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Thanksgiving is over and almost forgotten as we start thinking about and preparing for Christmas. You can smell it all over the internet! At our house Christmas menu is pretty set. Twelve dishes total need to be prepared and you know, there is not much space left for something new. However these dishes are only intended for Christmas Eve! Who know what will happen afterwards. We can’t eat only leftovers for the rest of the Holidays, can we?

And just as you start wondering about those 12 dishes – here, click here – for five reasons to fall in love with Polish food.

I am really looking forward to Christmas cooking and baking. Most of the food we’ll have is cooked only once a year so imagine the pleasure, the savor of it. I cherish every bite. The fact that we’re so far away from our homeland makes it extra special. Getting the right ingredients feels a little bit like a hunting season. Getting the food to taste just right presents another set of challenges but I love every minute of it. Sometimes I over do it, I admit this much. Last year after preparing the entire dinner, with a lot of help from Pawel, I spent next few days in bed not able to move. This is what happens when you over do it while almost 8 months pregnant. Your hips just won’t take it.

And while we’re talking about baking – check out these natural food coloring recipes!

Anyway, this year is special, we have Eryk and since he is “old enough” to have a few bites we’ll have a lot of fun sitting by the table with him. He is hilarious. You must take my word for it.

Another natural, hmm, thing to do around this time (or much earlier) is to start looking for gifts. All sorts of gift guides appear all over the internet. I like to browse through them because even if I don’t find something I like often I can find some inspiration. At the end you need to think about the recipient first to find the best, the most thoughtful gift. Here are few lists that I stumbled upon this week:

1. From First We Feast  – Japanese Cast Iron Bottle Opener is my favorite
2. I could pick oh so many things from this list! Some serious stuff for food lovers. Let me tell you – Spash-Proof Thermapen is the best. Can’t tell you how many times saved my sanity. And it has little brother ThermoPop.
3. For coffee lover. For cocktail connoisseur. For bookworm. Click here.
4. Stylish cook – look no more. Click here. And scroll down for even more ideas.
5. New York Times’ list – food, style, kids – whatever you’re looking for, you’ll find it there.
6. Gifts for travelers and those who like adventures. Even if only in the coziness of their armchair.
7. Need something unusual or maybe silly? Eater has something for you.

The lists are great but sometimes the best gift you can give is your time. Few years ago I handed Pawel little package with 100 coupons. Coupon for an apple pie. Coupon for a Thai soup. Coupon for watching Star Trek together. Coupon for 15 minutes back rub. FIFTEEN. minutes. What was I thinking?! Right? 🙂

Have a great week guys!