As I’ve been researching episode ideas for the upcoming season I’ve really enjoyed reading about all of the anticipated food trends for 2013. This site in particular is awesome as it provides links to just about everyone’s predictions from the Huffington Post to NPR. I spent a good hour or two scouring over each of these links and reading about what food culture could look like this year. I’ve picked the five trends that I’m most excited about and listed them below.

1. Korean cuisine- I have a particular interest in Korean food as my brother is just getting ready to jet off to South Korea for a 2 year mission. While my family was visiting during the holidays we ventured to Korea town and had a couple of amazing meals and all I have to say is, I’m on board. What fantastic food! I particularly think that fermeted foods like kimchi will be popular and I’m really looking forward to using gochujang in my cooking as it seems to be one of the hot ingredients that everyone is buzzing about.

2. Artisnal Breads- Did you know that restaurants are starting to offer a bread course?! Sign me up ladies and gents. I feel like the past couple of years have been filled with advice to decline the bread basket at your table and cut out breads completely to trim your waistline. Well thank goodness we’ve been given permission to celebrate bread this year!

3. Mocktails- You may start seeing a few more drink options on the menu at your favorite restaurants that don’t include alcohol. As someone who doesn’t drink this excites me beyond words! Having more options than lemonade or Diet Coke will be awesome. I’m equally as excited to embrace this trend in my home kitchen and start giving some attention to creative mocktails that can be served at parties or even alongside dinner.

4. Chicken- Chicken is usually the cheap item on the menu that everyone avoids unless you’re on a budget. Things are apparently changing for America’s most popular dinnertime bird and a lot of attention is being given to creative chicken dishes. I’m so excited about this and excited to possibly incorporate a few new chicken recipes into the upcoming season.

5. Popcorn- Move over cupcakes and doughnuts, popcorn has arrived. The salty snack that’s been around forever will be getting a makeover this year with all sorts of flavor profiles. Think salt and vinegar popcorn or even dill pickle popcorn- I personally can’t wait!

What food trends are you most looking forward to this year?

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Happy New Year folks! I hope that everyone enjoyed a happy holiday season and that 2013 is off to a great start. This year started with a big bang for me as I received the news that Kelsey’s Essentials has officially been picked up for its 5th season! Five seasons!!! I can’t believe it! I swear that we were just getting ready to film the pilot and now we’re approaching our 65th episode of programming.

Whenever I get the news of a pick up, it’s a very exciting time. I start making lists of show concepts and ideas, recipes I can’t get out of my head, and ways that I think the show could improve from the last go around. I pull out and read magazines, scour food blogs, and most importantly start talking to friends and family that are foodies to find out what they’re interested in and what they’re talking about.

I would love more than anything to hear from you and what it is that you would like to see in an upcoming season! Anything you’ve got, send it my way. I can’t thank you enough for the relentless support that I’ve received over the years. If it weren’t for the viewers, readers, and fans that support me, this dream job would not exist. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Cheers to season 5 and a happy and successful year!

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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!

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This post is sponsored by HERSHEY’S® Moderation Nation.

As much as I love the holidays, it can sometimes be a hectic time of year with houseguests keeping me busy and parties tempting me with lots of rich food, drinks and desserts.  Instead of feeling overwhelmed by the craziness of the season, I am pledging to live the good life this holiday by doing little things that help me find happiness and balance throughout my life – in what I eat, in what I do, and everything in between.

My Good Life Holiday involves spending time with friends and family! To bring everyone together, I always enjoy hosting at least one get together or party for friends and family. One of the easiest and most fun holiday parties I host is a Hot Cocoa Party. I make homemade hot cocoa on the stovetop using the recipe below and ask each guest or couple to bring yummy treats like homemade marshmallows, YORK Peppermint Patties, chocolate dipped pretzels and crushed REESE’S Peanut Butter Cups to top the cups of hot cocoa.

My favorite part of the party? Preparations are so easy that I am able to focus on my guests and really celebrate, since I’m not tied up in the kitchen!

This holiday season I’m working with HERSHEY’S Moderation Nation, a go-to source for balanced lifestyle tips, as their Cooking GOOD LIFE GURU to help share seasonal recipes that are easy to make and sure to be a hit with the entire family, so that you can celebrate a Good Life Holiday too! You can find my holiday-themed recipes for Turkey Cake Pops, Maple Brownie Cream Shots and Pumpkin Pecan Pie-in-a-Jar at www.TheModerationNation.com.

HERSHEY’S Moderation Nation is also spreading the joy this season with a Good Life Holiday Pinterest Contest where participants will have chance to win a relaxing weekend getaway to the Hershey Spa in the New Year!  Share all the ways you’re planning to live a Good Life Holiday by pinning your own “window display” of pictures, recipes and articles. Check out the contest rules on the HERSHEY’S Moderation Nation website.

What are your favorite perfect portioned holiday recipes to share with family and friends?

HERSHEY’S Hot Cocoa Beverage

Recipe courtesy of Hershey Center for Health & Nutrition

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. HERSHEY’S Cocoa
• Dash salt
• 1 cup nonfat milk
• ¼ tsp. vanilla extract
• Sugar or sugar substitute for desired sweetness
• Optional Toppings:
  • Crushed YORK Peppermint Patties
  • Marshmallows
  • Chocolate Dipped Pretzels
  • Crushed REESE’S Peanut Butter Cups

Directions

• Mix cocoa and salt in large mug.
• Heat nonfat milk in microwavable container at HIGH (100%) for 1-1/2 minutes or until hot.
• Gradually add hot milk to cocoa mixture in mug, stirring until well blended.
• Stir in vanilla and sugar substitute to taste.

Makes 1 cup (8 oz.)

NUTRITION INFORMATION (per serving using sugar substitute; does not include toppings): Calories 140, Total Fat 1g, Sat Fat 0g, Cholesterol 5mg, Sodium 140mg, Total Carbohydrate 20g, Fiber 2g, Sugars 13g, Protein 11g, Vitamin A 10%DV, Vitamin C 2%DV, Calcium 25%DV, Iron 8%DV.

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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.

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