25 Days of Christmas CoCo Style - Day 8: Let's Eat

One of the best things about the holiday season is the never-ending delicious food. I'm always looking for a killer recipe that makes people jealous and think I can actually cook. Why does food taste so much better during the holidays? I swear, I could bake every day and never get tired of it.

CREAM OF CAULIFLOWER AND STILTON SOUP

I've been making this soup for years. It is unbelievably yummy. I like to make a double or triple batch and freeze meals for those December nights when you don't have a free second to cook. And, it tastes even better after sitting overnight.

Helpful Hints: Stilton may be a bit more difficult to find, but don't go with straight blue cheese. The lighter flavor of Stilton is necessary for this soup.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH BALSAMIC AND CRANBERRIES

Brussels always seem to be a hit at dinner parties. I love the addition of cranberries to this recipe. It really adds that hint of Christmas to an old favorite. This baby only has five ingredients and that is music to my ears.

Helpful Hints: While roasting the sprouts, check them every 10 minutes and flip them to get a a nice browned flavor on both sides.And grease the pan thoroughly to prevent sticking.

CANDY APPLE PIE

I made this pie for the first time on Thanksgiving. Let's just say it was a huge success. Probably the best apple pie I've ever had, if I do say so myself. It's the perfect combo of apple pie, cheesecake and caramel apple.

Helpful Hints: With such a large amount of caramel, it is really difficult to get this out of the pan. Try greasing the pie pan before beginning. Also, plan on more caramel than the recipe calls for. I used double the amount to get the coverage needed.

 Merry Christmas!

25 Days of Christmas CoCo Style - Day 22: Stuff Your Face

It's a little known fact that all holiday food is calorie free. From Thanksgiving to New Year's Eve, I live by this little nugget of info. Of course, somehow I gain weight overnight on 12/31. Weird. If you're looking for some last minute recipe inspiration, you came to the right place.

This ham recipe is so simple and so delicious. Only five ingredients. That's my kind of recipe. If you can get past the raw prep of a ham (for an animal lover, this is not an easy task), the rest of it is a piece of cake. And I can guarantee you will get compliments from everyone.

Who doesn't love a dish of potatoes, cheese and butter? These au gratin potatoes have all of the ingredients of happiness in one dish. Word of advice, cut the potato slices thin or you will be waiting forever for it to fully cook.

Aww... Cake. So yummy and delicious that I had to include two different recipes for dessert. The first is an apple cake that I will be making for a family holiday dinner tonight. I am super excited to see how this turns out. The recipe calls for Macintosh apples and surprisingly, they aren't the easiest to find. I finally had to ask for help and was walked to a small little shelf on the outskirts of the produce section.

 Second is this rum cake. I made a double batch this year for gifts. Instead of doing a bundt cake, I purchased small disposable heart cake pans and then wrapped them in celophane. Of course, I had to save one for myself. I added a little Marionberry preserves and it was delish.

 Merry Christmas!