The holiday shopping season officially began last Friday, and we’re celebrating with another giveaway. This time we’re offering a little something from our kitchen, my five cook books—The Perfect Recipe
As you think about who might like the books, here’s a brief description. The Perfect Recipe and CookSmart are little culinary detective stories where I take on classic American comfort dishes like brownies, cheesecake, chicken potpie, chili, ribs, lasagna, and chocolate cake. As I systematically test my way to perfection, I share what worked and what didn’t. A great read for people who enjoy cookbooks, but the recipes are for anyone who loves to cook.
Know anyone who has trouble making weeknight dinner? How to Cook without a Book will free them from recipes, teaching easy-to-master techniques and formulas so they learn to cook with what’s around and what’s in season.
Perfect Recipes For Having People Over is for those who want to start having fun at their own parties. Not only are there appealing recipes for all occasions, but answers to the questions you want to know–what to serve with the dish, how far ahead it can be made, and even what to do with leftovers.
Many cooks need to shed a few pounds. As someone who’s lost and kept off 45 pounds for nearly 5 years, I share what works in The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight and Eating Great.
To win signed copies of each of these books, simply complete the following sentence. “This holiday season I will (or will not)…”
Posting deadline is this Sunday, December 6th at 11:59 PM Eastern Time with winners announced no later than 6:00 PM Eastern Time on Monday, December 7th.
This holiday season I will laugh more often, love more deeply, and be thankful for everything and everyone in my life.
This holiday season I will focus on the beautiful people in my life, not on my “to-do” list.
This holiday season I will spend more time with family and friends and appreciate each for what they add to my life. Time flies and I don’t want to miss a moment with the important relationships in my life!! Happy Holidays All!
This holiday season I will enjoy my first Christmas as a wife!
This holiday season I will balance work and play better, so I can show my friends and family how much I truly appreciate them. (So excited that I actually get to go home for 4 days including Christmas Eve and Day! Usually I have at least 1 fire shift in there.)
This holiday season I will make my first pie crust FROM SCRATCH because my aunt thinks I should. (Even though I told her though Pam Anderson says it’s okay for me to use Pillsbury!) — How To Cook Without A Book is on my wishlist this year.
This holiday season I will make memories with my children, husband, and other loved ones as we continue our family traditions.
This holiday season I will not be on a cruise ship, darnit.
“This holiday season I will not let food run my life, but I will enjoy it and the family I share it with!
This holiday season I will reflect on my faith and family and just try to make it a better time for all those in my life.
This holiday season I will appreciate how preparation and celebration with friends and family makes dark winter days glow. I love that we dress our holiday traditions with light at this time of year, each candle and bulb a promise and a reminder.
This holiday season I will go with the flow, enjoy my life and not stress or worry about anything and I do mean anything.
This holiday season I will be finished with ALL the preparation early, to allow a few days to relax and reflect with my family and friends…And this holiday season I will not be the one to finish all the leftover appetizers, which are always my favorites 🙂
This holiday season I will celebrate the birth of Christ!
This holiday season I will not work as much and spend more time with family and friends…and no arguing.
This holiday season I will take time to enjoy the company of all my family, especially my fiancé. We have promised each other that we will purposefully spend time together, enjoying the only Christmas we will share as an engaged couple. By this time next year, we’ll be married, so this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to deck the halls as fiancées instead of spouses.
This holiday season I will not make myself crazy trying to cook elaborate feasts and meals all the time.
This holiday season I will get all of my shopping done before Christmas eve.
This holiday season I will try to not spend as much money as I have in the past and also I will focus on the reason for the season:)
This holiday season, I will slow down and experience the holidays and not auto pilot through them.
This holiday season I want to make good memories with my two little boys. This moment in our lives passes so quickly.
This holiday season we will be prepared early so we can relax and enjoy time spent with family and friends instead of turning it into a silly season of craziness.
This holiday season I will spend lots of time enjoying the wonderful kids (who have requested to make lots of cookies), fiancé, family, and friends I have been so blessed with 🙂
This holiday season I will finally be able to spend a week in Maine with my family, which I am truly looking forward to. While I will be away from the new family I have created in New Jersey, nothing spells Christmas to me like relaxing with a cup of coffee as the holiday music plays, and looking out my parents bay windows and seeing snow.
This holiday season I will spend a maximum amount of time with the people I love most in this world, enjoying a simpler existence and learning to be content and thankful.
This holiday season I will enjoy the time with my wife and kids, family and friends.
I’ve committed to Christmas dinner at my place, and then another Christmas dinner on the 26th. (One for the in-laws, one for my side of the family.)
I’m going to aim for good food and a good time instead of perfect food and a stressful time.
This holiday season I will be blessed enough to get to spend Christmas with both sides of my family.
This holiday season I will learn from my 5 year old son and take it all in at his pace and with his sense of wonder. This is the only year he’ll be five and I don’t want to miss it because I was obsessing about something that didn’t matter.
This holiday season I will thank God more.
This holiday season I will focus on Christ, and not on the commercial version of Christmas. And I will start by not calling it “the Holiday Season”!
This holiday season I will bake lots of goodies to put into my first annual ‘Christmas Baskets’ to be delivered to friends and family. It’s a new tradition I’m really looking forward to starting and I’m sure your fabulous cookbooks will be the source of some wonderful contributions. 🙂
This holiday season I will try to get all my gift shopping done early and not wait until the last minute… the key word is try
This holiday season I will remember to enjoy the little things and try hard not to complain about crowds, the cold and eating too much!
This holiday season I will spend time in the kitchen with my family, teaching them how to cook healthy, wholesome meals!
This holiday season I will not let the stress of the season ruin the true meaning of a beautiful time of year.
I will forget the stress and the commercialism and have a simplified and enjoyable holiday season. Focusing on family and having a good time and forgetting about perfectionism.
This holiday season I will remember that I’m the only one who cares if the stockings are exactly 2 inches apart on the wall or that the ornaments are exactly evenly spaced or that each piece of fudge is exactly one square inch in size… (and so on and so forth).
This holiday season I will sit back and enjoy the wonderment and awe in the face of my 5 year old son
This holiday season I will eat a bunch, enjoy my kids and be thankful for a week and a half off of work.
This holiday season I will take a deep breath and just be in the moment with my family!
This holiday season I will not stress over last minute things on my to-do list. No one will know what I didn’t have time to do and I’ll be more relaxed.
This holiday season I will dine at my daughter’s house and enjoy the company of her husband, and my adorable grandchildren, without stressing over anything. Also I’m going to bring a big batch of your stuffing. MMMMmmmMMMM.
This holiday season I will be spending time with family and enjoying not having to do the washing up!
This holiday season I will focus more on each person in our family and less on the material things.
This holiday season I will stress less about the “to do” list and be grateful for all the love I have in my life and share that love with as many people as I encounter. My kind of love starts in the kitchen so I will be making as many people as possible plump.
This holiday season I will attempt to make bread and other “made by me” items as gifts. Wish me luck!
This holiday season I will remember that is a time to enjoy the simple things in life like family, good food and good wine. It’s not about ‘to do’ lists, crabbiness, and irritation.
This holiday season, I will savor Christmas by continuing some new traditions with our children that we began only a year or two ago (particularly because I have finished my shopping – yippee!).
This holiday season I will be more patient and understanding and less “snippy” when my husband has to work over Christmas because I know he doesn’t want to be working either but is doing it because it’s best for our future.
This holiday season I will make it a more of a holiday and less of a season of stress, I will let go of my desire for perfection and embrace the joy of being a more relaxed cook and hostess.