December Favorites

Welcome to RDtipoftheday's favorites December edition. This blog series highlights some of the things I've been watching, reading, listening to, cooking, and eating. These are a few of my favorite things in December.

Eating & Cooking

This is my first attempt at gingerbread cookies. The cookies held their shape well, but the flavor was off. The molasses was so strong that I went back to the recipe to make sure it wasn't a molasses cookie. They were good but not gingerbread-y. Oh well! I got practice piping, and I'm doing some research for a better gingerbread cookie recipe. If you have a good gingerbread cookie recipe, comment below. I am looking for a heavily spiced cookie and with less molasses flavor.

Watching

There's something about baking and decorating at Christmas time that is super festive and so fun. I have big plans to make cookies, cupcakes, and more!

Cookies


Do you participate or host a Christmas cookie exchange? Christmas cookie exchange parties are such a fun idea. And, December 4th is National Cookie Day. Here's a yummy looking recipe for salted chocolate brownie cookie, Christmas cookies, and soft chocolate chunk cookies. 🍪 

Here a video and recipe to make mini edible gingerbread cookie houses. There's even a pdf for the template for these tiny houses. So cute!

If gingerbread houses aren't your thing, check out this chocolate candy house. So cute!

Here's a recipe for gingerbread cookies; these are shaped like skeletons, but I bet they taste like Christmas. Gingerbread reminds me of Winter and Christmas. Do you eat gingerbread all year or just at Christmas time?

I love decorating cookies with royal icing. There's a bit of a learning curve with the flooding and outline consistencies. Once you master that, you'll be making professional looking cookies in no time. Here's a tutorial for making and piping royal icing. 

Cupcakes and Buttercream Icing

I got some extra large piping tips recently, so I can make and decorate cupcakes. Here are some recipes I wanted to try. It's perfect because December 23 is National Bake Day. 

Want to decorate some Christmas cupcakes? Here are some tips for making Christmas ornaments or "Christmas baubles."


Here's a tutorial for making buttercream icing, a master class in making buttercream icing, and decorating with buttercream.

Here's a tutorial for making Swiss meringue buttercream.

Cream cheese is a family favorite in our house. I usually have a cookie cake or carrot cake with cream cheese icing for my birthday cake. Here's a tutorial for making cream cheese and chocolate cream cheese icing. What's your favorite icing to make, use, or eat? Feel free to comment below. 

S'mores cupcakes would be perfect to eat around a fire. These cupcakes have a cookie crust, chocolate cake, meringue topping, and a chocolate drizzle.

I love chocolate and hazelnut. This Nutella cupcake recipe is a "must make" recipe for me.

Here are some tips for decorating with fondant or as she says "sugar paste."

Baked Goodies


If cookies or cupcakes aren't your thing, there's always other baked goods to make for Christmas. 

Here's a recipe for chocolate hazelnuts fudge brownies.

Have you ever made homemade dulce de leche? Here's the recipe. Would you make dulce de leche or do you have a favorite brand to purchase?

YouTube is one of my favorite forms of entertaining. It's t.v. on demand and a look into people's lives. Here's a behind-the-scene video from the Crumbs and Doilies bakery in England.

Festive Christmasy Drinks


Hot chocolate or mochas are some of my favorite holiday beverages. These homemade marshmallows would take these drinks over the top!

Sweet and salty is one of my favorite holiday flavor combination with desserts. You can try this sea salt caramel recipe to add to your favorite holiday beverage.

Reading

I've been reading a lot. It's so cold that reading under a cozy blanket seems like a perfect way to spend the evening. This month I've been reading Simply Tuesday, and I've got Let's All Be Brave and Wild and Free next on my reading list. Feel free to pick them up and read along with me.

Encouraging

We are t-minus 16 days until Christmas. This season is one of my favorite times of year. People seem to be happy, joyful, and more kind. I hope you don't have lots of holiday hustle. Instead, I hope you have time to rest and be refreshed. 

If you are looking for holiday gifts, here are some ideas.

100+ Stocking Stuffers Ideas

Gifts under $10

Gifts under $30

Gifts under $50

If you're shopping for your favorite bakers, here's a list of kitchen baking essentials from Jemma, who owns her own bakery.

I hope you enjoyed these tips, recipes, and all of my favorites from this month. Let me know if this is a feature that you would like me to continue by commenting below. And, let me know if you have a topic you want to be featured. Thanks! Have a great week!

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 

If you enjoyed this post, you might enjoy:

Celebrate December: Food Holidays and More

Tips for Easy Entertaining

November Favorites: Tips for Holiday Meals

RDtipoftheday's Gift Guide Roundup

This month, I gave y'all some gift ideas. If you are doing some last minute shopping, here are all of the lists. There are great ideas from <$10 to $50. They are great gifts for anyone that enjoys cooking, baking, entertaining, and eating. And everyone likes to eat; right? Check them out!

RDtipoftheday's Gift Guides for Your Favorite Chef, Baker, and Foodie Friends

 Gift Ideas under $10

Gift Ideas under $30

Gift Ideas under $50

I hope these gift guides have sparked some thoughtful gifts for your family and friends; I hope I saved you time and maybe saved you from a little stress. Now that you have extra free time, you cancheck out my friend Brittany's Christmas posts on her blog Hint of Hess. She's walking through a little piece of the Christmas story every day for 10 days. They are quick reads, and she even gives tips on explaining the story to your little ones. The story is for everyone. Remember to make time for the real reason for the season and not hurry though the season stressed. Merry Christmas y'all!

If you liked this post, you might enjoy these posts:

 10 Gift Ideas Under $10

10 Gift Ideas Under $20

10 Gift Ideas Under $40

5 Gift Ideas Under $50

RDtipoftheday's Gift Guide for your Chef, Baker, or Foodie Friends: Under $50

The Christmas season can be hurried and rushed. Sometimes, we lose focus on what's important. This season should be a time to be thankful and remember our foundation for hope.

If you are like me, I sometimes take on too much, get too busy, and miss the importance of this season. What I'd like to do is help free up some of your time. Be a helping hand. Over the next few days, I'm sharing some gift guides for your favorite chef, baker, or foodie friend. My hope is that these gift lists will be a time saver. You can find great gifts for your family and friends. And, have more time to focus on the season. Merry Christmas!

Bakeware
Your favorite baker will enjoy these vintage inspired pieces. I love things that are pretty and functional! Mix and match this set for your favorite vintage loving baker.

Serving Platters
Serving  pieces are a great gift for your favorite hostess. I love this wood and marble version from Anthropologie. There are three different sizes to fit different budgets.

Mixer Attachments
If you know someone with a Kitchen Aid, there is a great variety of attachments. There are mixers, vegetable noodle makers, pasta makers, meat grinders, and much more.


Water Bottle
Reausable water bottles are a great gift. These corkcicle bottles are great because they keep hot liquids hot and cold liquids cold. A 25 ounce water bottle is under $33.

Recipe Tins
I love the Rifle Paper Co. recipe tins. You can choose from different patterns, and they also sell cute index cards for recipes. I love the idea of gifting a recipe tin with some of your favorite recipes included in the tin. It's two gifts in one!

For more recipes and tips and tricks for healthy eating, follow RDtipoftheday on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.

Please note that this is not a sponsored post. I'm simply sharing some gift ideas to save you time. Merry Christmas!

If you enjoyed this post, you may enjoy:

RDTipoftheday's Gift Guide for Under $30

RDtipoftheday's Gift Guide for your Chef, Baker, or Foodie Friends: Under $10

Top 10 Kitchen Tools You Need

RDtipoftheday's Gift Guide for Your Chef, Baker, and Foodie Friends: Under $30

The Christmas season can be hurried and rushed. Sometimes, we lose focus on what's important. This season should be a time to be thankful and remember our foundation for hope.

If you are like me, I sometimes take on too much, get too busy, and miss the importance of this season. What I'd like to do is help free up some of your time. Be a helping hand. Over the next few days, I'm sharing some gift guides for your favorite chef, baker, or foodie friend. My hope is that these gift lists will be a time saver. You can find great gifts for your family and friends. And, have more time to focus on the season. Merry Christmas!

 

 

Serving Ware
Do you have a friend that loves to entertain? Give them something to entertain with. I love this wooden cake stand from Target. You could also use a marble board, cheese plate, or piece of slate as a gorgeous backdrop to your food.

Cutting Boards
Cutting board come in a variety of materials including wood, plastic, butcher block, or bamboo. They come in many shapes and sizes. They are super practice and can also be used to serve foods.

Cast Iron Pans
I love cast iron pans. They hold heat well and are pretty enough to display. It's great to get a great sear on meat or cook cornbread. Bonus: Cast iron pans actually add iron content to your food.

Image via Wikipedia


Salt and Pepper Sets
For the hostess or chef that seems to have everything, salt and pepper sets are a great buy. They come in a variety of shapes and materials; check out this one with copper. They can be fancy or kitschy.

Images via Google images



Measuring Cups and Spoons
Every chef and baker needs measuring cups and spoons. Why not get cute ones? Anthropology has really cute sets of cups and spoons. I also love my stainless steel measuring cups and spoons from William Sonoma.

Cookbooks
Does your favorite chef, baker, or foodie have a role model? I love watching the Food Network. If you know your friend's favorite chef or baker, consider getting them a cookbook authored by their role model.

Images  on left via Wikipedia

Recipe Box
Give your favorite foodie a place to keep their recipes. Here's a wooden one from Crate & Barrel. Rifle Paper company has cute, metal recipe tins.

For more recipes and tips and tricks for healthy eating, follow RDtipoftheday on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.

If you enjoyed this post, you may enjoy:

RDtipoftheday's Gift Guide for your Chef, Baker, or Foodie Friends: Under $10

 

Top 10 Kitchen Tools You Need

RDtipoftheday's Gift Guide for your Chef, Baker, or Foodie Friends: Under $10

The Christmas season can be hurried and rushed. Sometimes, we lose focus on what's important. This season should be a time to be thankful and remember our foundation for hope.

If you are like me, I sometimes take on too much, get too busy, and miss the importance of this season. What I'd like to do is help free up some of your time. Be a helping hand. Over the next few days, I'm sharing some gift guides for your favorite chef, baker, or foodie friend. My hope is that these gift lists will be a time saver. You can find great gifts for your family and friends. And, have more time to focus on the season. Merry Christmas!

 

Cooking Tools 
These make a great gift. You can choose from silicone, wood, or nonstick. Some of my favorites come from William Sonoma and Crate & Barrel.

Kitchen Towels

I LOVE kitchen towels. It seems like you can never have too many. I love the size and absorbency of the towels I recently got from Crate & Barrel. They make a great gift and really cute gift wrap.

Striped Dish Towel $5.95

Tomato Dish Towel $5.95

Steamer
I love this steamer basket from World Market.  It is stainless steel and turns any pot into a steamer. It works great steaming vegetables. This is a great gift for someone working on eating healthier or someone with a small kitchen. This steamer is compact and under $5!  

Measuring Spoons

Every chef and baker needs measuring cups and spoons. Why not get cute ones? Anthropologie has really cute sets of cups and spoons. I also love my stainless steel measuring spoons from William Sonoma.

 

Special Ingredients

Some spices and herbs are expensive, but they can make a great gift. I like gifting pure vanilla extract or vanilla beans, homemade spice blends, or herb plants make great gifts. Considering gifting a rosemary, basil, lavender, or thyme plant for your favorite foodie.

4 ounces Vanilla Extract; Image via Wikepedia

Vanilla Beans

Please note this is not a sponsored post. I'm simply wanted to share some of my favorite tools and products with you to save you time and focus on having a Merry Christmas.

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 

If you liked this post, you may enjoy:

Top 10 Kitchen Tools You Need

Kitchen School: 3 Tips for Successful Baking

We've all had those baking disasters. Tough cakes, adding salt instead of sugar, forgetting ingredients, the list goes on and on. Is that just me? I didn't think so. Want to avoid these catastrophes? Here are three simple tips to help you become a more successful baker.

1) Be prepared
Read the recipe all the way through. Make sure you have all the ingredients and set the oven for the recommended temperature.

2) Follow directions
For example, add room temperature eggs into the creamed butter." You've added air to the butter by creaming it. This makes the butter wonderfully light and helps make a tender cake. If you add cold eggs, not room temperature eggs, the cold eggs can cause your butter to seize resulting in a flat, dense, tough cake.
Are you wondering what to do while your ingredients come to room temperature? You can try something called "mise en place." It is French for "introduction" but for chefs it means to "put in place." It is preparing all your ingredients before you introduce them to each other in the recipe. It sounds fancy, but it is simply pre-measuring your ingredients. You may have seen this being done by the chefs on Food Network.; they have all the ingredients are measured in small bowls and simply added each as the recipe calls for it.
It makes sense because it keeps you organized, and this is how most recipes are written. Recipes usually start with listing the ingredients and measurements. Then, how to combine the ingredients. And lastly, how long and at what temperature to cook the recipe.
I like the idea of mise en place; it makes me feel chef-y.

3) Check your oven temp
Investing in an oven thermometers may seem silly because the oven usually has one built in. But if you are having a problem with uneven baking, burning, or under cooking, the oven temperature could be the problem.

Seems simple right? Well it is! Every baking failure I've ever had was because I missed one of these things. Everyone has there mistakes, so learn from them and bake on! Follow these three simple steps and you will be a better baker. For more tips on baking better, check out this post on measuring to get the perfect batter or dough.

Follow me, RDtipoftheday, on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter for more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating. You can subscribe to this blog, RDtipoftheday.blogspot.com, through BlogLovin,.