Looking for the perfect gift for the food lover (I hate the word ‘foodie,’ but insert that if you prefer) or your favorite home cook? There are so many awesome presents out there at every price point. So, no matter how much you want to spend this year, you can find a great gift.

Now, how did these presents get selected? Simple. These are the things that a) are indispensable in my kitchen or b) are on my Christmas list this year.  I love every single thing mentioned here. To make it super easy, I’ve arranged them in several price categories: Under $25, Under $50, Under $100 and Over $100, so you can find one that meets your budget.

Under $25

Oxo Good Grips Cookie Scoop – Know someone who loves to bake cookies? Then they need a good cookie scoop. I don’t know how I ever lived without the Oxo Good Grips Cookie Scoop. It was totally life changing when it came to scratch-made cookies. Not only do my cookies come out even and perfect every single time, but clean up is a breeze and I am never left cursing cookie dough-crusted spoons. The small one is perfect for most cookies and that’s the one that I bought more than a year ago. However, I am now coveting the large scoop too. The idea of making big, thick cookies is very alluring.

Microplane Grater/Zester – Every single homecook should have a Microplane Grater/Zester. Seriously. It’s an unbelievably useful thing. Why? It perfectly zests limes, lemons and other fruits (read: awesome flavor addition) and can also grate cheese into delicate ribbons — very pretty. Read the rest of this entry…

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving yesterday! Ours was perfect – relaxed, happy and filled with good new memories. My kids and I watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on television, a favorite tradition of mine. Later, Shawn and I took to the kitchen to prep our meal – Shawn does the turkey and I do the rest (FYI, the table above is last year’s spread, check out this year’s recap here). Then, our company came and we all stuffed ourselves.

Perfect.

Now that it’s the ubiquitous day after, you probably have a fridge full of leftovers just begging to be used. I sure do! But seriously, there are only so many meals that you can eat reheated turkey and mashed potatoes for. Instead of zapping everything back to life, give the turkey, stuffing and cranberries a new life. Here’s how.

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When I was in first or second grade, we learned about cornucopias. Somewhere between coloring the ditto sheet and learning about this so-called horn-of-plenty, I decided that my family was totally missing the boat on this incredibly important holiday tradition. I went home and all but demanded that our Thanksgiving table feature one. And it needed to be made of bread (sort of like this).

What? Me? Demanding? Nah. Never.

I thought of that today when the kids and I went to Michael’s today for Thanksgiving centerpiece supplies. There on the shelf was a beautiful, dark, woven cornucopia basket. I yelped – yes, outloud – when I saw it. And, of course it came home with me. The basket was about $15, and you fill it as much as you can with fruits, veggies, flowers and leaves. It’s meant to symbolize a bounty. Bonus: if you use fruits and veggies, you can eat them post-Thanksgiving.

If a once-a-year basket isn’t in your budget, and you aren’t mildly obsessed with cornucopias like me, I have a few more centerpiece ideas for you. Read the rest of this entry…

Yesterday, we were just sitting down to breakfast when Paige said, “Mommy, water please?” (She’s two, so that’s a pretty darn good sentence!) Will echoed the request. Shawn laughed a little and said, “Kids who like water, well done, honey!” And really, they do love water. Paige will choose that above just about any other drink.

They are a lot different than I was. Growing up, I drank way too much soda. Seriously. We won’t get into quantities, but it was a lot. Too much. (Hey, it was the 80s, and many parents just didn’t know better. My kindergarten best friend brought soda in her thermos to school once. It exploded all over out desks … true story.)

My kids? Aside from Will having a sip maybe once (he wasn’t a fan), they don’t drink soda and haven’t really had it. And they aren’t interested in it either. I am so glad for that. I really don’t want soda to be their go-to drink like it was for me.

That said, on holidays, things are a little more lax. And considering that half of our Thanksgiving guests are of the under-18 variety, I like to have something a little special for them to drink. This spritzer fits that bill.

Since you are cutting tart pomegranate juice (I like the POM brand) with sweet ginger ale, it ends up with a nice not-too-sweet, just a little bite, flavor. And with the bubbles in a stemmed glass, it feels special too.

Will my kids drink this? Will might. Paige probably won’t. But if she does, that’s okay too. After all, it’s Thanksgiving – A special day.

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We’re lightening up around the Sarah’s Cucina Bella household these days. That means some big changes in the kitchen: less butter, oil and the like, more healthy food. And one of the biggest places that needed lightening up was our breakfast.

Given the opportunity, Will would eat homemade buttermilk pancakes for breakfast daily. Paige would eat a big plate of scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese and toast with butter. Shawn? He’d probably opt for Eggs Benedict. And me? Two eggs over easy with buttered white toast and bacon. Those are all fine options for the weekend. But most days, we really need to take a lighter approach — a lighter, easier approach.

Good thing that we all happen to like yogurt. It’s not only light, but it’s also quick and easy. Plus, if you like it, it can be a very tasty wake-up meal. You just have to make sure that you like the taste of the yogurt you purchase. Not all yogurts are the same. Some are tangier than others, some are sweeter. Find one that works for you. I am a big fan of the Trader Joe’s Organic French Vanilla Yogurt. It has a lovely taste, and is pretty inexpensive per serving when you buy the big container of it.

This simple preparation takes a good yogurt and gives it a little jolt of excitement. It’s sort of like those yogurt cups with the fun mix-ins that you have to stir in yourself. Except, since you make this at home, you are guaranteed a good-tasting yogurt base, instead of a cheap and sour one.

With Thanksgiving just days away, this is the perfect, light meal to pregame the big day. You can bet that we’ll be eating this that day.

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It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is less than a week away. Really, it feels like the day has crept up on us. Wasn’t it just yesterday that we were frantically running around buying last minute accessories for Halloween? Wasn’t it just a week away that we were mourning the end of summer and the beginning of the school year?

As much as we might like to hide under the covers and wish time to stop, we can’t. With a mere five days to Thanksgiving, we need to get planning for the big day. Don’t worry if you haven’t started planning yet … you can plan and prepare a fantastic, fresh Thanksgiving dinner in just five days. Seriously.

Ready? Let’s go. Read the rest of this entry…

Flaky. Sweet. A little tart. Oh, so good.

Somehow, I imagine that to most people apple turnovers are a dessert – a tasty, homey, delicious dessert. But me? I like quiche for breakfast and easily give in to requests for breakfast for dinner. So, these turnovers weren’t dessert. They weren’t a special afternoon snack. They were … breakfast on Saturday.

Hey, sometimes, you just have to have fun with food. These were definitely fun. The kids loved the crispy, puffed edges and grabbed forks to devour the soft apple interior. It took every ounce of self-control not to let the kids (and perhaps me too) devour the last turnover. Read the rest of this entry…

It’s no secret that I absolutely love Brussels sprouts. When grown and cooked right, they are slightly sweet and a little nutty. Divine. In case you are wondering what I mean by grown right, Brussels sprouts should stay on the stalk until two frosts have passed. It’s the frosts that let them develop that slightly sweet flavor.

Now, roasted Brussels sprouts? Awesome. The roasting brings out a wonderful nuttiness. But usually, roasting can take the better part of an hour to cook with certain methods. That’s just too long for me. Call me impatient, but I value time-saving measures.

That’s exactly why I started cooking them on the stove. But I had a thought … if I spread the sprouts out on a baking sheet instead of crowding them in a small casserole, then they cook faster. So I did, and they were perfect. The nuttiness came through without having to wait forever for them.

Seasoning matters when you make anything. These are tossed with just a little balsamic vinegar and olive oil, with a sprinkling of salt and pepper. It’s simple, easy and perfect. The flavors complement the sprouts without overwhelming them.

I devoured them. Will devoured them. Yes, my four-year-old loves Brussels sprouts too. He even tried to convince me to save a few for later for him. I told him we would just make them again. Very soon.

With Thanksgiving approaching rapidly, these would also make a great easy side dish to go with the traditional trimmings.

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On busy workdays, I am a huge fan of quick and easy dinners. A sandwich like this totally fits the bill. Sure, you have to cook the turkey and pancetta, but it only takes minutes and then you are seated and eating. It doesn’t get much better in terms of time.

Now, honestly, Shawn isn’t that fond of sandwiches for dinner. But with the flavor combination here — and the fact that it really does fill you — he is willing to make an exception. The kids? They adore it.

The sandwich balances the creamy fontina cheese, salty pancetta and slightly sweet turkey … it’s an awesome combination. If you are like me and crave veggies, add a little lettuce and tomato to the pocket too. According to Shawn, the one thing that could make this better would be to serve it on a soft, freshly baked roll. I like the pita, personally.

Do you do sandwiches for dinner?

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