Category Archives: holiday foods

Holiday Giving: Little Loaves of Cranberry Bread

Posted on December 11, 2010 by Marisa

This year for Thanksgiving, Scott and I drove down to Virginia to celebrate the holiday with his mother and extended family. We took a variety of treats to Joan, including bread and butter pickles and blondies (sadly, we forgot the … Continue reading →

Posted in holiday foods, seasonal | Tagged , , , , | 30 Comments

Holiday Giving: Homemade Vanilla Extract

Posted on November 30, 2010 by Marisa

Thanksgiving is behind us and out here on the East Coast, December is less than an hour away. Sounds to me like a fine time to start talking about homemade, edible gifts (well, as long as you’re prepping for Christmas. … Continue reading →

Posted in holiday foods | Tagged , , , | 43 Comments

Let the Thanksgiving Prep Begin!

Posted on November 24, 2010 by Marisa

It’s the day before Thanksgiving. All across the country, turkeys are transitioning into states of readiness. The vegetables are gathered and waiting for their assignments. Desserts are being baked and serving dishes are getting getting their annual preparatory rinse. I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in holiday foods | 25 Comments

Cranberry Quince Sauce

Posted on November 22, 2010 by Marisa

As promised, here’s how I turned the quince pulp leftover from making jelly into a cranberry quince sauce. Just so you know, I went pretty light on the sugar. I wanted something that would have the necessary flavors to go … Continue reading →

Posted in holiday foods, jams and jellies | Tagged | 6 Comments

The Final Moments of Mother’s Day

Posted on May 9, 2010 by Marisa

Today, I hosted a brunch for all the mothers in my family who live around Philadelphia. Three generations of mamas were represented, including my great-aunt Belle, who at nearly 92 has been a mom since 1942. Of course, the one … Continue reading →

Posted in holiday foods | Tagged | 4 Comments

Gift in a Jar: Handmade Spice Blends

Posted on December 16, 2009 by Marisa

Back in the summer, I went through a period during which I made approximately seven pints of dill pickles a night for at least a week (I now have a lot of pickles in my coat closet). While I worked … Continue reading →

Posted in holiday foods | Tagged , , | 11 Comments

Dark Days: Mostly Local Latkes

Posted on December 14, 2009 by Marisa

Hanukkah started last Friday night. For a secular, half-Jewish girl (with Ashkenazi roots) like me, that means it’s latke season. I didn’t grow up with latkes (my mother has something of an aversion to fried foods), but I adopted the … Continue reading →

Posted in dark days, holiday foods | Tagged , , , , | 20 Comments

Gift in a Jar: Rosemary Maple-Glazed Nuts

Posted on December 11, 2009 by Marisa

Here’s another simple little edible gift, that can easily be packaged up in jars and distributed to your friends and family for the holidays. This recipe is inspired by a sweet and spicy nut mix that my friend AnnElise was … Continue reading →

Posted in holiday foods | Tagged , , , , , | 26 Comments

Gift in a Jar: Homemade Crackers

Posted on December 7, 2009 by Marisa

Last Saturday, Scott and I did a cooking demo at Foster’s Homewares in Old City Philadelphia. We’ve been doing these for nearly two full years now, a live version of Fork You, our online cooking show. We made a small … Continue reading →

Posted in holiday foods, recipes | Tagged , , | 37 Comments

Gift in a Jar: Vanilla Syrup

Posted on December 1, 2009 by Marisa

A couple of years ago, I uncovered a secret that completely changed the way I cooked and baked. I discovered that it was possible to order bulk lots of vanilla beans on eBay for cheap. I went from treating the … Continue reading →

Posted in holiday foods | Tagged , , , | 38 Comments