I'm a baking fool.

It's the time of year that I spend all day thinking about what I'll be baking when I get home (my boss isn't reading this, right?) I've spent hours watching Love Actually and listening to Harry Connick Jr.'s Christmas album. There is a serious amount of holiday cheer.

Here's what I've made:

-gingerbread with an egg nog glaze. topped with sweetened coconut (recipe to come)

-chocolate florentine cookies

-peanut butter cookies

-Martha Stewart's winter bark

-rum flavored marshmallows

On the horizon- chocolate chips cookies and, my favorite, saltine toffee cookies. These are easy to make and satisfy that salty-sweet tooth that rears it's festive head this time of year. I hope you're having as much fun as I am! If not, don't fret! Homemade cookies are coming your way!

cook books= the best gift in the world (trust me)

I went to Border's last week to pick up a few holiday gifts for loved ones. Like a tractor beam, the cook book section drew me in. If you ever see me in a book store, you'll recognize me by my dumb grin and growling stomach as I pick up, flip through and reluctantly put down a variety of cook books.

While I cannot yet reveal the cook books I've purchased for loved ones (because they may actually be reading, which would explain the 10 hits and 2 followers my blog has today) I'd like to share this article I read about this season's top books/gifts...any of which I would be thrilled to recieve (hint, hint).

All I want for Christmas

It seems like foodies everywhere are putting together (and putting out there for the public) their Christmas wish lists. The Washingtonian’s got this list, Chow is suggesting you pick up these kitschy mugs, and Better Homes suggests an all-in-one coffeemaker for serious cooks.

In order to stay hip (always a top concern of mine) and keep up with my fellow writers, here are a few items I’m hankering for this holiday season:

The Professional Chef- for the dreamer in me. I’ll probably never be a pro, but that doesn’t stop my yearning for knowledge, my appetite for cooking or my passion for feeing the people I love. This is a serious reference for a serious reader with a serious passion. (Me, me me!)

Immersion Blender- I cranked out some serious soups this year and don’t plan on stopping! However, an immersion blender would make the process a lot smoother. And I mean that quite literally – taking out that extra step of transferring small amounts of my chunky soup to a food processor, then to a bowl, then back into the pot when it’s all done would be a real time saver. Not to mention the texture of soup greatly improves with this gadget.

Mini Burger Tools- while making sliders the other night, I thought to myself- wouldn’t these be even more adorable if they were perfectly uniform? Sur La Table to the rescue. Check out this great set of tools to create your own sliders. And yes, I like my sliders extra adorable. Sue me.

Make your own Animal Crackers- If you read my column at DCFoodies.com, then you know I’m obsessed with making things that you’d normally buy at the grocery store. These little cookie cutters would be a perfect way to recreate one of my favorite childhood snacks.

Cookbook Holder- This is one practical, essential item I’ve yet to purchase. Yet every time I cook, I wish I had one. Self deprivation is one of my lamest habits.

Handmade Platter- My garlic stuffed olives, cheese with tomato tapenade and salami are just DYING to be served on this thing. Won’t you help them?

White Potato Pie

Relive a childhood memory (and office pot luck nightmare) with me here.

Holiday stress? No way, Jose!

Check out this article about ways to cut down on holiday stress, costs, and cooking. Yours truly contributed a few thoughts.

leftovers to hold you over

I’m always up for a culinary challenge. I mean, who am I kidding? I’m not Top Chef material, here. If you gave me wagyu beef, skittles and canned pinto beans you’re not getting a masterpiece from me.

But I do like to think that I’m rather sharp at taking regular refrigerator items and random leftovers and turning them into something fun and tasty.

So I started thinking about all the things you can make out of….just about anything. Steak becomes stir fry, chicken becomes cobb salad, risotto becomes risotto balls. Here’s what I’ve got. Please feel free to add your own:

Fried Rice- if you’ve got celery, carrots, onion, rice and an egg (and you know, oil and soy sauce), you’ve got fried rice. You can add any meat or other veggie, too.

Omelets- eggs taste great with just about anything. When I met my husband, he scored big (ahem) with a ranch dressing, maple syrup and cheese omelet that he claims was his bachelor stand by. I know, it sounds gross. But it worked. (and look at us now)

Wraps- toss lettuce with cheese, veggies, leftover chicken, rice or anything else and smother it into a tortilla. Or if you want to fool yourself into thinking your being “healthy”, take the same ingredients and put them over the lettuce…you’re eating a salad…oh, and cut those tortillas into triangles, brush them with oil and salt and broil them for a few minutes. They’re perfect with the salad.

Pureed soup- any veggie can be cut up, mixed with chicken stock, cooked like hell, and then pureed into a gorgeous soup with a food processor. I’ve tried zucchini, peas, butternut squash, white beans, lettuce…

Much love for Food Buzz

If you haven’t checked out foodbuzz.com please do. You will not regret it. This site is packed full of passionate foodies, educated chefs and just plain good people. Last night I met a group of them at Central, Michel Richard’s more casual take on French food. What could be better than tender lamb shank, red wine and hours of conversation with like-minded food obsessors?

Nada.

Cheers to my new friends!