We asked some of our favorite food bloggers to share a holiday treat with us during our holiday break. I really appreciate the multi-generational focus of Yvette's blog, Muy Bueno Cookbook, and her loving recreation of authentic Mexican cooking, family-style. And when she sent along this bright, festive take on the margarita, I was sold! Here, complete with swizzle stick, is drink number one for your New Year's festivities.

Move over cranberry sauce and, H-E-L-L-O Cranberry Margarita! Cranberries always remind me that the holidays are right around the corner. One day, while making some cranberry sauce, I decided to blend the berries, add some tequila, and a splash of Grand Marnier. One sip of this festive potion and I was sold, pure heaven, or close to it. More

We asked some of our favorite food bloggers to share a holiday treat with us during our holiday break. Kasey (also of eating/sf) writes a fabulous blog that mashes up food and music. Here's a slice of Turntable Kitchen, a story of New Year's in a Russian family, with a beet recipe to match.

My family, being Russian, celebrates New Year's a bit differently than most Americans. Growing up, we wouldn't get a Christmas tree, but rather, a New Year's tree. It's a tradition that dates back to the 17th century and one that my family proudly incorporated into our American home. In our family, New Year's was the holiday you always looked forward to most. It was about family, dressing up, eating lots of delicious food, exchanging gifts, toasting the old year and welcoming the New Year. More

We asked some of our favorite food bloggers to share a holiday treat with us during our holiday break. Tigress writes not one but two fine food blogs: Tigress in a Jam, and Tigress in a Pickle. We love her jams, jellies, and pickles, and we asked if she could share a New Year's treat with us. Here's a splendid appetizer for the holiday!

Faith's invitation to write a guest post with a Homemade Holiday theme prompted me to remember those wild and crazy holiday parties my parents threw when I was just a cub. My mother made a fabulous appetizer whereby she took a block of Philadelphia brand cream cheese and a jar of apple jelly — I can't remember exactly, but I'd bet a locavore's toe (that would be mine) that it was Smuckers — and a couple of teaspoons of prepared horseradish and voilà! More

The deep blue and silver cover of this latest issue in the Canal House Cooking series is an elegant hint at the the celebratory champagne-popping and truffle-stuffed recipes within. This is Canal House Cooking's Fall & Holiday issue and it's chock-full of recession-flouting recipes that glimmer and sparkle and call us to the table to eat well, make merry, and welcome in the good life with those we love. More

Looking for something a little different for your Easter dinner this year? We recently discovered that bigos, or Hunter's Stew, is traditional Easter fare throughout Poland! This is a hearty stew filled with smoky sausage, tangy sauerkraut, and plenty of garlic. Have you had bigos before? More

Do you have any New Year's cooking traditions? For some, the day brings black-eyed peas. With my boyfriend's Korean family, we always sip dduk gook, a clean and soothing soup made with rice cakes, green onions, eggs, and seaweed. In addition to being a lucky New Year dish, dduk gook can also be a simple comfort food for any winter day. More

Well folks, it's over. The hustle is no longer hustling and the stockings are waiting to be packed up for the next go 'round. An ungodly amount of See's Candy has been consumed, and we're slowly making our way through leftovers and the last dregs of eggnog. Now if you're anything like me (read: efficient first child), you've broken down boxes, recycled wrapping paper, and put your new gifts away. Heck, maybe you've even got your thank you notes ready to roll. More

Pretty much every holiday has some kind of yin-yang emotional struggle attached to it. Well, okay, maybe not President's Day or Groundhog's Day, they're fairly Switzerland-like as far as holidays go. I've never heard of someone say, "Groundhog's Day makes me cringe; I always associate it with my Uncle Ed fighting with his third wife, and everyone drinking too much and regressing to their worst adolescent selves." More

Figuring out what to do for New Year’s Eve is always a fraught decision. Do you go to the big party? Do you make reservations at your favorite restaurant? Do you stay in and watch the ball drop in Times Square? Do you actually make the trek to Times Square? More

Q: My best friend is expecting her first child (a girl!) and can't celebrate with champagne on New Year's Eve. I want to bring her something bubbly for the toast, but want it to be a little more special and exciting than simply a bottle of sparkling cider.

Do you have any suggestions for fun, bubbly virgin cocktails for the New Year?

Sent by Julie More