Ho Ho Ho.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and Happy Holidays and Merry Eating Fest.

I will try to drop in sporadically from Minnesota and New York and give you updates on what I'm putting into my stomach.  Cause you care?  xo

Spiced Nuts

Look, something without chocolate!  Something spicy - even just a half a teaspoon of Cayenne gives 4 cups of nuts a nice amount of heat - watch out if you're feeding these to kiddos.  My mom always has a bowl of nuts on the counter during the holidays, and this is a fun way to kick them up a notch, as Emeril would say.  It is his recipe, after all.    

Mint Bark

I know I keep talking about edible gifts, and some of my suggestions might be a little time consuming for your taste.  Until now!  (Talking in my commercial voice again.)  Go to your nearest market, pick up some of these Nestle Dark Chocolate and Mint Morsels, and follow the recipe on the back for Mint Bark.  It honestly couldn't be easier.  In fact, I would like to challenge you to do it blind folded and drunk.  Ehhh, on second thought, there's an oven involved and I don't want to be sued.

Anyway, all you do is line the morsels on a foil-covered baking sheet and melt them in a 325 oven for 2 minutes.  They will hold their shape when you remove the pan, but all you do is take a knife or spatula and swirl the melty chips until they look all lovely and professional.

Pop in the fridge and then break apart once cooled.  You can add nuts but I didn't feel like it.  I wanted something that closely resembled an Andes Mint in taste, and they did.  

Easy Edible Gift - now you have no excuse.  Unless you're blindfolded and drunk, in which case, you should probably just do nothing at all.