This is about the time of year when I start to consume an absurd amount of cookies – and for good reason. There is no better time of the year to enjoy the delight that is a cookie than during the holidays. For the past couple of years I’ve participated in Cooking Channel’s  holiday cookie round up. Each year I look forward to it and the recipe testing that precedes it. Unless of course things go awry, like last year when I learned that crushed peppermint candies cannot be mixed into cookie dough. What a mess, trust me.

Cooking Channel just released their lineup of holiday cookies for 2012 and it looks really good. I contributed an Almond Butter Shortbread Cookie (“Mandelmusslor”) that is perfectly traditional and delicious. Robby’s favorite cookies are always shortbread and he’s also got a thing for almond, so these were right up his alley. My dear sweet Grandma Karen passed along this recipe and it has instantly become a hit!

Last year were the infamous Peppermint Meltaways that required 27 re-tests in my home kitchen. Delicious, and worth all of the blood, sweat, and tears that I put into that recipe.

I also shared my family’s famous Pumpkin Penuche Cookies on the Holiday Cookie Swap special that aired last year. (look for it re-airing this month on Cooking Channel! I got to feed fancy people like John Legend and his gorgeous bride-to-be Chrissy Teigen cookies all night long!) We also made these this year for Thanksgiving and they were as delicious as ever.

Finally, two years ago I shared my Peppermint Fudge Crinkle Cookies and they are awesome. They look as good as they taste and when fudge meets peppermint all of the world’s problems can be solved.

What are your favorite cookies to make (or eat!) during the holidays? Do you have family recipes that you make year after year? Check out Cooking Channel’s full cookie lineup this year – the recipes look fantastic and festive!

Permalink | Posted in: holidays, Recipes | Comments (2)

I shot a quick Thanksgiving spot while filming the last season of Kelsey’s Essentials where I offered up some of my best Thanksgiving advice and tips for those tackling turkey day this year. These were the first tips that came to my mind, but I’d love to answer a few more of your questions. Consider this an invitation for a Thanksgiving FAQ! Any question you have whether it has to do with gravy or pie crust, ask away on my Facebook page and I’ll be answering as many questions as I can up until the big day. I’ve also been posting some fun and helpful infographics about what you should be doing in advance to prepare for Thanksgiving on Facebook and Twitter. Planning makes all the difference in the world when pulling off a big meal and these tips should get you started.

Permalink | Posted in: holidays, Uncategorized | Comments (2)

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is only two weeks away? It’s my favorite food holiday and it’s time to start thinking about what your lineup will look like this year. I’ve pulled together some of my favorite turkey day recipes that live on cookingchanneltv.com to share with you and hopefully get the wheels spinning on what your menu will be composed of. I’m a fan of sticking with some of your family favorites and throwing in a few new recipes to keep things interesting.

Easy Herb Roasted Turkey: This my friends, is as easy as Thanksgiving turkey gets. This recipe is as simple as it is delicious. If you’re intimidated by cooking a turkey, this is the recipe for you. No brining, no basting, yet fantastic results. I’ll be doing something really similar for my own turkey this year. If you’re cooking for a smaller group or prefer the white meat (like my mom always does), consider this Cranberry Apple Roasted Turkey Breast recipe. The glaze is soooo good and you could even use the yummy glaze on whatever size turkey you’re roasting this year.

Baked Apple Pear Stuffing: I’ve always been a fan of having something sweet in my stuffing and seasonal fruits like apples and pears in this recipe sure do hit the spot. I really love this recipe and like using this stuffing starter for almost all of my stuffing recipes.

Pickled Root Vegetable Salad: This recipe shows up in my Thanksgiving episode that will air on November 17th and it’s a fun twist on those beloved root vegetables that always make an appearance at the Thanksgiving table. Rather than roasting them, which is what I always do, I wanted to try and quick pickle thinly sliced root veggies for both a different taste and texture. I love the pungent zippy flavors that are in this salad and think that it’s a great thing to have on your menu when everything else is heavy and comfort food like.

Cranberry Salad: Be still my heart. If you know anything about me and my Thanksgiving preferences, you know that my family’s famous cranberry salad is one of my favorite things to eat. Period. I don’t remember having a Thanksgiving without it. It may contain mini marshmallows and crushed pineapple, but believe me…no one is too good for this quirky holiday side dish. Admit it, you all have a family recipe that either incorporates jello, marshmallows, or something else trashy that you secretly love.

Rapid Rolls: It’s one of my most popular recipes on Cooking Channel’s website and always fool proof. Fresh rolls hot out of the oven are a mandatory part of my Thanksgiving meal.

Twice Baked Potatoes: This is my Grandma Karen’s recipe and you’re lucky she shared this one with me to share with all of you. These potatoes are all sorts of creamy, cheesy, potato-ey goodness. I love em’.

Sweet Potato Salad: I first had a version of this recipe from my friend Maribeth and remember being as impressed with the flavor as I was with its appearance. It’s bright and colorful and a great, yet unexpected way to enjoy sweet potatoes on turkey day.

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms: This would be the perfect option for an appetizer, if you’re planning to be a holiday over-achiever. Or better yet, delegate and ask a family member or friend to bring an appetizer to prime everyone for the big meal. These stuffed mushrooms would be a delicious way to kick things off.

Mile High Apple Pie: You can’t have Thanksgiving without pie. It should be illegal. This classic apple pie has a lovely twist with a layer of almond paste on the bottom crust that adds a punch of almond flavor to the apples that is super complimentary and delicious. My sister-in-law Betsy was the first one to tip me off on this idea and I loved it. This is apple pie at its finest.

Apple Bread Pudding with Caramel Dessert Sauce: If you are looking for something other than pie to finish off your meal, you can’t go wrong with this sweet bread pudding. It’s easy to assemble and the sauce is so good that you’ll be pouring it over everything. This particular recipe is so good with a big fat scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side which most definitely requires and extra drizzle of the caramel dessert sauce.

Pear Crumble with Pomegranate Sauce: I’ll never refuse a crisp or a crumble this time of year and pears and the perfect pairing with a tangy pomegranate sauce.

Hopefully this lineup gives you a few different ideas about what will end up on your holiday menu this year. There is no better time of year for food, and these recipes won’t disappoint. I personally can’t wait to start cooking for the big day!

Permalink | Posted in: holidays, Recipes, Thanksgiving | Comments (4)

Happy Halloween folks! This week has been more ominous than anyone would have expected with plenty of scares. We have been incredibly fortunate and weathered the storm well. Hurricane Sandy was no joke, but we are some of the lucky ones that didn’t lose power and are also extremely grateful for our internet connection and hot water. Although, I had grand plans during the day to clean out closets and organize files if we lost power. Instead I’ve watched 48 hours of consistent CNN while reading friends’ status updates on Facebook. It makes me sick to think of all of the people stuck in the dark tonight with no power or heat. Sending lots of love to those to all those who are still weathering the effects of the storm. Fingers crossed for a speedy recovery for the city I love so much and its neighbors who have been hit just as hard, if not harder.

Sandy has officially stolen Halloween’s thunder this week. In fact, at one point I saw a message scrolling on the bottom of my tv that read, “HALLOWEEN IS CANCELLED DUE TO HURRICANE SANDY.” Well, I refuse to let Sandy push us around any more and I’m determined to make this holiday as celebratory as possible- which means I will dress my son up in multiple silly costumes just to take pictures of him while eating fun size kit kat bars and playing Monster Mash on repeat. The other thing I’ll be doing is making a big ole’ pot of chili. Chili and Halloween go together like peanut butter and jelly. It just works. This is the perfect holiday to kick off a season full of comfort foods. I have two chili recipes on Cooking Channel’s website that I love, and asking me to pick my favorite one would be like asking me to pick my favorite sibling- impossible. Both are great, yet totally different with a few similarities. The Bison Chili has a bit more flare with the bonus of being healthy, while my Game Day Chili is as classic as chili comes. Let’s put it this way, if I were entering a chili cook-off, I’d make the Bison Chili, but if I was after ease and looking to pull together a quick weeknight meal, I’d make my Game Day Chili. Both are delicious and a perfect fit for kicking off the cold weather holidays.

Here is our sweet Oliver dressed up for his first Halloween. Mom wanted him to be a bee and dad wanted him to be Superman. I think it’s obvious who won the first costume battle. Poor kid has already been through no less than 5 wardrobe changes today. Happy Halloween and keep your fingers crossed for all of the victims of Hurricane Sandy this week!

Permalink | Posted in: holidays, Recipes, Soups | Comments (6)

I hope that everyone enjoyed the long holiday break as much as I did! We spent Christmas in the Caribbean with my family and it was 80 degree perfection everyday. It was a break from the holiday traditions that I look forward to each year, but basking in the sun on Christmas day while sipping a Pina Colada wasn’t too shabby either.

I slowly transitioned back into productivity last week and this week my goal is to fire on all cylinders. Ironically, “setting goals” was on my to-do list everyday last week and it didn’t happen until yesterday. Talk about slowly getting back into the swing of things…

I love the prospect of a brand new year right in front of us! So much will happen that I’ll try and plan or set goals toward, but the most exciting things will probably happen on their own. It’s already shaping up to be a good one with a wedding planned in June for my sister Kylie and fiance Dave (yay!). I’m also starting off the year shooting a new series for Cooking Channel in early February that is going to be awesome. The new season of Kelsey’s Essentials (which is bigger and better than ever) will also debut around the same time. I already like the look of you 2012!

Permalink | Posted in: holidays | Comments (7)