Santa's sack is overflowing with ideas (and recipes, of course!) for the holidays, not just for the Christmas dates themselves but for all the good times in between. Here's to embracing the holidays!

Stock up on butter, all, because this week's "Seasonal Seven" recipe collection is for the holiday bakers in our number, whether we've got a cookie exchange coming up or live with some bonafide cookie monsters or plan to deliver treats to a neighbor with a sweet tooth. I hope you'll find one or two destined as "keepers" in your own Christmas cookie favorites.

Meet your new favorite autumn-inspired drink, a simple yet outright special combination of smoky bourbon, tangy apple cider and crisp ginger ale served by the glass or prepped by the pitcher. It's barely boozy, unless you prefer otherwise, of course. Cozy autumn vibes? You bet. Bottoms up, all! A Memorable Seasonal Cocktail, Just Three Ingredients. No Hard-to-Find Liquors or Liqueurs or Bitters or Mixers, No Cooking Simple Syrup. Barely Boozy. Scales from a Mixed Drink for One or Two to a Pitcher for Parties. Beautiful Color! Mere Minutes to the Table. Fun Picnic & Tailgate Beverage. Easily Adapted to Personal Tastebuds & Alcohol Consumption. Budget Friendly. Weeknight Easy, Weekend Special. Perfect When Cooking for One or Two . Potluck & Party Friendly. Easy DIY. Not just vegan, Vegan Done Real . Naturally Gluten Free. So Good!!

This week's "Seasonal Seven" recipe collection is for everyone (me included!) with a soft spot for Thanksgiving's wonderful vegetable side dishes, I swear, I could make a dozen 🙄 and still find room on the menu for one more. But! Here I selected just seven simple but Thanksgiving-suitable recipes for seven different vegetables, then paired each one with another that's slightly more effort but extra-worthy. I've been collecting Thanksgiving vegetable recipes since way back in 2006, you just know, there are so many winners here.

What a show-stopping side dish, hot and crisp like French fries, oven-roasted like baked potatoes. The big surprise? Hasselback Potatoes are visually distinctive but also surprisingly easy to make . Just cut slits in the potatoes with a sharp knife (don't worry, I'll show you how), brush the tops with olive oil, season a bit and roast in the oven for 45 minutes. That's it, you can definitely do this! Memorable Homestyle Whole Food, Easy to Execute, Dramatic Results. Just Four Ingredients, Potatoes + Pantry Ingredients. Hearty & Filling, Especially Good with Steaks, Chops, Roast Chicken. Budget Friendly. Weeknight Easy, Weekend Special. Easy DIY. Perfect When Cooking for One or Two . Not just vegan, Vegan Done Real . Naturally Gluten Free. Whole30 Friendly. What're you waiting for?! So Good!!

Pull out the mixing bowl because this week's "Seasonal Seven" recipe collection tackles a some times overlooked side of Thanksgiving, the dessert table. I've chosen recipes that just can't be found in a bakery or grocery store but are easy-easy for home cooks, even during a busy time. Will you find one you can't resist? I hope so! Will you find one to repeat year after year? That too!

with Quinoa, Barley, Kamut and/or Other Grains, Rices & Lentils Is your pantry overrun with bits of whole grains? Mine too. Here's a way to use them all at once. The base recipe pairs two familiar grains (quinoa and barley) with one that may be new (kamut). But the great flexibility here is that the pilaf may be made with any blend of whole grains, rices and even lentils . It's all baked in the oven in a single dish, so easy, so colorful, so tasty. It even makes a great "whole food" food gift for the holidays! PS Would it make a great addition to the Thanksgiving table? Yes! An Easy, Healthy Side Dish, Another Kitchen Parade Concept Recipe. Whole Food, Simply Prepared. Real Food, Fresh & Family-Approved. Just One Dish, No Mixing Required. Hearty & Filling. Year-Round Kitchen Staple. Weeknight Easy, Weekend Special. Great for Meal Prep. Great for Food Gifts. Not just vegan, Vegan Done Real . So Easy, So Good!

This week's "Seasonal Seven" recipe collection is for all those who seek solace with sustenance, a lucky seven recipe ideas for soups able to stand on their own for supper, no salad or sandwich required. Easy weeknight soups because life goes on? Of course. A couple of weekend challenges for a healthy distraction? That too.

Dust off that big ol' Dutch oven, people, because this week's "Seasonal Seven" recipe collection features old favorites destined to make our fall mealtimes simpler, cozier, easier and dare I say, way more satisfying than, true confession, those frozen pizzas I've been throwing in the oven of late. I hope you'll find one or two destined as "keepers" in your own recipe repertoire ...

A homemade chocolate chip cookie baked especially for fall, deepened by a subtle measure of molasses, brightened with autumn spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom), then packed with traditional chocolate chips but also butterscotch chips and white chocolate chips. It's a festive seasonal twist that honors the familiar favorite, then delivers sweet treats that are, just, well, better . The cookies are sweet, chocolate-y and chewy, ready for a lunchbox, an after-school or after-supper snack, exactly what Charlie Brown's Great Pumpkin might order up. Approachable, Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookies Made from Scratch With a Twist. A New Addition to The Homemade Pantry , a Kitchen Parade Specialty. Weeknight Easy, Weekend Special. Potluck, Party & Picnic Friendly. Easy DIY. What're you waiting for?! So Good!!