, and be merry" is almost upon us, so it's time for you pregnant, breastfeeding, or abstaining-from-alcohol mamas to consider what you'll be sipping from now until the ball drops on another year. Fortunately…
These 9 amazing fall salad recipes are enough to keep us from missing summer salads. For me, fall is all about stews, chili, roasts, and salads. Yes, salads! Roasted veggies are delicious, but roasted veggies tossed with greens and a del…
I'm all about food gifts for men . Maybe because I love the men in my life, and the men in my life happen to love food. If you're with me, then I've got three fantastic resources for you if you're all about seriously cool food gifts that…
One of the best things about the northeast this time of year is the abundance of crisp, ripe apples--and the fresh, natural apple juice we can grab at the farmer's market. My kids are becoming such connoisseurs, they actually know the di…