This year has been another great one for books. I am very proud that my second book was released at the end of April and has been well-received. I had a great time traveling around meeting everyone at book signings and chatting about food and recipes with so many of you! This year I also had the pleasure of speaking with a lot of fellow authors and meeting many of them in person. Here are some of my favorite books of the year. I can’t wait to see what is in store for 2016!

The Pollan Family Table: This gorgeous book has become an instant classic in our kitchen. It is smartly organized my main ingredient and the recipes are delicious and completely accessible. I also love the ongoing dialogue between the family throughout the book. It is warm and convivial and makes you feel like you are sitting at their kitchen table.

Brown Eggs and Jam Jars by Aimeé Wimbush-Bourque: Aimeé is a dear friend and I have long adored her work. Her debut cookbook is a celebration of her Canadian roots and impressive homesteading with her young family. The recipes are perfectly family-friendly and highlight seasonal tastes while remaining simple enough for the everyday cook.

We are knee deep in holiday madness and I am all about keeping it simple in the kitchen. I am mining the freezer for soups and casseroles and doubling up on all of our favorites. When I assemble one lasagna I often go ahead and make two! One for now, one for later.

I am beyond thrilled to share a little kitchen love this week. The ZWILLING J.A. Henckels brand has been a longtime favorite of mine. I’ve always used their knives and I’ve recently become big fans of their pots and pans. This year I was introduced to their Aurora cookware line and it has quickly become my go-to for everyday cooking.

It is made with 5-ply stainless steel and is absolutely perfect for the home cook. There are no hot spots, the handles stay cool, and they can easily be slipped in the oven or under the broiler. This kind of versatility is key for home cooking. We when cook at home it is a pain to use pots and pans that require special care and can’t be slipped in the oven. It is so much easier to have a few high quality pans that are stainless steel and can pretty much handle anything!

The exciting news is that ZWILLING J.A. Henckels is in the Christmas spirit and is giving away a full set of pots and pans to one lucky reader for the new year! The set includes:

• 9.5″ fry pan
• 3 quart saucepan
• 3 quart sauté pan
• 5.5 quart Dutch oven

To enter to win:

1. Leave a comment sharing why you need new cookware and what appeals to you about this line!
2. Contest runs from December 17th at 7:00am through December 29th. Winner will be announced on New Years Day in the newsletter! Good luck!

I am excited to finally be in Christmas baking mode. As I’ve said in years past, Christmas baking is my favorite thing in the whole world! Okay, maybe not most favorite thing, but it is definitely my favorite baking season. This year I am starting off with a new twist on our classic Pecan Snowballs and making almond crescent cookies. These are an almond flavored crescent shaped shortbread cookie rolled in powdered sugar and they are perfect for the season.

I love a good glass of eggnog once a season. Calorically speaking it is basically like drinking a glass of melted ice cream with lots more flavor. What’s not to love? This year my daughter and I have been having fun trying new flavors of eggnog (virgin, of course) and this pumpkin spice variety was a recent hit.

This fall I received a copy of the new decorating book Habitat: A Field Guide to Decorating, and instantly fell in love. There is something about the book that just pulled me right in and I read it from cover to cover. I love Lauren’s aesthetic and must have tabbed over 50 pages to reference for ideas as we chip away at our house and plan for our addition. I paid special attention to the kitchen section since that is my main focus at the moment. Luckily for me, Lauren had time to chat and she answered a few questions I had about her kitchen design techniques!

1) I love your chapter on kitchens. You really speak to how functional, pretty kitchens can fit in nearly any space. What is the first thing you do with a client when you begin designing a kitchen?

I approach a kitchen design similarly to how I approach the design of any space, which is by really trying to get to know the client’s style, needs, and wishes.  I like to first figure out the “feeling” I want the kitchen to have before moving onto its function, because the overall intended vibe of the space will influence how things are laid out.

Microwave Sweet & Spicy Cashews

Crock-Pot Apple Cinnamon French Toast

2-Ingredient Grinch Lollipops

3-Ingredient Gingersnap Truffles

Slow-Cooker Lasagna Soup

Don’t forget: My gift guide summary from 2013 & 2014!

There is no time like the present to break out the quick and delicious recipes. If you guys are like me then you are definitely in “go-time” mode, running around like mad and wondering if you are ever going to pull off the holidays. I don’t mind the quick pace of this season so long as I am able to get dinner on the table quickly and easily. I like to eat home cooked meals instead of take-out and today I am here to share a great recipe that fits the bill.

Luxurious slippers for keeping their tootsies toasty warm. (Westerlind, $85)

A trio of gorgeous mustards for making the best salad dressing ever. (Food52 Shop, $21)

JMcLaughlin scarves for staying chic and cozy. (JMcLaughlin, $68 each)

The sweetest felted acorn house for fantasy play no matter their age. (The Magic Cabin, $24.98)

An Eiffel Tower kit to remind her of her first trip to Paris. (Mindware, $34,95)

The cutest puppy beret and scarf set for cozy winter walks. (Mini-Boden, $46)

Gorgeous pouches for holding lipsticks or a night out on the town. (Cuyana, $170)

A Butter & Sugar gift set for scrubbing away all of her worries, (BeautyCounter, $59)

Marge granola to make her mornings tasty and bright. (Marge, $24)