Love it, or Hate it? Time to start Cooking for the Holidays!

It's that time again.  Time to start prepping for your holiday feast.  From latkes to green bean casserole, no matter what holiday you celebrate it seems that one element is the centerpiece for every family: the holiday meal.  This can be an extremely daunting task.  I have on a few occasions had the privilege to cook for my entire family.  How frightening!  Mostly because holiday meals hold such a special place in most people's hearts that the sweet potato casserole MUST taste exactly like Great Granma Gertrude's or else Christmas is RUINED!  Well, this is how I feel sometimes at least.  For me, I love it.  I love the look on people's faces when they bite into the pumpkin cheesecake, or take their first taste of deviled eggs.  I get extreme satisfaction out of knowing that I created something that other people are loving.

But I haven't been doing this for very long, and there are just some things I don't really know how to do from memory yet.  Like, how to prep turkey, or the best way to make gravy.  I usually spend hours scouring the web, looking for helpful hints and recipes.  But alas, the genius creators of Food52 have figured these things out for us.  They have put together the Food52 Holiday Recipe and Survival Guide app for iPad.  This handy little app is full of informational videos and pictures to illustrate the recipes given.  They even have recipes listed by dietary restrictions, such as gluten-free and vegan if you need it.  Best of all, they have a "survival guide" with lots of lists to help you prepare for your holiday feast.  One of my favorites is their "how-to" on easy gravy.  It's so simple yet so tasty.  Take a look below:

Now there you have it.  The perfect gravy for your bird or roasted meats.  If you liked this demonstration, then you will really enjoy the rest of the app.  With over 75 recipes, you are sure to find a great menu your family and friends will love.  You can find it at your local app store.  I just checked it on iTunes, and it's at a really great price, only $3.99!  I'm looking forward to using it for Christmas night, since I promised my mother I would take over cooking dinner.

So tell me, what are your best holiday survival tips?  What is the go-to recipe that your family craves every year?  Do you have any holiday food superstitions?  Share your tips with me for the chance to win a free app from Food52.  I wish all of you an amazing holiday season.  I look forward to reading your tips!

Until Next Time,

Guten Appetit!