The Naptime Chef

Bourbon infused toothpicks because, why not? (Daneson, $19.99 and up)

“The only swim trunks he’ll ever need” that are perfect for winter vacations and summer swims. (Bather Trunk Co., $85)

A year of hot sauce shipments so he can perfect his taco recipe. (Fuego Box, $29.95 and up)

Razor Girl, because a Carl Hiaasen book always fits the bill. (Amazon, $16.77)

A can chiller to keep bevvies cold without numbing his fingers. (Bed Bath & Beyond, $19.99)

A throwback 70’s ski sweater known for “comfort and dashing style.” (Guideboat Co., $325)

The ultimate iPhone/iPad thermometer that he will use for everything he grills. (Food52, $60)

A brass bullet pen that is perfectly weighted and ideal for writing lunchbox notes! (Schoolhouse Electric, $10)

Pinot Noir sea salt to sprinkle over winter braises. (Jacobson Sea Salt, $12)

A candle for his study that smells like leather bound books, cedar chips, and warm wool. (Izola, $38)

A chic waterbottle for coffee, ice water, and everything in between. (S’well, $25 and up)

A microwaveable hot-cold pack for soothing sore muscles after a long day lifting toddlers. (Fishbellies, $30 and up)

A pretty blue cake stand for displaying all her homemade goods like a fancy bakery. (Food52, $39 and up)

A gorgeous flat clutch for date night or just bopping around town. (Clare V., $215)

Four French cookbooks to delight her inner Francophile and provide her with enough cassoulet recipes to last a year. (Amazon, prices vary)

A classic plaid scarf for staying cozy all winter long. (Sézane, $80)

Body oil that smells amazing and moisturizes like a dream. (French Girl Organics, $36 and up)

A tin of French butter cookies that are indulgent and comforting all at once. (The Yummy Bazaar, $10.95)

A smartly designed key hook that doubles as an accessory. (The Reed, $35)

Basically the prettiest and most comfortable sleep shirt on the planet. (The Sleep Shirt, $225)

Friends! I’ll be out of the office this week with my family. I am looking forward to powering down for a few days to be in the kitchen, enjoy my kids, and relax by the fire. I hope you all have fun things to look forward to this holiday season. After this emotional month it will be nice to spend time in the company of loved ones!

I’ll be back November 28th for a week of holiday gift guides (!!!) In the mean time, here are five fun things to keep you entertained:

1. I am almost done assembling my homemade gifts this year. (I knit these for a lot of people an made my yearly batch of fudge sauce.)
2. I am a diehard fan of Stranger Things (I was Eleven for Halloween!), have you seen the Stranger Thanksgiving post? It is so funny. I also wonder what Eggo Stuffing would taste like…
3. My friend Amy Beth Cupp is renovating her latest house and I am obsessed with her instagram feed.
4. Design Mom has a new site and it is so pretty! I love her work.
5. Here is my 2015 gift guide in case you are already looking for ideas.

Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday full of family, friends, and food. It is something I always look forward too all year long, but totally stress about when it’s our turn to host. How to build a menu to please everyone at the table? How to coordinate cooking the whole meal in our oven? So much to think about! Over the years I’ve mastered a few time saving tips and here they are. I hope they help you too!

1) The War Room: A few weeks before Thanksgiving pour yourself a glass of wine and set up your war room. Jot down menu ideas, cooking times, ingredients lists and the like and meditate on them. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was any Thanksgiving menu that I know of. The more you plan ahead the easier time you’ll have as the holiday approaches. Pick up whatever groceries you can do. Frozen fruits and vegetables can certainly stay in the freezer, wines, beers, and any dry grain won’t spoil so stock up on them before the mad rush. Having your strategy formed and larder stocked will make it so much easier as you head into the holiday.

Today I have to share a little chocolate tart I made last month. It was simple, yet sophisticated; rich, but not overwhelming. I loved making it because it wasn’t complicated and had a very grown-up appeal. It a chocolate tart with an almond crust, topped with mascarpone whipped cream and a rich caramel sauce. Simple? Yes. Decadent? You bet. This little gem would be perfect for a chocolate holiday dessert, or at just about any dinner party you throw this winter. The best part is that the recipe isn’t mine, it was already perfectly written out by Mimi Thorisson. I considered a few amendments but I’m glad I didn’t use them because I love the recipe exactly as it is written. You know what they say about messing with perfection.

Two years ago my husband and I spent a fun few days in Napa Valley to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We instantly fell in love with the area, so you can imagine how thrilled I was to be invited to return this fall to attend a seminar with Panasonic. They were debuting a really cool new countertop induction at the Culinary Institute of America with Chef Gabe Kennedy and I had a blast participating in the event. Here are a few highlights from the trip:

We spent a whole day on the gorgeous campus of the Culinary Institute of America’s St. Helena campus. The building is a former winery and contained all sorts of artifacts like giant collections of corkscrews and the Vitner’s Hall of Fame.

**ONLINE CONTEST: Please vote for my Buttery Pumpkin Danish on the Finlandia Cheese Facebook page. You can vote HERE. Thank you!!**

This fall I’ve been working on getting more comfortable with yeasted doughs on working on recipes for sweet rolls and bakery-style sweet breads. It has taken a bit of experimenting but I am finally ready to share a favorite, this braided buttery pumpkin danish. It’s not perfectly symmetrical or fit for display at a fancy bakery, but I promise you it tastes amazing.

One of the main reasons it tastes so good is because I used Finlandia Premium Imported Butter. Not all butter is created equal, and using high quality butter like Finlandia makes a huge difference in the final product. Their butter is made with pure milk, and without anything artificial like added hormones or water. This means it is denser and richer butter, which naturally yields a denser and richer baked good. Now that I’ve used this delicious butter I don’t think I can ever go back. Finland is one of the greenest countries in the world and the farmers treat their cows so well, all of this clearly translates into a superior final product.