Two hundred sixty-six years ago this Christmas Eve, the city where I reside was named by Count Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf, a Moravian leader, in the first house erected in this area. I can almost imagine the Count, said to have been watching the stable animals and listening to hymns being sung, suddenly standing tall and proclaiming the community, "Bethlehem", named after the birthplace of Jesus Christ. It may have been less dramatic than that, but… Read More

What to do when you have a food lover or cooking fan on your holiday list and your heart says, "Go!" , but your budget says, "No!"? I like these ideas for gifts that are well below $25 or just scraping under the limit, but all worth every penny.

• Barefoot Contessa Dessert Baking Mixes - Choose from yummy mixes like Outrageous Brownie Mix or Raspberry Shortbread Cookie Mix - none are priced above $15.
  

• For the chocoholic

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Each year I make three different treats that have become so well-loved that I don't dare miss making them. The first two are really candy, although one of them may well be considered a bar cookie or near brownie. The third is a cookie; a cut out type. I don't make the same recipe each year, but we must have cut-out cookies for Christmas. This year it's a very simple butter cookie decorated with Royal Icing.

Cookie Dough Bites

I don't know… Read More

This is too fun not to pass on. The folks at OfficeMax have created a fun program that lets you upload photos of your family, friends and even pets, and add them to elf bodies. Once everyone is uploaded (you need four photos), watch them dance! Truly hysterical--once ours were done (we needed two!) we laughed 'til we cried.

Elf Yourself

Find more stories and tips for the holidays at Family.com's Yule Blog

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World peace, eternal happiness and a million dollars. OK, everybody wants that, but my culinary wishes are not the usual.

1. A Bunn Coffee Maker . With kids, time is at a premium and this is fast. Three minutes to done is my kind of coffee and the unbreakable stainless carafe is priceless.

2. Truffle cutters . These can be used for more than just truffles. Small, cute, perfect for decorating individual pastries or appetizers. I can just envision the kids… Read More

It's a plight that we all seem to face each year; what to do with those Thanksgiving leftovers? I do look forward to the leftovers almost as much as the meal itself, but it can get really old really fast. Mostly we reheat as-is, make open-face sandwiches and cook up a pot of Turkey Corn Chowder. I'm betting the rest of you do something similar. How about a few different-than-the-norm ideas?

Cranberry sauce--thin with apple juice or cranberry juice and serve… Read More