The Naptime Chef

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.)

Hi All! I am taking the week off next week to spend with my family. It will be a double whammy holiday since someone we know is celebrating a very special birthday ON Thanksgiving Day. The photo above are the cupcakes I made for her birthday party last weekend (recipe to come!). In the mean time, here are some fun ideas for your Thanksgiving Day this year. Have a fun and safe week with your friends and family. I’ll back on December 1st and we can start in on our holiday gift guides (!)

Fun Thanksgiving Dishes (except the turkey!):

Overnight French Toast

Cranberry Sauce

Caramelized Shallot Dip with Chips

Pear, Pecan, Gouda Salad

Classic Scalloped Potatoes

Popovers

Lace Cookies

Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie

Cherry Apple Streusel Pie

I’ve been cooking up lots of stuff around the web this week. Here are a few of my favorites if you’d like to take a look:

Cranberry Sauce in the microwave!

Salted Caramel Pecan Pie Bars are all you need for dessert this year. They are no joke.

Easy edible place card ideas.

Hot Spinach & Artichoke dip is a favorite.

No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake – perfect if you don’t want to make cheesecake from scratch.

This super easy ham and cheese quiche with ranch would be perfect for Thanksgiving morning!

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!