The festive Christmas season may seem to have closed out on December 25, but many of us forget that Christmas Day is only the first of the “twelve days of Christmas.” If you had great plans for sharing gifts of homemade goodies but got behind in your efforts, this weekend still provides time to get…

All the predictions for 2013 include increasing food prices, so the “frugal” part of this blog is going to be getting a lot more emphasis. Unfortunately, beef prices have already started the climb upward and onward. Since our household eats very little beef, that has not impacted us very significantly, but for many of my…

Eggnog is one of those seasonal foods that many of us enjoy in small doses. However, it often seems like there is still some left after a round of toasts and even several days of eggnog lattes. This year, I added to the amount that needed to be used up because I found a great…

Part of our family Christmas tradition is sharing a leisurely Christmas morning breakfast, with a set in stone menu:  scrambled eggs (grated cheese and salsa allowed as toppings if desired), yeast-raised coffeecake, and “Grandpa’s Citrus Cup.” I remember this fruit salad from my grandmother’s holiday breakfasts decades ago, and my kids christened it with Grandpa’s…

Still looking for one more sweet to add to a cookie tray or share with neighbors? Here is a quick no bake cookie we’ve had as part of our Christmas baking for years. Enjoy! No Bake Date Balls 1/2 c butter3/4 to 1 c sugar2 eggs1 1/2 c chopped dates (about 6 to 8 ounces)1/2…

As last minute home-baked hostess gifts or a contribution to a holiday potluck, quick breads are a great thing to have in your kitchen repertoire. The one featured today upgrades the old familiar banana bread with the bright colors of cranberries. This recipe makes one full sized loaf or four small, “gift-sized” loaves and should…

Tradition, tradition. When I was a child, my mother always included lots of cookie baking as part of our Christmas traditions. While we often tried new recipes for the festive cookie trays we shared with family and friends, there were two constants. First there were the “cut out” cookies, rolled, cut into Christmas-y shapes and…

Homemade pitas are wonderful things to have in your repertoire. They are a good introduction to yeast breads, don’t take much work time, and are good for everything from accompanying hummus to making healthy sandwiches that don’t fall apart when you add lots of veggies. Oh, and the ones you make can be eaten warm…

First published on 12/17/12 Two rolled cookie recipes–old fashioned sugar cookies and Swedish ginger cookies–are included today, along with a basic powdered sugar frosting, but first, some reminiscing. The local paper this week featured a woman with over a thousand different cookie cutters. While I never came close to that number, I did have a…

For many of us, this is the only time of year that we get out the cookie cutters, rolling pins, and often tattered and stained recipe cards from Grandma, ready to tackle the great American rolled cookie tradition. And for many of us, this ends up meaning a mess in the kitchen, shapes that seem…