The Naptime Chef

*Staub Giveaway Reminder*: Don’t forget to enter to win this 7 Quart Staub Cocotte in Aubergine from BigKitchen.com. Entry rules below.

I am wrapping up holiday dinner week with a new favorite “adults-only” ice cream. I have to admit, I saw the title Boozy Eggnog Ice Cream on the Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams site, but couldn’t find the recipe anywhere. Thankfully I have her awesome book and was able to use it to riff on her base flavor formula and dream up my own recipe. Maybe sometime I’ll actually get to taste her version to make a comparison. Mine is creamy and boozy with just a hint of spice. My husband and I loved it, as will you.

*Staub Giveaway reminder*: Don’t forget to enter below to win the gorgeous 7 Quart Staub Cocotte in Aubergine from BigKitchen.com. Entry rules below.

The closer I get to Christmas the more I am thinking about large desserts to feed a crowd. Enter the bundt cake. I am a longtime fan of the large, circular bundt cake. It is relatively simple to pull together and serves a lot of people. The other day I had a half quart of eggnog in the fridge and decided test drive a new naptime holiday recipe for next week’s festivities. I knew it wouldn’t fulfill my daughter’s request for more decorations that “sparkle and flash,” but at least it would fulfill my need for a crowd-pleasing dessert.

I thought it would be a fun idea to take a break from recipes today and do a little “check-in.” That is the term I use at home when I want to step back and assess a situation that seems to the focus of my days at that particular moment. Here is my check-in for today: how is your holiday cooking going? Is all your shopping done? What are your travel plans this season? Here are the answers to those questions on my end and a few last minute gifts and tips for holiday travel with kids.

*Staub Giveaway reminder*: Don’t forget to enter below to win the gorgeous 7 Quart Staub Cocotte in Aubergine from BigKitchen.com. Entry rules below.

Last week I was sent a sample pack of delicious 2011 Reserve Organic Muir Glen tomatoes.  I LOVE these tomatoes and use them for all sorts of things when they are in season. In this case I decided to test drive a few soup recipes to find a great option for our holiday meal. With all the great tomatoes at my fingertips I knew it would be hard to go wrong!

This week I am talking about some holiday favorites. These are the favorite dishes we like to serve year after year at our holiday table and I think you might like them too. To add to the fun this week my friends at Big Kitchen.com are generously donating a gorgeous purple 6.25 quart Staub Cocotte. I swear, these cast iron dutch ovens are the best for roasts, soups and even no-knead bread. I especially love the little tips on the lid that are designed specifically for braising! Entry rules are below so be sure to leave your comment. In the mean time, let’s talk about one of the holiday favorites recipes I use this gorgeous Staub for: pork roast!

Congratulations to Theresa Janke for winning the first Meyer lemon tote bag and $25 Williams-Sonoman giftcard of the month. Remember, this contest runs ALL month and there will be two more winners of the Meyer lemons and giftcards over the course of the next two weeks. At the end of the month one grand prize winner will be awarded a gorgeous new 5 Quart Artisan KitchenAid mixer (pictured below). Click here to enter and view contest rules!

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