The celebrations started with a trip to James’ hometown on Thanksgiving morning. We spent the day with his parents and family friends eating a delicious spread of food and catching up. I cooked the least I’ve ever cooked for Thanksgiving this year, which was a nice change of pace! I made a double chocolate pumpkin cake for dessert, which is one of my favorite indulgences. I also made a homemade sugar cream pie to drop off at the hospital where my mother-in-law works. It’s never fun working a holiday, so I hoped it would help brighten the staff’s day.

I failed at taking pictures of our spread this year, but everything was delicious! I’m always more into the sides than the actual turkey on Thanksgiving. This year my favorites were the corn casserole and green beans — I went back for seconds of both. After an afternoon of visiting and eating, we headed back to James’ parents’ house. I spent the evening finally finishing the book I’ve been reading for more than a month. It was the perfect, relaxing end to Thanksgiving.

We got up early Friday to hit the road to my parents’ house in Illinois. We arrived to a house full of energy! My cousins were visiting with their two kids from Ohio, so my sister brought our niece and nephew over to play for the afternoon. We gave the parents the night off from cooking. I made a big batch of lemon chicken, roasted potatoes and prosciutto-wrapped asparagus. It was fun to catch up with the adults over dinner and play with the kids afterwards.

My parents arrived home from a trip to Portland Saturday, which gave us the perfect opportunity to celebrate my dad’s birthday. He and his older brother are three years apart, but were born on the same day. They decided to celebrate together in Oregon this year, and their birthdays happened to fall on Thanksgiving! We had a laid-back, belated celebration in Illinois that involved us serenading my dad before digging into some cake. James and I also brought some special beers to enjoy with my dad once the kids went to bed. Our favorite was Mail Order Bride from Bare Hands Brewery in Granger, Indiana. It was one of our go-to places for beers when we lived in the South Bend area, so we’re thrilled to see Bare Hands distributing further south in the state!

Before we knew it, it was time to hit the road and make the trip home to Bloomington Sunday. We’d been talking all weekend about getting our first real Christmas tree together and made a spur-of-the-moment decision to pick one up as soon as we got into town. My family always had a real Christmas tree when I was growing up, but James hasn’t ever had one. He agreed to give the real thing a try this year, so we went to Twin H Tree Farm and picked out a Frasier Fir.

The tree farm was adorable! It has a little shop with free hot chocolate, cider and popcorn you can enjoy while searching for the perfect tree. We were in and out within 45 minutes. Now we just have to let the branches settle for a day or two before we deck it out! I’m always in full-on Christmas mode as soon as Thanksgiving is over, so it’s taking all of my willpower not to just start putting the lights and ornaments on tonight.

It sounds cheesy, but I get so excited for this time of year because of the spirit it brings. The season is centered around spending time with the ones you love and giving back, which are two things that are very close to my heart. There’s so much to look forward to over the next few weeks!

What are some of your favorite holiday traditions? Tell me in the comments below!

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Today I’m sharing some of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes in case you haven’t finalized your menu or are still trying to come up with a side dish to take to your family or friend’s house. For me, Thanksgiving has always been more about the side dishes and less about the turkey. And, of course, there are plenty of delicious dessert options!

Appetizers

Southwest Cheesecake

This baked cream cheese spread includes green chiles, taco seasoning and salsa. It’s always a hit at parties!

Ranch House Cheese Spread

This creamy cheese has a touch of horseradish, which gives it an addicting kick.

Curried Cashews

These can easily be made a couple of days in advance and also make great hostess gifts when put inside a pretty package for the holidays.

Parmesan Truffle Popcorn

We usually double this recipe when making it because it always disappears so quickly!

Creamy Pimento Cheese Spread

This is a thicker version of a traditional pimento cheese spread, which tastes amazing on pretty much everything.

Creamy Curry Chip Dip

This may be one of the most simple, yet most popular appetizers I make. There’s something about the combination of curry powder and cream cheese that is absolutely delicious!

Side Dishes

Lightened-up Corn Casserole

Traditional corn casserole gets lightened up with the help of egg whites and Greek yogurt. The result is a delicious, rich side dish that tastes just as good as the original.

Cheesy Garlic Kale

This cheesy garlic kale is sautéed on the stovetop, leaving precious oven space open for other holiday dishes. It takes only ten minutes to throw together!

Grandma’s Cheesy Green Bean Casserole

This is my absolute favorite holiday dish. My grandmother’s recipe is a spin on classic green bean casserole, with the addition of cheese and homemade croutons. For me, it tastes like home.

Honey Oat Bread

My dad made this bread frequently when I was growing up and I love the chewy texture the oats give it, along with the slight sweetness from the honey. While rolls or biscuits are common on many Thanksgiving tables, your family or friends will gobble this loaf up!

Everyday Salad With Homemade Croutons

I always like to have some veggies that aren’t drenched in butter or cheese for our holiday meals. It’s all about balance, right? This salad is so easy to throw together but delicious.

Desserts

Maple-Walnut Cranberry Pie with Whiskey Whipped Cream

This is my all-time favorite pie! It’s like a grown-up version of pecan pie that uses walnuts instead. The cranberries and whiskey whipped cream provide the perfect, tart balance to the maple syrup, making for a delicious dessert that isn’t overly sweet.

Thanksgiving Pumpkin Bars

These pumpkin bars have a yellow cake crust and a creamy, pumpkin filling. They’re the perfect cross between cake and pie — who says you have to have one or the other?!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

These pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are super soft and full of the best fall flavors. Hints of nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon make them a delicious seasonal treat.

Pumpkin Ale Ice Cream

If you have some pumpkin beer hiding in the back of your fridge, this is the best way to use it. This ice cream needs to be made at least one day in advance, but it’s so worth the extra effort!

White Texas Sheet Cake

If you’re pressed for time but trying to feed a crowd, this is the perfect dessert. The cake is frosted while warm, which means you can have this out of the oven and at your Thanksgiving feast in under an hour.

Coconut-citrus Upside Down Cake

If you really want to impress people with the beauty and taste of a dessert, this upside down cake won’t disappoint. While it doesn’t include traditional Thanksgiving flavors, it’s a welcome, light dessert compared to some of the heavier, traditional holiday foods.

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As I was flipping through my planner at work today, I realized something crazy: Thanksgiving is next week! It feels like November just started, so it’s hard to believe we’re already on the verge of the holidays.

I love this time of year because, while it’s hectic, there’s always some type of get together to look forward to. Many of our family gatherings over the next month are centered around a delicious spread of food. I lalways make a couple of old standbys (like grandma’s green bean casserole), along with a new recipe or two.

Because I know oven space is especially precious on Thanksgiving, I’m always on the hunt for dishes that can be made ahead of time or cooked quickly on the stove. I love this cheesy garlic kale because it has delicious flavor but isn’t as heavy as some of the more traditional holiday vegetable side dishes.

There are a few people in my family who turn their noses up at kale, but this recipe is husband approved. James isn’t a huge vegetable fan, but he actually went back for seconds when I served this with dinner last night! This is a great recipe to keep in your back pocket even after the holidays are over because of how quickly it comes together. I recently paired it with chicken sausage and polenta and loved how it complemented the rest of the meal. 

Cheesy Garlic Kale

serves 4-6

[ingredients title=”Ingredients”]

• 2 Tbsp. butter, divided
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 large bunch kale
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
  [/ingredients]

[directions title=”Directions”]

1. Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once butter is melted, add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2. Add kale to skillet and carefully pour water over top. Cook kale until bright green and soft and all the water is evaporated.
3. Add remaining 1 Tbsp. butter, 2 Tbsp. cheese, salt and pepper to skillet and toss kale until evenly coated. Remove from heat and top with remaining parmesan.

[/directions]

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It’s hard to believe 2016 is coming to a close. The year went by quickly and, while the past 12 months were filled with lots of fun and adventures, I feel ready for a new year. There’s something about an empty planner that feels refreshing and empowering.

I’ve learned over the years I prefer a laid back New Year’s Eve in over a night out on the town. We’ll be celebrating the holiday in Nashville with family when we head south to visit my brother and sister-in-law this weekend. We don’t have any concrete plans aside from munching on some delicious food and sipping some fancy cocktails … probably while wearing our pajamas. After all of the hustle and bustle leading up to Christmas, I welcome a relaxing night on the couch!

This Limoncello spritzer will be one of my contributions to our New Year’s Eve spread. James got me a bottle of Limoncello di Capri for Christmas because I’ve been complaining about how awful the American versions are that I’ve tried since our honeymoon — they don’t even come close to the homemade Limoncello I had while we boated around Capri. Limoncello from the Amalfi Coast gets its wonderful flavor from the famous lemons that grow in the region. James snagged an authentic, high-quality bottle at Eataly in Chicago and it was such a thoughtful gift.

Lemon is hands down my favorite flavor. I love incorporating the juice and zest into as many meals as possible. And citrus makes for the most refreshing cocktails. So, I’m a big fan of Limoncello.

The best Limoncello is strong, so the prosecco in this cocktail makes for a more subtle flavor. If you want to cut back on the amount of alcohol, you can substitute tonic water for the prosecco, which will give you a lemony twist on a traditional gin and tonic. Here’s to a wonderful end to 2016 and a 2017 full of endless opportunities!

Limoncello Spritzer

Makes one cocktail. 

[ingredients title=”Ingredients”]

• 1 oz. high-quality Limoncello
• 1 oz. gin
• 3 oz. prosecco
• Lemon peel or slice for garnish

[/ingredients]

[directions title=”Directions”]

1. Pour Limoncello and gin in a champagne flute and top with prosecco.

[/directions]

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Our holiday weekend kicked off early when James’ parents came to town Thursday night. We took them to their first IU game of the season and had an absolute blast. It was fun to see how excited they got with every basket. You can’t beat the atmosphere inside Assembly Hall!

My parents got to town on Christmas Eve and we spent much of the day relaxing and preparing for my favorite holiday tradition, our annual appetizer buffet. Every year on Christmas Eve everyone makes a couple of appetizers to contribute and we have so much fun sampling finger foods and dips.

Our spread was quite impressive for just the six of us! We served a couple of old standbys, including two-ingredient creamy salsa dip, lightened-up jalapeno poppers and crockpot turkey meatballs.

My mom and I also decided to test out a couple of new dishes this year. She made a warm reuben dip and the best pimento cheese spread. Dips are always my weakness, which is why I never make them when it’s just James and me — we could knock out an entire bowl by ourselves. The dips definitely stole the show, but I was also a big fan of the Chinese chicken salad I made from Chrissy Teigen’s Cravings cookbook. It made a giant batch and the leftovers are great!

Of course, there was also festive beer included in the meal. We got another growler of Krampus from Bloomington Brewing for my dad to finally try and he was a big fan. We’re hoping to grab more before we head down to Nashville to visit my brother and sister-in-law this weekend.

After stuffing ourselves with multiple plates of delicious food, we all opened presents before James’ parents hit the road. Growing up we always opened presents from family on Christmas Eve and did stockings and gifts from “Santa” on Christmas morning. This year we decided to open everything on Christmas Eve. James and I have just done stocking stuffers for each other the past few years, but last year he went over the top by sneaking a Fitbit in there. I had to get him back this year and got a Nest thermostat that he’d been eyeing for awhile. It was installed less than 24 hours later!

Opening presents Christmas Eve made for a relaxing Christmas morning. I prepped egg casserole and skinny french toast casserole the night before, so I just popped them both in the oven when I woke up. We watched Gilmore Girls while waiting on breakfast and I’m pretty sure I got my parents hooked on the show. My mom kept asking to watch more episodes. We enjoyed breakfast and sipped coffee for a while before heading out to see the latest Star Wars movie. We’ve been going to movies on Christmas since I was a kid and it’s another tradition that’s become a favorite over the years!

My parents left town yesterday just as some of our friends were arriving for a quick reunion. Now our house is empty and we are exhausted! I head back to work for a couple of days tomorrow and then we’re back on the road to continue our holiday celebrations with the rest of our family. I hope your weekend was equally amazing and that you’re finding time to rest amidst the holiday madness!

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Our weekend was spent preparing for and hosting our annual Christmas cookie and craft beer exchange, which has become our favorite event of the year. The tradition started with just a few girlfriends when I was living in South Bend and keeps getting bigger and bigger every year. It’s a great way to unwind and spend time with friends during the hectic holiday season.

Here’s how it works: everyone brings either a six-pack of craft beer or a dozen cookies to share. We spend the night sampling everyone’s creations and the person who baked the crowd favorite takes home a small prize.

We stocked our fridge with a variety of my dad’s homebrew, New Belgium and Upland beers before everyone arrived. We also got a growler of Krampus from Bloomington Brewing Company, which is our favorite seasonal beer. We had to make a beer run halfway through the party last year, so we wanted to make sure we had more than enough beer in case most guests decided to bring cookies. But, most people actually brought both! We still have dozens of beers in our fridge leftover from the party. Luckily, there’s no such thing as too much beer.

I made Doubletree cookies, Oreo truffles, pretzel cookies and almond cut-out cookies for the party. I also put out a cheese plate and some salty snacks to help balance out all of the sugar. That table quickly became covered in cookies when guests arrived. I think we’re going to need a bigger one for next year’s party!

There seriously wasn’t enough room for all of the delicious cookies people brought. What’s so fun about the party is somehow no two people ever bring the same cookies. We had everything from classic spritz cookies to ombre cookies. I only sampled a couple because I was so busy mingling — and I didn’t want an awful stomach ache this morning.

There were lots of favorites, but our friend Stacy won the cookie competition this year. She brought two kinds that were delicious, but the salted caramel cookies were the biggest hit. I also loved the coffee cheesecake tartlets and Snickers-stuffed snickerdoodles other friends brought. We tried to send everyone off with bags of cookies, but we still somehow ended up with the majority of the leftovers. I threw them in the freezer so we won’t be tempted to eat ourselves into cookie comas!

The party was an absolute blast and I’m kind of sad it’s already over. It’s become one of our favorite holiday traditions and it was especially fun being able to throw it in a home of our own this year. I’m already dreaming up cookie recipes for next year’s party!

What’s your favorite holiday tradition? Chime in by posting a comment below!

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Have you started your holiday shopping yet? I haven’t bought a single thing and I’m a little stressed about that. I’m one of those people who ends up at the mall December 23 frantically searching for gifts and vowing never to wait until the last minute to shop again. I’m hoping to knock out some shopping this week!

Today I’m sharing another gift guide, this time for the guys in your life. They can be hard to buy for sometimes, right? James and I are just doing stocking stuffers for each other for the second year in a row. We would rather spend our money on home improvements or trips than expensive gifts. This gift guide features ideas for every budget.

Milwaukee M18 Compact Drill Kit

My parents lent us this drill when we were tackling a few projects around the house and it quickly rose to the top of James’ Christmas list. It’s powerful, rechargeable and cordless. You can also opt to buy the drill without the kit for about $80 less.

Grilling Apron

This is something a lot of guys would never spend their own money on, but it comes in really handy if you know men who love to cook. I’m a big fan of the aprons from PCBHome, which feature fun plays on words. Williams-Sonoma is also running a sale on aprons, which you can pay a little extra to monogram. I plan on gifting a few of these this year!

Bose QC35 Wireless Headphones

If you’re looking at the price of these headphones and thinking, “Why would you spend that much on headphones?”, I totally get it. I’ve been using the same pair of beat up earbuds that came with my iPhone for two years. But, many of my friends and family members have much higher standards when it comes to headphones. And they all swear by Bose. These headphones are noise canceling and wireless. A great gift for music enthusiasts!

Sporting Event Tickets

I’ve said this before, but I think gifting experiences is the best way to go. It’s one of the most personal gifts you can give. And, it doesn’t have to be expensive! If you can afford to get your guy tickets to a NFL or NBA game, that’s great. But seeing a development team like the Mad Ants play can be a ton of fun. You can also snag relatively cheap balcony tickets for a few IU games in December and January.

Slippers

Slippers are another item I don’t think most guys would buy on their own but love getting as gifts. I bought James some fleece-lined moccasins a couple of years ago and he wears them nonstop around the house. There are so many varieties out there, but I always look for slippers with a thick sole so they can be worn outside for quick chores like taking the trash out.

Beer of the Month Club

Many of the guys I know are big craft beer enthusiasts. My dad, brother and husband love perusing liquor stores in different places to try and find new, unique brews to try. There’s a Beer of the Month Club that will ship recipients a variety of microbrews to try. I love this idea because you can choose how many shipments you want to gift and what kinds of beers you want included. Is there anything better than coming home from work to beer on your doorstep?

Stitch Fix

This is the perfect gift for a man who loves fashion or just needs a wardrobe update. Stitch Fix is an online styling service that sends you a box of five hand-picked items based on the preferences you indicate in your profile (you can read more in my review from a fix last year). You pay a small styling fee, which can be used toward any of the items in the box you keep. It’s so much fun to see what stylists pick out and I’ve always kept at least one item from each box. James hasn’t tried the men’s services from Stitch Fix, but I’ve heard good things from friends!

Professional Massage

Who doesn’t have this on their Christmas list? Most people I know spend so much time focusing on their careers, families and friends that they don’t take enough time to focus on themselves. A gift card for a professional massage is a present that everyone appreciates.

Zip Lining Tour

This is another experience that would be so fun to gift to the adventurous guys in your life. You’ll have to research the options available in your area, but I know Explore Brown County offers tours for those in South-Central Indiana. Many of these businesses are seasonal, so the recipient of this experience may have to wait a few months before cashing in.

Leather Boots

Men’s boots have come so far over the past few years when it comes to style! I live in leather boots every winter and snagged James a pair at the outlet mall last year that he loves. I especially love this pair from Bass because they’re stylish and practical. You can’t go wrong with L.L. Bean’s classic boots, either.

What gifts do you get for the guys in your life? Tell me in the comments!

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We are gearing up for our annual Christmas cookie and craft beer exchange this weekend, so I’m baking nonstop all week in preparation. Every year I make a combination of new and old recipes for the party and I plan to share a few of them over the next couple of weeks. There’s something so cozy about baking during cold nights with holiday movies and music playing in the background. It’s my favorite part of the season!

I started making pretzel cookies for the holidays when I was just a kid. That’s what’s so great about this recipe — it’s ridiculously easy. Aside from a little help getting the cookies in and out of the oven, this is a project kids can tackle on their own. My niece and nephew get so excited when my mom asks them to help her make pretzel cookies. There’s something about quickly topping the cookies with M&Ms that makes it feel almost like a game. Plus, there are always extra M&Ms for the helpers to enjoy!

This recipe yields one, big batch of pretzel cookies, but leaves you with partial bags of M&Ms and pretzels. I usually double or triple the recipe until I run out of pretzels or M&Ms. I make all of the cookies at once and keep them in the freezer, taking them out as needed during the holiday season — or any time of year. These are also great for bridal showers and birthday parties. Just customize the cookies by choosing different M&M colors!

These cookies aren’t just easy to make, they’re always a hit with guests. There’s something about the size and salty-sweet taste that makes people eat them my the handful! Whether you’re hosting a party or attending one, these are the perfect, festive treats to share with friends.

What’s your favorite holiday cookie recipe? Tell me in the comments!

Pretzel Cookies

[ingredients title=”Ingredients”]

• 1 12 oz. bag Hershey’s hugs, unwrapped
• 70 to 75 waffled or ring pretzels
• 70 to 75 M&Ms

[/ingredients]

[directions title=”Directions”]

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Spread pretzels in a single layer on cookie sheet. Place on hug on top of each pretzel. Bake for two to three minutes, until hugs are shiny and soft.
3. Remove cookies from oven and carefully, but quickly, place an M&M in the middle of each hug, pressing down slightly to flatten the top of the chocolate.
4. Place cookies in freezer for ten minutes, until set. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator or freezer.

[/directions]

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Hi, friends! I’m sorry I disappeared on you this week. Work got hectic with President-elect Donald Trump coming to Indiana and then I tweaked my back on Friday, which interfered with my plans. But, I have a fun weekend recap for you today!

We are on the train headed back to my hometown after a quick visit to Chicago with my parents. We planned the trip earlier this year when my mom managed to snag some tickets to see Hamilton.

We drove over to Illinois Friday night and took the train up to Chicago early Saturday. It’s so nice not having to worry about parking or driving. Once we got to the city, we dropped our bags off at our hotel and headed to the Walnut Room for an early lunch.

My family’s been going to the Walnut Room during the holidays for years. It’s a tradition I introduced James to when we started dating and now we look forward to making the trip every December. There’s a giant tree in the middle of the room that gets decorated differently every year and makes for a fun photo opp. Lots of other families have the same tradition, making the wait to get a table over two hours most days. But, you can also sit at the bar area. That’s what we did and there was no wait!

After a delicious lunch, we did some window shopping before heading to the theater for Hamilton. Like just about everyone else in the country, I’ve been dying to see the show. It absolutely lived up to the hype. The singing and dancing was nonstop, making the 2.5 hour show seem much shorter. I didn’t want it to end! I have a feeling I’ll be listening to the soundtrack and mix tape on repeat all week.

Shortly after the show we headed to Labriola for dinner. We tend to go to the same restaurants every time we are in the city, so it was fun to try something new! Our friend Debbie recommended the restaurant and we all had great meals. They offer a variety of salads, pastas and pizzas and everything was delicious. I had the spaghetti and meatballs and the portions were HUGE. You could easily spilt an entree. I’d recommend this restaurant if you’re staying in the Mag Mile area and looking for hearty portions.

My parents turned in for the night while James and I met up with a friend of ours at Watershed for drinks. The bar is in the basement of Pops for Champagne and only features beers from the Great Lakes region, which I loved. It’s laid back and a good spot to grab a casual drink.

Our trip to the city was a quick one, but so much fun. There’s just something special about Chicago at Christmastime.

We’ll be back in the city in two weeks to reunite with some friends, so I’m looking forward to hitting up more new spots. If you have any recommendations, send them my way!

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