I could find out the exact recipe for a Christmas confection created by the top chef to the Queen of England and stay up all night painstakingly following every step to the letter, and it still wouldn’t turn out as good as anything my mom makes at Christmas.

I’m sure it’s psychological and has to do with pleasant memories of childhood Christmases, but there we are. Mom’s goodies are the best. Not that I’m complaining, mind you. I get to eat them. [Read more...]

It’s always fun to make goodies around the holidays that really look holiday-ish. Most likely more sugar cookies are baked around Christmas time than any other time of the year, simply because they’re so easy to decorate.

I like to think beyond cookies, though. Since I’ve never made candy in my life and my attempts a cake-baking never seem to turn out right, I turn to something that is fairly foolproof. And this baking-challenged fool needs all the help she can get.

This is decadent, but let’s pretend it has no calories. That’s a standard rule during the holidays. [Read more...]

How often does that happen? Everyone is coming, and now some of the single guests have called and want to bring a friend. Usually, several to sometimes a third of the invitees cannot attend due to scheduling conflicts. Holiday entertaining can be difficult when you invite both friends and family at the same time. This means providing a larger roast, more vegetables, more gravy, more appetizers, more drinks. More everything!

Moving a Large Roast.

Large holiday party roasts are difficult to move from pan to serving plate. The easy way to avoid burnt fingers and bent forks is to purchase a roasting rack and a set of turkey or roast lifters. Roasting racks are flat or V-shape. Lifters have multiple prongs. Lifters insert deep inside the roast and others go underneath from both sides to help move the roast to the serving plate. We purchased both a rack and lifter set to help prevent dropping a heavy roast.

Keep Beverages Hot.

Cold beverages are easy to place in coolers with ice, but what about hot beverages? There will not be room to keep them heated in large pots on the kitchen range. Insulated pots or carafes are an ideal way to serve hot cider, coffee or tea you can make in advance and stay hot. Create labels and lightly tape on the front for instant recognition of contents. These beverage keepers come in a wide variety to suit your needs. Choose from vacuum pots that pump a beverage or simple ones that only need the lid flipped open.

The next party will be either friends or family, but not both at once. What was I thinking?

I am a big fan of doing the least amount of work for the highest amount of praise. That’s why I love marinades.

Take a cheap piece of meat, slap it in some marinade and soak it overnight and the next day you have a delectable entree. And you can marinate anything! Beef, pork, chicken, fish, vegetables…even fruit!

Marinades can do wonders for just about anything, and more importantly, they can make you look like a gourmet cook. Don’t go overboard, though. Marinate only one thing on the menu at a time, and don’t do it every night. Too much and people will think you’re trying to cover something up. Once or twice a week is fine, and will increase your praise factor significantly. [Read more...]

The Contest is Over: Congratulations to Heather for Winning My Candy!

This is a pretty snapshot of my weekend activity which was making hard candy for Christmas. I made Pina Colada, Cinnamon, Watermelon and Anise. I still have plans to make Strawberry and more Cinnamon and Anise since those are our favorite flavors.

Making your own hard candy is easy. You’ll need a thick saucepan, a 7×10 cake pan and a candy thermometer – and the following recipe [Read more...]