The Diner's Deck

We got a whole lotta snow here last night and I woke up to this out on our terrace:

 

I don't mind the snow if it means I'm snowed in! Luckily, I'm working from home for the day so I can sit around in my sweatpants and Kevin Boss t-shirt, drinking endless amounts of coffee and tea while working away. It doesn't get much better than that. I kicked off the morning with a plate of eggs overeasy (my favorite kind), a sandwich thin for dippin' and a mug o'joe with Bailey's coffee creamer. How do you like your eggs?

So I had originally planned to share with you a veggie-packed pasta primavera that I made last night, however, I think it needs a little tweaking. But here's a sneak peek...

We also broke out a Christmas gift that we got from my sister Kimberly for Christmas. She got us a Diner's Deck:

 

It's a deck of 52 cards with an NYC restaurant on each one and they include a $10 gift certificate for each one! How fun is that? Shaun and I realized that we are already a couple of weeks behind in putting this deck to work, so last night we had some fun with it.

After laying out the cards, shuffling them (and getting some photographs in), we decided to just pick one at random. We landed on Crepes du Nord, a restaurant fusing French crepes with Scandinavian ingredients. Um, yes please! With both sweet (Nutella & banana, lingonberry & ricotta) and savory (smoked salmon w/dill creme) crepes on the menu, I think that our dinner date night tomorrow is going to be a delicious one! Not to mention, we'll save a few beans in the process. I think this is a fantastic gift for any food lover in your life!

So what do you think? Are you over the snow? Or still finding some enjoyment in it? And bonus question: do you ever use entertainment-type books or cards like the Diner's Deck?

My Favorite Things, Part II

Last night Shaun and I decorated our Christmas tree and we are so happy with the outcome! I will post pics later on or tomorrow!

Meanwhile, as the countdown to Christmas continues, I'm dreaming about some more great gifts that I'd love to find under the tree this year!

I said it last year and I'll say it again. I love all of the Anthropologie aprons! I have one,  yet it's not enough. These aprons are so pretty and frilly that they look like actual dresses! Talk about cooking in style.

Since I'm all about cupcakes, and always, always, always make a mess when transporting them to the muffin tins, I'm completely smitten with this cupcake batter dispenser! What will they think of next?

And while we on the subject of cupcakes, our friends Kristen and Ryan gifted me with this sweet cupcake plunger when they saw it and thought of me and my baking. How sweet and thoughtful is that? After my Dexter cupcake spackling debacle, this is the perfect way to fill those cupcakes quickly and easily!

 

This adorable sushi set is such a fun way to enjoy sushi at home! Who needs those wooden chopsticks that break when you pull 'em apart?

I'm a sucker for warm beverages, and even more so for cute vehicles for said warm beverages. I mean, can you look at these and not smile? Try it. You can't.

Though I'm going to try and DIY my own this weekend, how fun are these marshmallow pops? I wish I had these for lunch today.

That's it for today. What's tickling your fancy this holiday season?

My Favorite Things, Part I

Want to contribute your favorite cookie recipe to our  Virtual Cookie Swap? Email them on over (with photo, please!) to theavidappetite [at] gmail [dot] com, we'll start posting them as they roll in!

Since I'm not doing an official gift guide this year as my research time has been spent on cookies galore, I thought it might be fun to round up some of my favorite things that I've received in Christmases past or things that I would be thrilled to open on Christmas morning! Though not all things are food related, they are gifts that I love - either for function, thoughtfulness or both! Here's a few to start off with...

First up, magazines. Though I like mine of the food variety, any subscription to a glossy magazine is a great gift that really does keep on giving. Am I the only one who get unnaturally happy with excitement when they pop up in my mailbox each month? Currently, I have Food Network & Real Simple, but am always scouring for new ones!

 

Though they may be overdone (apparently there are glitter ones now?!), I can't help but continue to obsess over my Kona Uggs which have lasted me through 4 winters and are still going strong. As opposed to the original Ugg style (which I also own in red), these guys actually offer support for the tootsies while keeping 'em warm.

My kitchen wouldn't be complete without my set of mixing bowls, measuring cups and spoons. While any set will do, I have a Williams-Sonoma set that I Love oh-so-much in a pale green color (though all I could find online are red, for which I also tend to have a penchant!):

 

Last Christmas, my sister Kimberly gave me a few of "The Classics" including Sense & Sensibility and Great Expectations. They have been published in fancy schmancy hard cover editions which really brighten up my bookcase. I absolutely love this since I haven't read many of these but feel it's necessary to co-exist in society. Know what I mean? Anyhow, I think it's a great gift for any readers in your life!

A great stocking stuffer that Shaun once received from my parents was a boatload of spices and a spider utensil. Since Shaun loves to deep fry tortilla chips, the spider really comes in handy for fishing 'em out, which the spices keep them deliciously seasoned. Oh and the giant containers are still going strong in our spice cabinet.

 

A cute puppy. A mere 14 years ago, this little cutie pie joined the Cannon family on Christmas Eve. Can you think of a better gift to find under your Christmas tree?

It's especially cute when you hide a t-r-e-a-t inside her stocking for said pup to find...

So there you have it. Part 1 of our fun gift round up. Since I have many more gifts that have tickled my fancy, I'll continue to post more things in the coming days. But what I really want to know is: What are some of the best holiday gifts that you've received?