If there’s one time of year you’ll find me getting crafty with the kids , it’s around Valentine’s Day. But only under two conditions: 1) I get to sip wine while we craft and 2) the craft involves treats. These printables, crafts, and rec…
Love is in the air. Or is that the smell of Valentine’s Day pancakes from truly creative recipes? I can think of no better way to treat your family this Valentine’s Day (or the whole Valentine’s Day weekend) than to surprise them with a …
With a heightened awareness of kids' increasing sensitivity to artificial food colors, more parents are turning to natural alternatives for those Valentine's cupcakes and bake sale treats. And no, that doesn't mean you have to puree and …
By now, you've probably come across several Best Cookbooks of 2013 lists, each filled with drool-worthy tomes that would make great coffee table staples. But if you want to gift your favorite family cook -- including yourself -- a cookbo…
We're winding down around here for the holidays because hey, we've been so busy putting together helpful posts for all of you, we have our own families to start tending to! If you're like us, and still scrambling a bit, we hope these lin…
The big man is set to arrive in just less than 48 hours! Word from the North Pole is that if you leave Santa something extra tasty, he'll throw in a little extra something for mom. That — and having "leftovers" — is reason enough to make…
Sure, there are lots of reasons why you might not like eggnog. It's made with raw egg (which makes it hard to share with the kids ), can be overly sweet, and tends to be heaaaavy. But I've got 7 reasons to love it, even if you think you …
Each week we feature our favorite pins on Pinterest, but today we'd be remiss if we didn't point you towards just a few of our our own Cool Mom Picks Pinterest boards , which we've been packing with last minute holiday gifts and ideas fo…
When I've spent hours working on the perfect Christmas meal, a great holiday table setting is important to me. Serving it on plastic Santa Claus plates with paper napkins is not really my thing, since I want to show my friends and family…
Modern city gal though I think myself, I have a total weakness for traditional Christmas cookie swaps. There's something so cool about seeing the Christmas cookies from around the world that come from sometimes generations-old recipes fr…
If you're anything like me, you've waited all year for a taste — or two or three — of gingerbread. Warm and spicy, the combination of molasses and holiday spice makes any sweet even sweeter. These seven gingerbread recipes, from cookies …
It's no secret that I think the crock pot is a miracle machine for busy family cooks, and not just for weeknight meals. Crock pots are also great for keeping big quantities of food at just the right temperature when you're entertaining, …
This Thanksgiving, whether you're feeding dozens or just your immediate family, you just may need some last minute Thanksgiving meal help. We all know that getting Thanksgiving dinner onto the table can be a huge undertaking, especially …
Thanksgiving is tomorrow and everything is under control, right? If you just yelled at your screen, "NO!" then read on, mamas. I've got four cooking helplines that will provide you with answers to all of your Thanksgiving cooking questio…
Whether it's your first time making a Thanksgiving turkey or your fifth, I've found that there's always room for a little (or a lot!) of help. So, this year, I've put together a step-by-step Thankgiving turkey tutorial. Hope it helps. Pi…
This year marks the first Thanksgivukkah--when the first day of Hanukkah falls on Thanksgiving day--since 1888. That pretty much requires amazing Thanksgivukkah hybrid dishes, considering the next one isn't going to happen for another 78…
If you're as busy as I am -- and I'll bet good money that you are -- you're starting to feel the crush of the holiday season. Take a deep breath: everything will get done, and with a little planning you can have some fun, too. Even while…
Let's face it: Thanksgiving is for feasting. Dinner may be the main attraction, but this holiday is about grazing on deliciousness all day long. The food doesn't have to be fussy or labor-intensive either--save the hard work for your tur…
I know that there's more to Easter than bunnies and food, but in these days leading up to the holiday my mind is on, well, bunnies and food. Easter candy , Easter cakes , Easter brunch: it's hard to focus with such tasty distractions! I,…
It used to be that Valentine's Day meant a romantic breakfast in bed with my husband. These days, we're lucky if we wake up without a sneaky child nestled between us. And by nestled I mean sleeping perpendicular to us with with his heels…
Red may be the official hue of Valentine's Day, but you don't have to give red roses or wear a splash of red to get in the official Valentine's Day spirit . You can also whip up something red. Red velvet, to be exact. Using a simple red …
Now that I have kids, breakfast has become my favorite meal of Christmas day. I want it to feel special--a quiet, cozy time to wind down after a whirlwind of gift opening and before a whirlwind of family--but making a special Christmas b…
Shipping time is running out and shopping time is ticking down , but there's still plenty of time to whip up an edible gift handmade with love. These holiday treats are easy enough to make with the kids' help--and so much easier than dra…
If you ask me, the best part of the holiday season are the holiday cookie recipes. Holiday cookies are affordable and easy to make, they never fail to make everyone happy, and they always give us a good reason to get together with friend…