I am a big fan of hostess gifts—flowers, wine or little treats are my favorites to give for casual get togethers.  When invited to someone’s home for more formal meal, a hostess gift is customary.  I never expect them, but am delighted when I receive one.  The point of a gift is to show appreciation for a host’s thoughtfulness and to “give back” an experience that the host can enjoy later.  My favorite things to give are homemade muesli or granola, a book or a plant.  My favorite hostess gift that I have ever received was a drawing made by a 4 year old tucked into a frame.  Of course it is displayed in a place of prominence in my...

Tags: cookies, scones, truffles, Thanksgiving, danish, hostess gifts, wine

Are you a Black Friday shopper?  Up at the crack of dawn to snag unimaginable bargains?  I’ve always loved the thrill of holiday shopping and on the day after Thanksgiving, especially.  Being out and about, we’d usually catch lunch or dinner someplace, especially if one of us was in from out of town and wanted to go to an old favorite haunt.  So, I have only recently discovered the joy of leftovers.  As a kid and teenager, I’d rather have pizza than leftovers, but as an adult, I understand the joy of turkey piled on leftover dinner rolls slathered with mayonnaise.  When it comes to leftovers, I gu...

Tags: soup, Thanksgiving, turkey ala king, leftovers, Black Friday, turkey

I have to admit that when it comes to food, tradition is my master.  The thought of seeking out new ideas for the holiday table has crossed my mind lately, but, to me, it really just feels like deviation from some unwritten plan that I’ve actually already made up my mind to follow. Growing up, it was turkey at Thanksgiving, a hot and cold buffet on Christmas Eve, and traditional Italian food on Christmas.  I realize that my predilections are not shared by everyone, namely my husband, who grew up with a totally different set of family holiday food traditions than I did.  Being Jewish, he has no register for what a traditional Christmas is like, so it was through...

Tags: tourtiere, Christmas dinner, holiday traditions, Red Snapper

Last weekend, my husband and I headed off on a day trip to Red Wing, Minnesota to find a bite to eat, window shop and take in the scenery.  We stopped into a bakery (well, because I can’t resist small town bakeries) and I was impressed and delighted by a whole display of Halloween breads.     I would love to learn how to do this, especially with Thanksgiving right around the corner.  Check out this funny ...

Tags: bread, sculpture, Minnesota, bread sculpture, Red Wing

Inspired by fellow blogger Catherine (and trying to stick to my goal to eat at home more often), I have been looking in my pantry, refrigerator and freezer as I plan dinners.  I try to use up what I’ve got, and I like to look at it as a little challenge.  A few weeks ago we had guests over for dinner, and one of the guests brought beer, which my husband and I very rarely ever drink, so there were a couple bottles hanging around in the refrigerator. It occurred to me that even though I might not drink them, I might be able to cook with them.  With the clock “falling...

Tags: Halloween, beer cheese soup, fall foods, comfort food