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.
i will eat less than 6 mince pies (crosses fingers)
This holiday season I will give gifts with meaning and not concern myself with monetary value.
Make Christmas Cookies for my out-of-town family and SEND them!!
This holiday season I will not eat the majority of the cookies my children and I bake during our traditional 12 Days of Cookies bake-fest. (Really, I won’t…)
This Christmas season, I plan to buy myself something for the first time in a long time.
This holiday season I will not eat half of the cookie dough before the cookies are baked!!
This holiday season I will relax and enjoy each day as it comes.
That way I won’t be sitting there gobsmacked the day after Christmas thinking ‘what happened?’.
This holiday season, I will work to see things through my childrens’ eyes and make sure that they have some amazing memories of this Christmas.
This holiday season I will not stress about what I don’t get done.
Bake cookie trays to give to the elderly (I do this every year) and it is so much appreciated and donate a present to toys for tots, another tradition.
This holiday season I will not stress over finding the perfect present, but will pursue meaningful relationships instead.
This holiday season I plan to be less stressed about having everything done. I plan to enjoy the season and time with all my family.
This holida season I will take time to enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of Christmas instead of rushing everywhere.
This holiday season I will spend as much time with my loved ones as possible…and as little time in shopping malls as possible!
This holiday season I will figure out how to buy presents for the ones I love without breaking the bank!
This holiday season I will try my hand at making cut-out cookies – hope I succeed! I’ll have my almost 3 year old at my side. I’m sure everything will go smoothly! 🙂
This year I will finally learn, at age 29, to make my family’s traditional Norwegian Christmas cookie – fattigman. My grandma taught my mom and now my mom will teach me. I’ve mastered the krumkake, now its time for fattigman. Uff da!
This holiday season I will DO less and BE more. I will spend time just sitting with my boys and being with them.
This Christmas I will wake up in time for the 6am Christmas morning church service. It’s beautiful, but with a small child can be a challenge…
This holiday season I will bake lots of cookies, have lots of fun with my family, take lots of pictures and be so incredibly thankful for all that I have.
Peace and happiness to all of you! This holiday season I will hopefully find a job, and even if I don’t, I will be thankful every day for the wonderful things I do have (my family, friends, dogs, books, health).
This holiday season I will try to create a lot of down time with the kids that allows us to relax and spend time together.
Thank you so much!
This holiday season I will not eat myself into a candy and cookie coma!
pout, because we have no money to spend for Christmas. We spent it on our daughter’s wedding so it was worth it. Early retirement for my husband has further shortened the money pool. So I plan to just enjoy the company of friends and family and hope everyone else can too.
This holiday season I will not allow the stress to remove the joy.
this holiday season I will take time to relax a little!
This holiday season I will not forget to take pictures, pictures and more pictures of my children’s joyous faces.
This holiday season I will not become over stressed, and remember that whatever happens be it burned bread, extra crispy cookies, medium well roast beef, big lights on the tree, or running out of propane for our Christmas eve cook out, it is not the end of the world, and having family nearby is most important.
This holiday season I will be refreshed by the joy and excitement in my daugthers’ eyes as they set up each nativity…not in a nice neat row like I do but with all of the people and animals crowded around baby Jesus. You know, the first nativity probably looked a lot more like theirs than mine. Merry Christmas
This holiday season I will stop to reflect on my blessings and encourage my two sons to do the same.
This holiday season I will cherish every moment spent with my friends and loved one.
This holiday season I will…..breathe.
This holiday season I will keep the spirit of the holidays with me throughout the coming year!
This holiday season I will try to relax and enjoy y company and not stress over my cooking.
This holiday season I will spend lots of time with my family and remember the reason we celebrate this time of year.
Enjoy making Ravioli with my in-laws for our Christmas Eve dinner!
This Christmas season I will not allow the stress of worldly, truly unimportant things, to cloud, delay or remove the joy of more simple and yet more important things. (i.e. Decorating sugar cookies = important because it is important to them and me. But, taking on extra responsibilities for others in my life just because “You are at home (SAHM).
. . .try to give more socially responsible, and meaningful, gifts. 🙂
I will not be shopping last minute!
I will not fret over what I cannot do, but will just relax and enjoy the celebration of Christmas simply and quietly.
This holiday season I will remember how fortunate i am to enjoy a life with friends, family and a life without hunger or poverty.
This holiday season I will try to be more conservative and less like myself in front of my partners family so they have less to complain about to him about me.
This holiday season, I will make the recipes that my 83-year-old Mom cherishes, so she can have good memories of the holidays…kolachy, sauerkraut-bean soup, kielbasa—the whole nine yards!
This year I will..actually sing out loud at mass intead of just mouthing the words,(my voice STINKS), remember to tip the paper delivery man, write my parents thank-you letters for making my childhood Christmas memories so wonderful, shake up the holiday table with some new recipes, and wear flat shoes for Christmas shopping. Happy Holidays!!!
This holiday season I will finish my shopping before Christmas Eve.
This holiday season I will drop my expectations and my endless to do lists and just be open to whatever the days bring without getting so stressed out.
This holiday season I will not allow stress to overcome the joy of the season!!
This holiday season I will remember all of the extra people to thank or give a gift to…the mailman, the lovely ladies at the library, the paper carrier and a few others, and I will streamline Christmas dinner and serve only the traditional things that everyone loves. No worries about calories, fats and carbs.
This Holiday season I will not sweat the small stuff, and truely enjoy family and the Christmas season!
This holiday season I will slow down and really take it all in. I will spend the extra time to make certain to watch It’s A Wonderful Life and apply the lesson to 2010!