TIP OF THE DAY: Instant Holiday Ice Cream

Turn any flavor into “Christmas” ice cream with red and green sanding sugar. If you want to save calories, check out Halo Top: our favorite of the low-calorie ice creams with just 240 calories for the entire pint. And it has extra protein—really! Here’s our review (photo courtesy Halo Top),   When you hear “Christmas…
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FOOD FUN: Poinsettia Hors d’Oeuvre

Turn spinach dip into poinsettia hors d’oeuvre. The ones in the top photo, from Mackenzie Limited. They have a base of focaccia bread topped with creamy spinach dip with a hint of truffle oil. The flower is made from piped goat cheese flower. We created our own version of the canapés, which pair well with…
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HOLIDAY COCKTAIL: Christmas Martini Recipe

[1] [2] It’s a Christmas Martini (photos courtesy World Market). [3] You can find actual rose and purple cauliflower heads at farmers markets, but at this time of year, you may have to color your own with beet juice. Here’s a recipe for pickled cauliflower and beets from The Galanter’s Kitchen. [4] Castelvetrano olives are…
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Pomegranate Cheese Ball Recipe For Christmas

[1] The Christmas Cheese Ball, festive with cocktails. This recipe, from How Sweet Eats, is made with with white cheddar, mascarpone and sage (photo © How Sweet Eats). [2] The cheese ball at The Café Sucre Farine is made with Monterey Jack, pecans, rosemary and thyme. Minced parsley accents the arils for an even better…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Christmas Crudites, A Gingerbread House Alternative

[1] A good-for-you Christmas treat. [2] Start here (photos #1 and #2 courtesy Green Giant). [3] A chocolate house, made with molds from King Arthur Flour.   How about a vegetable cottage instead of a gingerbread house? Created by Green Giant; we found it on It was originally posted on Green Giant’s Facebook page. Here’s…
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