Every December, my family gets together for a holiday celebration. We eat and talk and laugh and watch our children enjoy each others company. Christmas is a magical time, and this holiday gathering is so special. It used to be held on Christmas Eve, but then it was moved to the weekend before Christmas to make it easier. This year, it almost didn’t happen.

When I heard that, I was devastated. Sure, we all get together throughout the year — cousins and sisters and brothers and nieces and nephews — but this holiday celebration is special. We aren’t celebrating one person or playing in the sand or anything — we are just celebrating. Together. As a family.

Thankfully, with a change of venue and an offer to help cook, the tradition held on.

When I saw the recipe for these truffles on Amazing Moms, I knew it would be perfect for the party so I did something that I seldom do: I bookmarked it. When it came time to start cooking on late Saturday night, I was pleasantly surprised at just how easy these were to make. Even having to finish them up the next day wasn’t a big deal — it was simple.

Thankfully, the recipe didn’t disappoint. These truffles might look ultra-sweet, but they are more balanced – a not-too-sweet inside with just enough peppermint candy on the outside. They are refreshing, while at the same time hitting that chocolate spot — where they satisfy perfectly. I bet they would be even better with a great dark chocolate.

What are your favorite family holiday traditions?
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It’s hard to believe how close we are to the end of the year. We can count the days until 2011 in weeks, not months. My calendar is almost filled and closed for the year. And in a few brief weeks, blogs everywhere will suddenly be filled with recaps and resolutions — saying goodbye to what has proven a challenging year for many, and help to the hope of a fresh start (albeit an imaginary one).

But first, we have Christmas and all that entails. In the next week, I will bake hundreds of cookies. I will wrap present after present. We’ll go to concerts and parties. We’ll buy and trim our tree.

Dinner? Yea, that will happen to. Somehow. I mean despite being busy, we will still have to eat, right? On weeks like these, this fab recipe for Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork is perfect. It’s easy, fast to throw to together and delicious. The whole family loves it too, which is a gigantic bonus.

Go here for the recipe.

On Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, we ate but didn’t feast — at least not in the fork-to-mouth sort of way. But we did feast in the beauty of our tropical surroundings. It was bliss.

When we returned to Connecticut, we prepared for the other kind of feast — the traditional one had at Thanksgiving. And on Sunday, we had a feast of food. It was bliss. Read the rest of this entry…

Our Thanksgiving celebration is being postponed this year, until the weekend. While I prefer celebrating on the actual day, this year we just had to move the feast. So, have I planned my Thanksgiving spread yet? Not exactly.

I have a great idea of what we’ll be serving. But I haven’t put pen to paper yet. So, if you are a last-minute planner, you aren’t alone.

Still, with Thanksgiving day just days away, I am now thinking about appetizers. Here are a few fantastic ideas to make your appetizer spread grand.

• Mozzarella Crescent Rolls
• Freeform Puff Pastry Tart
• Basil White Bean Dip
• Sundried Tomato Basil Hummus
• Turkey Pepperoni and Cheese Puff Pastry

Looking for more ideas? Check out my post on Tablespoon.com about planning a Thanksgiving appetizer spread.

Last week, someone posed a question on Twitter about what really makes Thanksgiving for you. It came from some food related source, which escapes me, but it struck me: it’s not about the turkey or the pies or anything else. It’s really about family. Thanksgiving is all about family.

My family doesn’t have a set menu each year. I am big on changing things up, and as someone who makes a career from writing about food, we often are adding new dishes to the menu and replacing old ones. But what traditions we do have revolve around everyone being there, together, enjoying.

Nonetheless, the food is important since it’s meant to be a special meal — a step outside the ordinary. So, I wanted to offer up some suggestions for delicious side dishes for Thanksgiving to change up your menu this year.

• Apple, Sage and Walnut Stuffing – Sweet, savory and meaty — without the meat. This version of stuffing is perfect for any table — but particularly meat-free ones.
• Easy Roasted Cheddar-y Cauliflower – Yes, it’s easy. And yes, it’s fast. But this fabulous side dish is also delicious with sharp cheddar coating sweet, roasted cauliflower. Mmm.
• Orange Glazed Beets – Forget super sweet beet recipes, these tangy, saucy beets are a step out of the ordinary — and absolutely delicious.
• Glazed Carrots and Parsnips – On the other hand, if you love sweet sides, these Glazed Carrots and Parsnips deliver big time.
• Pomegranate Thyme Carrots – A little sweet, a little savory. These carrots are tender and delicious.
• Olive Brussels Sprouts with Feta, Roasted Red Peppers and Bacon – Brussels sprouts are a must for our Thanksgiving dinner, and this beautiful recipe is full of big, bright flavors. Make a huge batch.
• Savory Pumpkin Soup - Don’t confuse this with pumpkin pie. This savory pumpkin soup is addictively good, and totally savory with sage, onions and more.

Tomorrow: Fabulous Thanksgiving Appetizers

I couldn’t bring myself to cook yesterday. When I opened the door to see how it was outside, it was like stepping into a sauna. The air was thick with humidity and it was so hot, despite a late afternoon rain shower. Thank goodness for air conditioners and take out.

Today is milder, less humid. Tomorrow is supposed to be even more so. It’s a relief. I’ve lived a lifetime of New England summers where days go from pleasantly mild to intolerably hot and humid overnight. I’m used to experiencing the old saying, “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes.” Yesterday was a prime example of that with the fast and furious rainstorm that rolled in and exited so quickly that I blinked and it was sunny again. That’s how summer life is here. That doesn’t mean I enjoy it.

Hot, humid days don’t exactly inspire me to spend time doing anything. Yesterday afternoon, Paige took an extended nap while Will did puzzles and I read The One That I Want by Allison Winn Scotch (great book – I finished it in a day and loved it). When dinnertime rolled around, I briefly considered cooking. Very briefly. Then I phoned our local Italian restaurant for a pizza, garlic bread and salad.

That said, I don’t always eschew cooking on hot days. Sometimes I have the foresight to prepare a ready-to-eat meal like this salad, which is great to begin with and only gets better with sitting. It’s hearty, but light. It’s fresh and flavorful, but requires little effort. Perfect for those sauna-like days.

The lime and cilantro dressing on this really bring the peppers, pineapple, pomegranate and black beans together. It’s a lovely harmony of flavors that cools and satisfies while you eat … and it’s also perfect for picnics on those not-as-hot days.

What do you do when it’s too hot too cook and too hot to grill?

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What do you do on New Year’s Eve? Nearly every year for as long as I can remember, I have stayed home, watched a movie and ate some delicious food. At midnight, I always have some sort of sparkling wine or champagne.

Back when I was a teen, our family tradition was to eat a spread of appetizers in lieu of dinner: ultra-hot buffalo wings, spicy nachos and mozzarella sticks. Then we’d watch a movie that ended just in time for Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. These days, I still watch the movie. However, dinner is takeout eaten earlier in the evening with the kids.

But I still love the idea of an apps spread.

Looking for a great appetizer for your New Year’s Eve celebration? These 10 fabulous appetizers (after the jump) are perfect. Read the rest of this entry…

The wrapping is nearly done. Seventeen gift bags and baskets of cookies and other confections have been made and delivered. The tree is lit, the outdoors decorated. Butter is softening for a few more batches of cookies. The stockings are hung and the milk is chilling for that big guy in the red suit. All of this can mean only one thing: It’s Christmas Eve.

This evening, we will don our finery and head to a beautiful Christmas Eve service. Then we will pick up Chinese food and head home. We’ll change into our PJs, watch a Christmas movie and eat. It’s going to be grand.

The kids are excited beyond belief. This is the first year that they’ve both shared in the excitement. It’s a wonderful, wonderful thing. I cannot wait to see their faces tomorrow morning …

From all of us here in the Sarah’s Cucina Bella household to all of you, have a very Merry Christmas, a Happy Holidays and a joyous weekend.

Our massive lawn is buried deep beneath snow. Our driveway is still white, though passable even with my little Civic. And those big C9 lights that I rushed to put up a few weeks ago really glisten against the wintery backdrop. It’s a winter wonderland out there.

For the first time in years, Will got on a sled this weekend. It was a big thing. See, as a toddler, he tried sledding once and went flying. He wasn’t injured, but he was frightened by it all. So, this is the first year in years that he actually gave it another try. As it turns out, he now absolutely loves the rush of it all. Heck, so do I. Paige tried sledding too and liked it … until she started to get cold. And that was that.

It’s been hard to get fully into the Christmas spirit this year. It seems like in a blink of an eye we went from Halloween to the week of Christmas. I’ve barely had time to stop and enjoy it along the way. And since I did most of our shopping online this year (free shipping really does rock!), I wasn’t as exposed to the carols and hustle-bustle of mall shopping. I know most people hate it, but I kind of like it myself.

Anyway, don’t take any of this the wrong way–I can’t wait for Christmas to come.

The best news? This week things have started to fall mentally into place. A family holiday party this weekend was filled with laughs and the joy of seeing all the kids running around together. Then the Sunday snowstorm sent us outside to play. We’ve finally trimmed the tree and begun wrapping presents. Although I said I wouldn’t, I made some holiday treats too. We have more baking planned for later this week … and I think I might take the kids to their first ever Christmas Eve service. It is my favorite of the year.

Now, for Christmas Eve, I don’t cook. It’s a night for takeout in this house. However, if I were to cook Christmas Eve dinner, this recipe would be on the menu. These delicious shrimp are cooked in a rich sauce of butter, garlic, shallots and a hint of lemon (yes, it seems like a lot of lemon when you add it, but the flavor mellows during the cooking process). I just love these, and so did the kids.

I also love that they are easy and fast to make.

So, tell me, am I the only one who’s felt like the last few months have flown by? Have you had a hard time getting into the spirit too?
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Peppermint. Dark chocolate. White chocolate. Those flavors together just scream winter and holidays and good times. It’s hard to believe that I went so many years without tasting this delightful combination, but ever since I did, I’ve been hooked. Love it.

In the past few years, I’ve made a delicious (and easy!) Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bark, created some simply irresistible Deconstructed Peppermint Bark Cookies and a decadent Chocolate Peppermint Pie. There was also a chocolate peppermint roulade, which I must have never blogged about. In any case, I wanted one more to my chocolate peppermint list: Peppermint Bark Coated Pretzels.

Oh, these are divine. They take all the goodness of regular peppermint bark and wrap it around a small, salty pretzel. A little crunch, a little sweet, a little salt … oh what a combination.

Make up a batch of these babies and give ‘em away this week. Or, maybe just eat them yourself. They are amazing.
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