All posts filed under: Holiday Gift Ideas

Food: Holiday Series – What To Bring for Potluck

I was over the moon when I found this recipe online. A reminder of my childhood days, during the holidays when my mother and aunts got together to bake and make holiday desserts for a family gathering. I always helped in the kitchen, but only because I wanted to taste all the goodies being whipped together across the kitchen counters all the way to the dinning table – where the women gathered to share secrets to their version of the same old recipe, and laugh out loud at all the fun being poked about this and that. I loved every minute of it. So, since potluck is the sharing of the responsibilities of the hostess – here’s a great recipe for a unique dessert – chocolate salame – that’s been tried and tested by our extended families, eons ago, somewhere in a Mediterranean kitchen: Ingredients 100 g di biscuits like digestives or similar 100 g of butter at room temperature 150 g of sugar 100 g of good quality unsweetened cocoa powder 2 eggs Icing sugar Butcher’s twine Instructions Break the biscuits coarsely with your hands: do …

Sunday Morning Thoughts

I woke up early this morning. By early I mean 4 a.m. – usually because my dog is working on the old time – his clock being 5 a.m. and ready for his breakfast. I don’t mind, he’s aging and I am not going to try to teach my old dog new tricks. He is the king of this castle, and I am okay with that.  The first thing I did after his feeding, is grab my laptop and got back into bed. Actually fluffed my pillows and sat, in bed, aiming to write a post. Since I haven’t for a few days – thanks to having to shift gears last week, and working long hours to meet a demanding deadline. On Saturday I decided to drive down to Stanford and hang around the mall. I needed a bit of happy chaos, and to get ideas for the coming holidays. I knew that most of the mall would already be decorated for Christmas, with a bit of detail intertwined about the Thanksgiving holiday. The smell of …

Holidays: Chocolate Ginger Cookies For The Office Party or Just Because

it’s always fun to contribute to the office holiday party – where everyone is tasked with bringing something, and like me, I normally volunteer for dessert. This year, I want to wow the crowd, and decided to skip the normal and go with something like this recipe for chocolate ginger cookies: INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 sticks salted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 large egg 1/3 cup molasses 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt coarse sugar, for rolling 8 ounces milk or semi-sweet chocolate, melted {more}

Holiday Party Gift Ideas For the Office and Otherwise

Company parties have been penciled in, and even those planned by family and friends. Which means there is either a gag gift involved, or secret Santa and then there are the ones that you give just because. For this and that, here’s a list of 25 affordable gifts that look expensive. Here are my favorites:  

Travel: Gifting An African Safari

Everyone needs to experience an African Safari at least once in their lifetime. And with that believe I share with you the idea of gifting an African Safari – to celebrate a wedding anniversary, or a special birthday or even as a honeymoon destination. Put the idea (that came to me while watching The Crown)  in a box under the Christmas tree this year and see a loved one’s eyes well-up… in a good way hopefully 🙂 Check out the hottest African Safari Camps to consider –