I’m feeling like I’m on a little vacation this week with my work wrapping up for the year and my last book signing of the holiday season behind. And since this feeling is so very rare for me, I’m all about having a festive little cocktail to celebrate. I mixed up this tasty seasonal drink that can be made in a small batch to share with a few friends. The ginger ale and apple cider give it both sweetness and bite that balance the bourbon flavors, and I’ve garnished it to the max with cranberries, rosemary, and a fragrant orange peel. Get the full recipe below, and cheese! 
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I have been scribbling a long shopping list and menu ideas this week to prepare for our Christmas Eve dinner at my parents house! I’m making some recipes from my cookbook (the penne a la vodka in the Christmas chapter was requested), but I always love to mix in some new dishes too. I decided to upgrade my cheese plate with a dressed up goat cheese spread; it’s easy to make ahead of time and store in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. It’s dotted with sweet candied pecans and dried fruit, and gets tons of seasonal flavors from fresh rosemary and thyme. I liked how pretty it looks with the colorful flecks in the cheese, and I garnished it for the holidays with a little wreath of rosemary sprigs around the base and a small sprig on top with dried cranberries to look like holly! Get the full recipe below: 
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When I’m decorating for the holidays I usually have two goals in mind: 1) Make things look seasonal and festive, and 2) make things comfortable for holiday guests. The first one is easy – we put up our tree this past weekend and the twinkling Christmas lights and my collection of vintage ornaments are giving our living room some major holiday vibes. I also upped my décor game this year and added garland to our mantle, hung up some brightly colored stockings for the first time since we moved in, and have been tucking bottle brush trees and fairy lights all around our downstairs living spaces.
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I pride myself on being a pretty savvy holiday shopper. I start making a list of gifts over the summer that I keep on my phone and often refer back to when I find sales or discounts, and I go down that list item by item during the big Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. This year I was actually a little late to the game with my gift-giving plans so I am still doing some shopping, and of course, looking for those good deals!I just signed up for an AAA membership for the first time this year (after my car broke down on the highway this summer I’ve been stressed about it happening again, but I have some peace of mind now that I’m a member – phew!). What I just learned though, is that AAA has way more than just roadside assistance, and that membership can get you lots of perks. This month, there are tons of special offers you can access through AAA Northeast for your holiday errands. Here are a few ways you can save during the AAA 12 Days of Savings:
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‘Tis the season as they say! The holiday entertaining season is in full swing, and I am so excited to be partnering with my friends at Wegmans Food Markets to share some of my favorite holiday-shortcuts to make hosting gatherings a little bit easier this time of year. Last week I got to visit the Wegmans store in Natick, MA and got a little tour from the executive chef to see all of the new goodies they have for the holidays.
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I just sat down to write this post and had to do a double take when I realized it was the very last day of November. The holiday season is already flying by and it seems like it just started. This week I have lots of holiday updates to share in my download — I’m listing all of my festive upcoming book events (I really hope to see you there!), linking all of my gift guides for your holiday shopping, and sharing a great charity to consider supporting this season. Hope you have a very merry weekend — we’re getting our Christmas tree and I can’t wait!
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The holidays take on a whole new meaning with kids; I love that there’s magic in the season from seeing Jane get excited about the lights and decorations. Now that she’s starting to understand the specialness of the holiday season a little bit more, I’m eager to start some new holiday traditions that she’ll remember. One tradition that I was thinking would be really fun to try with her this year is decorating gingerbread houses. She’s very into arts and crafts, and let’s be honest, she’s veryinto eating cookies and sweets.
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We’re in the thick of holiday season, and today we have one more holiday to celebrate: National Cake Day! My blogger buddy Melissa of Lulu the Baker alerted me to this delightful (definitely made-up) holiday, and we decided to celebrate with a little cake-swap! Today Melissa is sharing my favorite cake recipe from my cookbook over on her blog, and I’m getting my cake-consumption on over here with a Spiced Pear Bundt Cake (with homemade caramel sauce!!) from Melissa’s beautiful book: Scandinavian Gatherings. It’s hard to decide what is more lovely, this flavorful cake full of spices and bits of fruit, or her book which is packed with Scandinavian recipes, crafts, and traditions. I served this cake over the holiday weekend and it was hit — we ate it for breakfast, snacks, and dessert, and I know I’m going to be pulling it out again at Christmas. Get the full recipe below, and be sure to check out Scandinavian Gatherings!
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I’m usually done with my Christmas shopping a few days after Thanksgiving because I love prepping the perfect gift for everyone in my family and plan so far ahead. This year has been a busy one though, and I’m a little bit behind on my shopping! Which is why I’m so grateful to partner with Garnet Hill this holiday season to find some of those gifts for the people still on my list. I thought I’d share a few of my favorite pieces from Garnet Hill to help you with your shopping too (and they’re having some great sales too – 40% off select cashmere on Cyber Monday, and 25% off and free shipping on almost everything else on their site through 11/27!). See my gift picks below:
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OK friends, it’s officially pie season and I’m ready with a tasty new recipe that you’re going to want to bring to every holiday party this season! My friends at Martha Stewart Living and California Walnuts partnered up and challenged me to make a beautiful recipe that would “wow” holiday guests using the nutritious goodness of California walnuts. I love texture and flavor of walnuts (especially in holiday recipes!) and decided to incorporate them into a fresh twist on the classic pumpkin pie.
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