What are you making for dessert on Christmas?

Yes, it seems a little early … but this holiday season seems to be flying by fast. It’s only about a week and a half away and it’s something you should definitely be thinking about. Heck, it’s something you might even need to make once to make sure it’s the dessert for you.

For our Christmas, we try something different — usually chocolate based — every year. One year, it was a peppermint and chocolate cake roll. Another year it was vanilla mousse and strawberry fools.

This year, by request, it’s Chocolate Peppermint Pie. We had it for Sunday dinner at the end of November and it was a raving hit.

Not sure what you are making yet? Here are some fantastic recipes from around the web to help you get thinking and planning:

- Ginger Pear Tarts (vegan) at Vegan Visitor

- Pumpkin Torte at Canary Girl

- Devil’s Food Cake with Peppermint Frosting at Dinner & Dessert

- Grandma’s Coconut Cake at Andrea’s Recipes

- Yule Log at Too Many Chefs

- Banana Cream Pie (gluten free) at Gluten Free Girl and The Chef

The first time I made these cookies, it was completely by accident. I wanted to make something uber-chocolatey for a friend when I was visiting her family. However, I was out of a lot of common baking goods. With a little ingeniuity, and some adjustments, I ended up with these. 

They are rich and moist, with a hearty bit of saltiness from the salt/sugar sprinkle. It’s everything that a good chocolate cookie should be.

Now, if you want to get your cookies perfectly round like these, invest in a cookie scoop. The inexpensive mini-ice cream scoop is perfect for measuring out cookie dough in perfectly formed balls. It’s practically a guarrantee for perfect cookies every time. Yes, it’s one more thing to have in the drawer, but considering how this can really eliminate some of the mess of baking (who hasn’t dropped a cookie dough coated spoon before?), it’s worthwhile of a little drawer real estate.

Coincidentally, my friend liked these so much that she went home and made them herself from my recipe. She and her hubby ranked these among their favorite cookies ever.

What’s your favorite cookie? Share in the comments!

Salted Triple Chocolate Brownie Cookies
yields 3 dozen

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cup white chocolate chunks
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
extra sugar and sea salt

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or heavy duty aluminium foil (to make for an easy cleanup).

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla and beat on medium until mixture has a light and fluffy appearance.

Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Pour into mixer bowl and beat on medium. Add chocolate chips, chunks and olive oil and beat until just combined.

Drop by the spoonful onto the prepared baking sheet.

Cook in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, until set.

Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with sugar and a bit of sea salt.

Let cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Photo Credit: Roswitha Schacht, from morguefile.com

Thanksgiving is barely over, but already the stores are playing Christmas music and my kids’ thoughts have turned to dreams of red-and-green wrapped candy and presents under the tree.

No matter what your religious beliefs, the winter seems to bring about plenty of opportunities to celebrate something. Here are some ideas from around the blogosphere to help you and your kids kick off the winter holidays–whichever ones you celebrate–with a kid-friendly craft:

Christmas:

Make your own advent calendar. Check our Dollar Store Crafts for instructions on how to make a fantastic–and decidedly green–advent calendar from a recycled cereal box. Or try making this Countdown to Christmas wreath from FaveCrafts.

Hanukkah:

Create a bag to hold coins (chocolate, of course) using these easy instructions from Education.com or embroider this pretty bag from Purlbee.com. Or try making an edible marshmallow Dreidel like this one on EdibleCrafts.craftgossip.com.

Kwanzaa:

It’s still a little early for the blogosphere to be hopping with Kwanzaa crafts, but Kaboose.com has a nice list with easy-to-use instructions.

Which winter holidays do you celebrate? Do you have a great resource for crafts and activities to help you kick off the season?

The turkey and sweet potato leftovers are still lingering but all I could think about this past weekend was shopping! I didn’t get up at 4 a.m. to venture out on Black Friday, but I sure did consider it. I added products to several websites’ shopping carts, but didn’t follow through on any. I put together a spreadsheet of gifts I need to get, but haven’t checked any off as of yet. Still, I can’t stop thinking about all that needs to be done.

What to get for this or that person, how to cut back on spending, where to find the best discounts, and should I or shouldn’t I take a chance buying gifts that aren’t found on someone’s wishlist. When did this all get so complicated? Maybe when I had kids, although I must say, buying for my own boys is the only fun part of the season lately. Besides them, I feel like I’m on the losing end of a deadline to buy meaningless gifts.

In moments of clarity, I remember back a few years ago when I never started shopping anytime before Christmas week. Now I start stressing once the Halloween candy is gone. Perhaps it’s because I have to worry about remembering to ask for gift receipts or end up reading too many online customer reviews before making a purchase. Maybe I’m trying to keep up with those friends and relatives who already have their shopping done and gifts wrapped (who are these people?!).

I want to find a day to go marathon shopping sometime soon, but there’s the lines, and the lack of parking spaces, and the fact that I have an infant to cart around with me this year. I also need to make it out of the mall by school dismissal time to pick up my big guy, which is tough. I guess online shopping will once again bail me out, but it takes away some of the fun. I love the feeling of spotting that perfect toy or sweater for someone much more than scrolling an online wishlist and clicking an already-chosen item into a virtual cart.

The point is I want to rediscover the fun holiday shopping sprees of yesteryear. I want my kids to see me excited about the season the way I saw my family enjoy it growing up. Part of that is shopping for gifts, but it was also spending hours in the kitchen baking cookies or making chocolate lollipops while we sang Christmas carols and watched “It’s a Wonderful Life.” In our fast-paced digital world always reminding us how few shopping days are left until Christmas, we need to slow down and kick it old school, if you will. At least I’m going to try.

Readers, what are you doing to curb holiday shopping stress? Please share your tips.

There is just something about a freshly baked cookie, one that’s been measured  by hand and dropped carefully onto a cookie sheet, that is just spectactular. The very idea wraps its arms around you like a cozy favorite blanket, enveloping you in bliss (well, until you eat too many and gain a few). It’s no secret around my family that I absolutely adore cookies. Chocolate chip cookies, Deconstructed Peppermint Bark Cookies, Iced Pumpkin Cookies … I love ‘em all.

With Thanksgiving now behind us and Christmas slowly creeping up, it’s time for many a home cook to start thinking about Christmas cookies. Me? I’ve been baking Christmas cookies since I was old enough to turn on the stove. Some years, I would gift the cookies. Other years, I would bake with friends. These days, I often bake with my kids — and that is a great tradition to have.

And frankly, in a year where so many of us are struggling, cookies are an inexpensive way to say you care in a meaningful way. After all, what isn’t spent moneywise is made-up-for with hard labor baking.

These peanut butter cookies are crisp and peanut butter-y, just like a good peanut butter cookie should be. If you want to gift these though, just make sure that the recipient isn’t allergic to nuts.

Turn in next week for another cookie recipe, ready for gifting.

Peanut Butter Cookies
yields about 3 dozen
adapted ever so slightly from Better Food For Kids

1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Combine the peanut butter, butter, brown sugar and granulated sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer and cream together until well-combined and almost fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat to incorporate.

In a smaller bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Turn the mixer on low and add the flour mixture slowly (as in one spoon at a time) to the peanut butter mixture, until all the mixtures are fully incorporated.

Using a small ice cream scoop or two tablespoons, drop balls of dough onto a nonstick baking sheet. Use a fork to press down the dough, and create the traditional crosshatch marks. Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden. Let the cookies sit on the cookie sheet for one minute before transferring to a cooling rack.

Devour.

Football, turkey, family, laughs … these are the things that Thanksgiving is made of. From all of us here at the More to the Core blog, to all of you: Have a wonderful, safe, happy and joyous Thanksgiving Day!

Photo credit: marykbaird from morguefile.com

In the 12 years since I became a mom, I’ve logged countless hours in the car with kids. And now that I’ve got five–including two long-legged big boys, two easily-bored younger boys, and a baby–a successful car trip requires forethought, planning, and patience. If you’ll be hitting the road with your kids this Thanksgiving, follow some of my tried-and-true tips for surviving–and even enjoying–the ride.

1. Consider seating carefully. During the average week, I’ve got my kids’ car seats set up to give me easy access to the little ones, since they still need to be buckled in. But on longer trips, this arrangement isn’t as logical. Putting the two littlest kids in the bucket seats wastes all the leg room on those that need it least, and also means the three biggest–and most bicker-prone–kids are squashed together in the back bench seat. Try playing with seating a bit: put a big sibling next to the baby (older kids can find a dropped sippy cup or amuse little ones) or a toddler next to the sibling he gets along with best. Or play musical seats at each potty stop, letting each child have a chance at the most coveted spot.

2. Pack Snacks. After our car needed to be completely detailed to remove a funky smell emanating from the back seat, we outlawed eating on the go. But we relax those rules on road trips, when snacks aren’t just a distraction, but a parental sanity-saver. Coolers work, but they add an element of hassle to the trip, so we opt instead for items that don’t have to be chilled: juice boxes, peanut-butter crackers, and fruit, for example.

3. Provide Entertainment. We create family road trip playlists on the iPhone and listen to them over the car’s speaker system with an adapter. Everyone gets a chance to choose the songs. I also pack plenty of books for the car ride–they seem to be the only activity that keeps everybody engaged for a long time (and keeps them from poking one another). Books on tape (or mp3) are another great way to keep everybody thinking about something besides “when will we get there?”

4. Stay Calm. At some point, the car will erupt into crying, screaming, fighting or strange smells. Just take a deep breath and turn up the radio (or roll down the window). Before you know it you’ll be eating turkey and stuffing, and one day your whole family will laugh about those hilarious road trips you took when the kids were young. I promise.

There is nothing more heartwarming than hearing your small child say he is most thankful for his family. It was part of his homework last week to send in a photo or draw a picture of something he’s grateful for. He could have said his video games, or school friends, or ice cream sundaes. But he said “my family” without hesitation, and so we sent in a family photo. I’m so glad the spirit of Thanksgiving has rubbed off on him.

It’s true that Thanksgiving is my personal favorite holiday. For once, it’s a holiday with no strings attached. It’s probably also the least commercialized (if you ignore the marketing promos during the Macy’s parade or the endless specials on The Food Network, that is). What I mean is there are no gifts to wrap, no goodie bags to make, no costumes to wear, no turkey trees to decorate. It’s just family gathering together over some good food and family traditions.

It may sound corny, but it’s sort of my reminder to be thankful for the blessings I have throughout the year. Sometimes it’s hard on those day… you know the ones. Those days when it’s 11:15 p.m. and you still haven’t had a moment’s peace or even time for a shower. Those days when the kids are whiny, you burn dinner, or your babysitter cancels at the last minute. But still, there’s so much to be thankful for, and it’s great to have a holiday that puts thankfulness in the spotlight. And the stuffing’s pretty good, too!

Maybe we should turn everyday into a mini Thanksgiving by having everyone in the family talk about one thing they’re thankful for during dinner. Or maybe we can make sure we say thank you to someone each day. Any other ideas?

What have you taught your children about being thankful?

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is this week? I feel like that’s all I have been saying lately, but it’s true. Thanksgiving just came out of nowhere this year. Seriously!

Whether you are planning a shindig at your home or heading out to a loved one’s, this recipe is easy, fast and can even be made ahead of time. What more could you ask for on a day when many of us spend hours and hours cooking?

Just be sure that you purchase mini sweet peppers (as opposed to hot peppers), available in bulk at stores like Costco.

And as for giving thanks, I am thankful to have this forum and my family food blog to share dishes like this with you. I am also thankful for my adorable children, who bring joy into my life everyday, a wonderful husband and a supportive family.

What are you thankful for?

Stuffed Mini Sweet Peppers
yields 30

30 mini sweet peppers
7 oz feta cheese
1/4 cup fresh basil (packed down)
1/4 cup fresh rosemary (packed down)
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes (the dried ones, not the ones packed in oil)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminium foil.

Slice the peppers from stem to tip on one side, leaving the stem intact. Carefully remove the seeds (there aren’t too many).

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the feta, basil, rosemary and sundried tomatoes. Pulse until evenly chopped (the mixture should be very fine).

Use a small spoon to divide the feta mixture among the peppers. Place completed peppers on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until peppers are just starting to soften. Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot or cold.

Head on over to our Facebook page to share some of your favorite Thanksgiving recipes for a chance to win an awesome prize!

Grand Prize: $500 Target gift card and $50 Mott’s products
Contest ends November 30th.