Ideas & Tips — Seasonal

The latke is a beautifully simple food. The traditional Hanukkah dish, these fried potato pancakes are delicious on their own or dipped in applesauce and sour cream, and make a great addition to the table at this time of year regardless of religious background. However, since there are eight opportunities to fry up latkes during the holiday, some foodies might get bored with making the same plain potato pancakes every night. Here are eight alternative latke recipes that, while they might shock some traditionalists, will add some variety to your celebrations: Cheesy potato latkes: Have you ever melted cheese over french fries?...

When you come back home after a long winter day, nothing feels quite like heating up a nice big bowl of soup, slurping it down and letting it warm you from the inside. If your soup repertoire needs a refreshment, check out these ideas for hearty, filling winter soups: Loaded potato soup: Following the inspiration of the baked potato, only creamier and better to fill a bowl with. Start out with an easy base of creamy potato soup, then add toppings like cheese, sour cream, green onions, bacon bits and hot sauce to really get the most out of this dense,...

You've invited everyone over to your home for New Year's Eve, and now it's time to start getting into the nitty-gritty of party planning and preparation. Hosting a New Year's party can be understandably stressful: People have high expectations about how they want to ring in the new year, and good preparation can mean the difference between a hopping party and a drunken, disorganized mess. Here are some tips to help you provide the best experience possible for your guests: Make a list. As in any situation where there are a lot of tasks to get done at once, it's helpful...

It's that time of year again: Time to raise a glass with family and friends and toast to being safe inside with food, drink and a functional heating system. The holiday season is one of the biggest times of year for cocktails, given all the swanky parties that go on, so it stands to reason that there are an abundance of holiday cocktail ideas to choose from. Impress your friends and coworkers at parties by trying some of these out: Rosemary-scented champagne: Add rosemary-flavored simple syrup and a shot of rum to a flute of champagne for a holiday flavor with...

There are many upsides to maintaining or starting a garden in the winter, the first of which may be that gardens make for beautiful additions to the home. Also, the options are more profuse than normally assumed with greenhouses, indoor and outdoor gardening all serving as viable options, even with the extra care needed to defend against any oncoming frost. Some of the benefits that come with gardening, specifically during the winter, include the cost effectiveness of growing your own produce and the bonus of extra activity and exercise during the months when people are typically inclined to stay in...