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Recipes to Cook in December 2025.
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Just 26 sleeps until Christmas! The most wonderful time of year is here!
Happy holiday season everyone! I hope you had the best Thanksgiving and were able to enjoy your loved ones around a table full of yummy food.
We had the nicest day. It was special to just spend time with family. I barely took one photo or video all day long and focused more on cooking and being with family.
I got some one-on-one time with my brother, Red, whom I never get to chat with. It was really nice! I even got him to cut down my Christmas tree! He found the cutest little stubby tree, and I love it!
We made short ribs, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, and Thanksgiving salad. We kept the night easy and mellow.
Taking time this weekend to catch up and hit the reset button before a very busy December. Weโre looking forward to so much this month, and we have some really fun recipes and holiday traditions to share! Itโs the best time of year!
Todayโs post is short. Just wanted to say hello, share a handful of my favorite Cyber Week sales, and our dinner menu for the week.
Enjoy and Happy Holidays! Whatโs everyone looking forward to most this season?
1. Things Iโm Loving.
lovingโฆLineage beef sticks and air-dried steak. The beef steaks and steak have been a lifesaver during this busy holiday season. I pack them to go on all of my trips! I also use their Nose to Tail Collagen every day in my coffee. And love cooking and baking with their raw honey.
sharingโฆmy code for 20% off sitewide on one-time purchases of ARMRA. Use HALFBAKEDHARVEST. Or use PARTNERS30 for 30% off 1st subscription orders (new customers only). And on Cyber Monday, you can get a free ARMRA Whirl on orders $120+.
wantingโฆnew winter boots. Varley has some cute ones! I like the silo winter boots, alpine ankle boot, and lug sole boot in suede.
readingโฆOne Day in December by Josie Silver.
everything in my cart (low)โฆspeaking of Varley, I added this Half-Zip Sherpa to my Shopbop cart in the colors Egret AND Red Dahlia. Super cute.
I need a pair of warm leggings, adding these Always Warm Base Layer Leggings.
From Zara, I found a festive pair of Bow Slingbacks and a cute jacquard cardigan.
giftingโฆthe HigherDose Infrared Sauna Blanket! This is going to my cousin, Abby. I was telling her how much I use and love mine. Infrared blankets are said to reduce stress, boost mood, increase blood flow and circulation, plus promote glowing skin.
listening toโฆA Martha Stewart Christmas, itโs so good.
andโฆIna Garten on Good Hang with Amy Poehler.
lovingโฆmy Boll & Branch cashmere sheet set. And guys, the Cotton Cashmere Sheet Set is 25% off with the code CYBER25
ordered for the family ChristmasโฆRockefeller Christmas Puzzle โ so cute!
orderedโฆParchment Paper Sheets for baking, itโs cookie season! These are making lining my cookie sheets effortless.
everything in my cart (beauty)โฆthe YSE Beauty Revitalizing Eye Holiday Set. I love the eye mask in this set, and the brightening eye cream is so easy to use. Plus, the set itself is a perfect gift. It comes in the prettiest silk bag, like a Santa sack!
watchingโฆA Very Jonas Christmas Movie. My mom, Asher, and Brenna loved it!
on my wish listโฆHeating Pad for Neck, Shoulders, and Back. My mom has this one at home and likes it (very soft). For traveling, she really loves this infrared pad, it rolls up in a case. Asher takes this really small heating pad. Both are dual voltage!
searching forโฆa packable puffer coat for easy travel. I need a new warm coat to always have with me on travel days. I have a few in carts. The Free People, Packable Puffer (both colors are cute), the Pufftech Parka from Uniqio, and the Pack It Down Jacket from Lululemon. Leaning towards the one from Free People, but tell me what coast your like?
everything in my cart (high)โฆa really beautifulย Faux Fur Coat at the Frankie Shop.
And for my mom, a cozy ribbed cashmere beanie, cashmere and silk-blend snood, plus this festive checked cashmere scarf (so similar to my YSL scarf). Ohhh, and ribbed cashmere socks (the olive sadly sold out).
shopping festive accessoriesโฆLace and Rhinestone Tights, Chiffon Ribbon Hair Bow Clip, and this Velvet Bow Hair Clip.
2. The most popular recipes of November.
Most Popular:ย Make Ahead Thanksgiving Salad
Runner-up:ย Cheesy Mashed Potato Casserole
Also have to mention: One Pot Creamy Vegetable Dumpling Soup
Cookie of the Week: Frosted Gingersnaps
even more popular this month: Herb and Butter Roasted Turkey with White Wine Pan Gravy. And ourย 2025 Thanksgiving Menu and Guide. And just like last year, Our Most Popular Holiday Appetizers,ย 32 Cozy Soups to Make All Fall and Winter Longย Creamy White Chicken Chili, and Salted Honey Butter Parker House Rolls.
3. Cyber Week Sales โ holiday decor/home.
Lola Blankets
4. Cyber Week Sales โ beauty/skin.
5. Tell Me your Favorite Christmas Recipes.
Iโm in full holiday planning mode! I love this time of year!
Curious what recipes you all love, tell me your favoritesโฆ
Christmas Cookies, Candies, and Bars (anything sweet!)
Holiday Cocktails, Appetizers, and Dinners (what recipes should I create?)
6. Inspiring Me โ Christmas Cheer.
(Elf)
7. Favorite Links.
The Best Hotels in Aspen, From Cozy Mountainside Stays to Mod Bauhaus Gems
The Best Hotels in Miami, From South Beach to Brickell
The Best OPI Nail Polish Colors To Get in the Holiday Spirit
20 Easy Holiday Decor Looks + How to Copy Them
These 45 Affirmations Will Shift Your Energy Fast
8. Cyber Week Sales โ fashion/accessories.
9. This Weekโs Dinners + Weekend Eats.
Monday: Crockpot Creamy Coconut Chicken Tikka Masala
Tuesday: Winter Salad with Maple Candied Walnuts
Wednesday:ย Crockpot Spicy Queso Beef Chili
Thursday:ย Skillet Creamy Chicken and Parmesan Gnocchi
Friday: Vanilla Hot Chocolate Molten Cookies
Saturday: Sparkling Mistletoe Cosmo
Sunday: Pot Roast Sunday Sauce
This post was originally published on November 30, 2025
I love your story about how you oils come home from school and eat perogies! I love them and have tried some of your older exiles from many years back. Iโm hoping you can bring back some with bit home made and store bought. They are so yummy on. Cold night.
I love your stories and recipes. Btw we call you โ The Galโ in our house. My husband asks โIs this from your gal?โ When I make a new recipeโฆ he is a huge fan! California loves your recipes.
Tracy
Thanks so much for reading, Tracy:) Awww, I love that! I appreciate you making so many recipes for your family, it means a lot to me! Have a great week!
Sounds like you had a nice little Thankgiving with your brother, it was very sweet of him and his GF to cut down your tree for you! I hope you will be able to spend Christmas with the rest of your family! The Olympics are right around the corner- how long will you be in Italy, and do you have plans to travel anywhere else while in Europe? I bet you are getting excited!
Hi Sheryl,
Thanks so much for reading! Yes, we did have a nice little Thanksgiving:) I hope you had a great Holiday as well!
I havenโt exactly nailed down my dates for Italy just yet, but itโs going to be a great time and I canโt wait to be there to cheer on Red! Thanks for asking:)
Is the Chicago dinner sold out yet? And has the menu been decided yet?
Hey Olivia! We have only a handful of tickets left. Iโm trying to see if we can get more added!
I would grab a ticket soon if you are interested in coming!
The menu is decided, it will be amazing!!
Let me know if you have more questions. Happy holidays!
Thank you for all the great recipes! I live in Montana and I think Patagonia makes the best packable puffer coats. Theyโre not the most stylish option, but theyโre the best when it comes to lightweight and warm.
Hey Jill,
Thanks for taking the time to read!! Thanks for sharing your favorite puffer coat, I will look into the Patagonia one! Have a great week ahead!
One of the best things about the holidays is getting to reconnect with cousins or siblings โ Iโm glad you and your brother could enjoy some quality time together!
It sounds like you have a lot going on, and I imagine thereโs a lot of pressure to post a lot during the holidays. Please know your followers donโt want you to run yourself ragged โ weโd rather know that youโre enjoying cooking your faves for yourself, spending time with your people, and taking care of your ankle and health, even if that means less content for us. Maybe you can even jet off to Europe to enjoy the Christmas markets!
Thanks for the Christmas shopping ideas, and for my familyโs 2 favorite cookie recipes that weโve baked for years now! (The oatmeal cookie recipe from the cookie ice cream sandwiches and your momโs chocolate chip peanut butter oatmeal cookies)
Happy Holiday Season!
Hi Elsa,
Thanks so much for reading today! I truly appreciate your kind message, it really means so much to me that you understand where I am coming from:)
Happy to share the Christmas shopping ideas and thanks for making the cookies each year!
Have a great week!
Oh dear, Iโm so sorry that you didnโt have the big family visiting that you mentioned last week!! My heart hurts for you! I hope you were still able to have a nice Thanksgiving!! Thank you for all your recipes!
Hi Monique,
No worries at all, I still had a great time and enjoyed the company of those around me:) Hope you had a great holiday!
Thank you for such a great post. I love that you moved away from the traditional meal and went with what your family most wanted. Having said that I really appreciate you putting together a holiday meal for your readers which always has delicious options. Is your short rib recipe on your blog? If so, I have to check that out.
I would love to see more slow cooker meals, even MORE soups, risottos and lasagnas . My mom is no longer with us and sadly some of her recipes are also lost. Her chocolate chess pie(very fudgy with very few ingredients), her Christmas orange slice cake (made with those gross orange jelly candies), sticky toffee pudding (very traditional) and her date cake with warm sauce. I would love to see any of these but it may not be possible .
Also, do you ever freeze your cookies? I would like to start baking now for boxes closer to Christmas because it is too much to get done close to the holiday. If so, do you have any advice on how to store/freeze goodies?
Thanks for all the work you put into your recipes and posts. It is very much appreciated.
Hey Marla,
Thanks so much for your kind message and taking the time to read. The short rib recipe is new, so itโs not on the blog just yet:)
Thank you for sharing some of your momโs best recipes!
Yes, I do freeze my cookies! I would just say that anything with icing should be frozen without the icing and then added once thawed.
I hope this helps! Have a great week!
What happened to the many friends and family you said would be with you for Thanksgiving? You only showed Red and his girlfriend in your stories.
You promised to share a look at your Thanksgiving. When can we expect to see your tablescape? If you love to host, itโd be nice to see some of it. No need to show the people, just the food and decor.
Hi Dolores,
Thanks for reading and following along! I spent time with my family and chose to be away from my phone all day. It was so nice to have time with them and be present durning the holiday! I need a break from my phone:) Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Tieghan, darlingโif weโre talking Christmas, you simply cannot go past my mumโs chaotic-but-perfect trifle. Itโs a glorious, unapologetic mess: layers of sponge cake soaked in sherry and passionfruit pulp, a thick blanket of custard, a mountain of whipped cream, and a reckless scattering of hundreds and thousands on top. Itโs the kind of dessert that looks like a glitter bomb went off in a 70s cookbook, and tastes like pure, unbridled joy. No oneโs ever left our table without a bowl of itโand a very happy heart.
Hey Glen,
Oh yum!! That sounds so good! Thanks a lot for sharing, I might have to try to recreate it sometime! Have a great Sunday!
I saw on your Instagram stories that you broke your new oven already! So sorry!! Did that hinder your Thanksgiving cooking? I hope not!!
Hey Carole,
Thanks so much for asking! It did not ruin Thanksgiving cooking so all was good:) I hope you had a wonderful holiday!
Good morning! Glad that you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving together!
Iโm confused and wanted to reach out. As a faithful 9 Favorite Things reader, I know that your readers have been asking for weeks for photos of your own Thanksgiving setup/spread. You responded that you would be sharing some of those photos. I was disappointed scrolling through this morning and not seeing any. Could you please clear up the confusion? Thank you!
Hey Ashley,
Thank you so much for the kind note!
Yes I shared on instagram the one photo I did manage to take but left out of โnine favorite thingsโ. I made short ribs (new recipe), my mashed potatoes, Mac and cheese, thanksgiving salad, Brussels sprouts, and rolls! We also had some goat cheese dates and a cheese board! Plus pie. One of my ovens broke and that was about the only photo I took all day! My brother did my cute Christmas tree.
I will share the tree and oven photo next week. I spent time with my family and chose to be away from my phone all day. It was so nice to have time with them and be present durning the holiday! I need a break from my phone.
Happy holidays! Have a wonderful December week!
Why didnโt you make anything from your menu that you put out to everyone? I am surprised!!
Hey Anna,
I made all the dishes that were requested of my family:) Sometimes itโs nice to switch it up after we have been testing and eating all of the traditional recipes throughout the month. Thanks for asking!
Aww Iโm sorry that your plans of hosting so many people like you said last week didnโt turn out, how disappointing for you!! ๐ glad your brother could show up! Happy holidays!!
Hey Alice,
Thanks for reading today!! I wasnโt disappointed at all, just happy to spend time with the family that came into town:) I hope you had a great Thanksgiving!
Happy Holidays! This year is different-I broke my left leg & ankle the Sunday before Thanksgiving (a week ago today.) Long story short resulting in a plate & 9 screws with a full cast up to my knee. We are navigating fairly well, trying to laugh & lean on friends & neighbours. We did the traditional meal with help from a guest & it probably tasted more delicious knowing that we got it done despite a setback (or 2).
We are so very grateful for all of the help weโve been offered & gotten. Thankfully, holiday shopping is complete. We have friends coming tomorrow to help decorate the house, get & decorate the tree. Our doggie daycare people have things fairly well under control.
Itโs very hard to sit back & not โdoโ. Iโm famous for not resting a lot & usually have a couple of things going on at once. My wife is not wired that way so we are both learning some interesting things!
Anyway, I love reading your posts & watching you celebrate-this time of year is the best!
Hi Dale,
Thanks for taking the time to read this morning. Wow, I am so sorry to hear about your leg and ankle! I can totally understand how it can be hard to sit back and let others help, but take the help and time to heal. It is so great you have so many people around you for support. Sending good vibes for a speedy recovery!!
Thanks so much-I have plenty of time right now!! Watching Netflixโs Absentia-have you seen it? The first season was really good, Iโm finishing season 3 (final season) & kind of wish theyโd stopped at the end of season 1. But, to show the full scope of the fictional story, I guess they had to drag it outโฆ
I havenโt, I will have to add it to my list!