The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer is SINGING LOUD For All to Hear

I have a weakness for Christmas music. If I could, I would make an excuse to listen to it year-round but that little voice in my head always tells me to save these sacred tunes for their appropriate time of play. This doesn't mean I sneak in some of my favorites in July, but I save up my childlike excitement so I can blast it all season long. I. LOVE. IT. ALL.

Without a doubt, my favorite Christmas album of ALL TIME. It was the first Christmas CD I ever owned and "All I Want For Christmas is You" just might be my favorite song in the history of songs. Yes, it's overplayed, but I love now just as much, if not more than I did in 1994.

These 5 heartthrobs will always make my heart skip a beat. A little bit of Christmas pop from my favorite boy band always makes me smile. I will never stop being a teenybopper. EVER.

I grew up listening to Harry and could sing every song by heart. Because of him, I love the standards and the Classic American Songbook. I love the originals on this album, the big band versions of holiday favorites and of course, some calming tunes for quiet Christmas evenings.

My Christmas music collection is exponentially growing and today, I added a little more sparkle to my Christmas jams. Now, not only have the voices behind Glee changed my TV viewing life, but they have provided me with sweet holiday sounds shuffle in with the rest of my favorites. The entire album is as fantastic as I expected! A great mix of classic songs, pop twists on old favorites, and even a mash-up! Tuesday nights have not been the same since Glee premiered and I think the show is brilliant. Every re-make the cast records is better than the one before. It takes all self control for me to actually stay sitting while I have my weekly TV date. I don't think I have ever loved a show so much, besides Full House. But now that Uncle Jesse (John Stamos) has a recurring role this season...BE. STILL. Getting back to the music that has made me smile all day, I do believe this piece of Christmas bliss now ranks up there with my top favorite Christmas albums of all time.

How to Stuff a Mushroom

Mushrooms. You either love them or hate them. We just so happen to be on the loving end of this spectrum. With that being said, I'm always looking for creative ways to enjoy the mushroom. We love them roasted onto a homemade pizza, folded into a well loved risotto or sauteed into our morning eggs. Last week, I decided it was time to make a star out of our fungi friend. My favorite stuffed mushrooms that typically come from the Nido family kitchen were the inspiration behind this dinner side-dish delight. I must say, for re-creating this masterpiece on my own, after a pinch of this and a dash of that, I think we have a new favorite at our house! I served them alongside Turkey Basil Burgers and a Greek Country Salad.

Stuffed Mushrooms

1 pint large baby bella mushrooms, button mushrooms or white mushrooms (Whole)

2 shallots, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

2 tablespoons bread crumbs

Sprinkles of shredded parmesan cheese

Quick pour of red wine

Salt & Pepper

Olive oil, to drizzle

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash mushrooms and pat dry. Gently snap off the ends and scoop out excess stem in the mushroom cap, leaving a nice sized well where the stuffing will go. Save the stems and chop up into small pieces. Heat a medium sized skillet on medium heat and drizzle olive oil with two swirls of the skillet. Add garlic, shallots and mushroom stems and sprinkle with salt and pepper. After this has sizzled and become fragrant, add a quick pour of red wine. (This was a last minute addition and I do believe this created another dimension to the mushrooms. So much richness in the filling and it really highlighted the flavor of the cooked mushroom) Cook for another 3-5 minutes. Set aside and let cool for a few minutes. Meanwhile, chop fresh flat leaf parsley and place in a medium bowl with some bread crumbs and a few sprinkling pinches of parmesean cheese. Add the sauteed stems, shallots and garlic and mix all together. Carefully spoon the stuffing into the mushroom caps, rounding the filling at the top. Place stuffed mushrooms in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Cook at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the mushrooms begin to look "shriveled" and the stuffing is sizzling.

"The Beauty of a Frittata..."

When you're a foodie, you are always ready to be inspired for your next kitchen creation. I find that I am always thinking ahead to the next meal and really gearing up those taste buds! As a little girl, my parents would tuck me into bed and instead of reading a bedtime story, I wanted to talk about what I was going to eat for breakfast the next day. Some things never change.

image via {here}

Switching gears for a second, last night, Mark and I went to see "Morning Glory" and enjoyed every second of it. The film was fantastic and Rachel McAdams, as always was just so stinkin' adorable. Diane Keaton is the most gorgeous 60-something and her humor is always on point. Harrison Ford was the icing on the cupcake for this one. I found myself laughing at him the most! I highly recommend this movie...even Mark enjoyed it just as much as I did! And after seeing it, I am still convinced that I need to fulfill my childhood dreams of becoming Katie Couric and work at a news station someday. This will not give any part of the movie away, but a few references to Frittata were made and our mouths were watering. 45 minutes into the movie and we knew what we were having for our Sunday morning breakfast.

When I introduced Mark to this egg delight, he could barely pronounce it, often confusing it with music artist Nelly Furtado. WHAT!? I know, I had the same reaction. A few weekends ago, I made mini frittatas that my sweet friend Allison posted on her blog last month. These were absolutely delicious and after my first attempt at a frittata, I realized, as was also pointed out in the movie last night, that the beauty of them is that they can be made with whatever you had. Thus, the inspiration for our lovely breakfast this morning!

Turkey Bacon, Tomato and Basil Frittata

5 eggs

3 egg whites

2 tablespoons water

1/2 cup chopped grape tomatoes

4 strips turkey bacon, diced

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1 cup shredded mozzarella

salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk eggs and egg whites with the water. the harder you whisk, the more air will be incorporated and the fluffier your frittata will be. Season eggs with a sprinkle of coarse salt and fresh ground pepper. Incorporate tomatoes, bacon, basil and mozzarella, leaving about 1/2 of the cheese to set aside. Pour the egg mixture into a 9 inch greased pie dish and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle remaining cheese on top of the frittata. Bake for another 4-6 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Cut like a pie, and serve.

I Heart Pasta

Like every true Italian, I consider pasta as an essential food group. I love new twists on classic pasta recipes and always keep my eyes peeled for creative recipes. Giada DeLaurentiis is usually my go- to for Italian recipes, both classic and trendy. (might I also add that I love her kitchen, her hair and her entire wardrobe!) She uses fresh ingredients and the flavors are phenomenal. Thanks to my Food Network app on my new favorite toy (my iPhone), I have a plethora of Giada's recipes at my fingertips and best of all, video clips! This Lamb Ragut with Mint was a tasty Sunday meal that left our stomachs smiling. The lamb has a unique flavor and gives a traditional meat sauce an extra sparkle. Cooking the lamb with red wine adds a rich element and when the ricotta is added to the sauce, the ever so slight creaminess smooths it out. The addition of mint tossed in with the rigatoni is a wonderful surprise for the taste buds!

Lamb Ragut with Mint

Recipe from Giada DeLaurentiis

1 lb. rigatoni pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 shallots, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 pounds ground lamb

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 cup red wine

4 cups marinara sauce

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, torn

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook 8-10 minutes until cooked al dente. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil over high heat. Add garlic and shallots and cook until tender. Add the ground lamb, salt and pepper to flavor and cook until the lamb has cooked entirely. Add wine to the skillet and scrape up any brown bits with a wooden spoon. Simmer until the wine has reduced by half. Add marinara sauce and cook until the flavors have blended, about 10 minutes. Add ricotta and stir until mixed. Toss the pasta with the sauce and finish with the mint.

This recipe is 100% food for the soul and thank goodness I married someone who is just as much of a pasta freak as I am. Looks like I'm turning him into an Italian after all.

In other news, I am still pouring over home design blogs and obsessing over do-it-yourself design projects. Anthropologie meets Pottery Barn...I think this is the look I love the most. I can't wait to execute some fun creative projects to share. Happy weekend to you all! I am on my third cup of coffee and cannot seem to get enough of Coffee Mate's peppermint mocha creamer, a.k.a. liquid Christmas. 'Tis the Season!

It's Twinkle Time!

Thanksgiving is only two weeks away and my holiday heart is glowing! I love the beginning of fall, warm apple cider, pumpkin spice lattes and carving pumpkins. September and October are fresh and inspiring as the leaves change and our days start to chill off. But once November 1st is upon us, my mindset is lit with millions of twinkle lights the aforementioned delights are what make the countdown to Christmas worth it.

It should not be of surprise that I have already brainstormed and found the necessary inspiration to turn our house into a Christmas wonderland in a few weeks. I may or may not have been doing it mentally for several months now! My mailbox was overflowing with Holiday catalogs before October this year. I look forward to these every year as I always draw inspiration and ideas as I snuggle up and flip through the pages. Pottery Barn is a catalog I could LIVE in. I love the classic simplicity of their design. Their rooms have so much character and the details are impeccable. I have dissected the Pottery Barn Christmas 2010 catalog, dog-eared pages and made inspiration boards. My mom and I even had a phone chat and flipped through the catalog together...naturally we loved the same things! It's so much fun to feed off of one another and share ideas. My parent's house is my happy place. I love everything about it and the small loving touches are what make it home. My mom has always had a gift for putting things together and that is, without a doubt, where love for "making nice" comes from. I am so excited I have an entire HOUSE to decorate this year. I may have to start early and naturally, I am not complaining. With a peppermint mocha in my hand and Christmas music in my ears, I'm sure to buzz around like a little holiday elf in no time. Here are a few of my (and my mom's!) favorite Christmas inspiration snippets from Pottery Barn.

This picture says it all. I gasped when I saw this and told Mark that this is my inspiration for our outside decors. I adore houses with wreaths on every window. I have full intentions of giving all of our windows a little bit of wreath love. I love the cluster of ornaments hanging in front of the door and the garland around the columns. I cannot wait to re-create this Christmas dreamland outside of our home!

I love porches. There is something about them I have always loved. The details my mom always gives to her front porch is remarkable and I love to watch it change with the seasons. We love these lanterns to the left of the door and the mercury globes!

When I make my Pottery Barn inspired wreaths, this wreath hanger for the front door is going to be a necessary purchase.

All of the Mercury adds so much sparkle! These vases are uniquely shaped.

With the holiday season, you cannot get enough of all things that twinkle. These Mercury pillars would look great on a mantle with fresh greens, twinkle lights and sprigs of holly berries.

Someday, I would love to have a guest room that I can change with the seasons. Although this bedding is not really "holiday" bedding, the red lends itself to Christmas. I would probably leave this on year round but how charming would this room become with a 7ft Christmas tree in the corner with white twinkle lights and old fashioned ornaments? LOVE.

All images from Pottery Barn

Twice Baked

Pumpkin season is in full force and we just can't seem to get enough at our house. Last week I roasted a pumpkin as a wonderful side dish and yesterday morning we treated ourselves to the delicious pumpkin waffles I made in September. Before the season officially started, I made myself a mental list of everything I wanted to kiss with pumpkin this year and so far the list is well on it's way! I recently made some pumpkin biscotti to send in a few care packages and I could not be happier with how they turned out! Biscotti always seemed so difficult to me but my first attempt was more than a success and most importantly, my special recipients were raving about the little packages that showed up at their doorsteps! These would be great with morning coffee or a nighttime cappuccino after dinner. I added dried cranberries to half of this batch and I wished I had some white chocolate chunks on hand as well. Nuts, dark chocolate and even dried cherries would be great additions to this seasonal treat.

Pumpkin Biscotti

Recipe from Simply Recipes, Garrett McCord of Vanilla Garlic

2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Pinch of ginger

Pinch of cloves

Pinch of salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and all of the spices into a large mixing bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin puree and vanilla. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture and stir together to incorporate everything together. The dough will be crumbly when completely formed.

Flour hands and a clean kitchen surface and knead the dough. Grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper. Form the dough into a large log, roughly 15-20 inches by 6-7 inches. the loaves should be relatively flat, no higher than 1/2 inch high. Bake for 22-3o minutes until the center is firm to the touch.

Let the biscotti cool for 15 minutes. With a serrated knife, cut 1 inch wide pieces. Turn the oven down to 300 degrees and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes. Let the biscotti cool completely when done baking. For additional crunch, let sit overnight uncovered. Dunk and enjoy with your morning cup of cheer or bedtime sleepy sips!

Happy Monday, Friends! 47 days until Christmas!!

Red Cups!

It's that time of year again. As I say every year, and I will say again, I was born to celebrate this season! The first signs are upon us, in the form on Starbucks beloved RED CUPS! Let's just face it, our seasonal beverages taste better in these. Happy November and more importantly, happy start of the official countdown to Christmas!!