holiday recipe

Christmas Morning Breakfast Ideas

Growing up, Christmas morning was a highly anticipated annual affair, worthy of carefully coordinated pajamas and some serious calendar countdowns, suspiciously in full swing sometime after the daily grind of the school year began. One year in particular I vividly remember setting aside two full size candy bars from my Halloween trick-or-treating stockpile, rare precious …

Chanukah: The Festival of Lights

Yesterday was the first night of Chanukah, the Festival of Lights. Chanukah means “dedication,” because the holiday commemorates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem after the Jews defeated the Syrian-Greeks. After the victory, there was only enough oil in the Temple to light the menorah for one day. Yet, miraculously, the oil lasted eight days. Hence, eight nights of Chanukah, when we light …

Not Your Everyday Christmas Cookies

The Christmas season is here. Time for family, friends, shopping, and baking! If you’re tired of the same ol’ sugar cookies, check out these yummy cookies. Not your everyday Christmas cookies, for sure! These Peppermint Bonbon Cookies are always a favorite at my friend Cynthia’s book club: A gooey chocolate center and crunchy peppermint – yum! Something …

Our Thanksgiving Menu

I love Thanksgiving. It’s my favorite holiday. Leaves falling, football in the yard and on TV, family together, and THE FOOD!  The food is the best, to me. So today I thought I’d share my Thanksgiving menu with you. I’m largely a traditionalist when it comes to Thanksgiving dinner. Here’s what’s on our menu and …

Spooky Halloween Treats

OK, I have a confession to make. I don’t really like Halloween. There. I said it. I don’t. The skeletons and skulls, bats, tombstones, cobwebs and spiders…they all creep me out. I just can’t get behind it. But what I do love about Halloween are the treats! Here are some great, easy-to-make, not-so-scary ideas for Halloween …

Favorite Passover Treats

Passover is one of my favorite holidays. Not because of any presents or decorations, but because of the food. I love all the food involved – chicken soup with matzo balls, brisket and roasted veggies, charoses, and even gefilte fish with lots and lots of horseradish.  The food tastes comforting to me and it’s always fresh …

Five Perfect Christmas Cookies

There is an annual Holiday tradition in my house called “Baking Day”. My father-in-law comes over and we roll up our sleeves in the kitchen together to do all sorts of holiday baking. He inherited his love of baking from his mother, and hopefully we will pass down this tradition to my son who also …