Fun Christmas Websites

I love everything about the holidays - hot chocolate, making snowmen, Santa Claus, spending time with family and friends… what's not to love?

So, over the years, I've found a few resources that I go back to again and again to kick up the Christmas spirit a notch. If you love Christmas, too, check 'em out!

1. Portable North Pole - this fantastic, free service allows you to make a custom video for your child FROM SANTA!!! What could be better than seeing the look of wonder and amazement on their faces when they get a personalized message from the big elf himself?

2. Elf Name Generator - no Christmas would be complete without knowing what your elf name is, right? It's a silly, fun way to usher in this festive time of year.

3. Visiting NorthPole.com, where there are lots of things to do, including fun seasonal games and great blog posts

4. Scouring the web for the best free Christmas printables, like these:

•  Spoonful.com 
• Amy Locurto's blog 

If you have any favorite online holiday resources, please share them with us - Happy Holidays!

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Wordless Wednesday

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

...and Hanukkah!

Photo By Robert Couse-Baker

Tips for Navigating the Holidays with Food Allergies

There are exactly 32 days until the start of Hanukkah and 50 days until Christmas.  (I know, it caught us by surprise too!)

With the holiday season approaching, it can be tricky to navigate the sea of get-togethers, pot-lucks and wine-and-cheese events when you’ve got food allergies. So, we’ve put together a list of tips to help those with food allergies enjoy the season a bit more.

1. If you’re going to a pot-luck make an all-in-one dish, such as a casserole, that can stand alone as your meal in case there are no other viable options. ¹


2. Talk to the hostess in advance and tell her you’d be happy to bring place cards for the various dishes. Hand them out to the guests as they arrive and ask them to write their name and the name of their dish, so it’s easy to identify on the food table. This will go a long way in helping you determine what’s safe and, if you’re still not sure about the ingredients, you can at least track down the cook to ask. ²  Bonus: it encourages mingling amongst guests and if you love that rice pilaf that Mary brought, you can give her your raves personally… or, better yet, ask for the recipe!


3. If you’ve got little kids that will be attending a get-together with you, ask your hostess in advance if there will be any bowls of nuts, chocolates, etc (depending on your child’s particular allergy) within arm’s reach. If so, ask if they could be placed higher up. If you’ve got older children, walk around the food area with them and discuss what are safe foods and what should be avoided. ³


4. Bring a special, yet safe, holiday treat with you so that there is always something festive for your child to enjoy. ³


5. Label food that you bring to events so that it is clear what is in it. Our Date Labels work well in this instance; simply write the ingredients on it (ie. “No nuts, dairy or gluten”), then wash it off when you’re done. We also carry Allergy labels that are pre-printed with multiple lines of custom text, outlining your child’s allergy information.

Do you have any tips for enjoying the holidays with food allergies? If so, we’d love to hear them!

Wishing you and your family a fun, festive and safe holiday season!
___________________________________________________________________________

¹ http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/blog/whole-story/food-allergies-holidays

² http://practicalkatie.com/2011/11/21/childhood-food-allergies-tips-for-holiday-parties/

³ http://www.thebloomsburgdaily.com/2011/12/06/food-allergies-holidays-non-pecan-pie/

Easter Indulgences... and a few for Passover, too!

One of my favorite traditions at holiday time (any holiday!) is baking together. My five-year-old is already a pro at cracking eggs, measuring out ingredients, and mixing everything up. We started baking together from a pretty young age…it’s one of our special things we do together. Our signature dessert is a batch of chocolate chip cookies, but we’re branching out more as time goes on.

As Easter approaches, I’ve already begun thinking of new recipes we can make together. Anything with apples is always a big hit in our house – why, I’m not sure, as my kids won’t eat an actual apple. Yes, you heard it right. My kids will eat applesauce, apple pie - pretty much anything with apple in it - and, of course, drink apple juice, but will not eat an apple. (I’m assuming it’s just one of those childish quirks that will pass with time…. here’s hoping!) So, I’ve included a link to our favorite apple cake, chocolate cake and cheesecake, as well as a few new recipes that I’ve read rave reviews about but have yet to try. Easter is the perfect time to break out the measuring cups, mixer and wooden spoon and try what could be our new favorites! If you celebrate Passover, I’ve made sure to include a few recipes that are suitable for your holiday meals as well (*denotes desserts appropriate for Passover).

• Apple Cake – AllRecipes.com
• Died-And-Gone-To-Heaven Chocolate Layer Cake - via Go@home; from Eat, Shrink & Be Merry by Janet & Greta Podleski (note: hands-down the best chocolate cake I’ve ever eaten… my kids and hubby ask for it for their birthdays every year!)
• Luscious Baked Chocolate Cheesecake – EagleBrand.ca
• Flourless Chocolate Cake* – Kveller.com
• Lemon-Blueberry Yogurt Loaf – SweetPeasKitchen.com
• Toffee-Topped Cheesecake Bars – EagleBrand.ca
• Chocolate-Covered Caramelized Matzoh Crunch* – DavidLebovitz.com 

Have a wonderful Easter and Passover, everyone! And, enjoy dessert… J