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Last month I had the pleasure of trying out some great products from Zwilling J.A. Henckels. I’ve always loved their knives, but their cookware and roasting pan lines were completely new to me. Right from the start I love the sturdy stainless steel Aurora line. It has a shiny finish, is oven safe, and handles heat like a dream.

I was fortunate enough to try out their entire seven piece set and it was all excellent. But what really stood out for me was their 5.5 quart stainless steel Dutch oven. I am forever devoted to my enameled cast-iron pot, but having one in stainless steel is the best of both worlds. It is much lighter than cast iron which makes it much easier to handle on the stove. It is one quart large than my regular saucepan and the extra room makes it perfect for boiling large amounts of pasta, simmer large servings of soup, and even making risotto. The two handles and rolled rim make it super easy to lift and pour which really saves my back and my wrists! I can’t say enough about it and really think everyone should try it out.

To get you in the holiday cooking spirit, and to hopefully give you the chance to own this awesome pan yourself, I am thrilled to share that Zwilling J.A. Henckels is generously giving away 7-Piece Aurora Stainless Steel Cookware Set to one lucky reader!!

To enter to win:

1) Leave a product sharing your favorite pan size and what you make in it.

2) Follow Kelsey Banfield on Facebook and subscribe to my newsletter (upper right hand corner).

3) Follow Zwilling J.A. Henckels on Facebook.

4) Bonus entry: Instagram the following “I am so excited for holiday cooking and hope I win the @zwillingjahenckels products via @naptimechef “ with a photo of something you are making for the holidays, or a holiday decoration.

5) Contest runs from December 6th at 7am through 12th at 7am. Winner will be announced in the December 12th newsletter when it comes out at 11am that day. Good luck!

(Disclosure: I was sent these products to try out. The opinions and photographs expressed are my own.)

Warm gloves for using that newfangled smartphone you got him last year. (via MUJI, $19.95)

Garden snippers for trimming his rosebushes. (via Food52, $58)

A high-tech stylus for his iPad. (It is much easier for him than fingers!) (via Wacom, $59.95)

This fancy universal remote control to answer all of his television questions. Translation: he won’t have to call you with questions anymore! (via Best Buy, $119)

An amazing lemon ricotta cheesecake since you know it is his favorite dessert and you aren’t always there to make it for him. (via Cecil & Merl, $55)

A flashlight for his keychain so he can see the sidewalk when he walks the dogs at night. (via Kauffman Mercantile, $84)

A truly effective salve for soothing his dry hands after a long morning of blowing snow. (via Food52, $30)

A jade plant to enjoy at his desk all winter long. (via Crate & Barrel, $39.95)

A natural soy candle that will remind him of living in the country. (via Huckberry, price upon request)

Gold Edge Coasters for making cocktail hour extra special. (via Food52, $18)

A cozy quilted throw for staying warm during upstate New York winters. (via Utility Canvas, $145)

Smoked Chocolate Chips since she is ultimate baker and will know exactly what to make with them. (via Mouth, $18)

A pretty monogrammed mug for her morning tea. (via Terrain, $14)

Marmalade double oven gloves to protect her hands during winter canning season. (via Emma Bridgewater, $26.50)

A sleek leather envelope for holding her iPad mini, travel books, or whatever she feels like adding to her purse that day. (via Amelia, $64)

Gorgeous heirloom scissors she can use for everything from crafting to gardening. (via West Elm, $29)

A pretty enamel locket with pictures of her grandchildren inside. (via Alder & Co., $95)

A market tote for hauling all of her wares back from the farmers’ market and maybe for her knitting projects, too. (via Cecil & Merl, $65)

This book since you know she dreams about Paris every single day. (via Amazon, $16.54)

A pretty vase to fill with fresh flowers from her garden all summer long. (via Frances Palmer Pottery, $275 and up)

A bag of decadent caramels she can stash in the cabinet and enjoy all by herself. (via Big Picture Farm, $7.95)

Cute hats to keep their little noggins warm and colorful all winter long. (via All Knitwear, $65)

Paint your own bowls so your artist to help make accessories for your home. (via Mindware, $24.95)

Soft and easy pants for playing inside all winter long. (via Vineyard Vines, $39.50)

The coolest rainbow chopsticks that make every meal a messy blast. (via MoMA, $35)

An inspiring block set that will have your whole family building city after city. (via Amelia, $26)

Slipper moccasins to keep toesies super warm. Plus, they won’t fall off! (via Hanna Andersson, $22)

A soft wool blanket to keep little ones warm while they pick up their big sisters at school. (via Diapers.com, $109)

Sipping hot chocolate by the fire is way better with these straws. (via Terrain, $6)

Sweet scratch-off notes to send in their lunchboxes each day . (via Food52, $20)

Cloud cookie cutters for home bakers and dreamers alike. (via Herriott Grace, $25)

Fun, lovable faces to decorate their room. (via Serena & Lily, $168)

A quick PSA for tea drinkers around the globe: it is now Celestial Seasonings Nutcracker Sweet season. (Hot tip: It is 15% until December 14th!) There has never been a tea I’ve loved more than this and now I order it by the case. This means I won’t have to buy out whole displays at my supermarket and anger the rest the tea drinkers in our town! Here is how I take it:

Morning: Straight up, no sweetener or milk.

Mid-day: with milk and a touch of honey for a pick-me-up.

Evening: with a shot of Irish Cream for dessert.

A moleskin shirt that is ruggedly handsome in a British sort of way. (via Guideboat Co., $165)

Brass Lift Coasters to lend a modern touch to his bar. (via Food52, $68)

Cool shorthand note cards for correspondence. (via Everlane, $25)

A Hermetus bottle opener/sealer, since the idea of being able to reseal your beer bottle is priceless! (via Kaufmann Mercantile, $8.95)

A truly great American-made watch he will wear forever. (via Shinola, $550)

Puzzles to keep his mind sharp and enthrall guests. (via Uncommon Goods, $20)

A solid duffle so he can carry his gear in a bag that isn’t monogrammed with his kid’s initials. (via Ernest Alexandar, $295)

A cozy throw for snuggling in front of the fire place. (via Faribault, $175)

An driftwood iPhone dock that actually looks cool and beachy on his dresser. (via Rodale, $82)

A nice shave kit because using real soap is always better than shaving cream from the can. (via Son of a Sailor, $54)

Board shorts that are appropriate for the beach or the town pool. (via Best Made Co., $75)

An all-purpose canvas carrying case that will protect his stuff from sticky hands. (via Schoolhouse Electric, $85)

Fingerless gloves to keep his hands warm while he wraps up the yard and you and the kids stay inside. (via Kaufmann Mercantile, $24.90)

A gorgeous infinity scarf to keep her warm all winter long. (via Cuyana, $68)

The Marge Holiday Granola Collection so she can enjoy her own delicious breakfast instead of the leftover dregs from her kid’s bowls. (via Marge, $23)

A polka dot catch-all to hold accessories and pasta necklaces from the kids. (via Clare V., $45)

A fashionable French friends illustration to set on her desk or hang in her bedroom for that subtle chic touch. (via Garance Dore, $24)

A funny tote to show off her awesome sense of humor at the farmers’ market (via Emily McDowell, $20)

Really good running pants: Because she impressively runs marathons in her free time while raising three kids and working full time. (via Outdoor Voices, $105)

The Charleston Academy of Domestic Pursuits, which is chock full of useful advice, great recipes, and hilarious illustrations. (via Amazon, $18)

A pretty necklace she can pair with just about any outfit and will make her smile. (via Minoux Jewelry, $54)

A hand-knit winter beenie to complement her tomboy style. (via Corka Rybaka, 65 euros)

Since being together is the best gift of all and any kind of cooking class is fun with your bestie. (via Momofuko Milk Bar, $95)

A cheery linen pouch for hold lip balms and face wipes in her purse. (via Amelia, $24)

A set of porcelain ice cream cones she can use for food or as little vases all year long. (via Virginia Sin, $24)

(Reminder: These are not sponsored posts, they are just products I really like and hope you will as well.)

Try as I might, I am never completely ready for the holidays, no matter how much I plan.  There is always something I overlook or, more likely, don’t anticipate. Like that time our friends stopped over to chat and we ended up having an informal dinner party. Or the time our neighbors’ furnace broke and we took them in for the better part of an evening. It is always fun when people come by, but it is important to be prepared so you don’t greet them with an empty kitchen and a glass of tap water. In order to help you be properly prepared this holiday season, I’ve assembled some easy tips to ensure you’re ready to entertain at the ding of the doorbell.

1) Stock your kitchen so you are ready to entertain in an emergency cocktail hour situation with:
– 1 block of Arla Dofino Havarti
– 1 block of flavored Arla Dofino Gouda (cracked pepper, chili-lime, or jalapeno are
current favorites)
– 1 box of water crackers
– 1 box of baked crisp or unusually flavored cracker
– A container of cocktail nuts
– A bag of dried apricots and dates, or similar preferred dried fruits
– Toothpicks for serving cheese cubes
– A couple varieties of wine

With these ingredients at the ready, you can assemble a fruit and cheese platter and pour a glass of wine within minutes. In fact, you can even put together the cheese platter while your impromptu guests chat with you in the kitchen. It is that easy and it never fails.

Last weekend some dear friends came to visit and we had a fun, easy (keyword: easy) lasagna night at home. Casual entertaining is my favorite, especially when it is cold outside. We make cheesy comfort food, light a fire, and serve lots of good red wine. The mood is casual and comfy. All we do is chat for hours on end while keeping one ear on the kids playing upstairs. Here is how we go about hosting lasagna night if you’d like to see:

I have been a longtime fan of The Kitchn and editors Sara-Kate Gillingham and Faith Durand. Their website is insanely informative and now they’ve gone an written an amazingly handy cookbook, too. The Kitchn Cookbook: Recipes, Kitchens & Tips to Inspire Your Cooking is not just useful in the it-has-great-recipes kind of way. It is covers the entire kitchen from renovations and maintenance, to cooking and entertaining. It teaches you how to stretch your kitchen to limit and make it a room you love to live and cook in.

My mother made these recipe when we were visiting Cooperstown in October. It was so warm and hearty I couldn’t wait to share it with you. It isn’t an original of mine, my mom mined it from the depths of Google and gave it her own tweaks. She has such a well-trained eye for good recipes! I am always looking for new ways to make mushroom soup. My old favorite is delish, but we all need change now and then. I promise, you’ll love the smooth silky flavor with the undertones of nuttiness from the barley. It is easy to whip up during naptime and put away in the fridge (or freezer) for later. Stay warm!

Where there are families, there is snack food. No two ways about it. I’ve long advocated for generally healthy eating habits in our home and that includes an assortment of store-bought products we love. Some things are just better purchased than made at home! One of the things I buy are Stacy’s Pita Chips. They are made in small batches by hand and I never worry about giving them to my kids. We eat them plain or with hummus, or sometimes even with a caramel dip for dessert. To spice things up this holiday season my friends at Stacy’s came out with a delicious limited edition flavor. Salted Caramel Pita Chips! Seriously, they are as amazing as they sound.