Holidays to me are more special than ever since I have two children in college and only one at home.  Whether it is Thanksgiving or Christmas, I know that the five of us will be together and I couldn’t ask for anything more.  Unless it was on my wish list, in which case if my husband is reading this, feel free to ignore the previous sentence. 😉
Christmas Eve in my family is a huge event, a sit-down dinner for more than 100 people.  Since we’re Italian, multiple types of fish are served, which is pretty fantastic for me since that’s my animal protein of choice.  But no one makes branzino, which is actually my favorite fish, because it’s completely impractical for a crowd.  But I do cook it for my family or if we have a few friends over because it is so simple to make, very clean and absolutely delicious.  It is not just for restaurants!
I’ve got one of my babies home from college and I am waiting for the other who will arrive later this week. Â I can’t wait! Â As usual, I am completely behind on my Christmas shopping, I might not do a holiday card this year, and I’ll probably have to pull an all-nighter to pack for our vacation, BUT we won’t eat take-out!
Are you guys sick of cauliflower yet? Â Great, me neither! Â I seriously never tire of any vegetables, although some are more versatile than others and show up on my dinner planner more than others. Â I am kale’s biggest fan, but I’m sorry, it doesn’t hold a candle to what cauliflower can do. Â Cauliflower is in my top 3 favorite vegetables and sometimes we eat it more than once in a week. Â Soups, “rice,” pizza crusts, roasted, steamed, mashed, steaks, pureed, am I forgetting something?
After Thanksgiving, I pretty much crave simple foods and simple cooking.  I go from one extreme to the other.  Luckily, I don’t host any holiday parties after Thanksgiving nor do I host or plan Christmas dinner, instead we are at my parents’ house for the holiday and I am merely a sous chef.  I am going to encourage my mother to change up the menu this year though.
I know it’s super cliche if I say “I can’t believe it’s December already!”  But, I mean seriously.  Here’s my goal the next few weeks: get my holiday shopping done and be really mindful of my eating especially with respect to sugar and fun foods.  There are a lot of parties happening and treats flying around, so it’s easy to get caught up in the holiday vortex of champagne and peppermint bark.  Mindfulness is the key.  And some good healthy dinners in between!
It’s that time of year!  You know how I feel about giving gifts.  Whereas I know most people to whom I give gifts basically have everything they need, it is still wonderful to pick out something special and make someone feel loved and appreciated.  The past few years I have also gifted myself something after Thanksgiving and before I start buying for everyone else. Maybe you noticed my post on Instagram Wednesday. It’s nice to appreciate yourself, too!
My gift guide is based on chatter I hear in my classes (e.g. “I would love this or that,”) products I love, gifts I am giving or have given, and items that I think would be useful in some of the homes in which I teach. Don’t read into this if I teach in your kitchen! These gifts are very food/cooking/home/female-oriented.
Just in time for party season, I am sharing a recipe and a video (see below) for a popular and delicious hors d’oeuvre, mini spanakopitas. These are terrific whether in a casserole form (that recipe is here) or as a hand-held pie. You can make dozens today and freeze them for a future party. Once you get the idea of how to work with phyllo dough, you can change the recipe and do all sorts of fun and exciting things with it.
