Sunday night we had our yearly holiday party – a white elephant we lovingly refer to as Yankee Swap. Every year I try to make something a little different, so this year we tried a new type of cookie, a new punch, and a spinach dip. The other two recipes are coming soon, but I wanted to focus on what’s really important: cookies. I have a love-hate relationship with them. I hate making them, I love eating them. So I try over and over again to hate making them less (but you have to make each! one! separately! I like a cake situation, dump + done, amiright?!)

Now, I don’t love butterscotch the way some people do, but the feedback I got was if you like butterscotch, these are perfecto. If you don’t, I would sub half the butterscotch chips for chocolate, which is what I did with the second half of the batch. This recipe makes about three and a half dozen cookies, but you can make them even smaller – I am just an impatient cookie maker.

The full recipe is here. I would suggest you take these babies out a few minutes before you think you should, and you’ll end up with chewy and rich cookies that will disappear as quickly as they come out of the oven!

What’s your favorite type of holiday cookie? Have you begun hosting (and attending!) holiday parties yet?

Friday again! And in December!? I can’t believe it. It’s full steam ahead to the holiday season, and I’m not complaining one bit – hopefully this weekend I can get cooking and take some photos of the kitchen for y’all.

Anyways, to tide you over, here’s a delish couple of recipes for kids that I made for Joie de Vivre’s hotel, Hotel Del Sol. When coming up with a concept for the Hotel Del Sol, I was drawn to the vibrant colors and playful nature of this hotel. The 1950s style architecture has a level of nostalgia for simpler times with more fun and leisure, and that’s exactly what I thought of as a created these French Toast Sticks.

This breakfast is just plain fun to eat – plus, you get to use your hands, and I can’t think of something more amusing than that. Served with colorful fruit kebabs (for nutritional balance, of course), this colorful breakfast is exactly the kind of meal you want on a vacation at a fun-filled retro hotel.

For the full recipes, head over to Joie de Vivre’s blog, Joyride. Happy Friday, everyone!

YOU GUYS. My kitchen is done. Post to come just as soon as I am home in the light and can get proper photos of what’s going on here. Meanwhile, I’m here to tell you about the easiest recipe ever that you should make immediately. I know that you probably have parties coming up (I know I do!) and you’ll need quick and easy foods to make for friends and family, right? Enter this dip.

This recipe is my new favorite thing. It’s three ingredients. It’s delicious. It’s easy to make. And it’s easy to make in a small batch or for a group!

Here’s what you do: take ricotta (preferably whole milk kind) and add honey to taste. I usually do about a tablespoon for every cup of ricotta. Then, dice up a sprig (or two!) of rosemary and mix this all together. Serve with crackers. Or just eat it out of the bowl with a spoon, as I am sometimes found doing…

This is the perfect party (or book club!) dip for a crowd. Goes well with our feta-honey-rosemary block (seen here). I will be making this for our holiday party this weekend. I will probably be making this for an after-work snack tomorrow. Probably I’ll make some for before dinner on Thursday, too. Maybe. Who’s to say?

Make this tonight. Let me know what you think. What’s your go-to after-work/school snack?

To send 2015 out in style, we’ve crafted a desktop calendar that features a few of our favorite seasonal things: peppermints, candy canes, pie (obviously), snowflakes, rosemary…the list is endless really. Give your screens the gift of holiday cheer by decking them out in this fun, food infused, pattern!

Hey turkeys!

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is tomorrow? I sure can’t. We’ll be on Instagram all day @GarlicMySoul or #GMSThanksgiving2015 with what we’re doing in the kitchen.

For now, I’m kicking back and relaxing (JK JK I’m putting the kitchen together furiously – our contractor is still here finishing up the last few things!) and thinking about years past, like this Ghost of Thanksgivings Past post from last year. And I’m double checking all of my recipes, and patting myself on the back that someone is bringing a Pumpkin Pie…some year I will make this one.

Happy almost-Thanksgiving, you guys! Does anyone need any last minute guidance? Tweet at me and I’ll do my best to help ya out.

Until tomorrow!