Holiday Recipes and Inspiration

Why not make a drunken fruitcake this Christmas? Its high alcohol content helps it last a long time. That is, if you can stop your family and friends from finishing it off!

In this article, you will find three family fruitcake recipes, a recipe for fruitcake cookies, and the best commercial fruitcake I’ve ever found.

This is a collection of 20 festive wassail recipes. Most use apple juice or cider as a base; unusual recipes use Red Hot candies or black pepper. I've also included a few alcoholic variations with wine, rum, sherry, brandy, and whiskey.

Valentine's Day is a special time to show affection to the ones you love. What better way is there to do that than to start the day with one of these top 12 clean eating Valentine's Day breakfast ideas? And you don't have to do anything fancy. Just use what you already have and be creative.

The black pepper in these delicious cookies accentuates the other spices in the recipe, including ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. These cookies can be shaped into hearts for Valentine's Day or into other shapes appropriate for any holiday.

Learn how to prepare a deliciously moist pineapple fruitcake. This easy-to-make recipe is perfect for Christmas or any other time of year!

Pancake Day races and tossing the pancake, linked to Shrove Tuesday, are ancient English customs that date back to the fourteenth century and are still observed today. Find out about the origins of Pancake Day races and how to make a foolproof English-style pancake in this article.

Ghouls and goblins, the witching hour is here! Don your baking hats and dust off that cauldron to whip up creeptastic treats for all.

I grew up in South Carolina, with typical Southern New Year’s traditions. We ate collard greens cooked with fatback, for dollars, blackeyed peas for coins, and rice for pennies. We had fried hog jowl and cornbread. I have included recipes and stories here.

There are two kinds of people in the world: those who love eggnog and those who despise it (or assume they will). Let's join hands, learn some fun history, and share recipes. Who knows? You might end up loving eggnog.

Mulled wine or Bishop's wine is easy to make. The sweet and spicy flavor of homemade mulled wine goes very well with home-baked New Year's Eve doughnut balls.

Everyone loves to get and give homemade baked goods. Here's how to assemble the perfect cookie tray to show off all those yummy treats you make.

No Halloween party is complete without a tableful of spooky and delicious treats to set the scene. These ideas are sure to tickle your taste buds and impress guests of all ages!

A fun and festive spin on a traditional breakfast favorite. This recipe yields a delicious treat that looks and tastes like no other French toast you have ever tried. Perfect for Halloween.

Make smooth chocolate fudge the old-fashioned way! This recipe is perfect for Valentine's Day, Christmas parties, and birthday gifts.

Learn how to make a traditional Christmas pudding recipe with helpful step-by-step instructions and photos. This is my best plum pudding recipe that I make every year before the holidays.

Here's my recipe for a popular Thanksgiving dessert cake featuring pumpkin, spices, and maple frosting. Recipes are also included for eggnog frosting and apple frosting, so take your pick!

Short on time? Make an elegant Christmas dinner dessert that's quick and easy.

A no-nonsense family recipe and guide for how to cook your holiday turkey.

This no-bake mint cheesecake has a texture similar to a baked version and a delicious, light minty flavor. The cookie crust, along with the thick and rich filling, helps make this cake a real stand out among no-bake cheesecakes.

Learn how to make easy and fun deviled eggs that look like baby chicks. These are a delightful addition for any dinner table, especially for Easter dinner. I serve these at all our family dinners.

Discover six tasty non-alcoholic drink ideas that are perfect for children, family, designated drivers, and anyone else wanting to have a little fun on St. Patrick's Day!

15 recipe suggestions for your Easter Brunch, including everything from appetizers to dessert. There are even some vegetarian options, as well.

These frighteningly delicious monster cookies make for the perfect Halloween treat!

A great, classic recipe for Christmas cake. Easy to make and a joy to eat. Indulge! After all, it's Christmastime.

From getting interrogated by non-vegan relatives to navigating traditional holiday foods as a vegan, here are some helpful tips for Christmas, Thanksgiving, and other major food holidays.

Don't get caught off-guard when asked to bring a snack to the class Halloween party. I've compiled several great ideas that are relatively cheap and easy to make.

Pumpkin pie—did it begin with the Pilgrims? Let's learn the background of this sweet treat, try a "from scratch" recipe, and then explore some fun spin-offs.

Every Thanksgiving, the great debate arises again: Is the famous holiday side dish called "stuffing" or "dressing"? Many cooks swear by one or the other, and they will not deviate from their opinions.

Looking for something different and delicious this Christmas? Deep fry a turkey! The result is a moist, juicy inside and crispy outside! While the oil is hot, fry some onion rings, fries, pickles, and candy bars!

Are you overwhelmed by the prospect of a formal Christmas dinner? My family has adopted the tradition of a less-formal Christmas brunch, which can be prepared ahead of time and enjoyed in leisure.

It's easy! Surprise, impress, and delight your holiday guests with rich, delicious, fresh eggnog. It also makes a thoughtful, unique gift for neighbors, co-workers, or that person who "has everything."

The following Mexican recipes are enjoyed during the Easter Season, but they are good anytime. Roasted lamb and goat are specialties.

Making a sweet treat in patriotic colors is easy with Jell-O! Here are four ways you can make a dessert that fits the theme of your 4th of July cookout, party, or special event all year round.

This is one of my favourite biscuit recipes. Traditionally, biscuits like these are prepared specifically for the Easter holiday, but you can make and enjoy them any time!

Add some hubble and bubble to your Halloween with these bewitching brews. Eleven spooky drink suggestions that will really get your party going!

This collection of 13 clean-eating Thanksgiving treats to make with your kids is packed full of yummy, healthy treats that you and your kids will enjoy creating together. This is such a fun time of year—get your kids involved in helping now, and you'll have an excited, involved kid for life.

Yule log cakes, mincemeat, and mince pies are delicious Christmas treats with an interesting history. A Yule log was once a real log, and mince pies used to contain meat.

Here are nine recipe suggestions for your Mother's Day Brunch—everything from appetizers to dessert. There are even some vegetarian options.

Cajun is a name for a culture and a people with a rich intermixed heritage and lots of good food. They made lots of great music, too.

Christmas is a special time of year for spending with friends and family, but sometimes, for whatever reason, we find ourselves alone at the holidays. This page contains a number of tasty Christmas dinner recipes for one.

Looking for green cocktail drink recipes for St. Patrick's Day or another occasion? Find recipes for green beer, Midori Sours, Emerald Isles, and other favorite green alcoholic drinks.

Oven acting up? Here are five ways to cook a turkey without using your oven. (Includes videos.)

Enjoy holiday treats over Christmas and the winter solstice season with zero guilt. Walnuts and cranberries are superfoods. This cranberry walnut muffin recipe and superfood dip recipe do the job right. Chinese nutritional information is a bonus feature.

Christmas pudding is a rich, fruity, seasonal British dessert. This page looks at some delicious and unusual recipes for using up Christmas pudding leftovers in the days following the main event.

New Year's Day arrives on different dates around the world, according to the culture in which it is celebrated. You might like to celebrate more than one!

Discover some of the best spooktacular spirit and cocktail recipes that will make your Halloween celebration positively wicked.

A step-by-step guide to making bread for a traditional Polish Easter Basket, or to enjoy any time!

Where I'm from, we take Thanksgiving seriously! Here are my personal best recipes: sweet potatoes, dinner rolls, cranberry relish, pumpkin pies, stuffing, even whoopie pies!

This mango peanut butter Valentine's heart dessert is a no-bake, easy, and delicious fruity mango treat for two people. It only has five ingredients.

Learn about Jamaican Christmas dinner traditions and gather holiday menu ideas.

If you're looking to celebrate St Patrick's Day in style then you should try a few of these Irish-inspired St Paddy's Day shots and shooters, from the classic Irish Flag to an Irish Cowboy and more!

Whether you observe Epiphany season or just enjoy reading about it, delve into one of New Orleans' most treasured and tasty traditions this time of year.

This is a quick and easy recipe to make a tasty, melt-in-the-mouth Christmas pudding using a pressure cooker or Instant Pot. It is much cheaper and tastier than ready-made shop versions. The pudding can be made on the day or months ahead. Either way, it will taste delicious.

A selection of non-alcoholic Irish-themed beverages that are perfect for St. Patrick's Day or other celebrations.

The Yule log, once a pagan ritual, has been elevated to not just dessert but a stunning work of pastry artistry known as Buche de Noel. Don’t let its looks frighten you. You can make your own. Here’s how.

Here are seven authentic recipes dating back to the colonial days that will make your Thanksgiving truly traditional.

This is a traditional fruitcake recipe that is made for the Christmas holidays. Learn how to make a moist fruitcake from scratch with an easy-to-follow recipe, step-by-step instructions, photos and videos.

We can't agree on the origin of thumbprint cookies (Sweden, Poland, or somewhere else?), but we can agree that they are easy, fun, and there are so many ways to make them. Here are 25!

Christmastime is a time for family and considering the changes coming in the next year. Why not make your holidays a little less stressful, a little healthier, and a little sweeter with these delicious clean eating traditional Christmas dishes. Maybe the big change you need is one for your health.

This is a real, traditional English Christmas cake recipe that was passed down to me from my Great Aunt. It is a wonderfully moist, heavy fruit cake that we used to cover in marzipan and ice. We also gave it to first footers at New Year.

Easter or Resurrection is the biggest holiday of the year among my Polish friends. Their traditions and recipes for traditional foods vary by the region of the country they or their ancestors called home, but all are good.

You're going to love these 12 delicious clean eating Christmas cookie recipes. These are all of your favorite cookie recipes, without all of the processed and refined ingredients. With these recipes, there's no guilt, breaking your diet, or need to worry about sharing them with your family!

Certain foods are traditionally eaten at New Year in the hope that they will bring good luck in the year ahead. This page looks at some of these foods and delicious ways in which to cook and serve them.

A quick and easy Halloween treat that isn't tricky! Made with seasonal monster cereal, each creepy little cupcake is full of flavor and fright. Perfect for parties, and the kids can help with the baking, too!

Such controversy! Is the turkey stuffed, or do you eat your "dressing" on the side? Wheat bread only, cornbread, or wild rice? Oysters: yes or no? Let's put our differences aside and have fun cooking.

Check out this quick and easy recipe for turning a store-bought cake mix into delicious pizzelle cookie batter. Perfect for Christmas and Valentine's Day celebrations.

In this article, I share my secrets for a great prime rib. I like to make this special recipe on Christmas Day. However, you can eat this delicious dish any time of the year.

I have learned much from my Polish American friends about the importance of Easter in their culture, friendships, families, and faith. Please enjoy the following recipes and history.

Do you want to know how to set a proper table for a holiday dinner? Proper place setting for special occasions (or any occasion) can be easy and fun if you follow these place setting rules, guidelines, and tips.

Hosting a St. Patrick's Day party? Here are seven recipes for unique and delicious shots to serve your crowd.

Do you need appetizer ideas to welcome guests over the holidays? Here are a few mouthwatering recipes that are easy to put together and that your guests are sure to love!

Shortbread is a buttery and delicious biscuit or cookie that is a traditional Christmas treat. It's an enjoyable snack and has been associated with some interesting traditions throughout its long history.

Avoid awkward situations at your St. Patrick's Day party by preparing these wonderful non-alcoholic drinks for your non-drinking friends. In fact, everyone will likely be pleased with them. Add alcohol if you like!

Brighten your Thanksgiving holiday table with this delightful and healthy edible centerpiece.

A simple and fun Halloween treat!

These cookies are a delicious, Grinchy holiday treat!

The origins of figgy pudding date back to medieval England. At that time it was not a dessert, but a method of preserving meats for the winter months.

Instructions, tips, and ideas for making Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Christmas cookies using cookie cutters you might already have. These cookies are easy to create and are a great project for children, too.

This article will teach you how to make a good old-fashioned fruitcake, including several different variations. All of these recipes will make your mouth water. Happy holidays!

The gingerbread house is a whimsical bit of Christmas tradition in many American and European homes. Here's what you need to make one for your family.

This recipe makes a fabulous rum fruitcake for Christmas, a meaningful gift, or any special occasion. I was not a fruitcake fan, but now I am! Rum and brandy really complete this cake.

Valentine's Day is a fun excuse to make crafts, create yummy treats, and do some fun activities with your kids to show each other how much you care. Celebrate the holiday and show your kids that you care by spending time together as a family and making deliciously healthy, fun snacks.

Oh so gory, but oh so tasty and sweet! Here's a great little Halloween treat for those that love the taste of white chocolate.

Kerstkransjes, or Christmas wreath cookies, are a delicious and decorative treat for the festive season. They are traditionally hung on the branches of the Christmas tree and can be decorated in a variety of ways.

Fast and simple hamantaschen. No, they're not like the ones your mom made, but they will do in a pinch!

The holidays are so much fun, and they give us an amazing chance to express our creativity and our imaginations. What better way to really get into the holidays than with your kids!

A sweet spin on an old favorite. These apple latkes are perfect for breakfast, dessert, Chanukkah, and any time in between. Made with fresh Granny Smith apples and simple ingredients.

A St. Patrick's Day staple, corned beef is an Irish-American tradition. It is often eaten with cabbage, but it also comes in the form of reuben sandwiches, hash, and canned corned beef.

Thanksgiving turkey is wonderful on Day one. Day two delights us with sandwiches, but by day three are you getting bored? Be bored no longer. Here are imaginative ways to use those gobbler leftovers.

Mince pies are an integral part of the British Christmas food culture, but when they are prepared at home, mincemeat will often be left over. The recipes on this page provide ideas for what to do with that leftover mincemeat.

The best gummy, Southern cornbread dressing EVER, like your grandma made it. Here, I take you by the hand and walk you through the entire process.

Easter is a popular celebration in Russia, both for those who are Christian and those who are not. One major aspect of the holiday that is the same for everyone is the love of sweets! In this article, I will show you how to make some delicious Russian Easter biscuits with homemade icing!

Make tasty cereal bars with your favorite limited edition monster cereals. Sure to be a hit with the younger ones and those who are young at heart. Perfect for Halloween parties and ready in 15 minutes!

When my friend of Romanian descent visited cousins in the old country, she brought back these traditional Easter recipes.

Looking for decorating ideas for your St. Patrick's Day cupcakes? Try these kid-friendly design ideas with step-by-step instructions to make your own cupcake wrappers.

For a heartfelt and personalized Valentine's Day treat, try making these conversation heart petit fours. They are delicious bite-sized treats that everyone will love!

Nothing is more delectable than the smell of yeast bread baking. Here are two great sweet bread recipes: Russian Easter bread is finer-grained, with the traditional candied fruit, while Polish babka is a lighter raisin bread.

These pretty and buttery cookies are thick and soft. Top with colored sugar or what ever you want to decorate them with. They will be delicious and popular with your friends and family.

Thanksgiving for most people is a time of family celebration and feasting on the seasonal turkey and trimmings. There are some, however, who are forced to spend Thanksgiving alone and may be under the impression that a turkey dinner is not therefore feasible. This page shows how Thanksgiving turkey dinners for one are entirely possible and provides a number of very different preparation options.