Category: Holiday

Posted on by Hailey Matesic Posted in Holiday
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Mother’s Day Gift Guide: Gifts for the Baker

Welcome to the first in this year’s Mother’s Day Gift Guide series! As Mother’s Day approaches, finding the perfect gift for the moms in your life can be a daunting task. But fear not! If your mom loves to bake and whip up delicious treats in the kitchen, I’ve got you covered with this curated gift guide featuring some of my favorite baking essentials sure to make any baking enthusiast mom’s day extra special.

As a fellow baking enthusiast and mom, I understand the joy and fulfillment that comes from creating delicious treats for loved ones. Baking is not just about making food; it’s about creating memories, fostering connections, and spreading joy. That’s why I’ve put together this gift guide, filled with items that I personally love and would be thrilled to receive as a gift.

The Perfect Gifts for Baking Moms

  1. Mini Bundt Cake Mold: Ideal for moms who love to entertain, this mini bundt cake mold is perfect for creating sweet little treats to end a meal when hosting. Pair it with a lovely cake mix from Williams-Sonoma for a thoughtful gift bundle.
  2. Colorful Baking Sheet Set or Gold Baking Sheet Set: Every baker needs a good set of baking sheets, and this set with various sizes and shapes is sure to please. Perfect for baking cookies, pastries, and more, these baking sheets are a kitchen essential. Pair them with a spatula and dish towel for a complete baking kit.
  3. KitchenAid Cordless Hand Mixer: A game-changer for bakers, this cordless hand mixer allows for easy movement around the kitchen and is perfect for taking on the go. Whether whipping up cookies or making whipped cream, this mixer is a must-have for any baking enthusiast mom. I’ve brought mine on vacation with me!
  4. Brownie Baking Pan with Edges Only: For brownie lovers who always want the crispy edge, this brownie baking pan is a dream come true.
  5. Mixing Bowl Set: This nesting mixing bowl set is great for bakers who like to have a variety of bowl sizes on hand for baking projects. Say goodbye to mismatched sets and hello to organized baking with this practical gift. Pair it with a pancake mix and a spatula for a delightful breakfast-themed gift bundle.
  6. Dessert Person Cookbook: Treat your mom to a dessert baking cookbook from popular chef Claire Saffitz. Filled with mouthwatering recipes and expert tips, this cookbook is sure to inspire countless baking adventures.
  7. Cake and Cupcake Decorating Tips & Set: Kickstart your mom’s cake decorating journey with this comprehensive decorating set. Perfect for creating stunning cakes and cupcakes, this set is a great way to unleash her creativity in the kitchen.

This Mother’s Day, show your appreciation for the baking enthusiast mom in your life with one of these thoughtful gifts. Whether she’s whipping up cookies, cakes, or pastries, these essentials are sure to elevate her baking game and bring joy to her kitchen. Here’s to celebrating the love, memories, and delicious treats that make Mother’s Day extra sweet!

Posted on by Hailey Matesic Posted in Holiday
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7 Stocking Stuffers for Foodies

Just the other day, hubby and I were both agreeing how much we love Christmas stockings – we both think they’re the best part of Christmas! It’s so fun to see a bunch of little things that *Santa* knows you’ll love.

Since we’ve been married, our tradition has been to focus on the stocking and we gift each other something for the house. This year, we upgraded our gas fireplace insert to look like an actual fire. Our old one looked like a little camp fire. (PS totally worth it! We’ve used the fireplace a whole lot more in the past few weeks than we had the old one in the past few years.)

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Posted on by Hailey Matesic Posted in Cocktails, Holiday
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5 Christmas Cocktails

Admittedly, I am very simple when it comes to a cocktail. If you want a solid moscow mule or a vodka + [enter whatever your 1, only 1, mixer is], I’ve definitely got you covered. Lately, I’ve been wanting to shake up our gatherings by offering one signature drink for our dinner parties. Ya know, the kind where I can memorize the ingredients, whip a drink together and make it look effortless?

Here are 5 suggestions from some of my favorite bloggers for your Christmas celebrations:

  1. Inspired By Charm’s Jingle Juice Holiday Punch

2. Cake n’ Knife’s Christmas Sangria

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Posted on by Hailey Matesic Posted in Breakfast, Holiday
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Gingerbread Waffles for Christmas Morning

Even as an “adult,” there is something really magical about Christmas morning. I love that slow-to-rise sleepyness that accompanies the holiday, when you don’t have to rush right out of the house for family obligations. I like that hour or two before the craziness starts to enjoy the holiday. Growing up, I always looked forward to opening my stocking while waiting for my mom to whip up Christmas morning breakfast (usually cinnamon rolls and scrambled eggs – yum).

These waffles are truly waffles for a celebration. They are decadent and they feel so elegant. And let me tell you, if someone makes you these gingerbread waffles, they most definitely love you. They’re not hard to make, I don’t want to scare you! But they have more ingredients than the typical waffle recipe, but I promise they’re worth that little extra magic they bring to the table on Christmas morning.

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Posted on by Hailey Matesic Posted in Holiday, Main, Recipes
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Butter Herb Roasted Hens for Christmas Dinner

So, I have a thing for individually-made anything. Also, I really couldn’t think of one main dish that we always have for Christmas. Turkey? Ham? As I’m over here still trying to think about what the heck our Christmas dinner traditions were growing up, I’m going to tell you all about these butter herb roasted individual hens! 

You know how I love those recipes that just fill the house with the most divine scents and this is definitely one of them. And I mean, aren’t they just the cutest little things you ever did see?!

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Posted on by Hailey Matesic Posted in Holiday, Side Dish
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Easy & Fragrant Roasted Potatoes Recipe

Are you thinking, “Hailey, do I really need a recipe to roast potatoes?” Uh, yes. Yes, you do. This roasted potato side dish will fill your house with the most amazing scent. Think, melted butter and garlic and herbs and just straight up deliciousness.

The secret? Melted butter, red onions, a lot of garlic, and parmesan. I could make this every single night and be perfectly content with my life.

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Posted on by Hailey Matesic Posted in Holiday
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The 3 Things (and $100) I Spent on Myself for Christmas

Before we really dig into this post, let’s just level-set here: it’s not like I don’t buy myself things year-round. I do. Probably far too often, but I find I always come up with a viable reason: I replaced a black sweater like this last month, this has a hole, this doesn’t fit, this isn’t my style, I need this for a blog post, etc. But there was something new about saying, “I’m going to spend $100 on myself for whatever I wanted for Christmas.”

I let go of the, have-to-have-a-reason, and said I’ve got $100 for anything I wanted. Could be 1 thing, could be 10 things. I settled on 3 things.

 

 

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Posted on by Hailey Matesic Posted in Appetizer, Holiday, Recipes
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Baked Brie for a Festive Appetizer

If you don’t get all heart eyes over cheese, I’m not sure we can be friends? It always feels like Christmas is an excuse to get things dressed up: the house, the table, and now, the cheese. This baked brie with cranberry apple compote is on point for Christmas! It’s wrapped in puff pastry and the tangy brie combines so well with the lightly sweet compote. Serve it up with sliced green apples and crackers – it’s great with both!

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Posted on by Hailey Matesic Posted in Holiday
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A Table Ready for Christmas

You know what I always think really makes a meal an event? A really nice table. You know, the one where you walk into someone’s house and think, “wow, they really took time to set a table for us,” or “how does she have the time to set such a gorgeous table?” or “how the heck do they pull off a table like that, I wouldn’t even know where to start.” I love those kinds of tables. I’m always impressed by that kind of thought and, if we’re being honest, that kind of style.

So can I tell you, that this table, ready for hosting Christmas Eve, since we don’t host Christmas, really is something I’ve been planning and plotting since Thanksgiving? It’s really taken me that long to get it right. And, once it’s dressed, it’s going to look like that until the holiday. Because I’m only doing this one once!

 

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