It’s holiday time. Everyone is running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Work parties. School parties. Teacher gifts. Holiday cards. Secret Santas. Eight Days of Hanukkah. New Year’s. No one can deny: gift giving is synonymous with the month of December. And, let’s face it, if you don’t make lists, if you don’t plan ahead, someone is bound to inadvertently get left out. A common side effect to lack of planning? Re-gifting. Come on. Don’t you have that drawer somewhere in your home? You know, that drawer … [Read more...]
Search Results for: re-gifting
#Holiday: Re(Gift) versus Homemade
December 2, 2015 By 1 Comment
It’s holiday time. Everyone is running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Work parties. School parties. Teacher gifts. Holiday cards. Secret Santas. Eight Days of Hanukkah. New Year’s. No one can deny: gift giving is synonymous with the month of December. And, let’s face it, if you don’t make lists, if you don’t plan ahead, someone is bound to inadvertently get left out. CYBER MONDAY has already passed us by. A common side effect to lack of planning? Re-gifting. Come on. Don’t you have that drawer somewhere in … [Read more...]
Hickory Farms Pack and Go Tote Giveaway
November 21, 2012 By 349 Comments
Thanksgiving marks the official start of the holiday sales season! Black Friday always seems to jump start my focus on gift giving. As a kid I remember Hickory Farms gift baskets adorning our holiday gatherings. My father would always receive Hickory Farms gift baskets from his patients. We got to unpack the classic Hickory Farms Signature Beef Summer sausages (a recent American Masters of Taste Gold Medal Winner) and those blocks of the Farmhouse Cheddar Cheeses, each branded with the iconic illustration of that red barn. For more … [Read more...]
Holiday Peppermint Bark
December 14, 2011 By 29 Comments
During the holiday season, I've suffered from homemade gift envy. My children’s schools have always had a “no gift” policy for the teachers. They try to enforce the idea of homemade cards from the kids rather than store-bought items. While I’d try to adhere to this highly-debated policy, I’d always find myself sneaking in a nominal gift card to Barnes and Nobles or iTunes alongside my kids' artwork. I just had to reinforce my “thanks.” However, I never really felt satisfied. I felt generic. I was envious when, year after year, I’d see … [Read more...]
Holiday Peppermint Bark
December 23, 2015 By 1 Comment
During the holiday season, I've always suffered from homemade gift envy until I realized just how easy it is to make something that looks, and tastes, like it took hours to create. On the contrary, my latest batch of homemade gifts have taken less then 30 minutes to make (that's less time than it would take to actually go out shopping for individual presents). This year I made Honey Cranberry Butter for the teachers. They were received with oohs and ahs, raised eyebrows and "oh my, look how beautiful." It's all in the presentation. They … [Read more...]
$150 Amazon.com Gift Card #Giveaway
January 6, 2015 By 16 Comments
Happy New Year. Have you created a list of resolutions? Have you tackled any of them? Do you think by the time February rolls around you'll still be going strong? Regardless of whether or not you're committed to going to the gym, losing weight, or simply reading more books, Amazon.com can be your go-to one-stop-shopping online marketplace for everything you need to help you on your way. Because Amazon.com is so intuitive in its design, you'll love reading all of the customer reviews for the products; you can easily search for … [Read more...]
Ready to Grow: Garden in a Can #Giveaway
December 19, 2016 By 16 Comments
I am thrilled to offer a very cool holiday giveaway from food start up, Back to the Roots! This giveaway is especially ideal for urban dwellers like myself who have always wanted to grow their own food but, unfortunately, don't have the space. Much like My Judy the Foodie has been inspiring people to get hands-on and have fun in the kitchen, Back to the Roots is committed to the belief that there there should be nothing more personal or important for families than what we eat and put in our bodies 3x a day. Back to the Roots is passionate … [Read more...]
$150 Amazon.com Gift Card #Giveaway
May 15, 2015 By 6 Comments
Memorial Day is right around the corner. Need anything special to help kick off the first unofficial weekend of summer? Amazon.com has almost anything you'd need. From bathing suits to sunscreen to grills and beach chairs, you've essentially got one-stop shopping just a click away. So, what are you waiting for? Enter to win a $150 Amazon.com gift card so you can purchase to your heart's content! Good luck. a Rafflecopter giveaway … [Read more...]
Giveaway: $150 Amazon.com Gift Card
September 22, 2014 By 72 Comments
I'm gearing up for fall....nesting if you will. That means I've placed some items on my wish list that hopefully will find a place in my kitchen in the near future. I'm in the market for a new mix master. The one I have in my kitchen, while great, is 17 years old. I'm ready for an upgrade and have already earmarked my new appliance over at amazon.com. Amazon.com is my go-to one-stop-shopping online market place for everything from apparel to kitchenware. It's intuitive in its design, I love reading all of the customer reviews for their … [Read more...]
#Giveaway – $100 Williams Sonoma Gift Card
June 23, 2014 By 1 Comment
It was another stellar summer weekend. The sun was shining every day and there was absolutely no humidity. We soaked up every sunny moment outdoors, especially on Saturday-- the summer solstice--the longest day of the year. I love that everyone in my family enjoys pitching in when it comes to mealtime. My son helps shuck the corn and my daughter takes over as chief guacamole maker. Homemade guacamole came into our lives almost two summers ago when I realized that instead of paying $12.50 for a tub of store-bought guac, I could actually … [Read more...]
Holiday #Giveaway: Hatchery Tasting Boxes
December 4, 2015 By 82 Comments
I’ve reviewed many artisanal food box subscription companies on this site over the past few years. Hatchery still remains at the top of my list. What sets this company apart from its fierce competition? Hatchery is about PEOPLE. The Hatchery team spends a lot of time traveling the country in pursuit of discovering and hand-selecting some of the nation’s most unique and flavorful creations. By providing assistance through their expansive member reach, technology, and resources, Hatchery can then enable small-batch makers to reach … [Read more...]
Sweet and Salty Popcorn Bark
December 12, 2014 By Leave a Comment
There’s a “no-gift” policy at my kids’ school. That means, no “official” gifting to the teachers. However, many parents find creative ways to work around that mandate. We’ve always baked some treats (that is apparently school-approved). I like choosing something to bake that’s easy for the kids to equally if not totally participate. Their teachers have the difficult task of teaching so my kids should at least be able to take the lead in our treat making. The past few years we’ve been mastering awesome Peppermint Bark. It’s so simple to … [Read more...]
Scottish Shortbread Cookies
November 30, 2016 By Leave a Comment
I adore the delicate, buttery taste of shortbread cookies. My favorites are the Royal Shortbread cookies which are handsomely dipped in milk chocolate on one end. Up until a few years ago, I had never bothered to bake any version. Sadly, I had only purchased them in stores around holiday time. For me, it had always been easier to pick up a beautifully-wrapped tin full of these treats, only to hand them over as a holiday gift for my kids' teachers. Cornucopia of holiday cookie tins So, what got me out of my 30 year baking hibernation this … [Read more...]
Holiday Compost Cookies
December 6, 2016 By Leave a Comment
Today I decided to recreate a COMPOST COOKIE recipe that was inspired by Christina Tosi, head pastry chef from celebrated Momofuku Milk Bar in NYC. I love Compost Cookies because no two cookies will ever taste the same. As the baker, you can get as creative as you want with the ingredients. That’s right, you can literally use whatever you have on hand to develop your recipe. I decided to make batches of the cookie using our favorite favorite snacks from the cupboard. As I started combining ingredients, I kept throwing in more – hence … [Read more...]
Peppermint Holiday Treats
December 12, 2012 By 1 Comment
So many lists. It’s overwhelming how many people in my life are worthy of acknowledgement at the end of the year. And, it’s even more daunting to think of the costs involved, if I were to buy each and every person present. So, why not make homemade gifts? As I see it, there are many more benefits to homemade versus store-bought. Sure you’re going to have to factor in more lead time and there’s no wiggle room for anything last minute when you’re dealing with anything homemade. But, when something is made by hand, you almost … [Read more...]
$150 Amazon.com Gift Card #Giveaway
March 6, 2015 By 77 Comments
It's time for another giveaway. I know I'm ready for one. After all of the snow in the northeast, I'm setting my sights on a new blender to start making spring smoothies. I might finally break down and by the highly-regarded Vitamix.... What's on your wish list? Anything for your kitchen? Whatever your needs, chances are, you'll have good luck finding it on Amazon.com. And, you'll get to read consumer reviews of the products so you can make very educated decisions before you click purchase. So, what are you waiting … [Read more...]
Giveaway: $150 Amazon.com Gift Card
August 11, 2014 By 44 Comments
Believe it or not, even though I live in NYC and am within walking distance to many housewares stores, I still continue to purchase many of my kitchen appliances on Amazon.com. I find the site very easy to navigate and use. Whatever item you're seeking, with a simple keyword search, you'll receive myriad suggestions with product pictures and amazing consumer reviews as well. When I was purchasing my slow cooker for a writing project, I spent days reading the candid consumer reviews and rating systems before I made my personal selection. … [Read more...]
Ford Warriors in Pink: The Good Days Project
September 18, 2015 By 3 Comments
So much pink washing takes place during the month of October. Wasting money and time on pink nonsense doesn't remotely save lives! Do you think when a professional football player wears hot pink socks to a game, it directly translates to money donated to breast cancer related causes? Raising awareness and actually raising money are very different. It’s so moving when I meet companies, as well as individuals, who work tirelessly on a mission to raising money for good causes. While I’m excited for the launch of our very own campaign Bake … [Read more...]
Holiday Giveaway: The Perfect Picnic
December 7, 2012 By 69 Comments
Who says picnics have to be synonymous with squashed sandwiches? THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED..... The holidays are upon us! Is your inbox over-flowing with solicitations from every company imaginable; all hoping their product will make it onto your ever-growing holiday gift list? While I strive to be a creative, thoughtful gift-giver, there’s usually not a lot of time for me to go running from store to store in search of that perfect present. That’s why I’ve always been a huge proponent of click and mortar shopping. And, I’ve … [Read more...]
