Date Night

To me, a perfect risotto comes together in about 25 minutes — not hours stirring over the stove.

Christmas Morning Breakfast

Make Christmas morning easy with a little preparation the night before.

Why I Love Santa

Reasons why the guy in the red suit is tops on my list.

The Versatility of Almond Bark

Melt; dip; wait a minute or two; enjoy. Pretty much instant gratification.

So Easy Centerpiece

This is an easy but elegant centerpiece.  All you need is some sort of glass vessel — a large hurricane works best.

Fill with water.  Dump in a bag of fresh cranberries.  These float, so the little red berries will form a union of luscious color at the top of the water line.

Carefully place a floating candle in the center of the cranberries.  Be careful not to douse the wick with water.  Light the candle.  Voilá!  (Bet that exertion of energy left you winded.)

Candlelight is one way to visually warm up a room.  It does wonders for drab corners and odd areas that are decorating conundrums.  In this photo, I used the same concept but chose smaller hurricanes to brighten up a dingy sitting area next to the Christmas tree.  Fresh-cut evergreen in one; cranberries, water and floating candle in the other.

Doesn’t candlelight increase the “stunning” factor in any situation?

It's quick, so you can get on with the more important stuff.

Corner Of Holiday And Vine

An hour or so connecting with friends over wine and a few good morsels is really worth it. Simple but savvy. No worries.

Ho-Ho-Ho-rrific

Hey, the gig is jolly. But what if it all goes horribly wrong? Find out how it ends in this tale from a friend (and favorite Santa Claus).

Play… With Clay

Working with polymer clay isn’t just for kids. You can turn out sophisticated ornaments with a throw-back to yesteryear.

Quick Comfort In A Bowl

A quick soup with simple ingredients is an easy go-to recipe after a back-breaking holiday shopping excursion.

Sidestepping Pumpkin Pie

Less time preparing dessert means more time being thankful