TIP OF THE DAY: Christmas-ize Your Food

As we close in on Christmas, we like to “Christmas-ize” our food, adding red and green garnishes to everything from scrambled eggs (green and red bell peppers or jalapeños) to desserts (mint leaves and raspberries). We have fun doing it, looking for a different red and green combination at every meal. For sandwiches, we plate…
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RECIPE: Christmas Peppermint Hard Candies

Use your holiday cookie cutters to make these fun mint shapes from conventional peppermint candies. Photos courtesy Reynolds Kitchens.   We love the recipe developers at Reynolds Kitchen, who often surprise us with their creativity. Just by looking at the photos, you can see what they’ve done with an everyday bag of striped peppermint candies.…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Create A Special Christmas Mocktail

A fun mocktail is a treat for non-drinkers. Top photo courtesy Ocean Spray. Bottom photo courtesy ASweetPeaChef.com.   If you serve alcohol at parties, you’re bound to have some non-drinkers, designated drivers, and probably, drinkers who shouldn’t have another. Most hosts address the need with soft drinks and mineral water. But special occasions merit an…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Cranberry “Mistletoe” Kissing Ball

You don’t need to buy mistletoe to encourage people at holiday get-togethers to kiss. Instead, substitute this “holiday kissing ball” from Ocean Spray. First head to the crafts store, then pick up fresh whole cranberries. You can pick up an extra bag or two for a Valentine Kissing Ball (and if you prefer, a foam…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Make A Wreath Cake

You may not feel up to making a Bûche de Noël (Yule Log Cake), but you can certainly make a wreath cake. While there is trend to pull-apart cupcake wreath cakes, we decided to try a traditional one. This recipe was adapted by Audra, The Baker Chick from one on AllRecipes.com. It’s the third photo,…
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