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Crave-Worthy Recipes

Winter white hot chocolate with cinnamon

Winter white hot chocolate with cinnamon_3

Living in Pittsburgh, it seems hot chocolate is everywhere — and that, in my opinion, isn’t always a good thing. Those watered-down styrofoam cups at freezing cold football games or the overly sweet stuff handed out after cold weather 5Ks, are really consumed out of a need to stay warm, more so than for the enjoyment. It had been a long time since I had a cup ‘o chocolate that I actually enjoyed. But I was feeling a bit Christmassy decorating the house, so I thought I’d whip up something warm and delicious to sip on as we watch holiday movies on repeat. This Winter White Hot Chocolate has a dash of cinnamon to give the cup some complexity. You can add more or less, if you like. Even some nutmeg would taste pretty good. The best part of making drinks like this is always the extras, so if you’re going…

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What’s the most popular Christmas candy in each state?

What's the most popular Christmas candy in each state?

Halloween has come and gone, but with Christmas right around the corner, we’re still living in the season of sweets. This month of the year we’re more about chocolate Santas than Snickers and candy canes than candy corns, but preferences vary from state to state. Online retailer Candystore.com recently asked 30,000 of its customers to vote for their favorite Christmas candy in order to see how America’s sweet too varies state to state. And the results show that where you live definitely plays a part in your Christmas candy tastes and traditions. Source: CandyStore.com. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups gets love from 10 different states, but others are all about Christmas exclusive candies like peppermint bark and chocolate Santas. Eight states pick candy canes as their favorite Christmas candy. Six chose holiday-colored M&Ms, and five preferred red, green, and white “reindeer corn” — the holiday version of candy corn. PEZ was…

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Seasonal

8 Best Subscription Gift Boxes for food lovers

Subscription boxes are so much more than just Jelly-of-the-Month-Club nowadays. If you’re not sure what to get that hard-to-buy-for someone, why not leave it to the pros? Each of these subscription boxes is curated by a team of experts in the category, to deliver just what your snack-loving sister or healthy-eater husband need. So give everyone with a big question mark next to their name one of these gifts and have them be thankful for you all year long. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bb923u_jXp7/ For the coffee obsessed: Mistobox Cost: $20 per month What you get: When you sign up for Mistobox, you’ll tell the company your coffee preferences and an expert coffee curator will get to work selecting the coffees that best match your tastes from over 300 fresh-roasted blends. Then, every 30 days you’ll get to open a new 12-ounce bag of whole beans. More info here: Mistobox.com https://www.instagram.com/p/BjpiLq7HXWI/ For the snacker:…

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Avoid these 10 common baking mistakes for better baked goods

Avoid these 10 common baking mistakes for better baked goods_not preheating oven

Sometimes that fun afternoon in the kitchen turns into a stressful battle with baked goods. There are some mistakes that even seasoned bakers continue to make. Here are a few easily avoidable mistakes that can help you correct your process, and return baking to a productive, enjoyable activity. 1. You check your oven too often. Naturally, you want to see the reward of your hard work, so you open the oven to take a peek. But know that opening the oven, even a tiny crack, released enough hot air to change the temperature in the oven. This can mean an undercooked or unevenly baked cake. If you must check, use the little light switch on your oven — that’s what it’s there for. 2. You don’t really read the recipe. If you’re guilty of jumping right into a recipe, you’re setting yourself up for some major mistakes later. Read through…

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18 restaurants that will be open on Christmas Day

18 restaurants that will be open on Christmas Day

When you think of Christmas, you probably think of digging fork first into a massive spread of home cooked feast. But, if you’d rather spend your time with loved ones instead of being stuck in the kitchen, or if you don’t find yourself at home for the holiday, we’ve listed 20 chain restaurants that will be open Christmas Day. Regardless of where you end up dining out, remember that these employees are stuck working away from their own families on the biggest holiday of the year. So don’t be a Scrooge. Tip well! Applebee’s Many Applebee’s locations will be open on Christmas Day, but it is best to call you local Applebee’s ahead of time since individual franchisees may opt out. https://www.instagram.com/p/BmmKp37n4wP/ Boston Market Boston Market locations will be open on Christmas so you can enjoy a traditional holiday meal for just $12.99. Also, if you’re going to be home,…

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Seasonal

What, exactly, are sugar plums?

What, exactly, are sugar plums?

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’ by Clement Clarke Moore paints a peaceful Christmas Eve scene, with new-fallen snow, carefully hung stockings, and visions of sugar plums. And you’ve probably heard of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from “The Nutcracker.”  But have you ever stopped to ask what, exactly, is a sugar plum? While the recipe for sugar plums has varied, what they’re not, and never were, is sugar-coated plums. The truth is that sugar plums are not linked to fruit or any plum-like substance. According to the Oxford English Dictionary of the day, a sugar plum is a comfit. Comfits are seeds, nuts, or piece of spice coated with a hard sugar shell — not unlike the outer crunchy shell of an M&M or Jordan almond. The first sugar plums date back to the 1600s when popular centers for comfits would have included caraway, fennel, coriander, almonds, walnuts, ginger,…

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Crave-Worthy Recipes

Holiday Ornament Rice Krispie Treats

Holiday Ornament Rice Krispie Treats

Rice Krispie Treats might already be your go-to when you need a quick treat for a kid’s birthday party or snack for the class, but this holiday season, dress them up a bit for a brand new take on the old classic. They’ll look just as good in your kid’s lunchbox as they will on the buffet table at your holiday party. I made red and green Rice Krispie ornaments, but you could easily adapt to make them match the color scheme of your holiday decor — blues or purples. Leave some without food coloring for an all natural golden ornament look. I sprinkled in some golden sugar sprinkle for extra shine, but the photo doesn’t pick up on it well. Add sprinkles in the colors of your choice for extra customization.  I could even see them decorated with piped white chocolate for more fun and flavor. The Rolos were…

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Seasonal

Keep potatoes from turning brown this holiday season

Stop your potatoes from browning

When you’re preparing a big meal for the holidays, there are so many ingredients and different dishes to prep that you can easily get distracted. One minute you’re creaming corn, and the next, you’re cleaning up apple pie spillover in the oven. While you may be able to throw away a few forgotten burnt rolls, one mistake will be too obvious to hide — a bowl full of grey mashed potatoes. If you’re not planning to use your potatoes within 20 minutes after exposing the inner flesh to air, you should takes steps to prepare. Here’s how to keep your potatoes from turning grey or brown, so they’re be worthy of praise at your holiday table. Why do potatoes brown? If you ever took a long phone call in the middle of chopping potatoes and came back to a brownish-grey mess on your cutting board, you’ve seen the science in…

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Crave-Worthy Recipes

Springtime lime cookies

Lime cookies

These lime cookies are buttery and bursting with tangy citrus flavor. They’ll remind you of a pleasant spring day. Enjoy alone or with tea or milk. Just enjoy them before some else does — These cookies never last long! Springtime lime cookies Ingredients Icing 1/3 cup confectioners sugar 2 tbsp lime juice 1 tbsp butter, room temperature 1 tbsp lime zest Cookies 2 tbsp lime juice 1/3 cup milk 1/2 cup butter, room temperature 3/4 cup white sugar 1 egg 2 tbsp lime zest 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda Directions Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a small cup, combine the milk and 2 tbsp of lime juice. Let stand for up to 5 minutes. Add 3/4 cup sugar and butter in a large bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until combined. Add 2 tbsp lime zest and the…

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Seasonal

The uncertain origins of the Christmas Pickle ornament

The uncertain origins of the Christmas Pickle ornament

When it comes to holiday traditions, the Christmas pickle can be kind of a big dill — depending who you ask. Some families forgo hiding the odd ornament, yet in other homes it’s the most sought after item in the whole house. But where did this custom come from? Most people believe that hiding a pickle ornament somewhere in the tree is an Old World tradition that came to the United States with German immigrants in the 1800s. It’s said that whoever finds the pickle in the tree on Christmas morning will have good fortune in the coming year. In some families, the finder even gets a special present or gets to be the first to open his presents. But as it turns out, most Germans have never heard of the Christmas pickle, and you’d be hard pressed to find a German’s tree adorned with this garish green, sparkly decoration. Other stories of origin make…

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