Favorite Holiday Recipes

Published: Fri, 12/17/21

The Cooking Mom
December 17, 2021
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Hi Cooking Moms, Dads & Friends,

I can’t even believe Christmas Eve is one week from today! It’s not looking like we’ll have a white Christmas in Wisconsin this year. It got up to nearly 70 degrees in parts of the state this week. This morning I’m waking up in The Big Apple. It’s super mild here too. For sure not the weather we expected but I just love New York City this time of year! The store windows are all decorated. The tree at Rockefeller Center is gorgeous! We’re hoping to see all the holiday sights this weekend. Hope to hear lots of live holiday music too. Let me know your favorite spots in the NYC. I love hearing about them! Please share!

Yesterday I was on TV in Chicago making up some of my holiday favorites like my Snowflake Hot Cocoa and Chocolate Peppermint Trifles. Both are so easy and festive! Great way to use those broken candy canes.

I’ll have both the kids home for Christmas. I’m planning to make it extra special and delicious. My way of showing love is through cooking. I’m cooking up all their favorites this season! Now, that doesn’t mean I’m gonna be stuck in the kitchen the whole time. No way! LOL! I’m all about keeping things easy breezy! I’m dreaming of my Ham and Cheese Sliders. You need to make these. They are always a huge hit! Perfect for the big game on Sunday too.

Looking for a really delicious dip recipe? My Hot Swiss Almond Dip is AMAZING! Yes, you can make this ahead too. Then bake it up for happy hour. Trust me warm out of the oven it’ll make you and your family very happy.

I LOVE old school recipes. For me many have them have never gone out of style. If you really want to get creative, give my Old School Cheese Ball a try. It's super fun to shape it into a Christmas tree. Looks hard, but don’t worry. It’s actually pretty easy and so cool! Perfect for a game day spread too! Click Appetizers for more of my favorite holiday dips and munchie recipes.

Christmas morning is my favorite! We sleep in a bit, open gifts and then it’s brunch time. My Sticky Bun Coffee Cake is all ready to bake Christmas morning. I throw it together the day before, put it on top of the fridge overnight to rise and in the morning it’s ready to put in the oven. It’s AMAZING!

I serve it with My Absolute Favorite Brunch Bake with sausage, potatoes, eggs, and loads of cheese. There are a few secrets in the recipe too. You make it the night before, and just bake it in the morning. LOVE THAT! It’s a Family Fave. It’s so good that I caught one of my relatives eating it cold out of the fridge the next day. BUSTED! LOL. Yep, it’s that good!

Toss together a pretty fruit salad like my Winter Fruit Salad, turn on some holiday music and let the fun begin. Click Salads and Breakfast & Brunch for more festive brunch and fruit salad recipes.

I love to serve seafood during the holidays. I’m all about shrimp cocktail. Bring it on! Don’t buy pre-cooked shrimp. Who knows when they was cooked? My Beer Boiled Shrimp has so much more flavor! I chill it and serve it with my homemade Seriously Good Cocktail Sauce. Now that’s a party!

My grandmother’s Just Leave it Beef and Wine is a holiday tradition in our house. I can just picture her throwing it all together, then setting the table, putting her lipstick on and getting ready for her party. I miss her so much, but she’s in my kitchen with me every time I make this dish. You can make it in the oven or your slow cooker. Either way it’s absolutely delicious.

We like to serve it with a big, pretty, festive salad like my Pomegranate Orange Salad with a delicious orange honey dressing. So fresh and good! Click Casseroles, Dinner, Slow Cooker and Sides for more of my best holiday recipes.

If you are stressed about holidays gifts, don’t be! Why not give gifts from the kitchen and your heart this Christmas? Click Gift Mixes in a Jar to read my blog post. It’s filled with all sorts of delicious money saving ideas and recipes that you can give as gifts.

Gift Yourself the Gift of Travel! Join Amy on a 2023 French River Cruise. Book by Dec. 31, 2021 and SAVE BIG!

Besides cooking I love to travel. I’m so excited to be hosting amazing vacations! Let’s meet new friends and travel together on these trips of a lifetime!

I’m all about a good deal! Join me on a river cruise through Southern France from Burgundy to Provence. It’s the ULTIMATE way to see France! PLUS, if you book now you can save big! In April of 2023, we’ll cruise the Rhone river on a gorgeous new boutique ship with only 150 passengers. It’s first class all the way and it’s a true ALL-INCLUSIVE river cruise, meaning all your food, drinks, and excursions are included. Gratuity too! Bring on lots of wine tasting, gourmet meals, fresh croissants and pastries and so much more!

Plus, you’ll have the option to stay a couple days after the cruise to experience Paris. It will be spring and the blossoms will be in full bloom. It’s going to be stunning! Click Join The Cooking Mom on a French River Cruise to get all the dates, pricing and tantalizing details. This trip is going to be truly over the top and so wonderful! Join me! Call Brittany at Bon Voyage Boutique Travel 920-725-2880 to take advantage of special offers on this cruise only if you book by Dec. 31! Special rates for single travelers too!

Just a Couple Rooms Left! Join The Cooking Mom in Tuscany in September 2022!

If you are interested in joining me in Italy in fall 2022, now is your chance! There was a waitlist but we just were able to get a couple more rooms for my upcoming trip to Tuscany! Read Join The Cooking Mom in Tuscany for details. These rooms can accommodate 2 people. Don’t wait! If you are interested call Brittany TODAY at Bon Voyage Boutique Travel 920-725-2880 or email her at [email protected] to make your reservation!

Time is Running Out! Join The Cooking Mom in Ireland in April 2022!

I’ve always dreamed of going to Ireland. Let’s experience it together. This trip is almost booked up! We just have a few rooms left. From Irish cooking classes, to scone baking, Irish cheese, and Jameson whiskey tasting, we’ll do it all. We’ll even stay in two real castles! I can only take a small group so get your reservation in soon! Click Join The Cooking Mom in Ireland to read more about this trip and find out how to reserve your spot!

Mackinac Island for Lilac Fest in June 2022!

Back in June, I hosted a trip to one of my favorite places, beautiful Mackinac Island, Michigan. It was amazing! I LOVE this island. Have you ever been? If not you need to go! There’s no place like it! Join me next summer because I’m going back. We are staying at my favorite resort on the island. It’s fabulous! We’ve even added an extra night so there will be more time on this trip to sightsee, shop or just relax! This trip is already filling up. We can only take a limited number of people. Click Join The Cooking Mom on Mackinac Island to get all the details. We’ll be there next June during lilac season. It’s absolutely gorgeous that time of year! I hope you’ll join me. Call Brittany at Bon Voyage Boutique Travel 920-725-2880 or email her at [email protected] to book your spot!

Future Trips!

To find out why my trips are so special check out my blog post Culinary Vacations with The Cooking Mom. I'm starting to plan now for more culinary vacations in 2023! I want to know where you want to go. Email me the trips you’d be interested in at [email protected]!

Order Amy's Cookbooks for the Holidays!

If you like my recipes, I think you will love my cookbooks. Order one for yourself and they make welcome gifts too! Both of my cookbooks are full color, and each is filled with nearly 200 unique recipes. They're available on Amazon. Click Amy's Books on Amazon to order.

Gotta run to see all the sights I can in New York City! You can always see what I'm up to on Instagram and Facebook. Check out my videos on YouTube, too.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Cook up some memories!

Take care,
Amy, The Cooking Mom

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